Discover Virgin Broadband A quick guide to your broadband service 06/05/2014 15:24
Contents Discover Discover the internet with Virgin Broadband Getting to know your Super Hub How to protect kids in the digital world Web Safe - our free parental control service How to get the best wireless connection 2 5 6 7 8 Connecting onnecting wirelessly to your Super Hub C — Simple push-button WPS method — Manual method: — Windows 8 — Windows 7 — Windows Vista — Windows XP — Mac OS Your Super Hub explained How to add to new device to your wireless network How to set up a wired connection Wha
1 Discover Hello. Welcome to Virgin Broadband We’re sure you’re itching to get online, but first it’s worth spending a few minutes reading this guide. It’s got plenty of really useful details on how to get the best from your superfast fibre optic broadband service along with some useful tips should you have any hiccups along the way. Accessibility At Virgin Media we want our products and services to be accessible (and enjoyable) for all – including people living with disabilities and their families.
2 Discover the internet with Virgin Broadband With a superfast connection, you’ve got the whole web at your beck and call. Just hook up your computer, your smartphone, your games console or tablet and you’re away. Watch a movie. Stream that album everyone’s talking about. Tap into your social networks. Work hard and play harder. The online world is your oyster. Virgin_Broadband_Brochure_reskin_AW_v2.
3 Discover Entertainment on the web You’re never short of entertainment with Virgin Broadband. Download a movie, stream a playlist for your party, or take on the world with online games. It’s all there, whenever you want it. To learn more, go to virginmedia.com/discover/entertainment Virgin Broadband makes sharing easier Faster broadband will work wonders for your social life. Share photos, chat to family on Skype with less buffering, or find out what your mates are up to with Facebook and Twitter.
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5 Discover Getting to know your Super Hub Want to do the really fun things on the web like streaming, downloading and playing games? Want to do them all at the same time? Anything’s possible with the Super Hub. Our fastest ever wireless hub*. Uses next generation 5GHz channel wireless technology, ideal when connecting three or more devices, such as tablets or smartphones, see page 24 for more details. etter range, thanks to an extra wireless B antenna, reaching further in your house.
6 How to protect kids in the digital world The web is a big, wide world full of fun and learning for your kids to explore. But just like in the real world, there are some things that as a parent or guardian you need to watch out for. How you manage the internet in your home is becoming a big deal for families everywhere. That’s why alongside Web Safe - our network parental controls tool - we have Switched on Families.
7 Discover Web Safe — our free parental control service Web Safe Web Safe is a free tool that helps protect your household from inappropriate content when using your home network. Once switched on it works automatically and doesn’t rely on any software to be installed on any of your devices, whether that’s a laptop, tablet or mobile. For more information and some Frequently Asked Questions, please go to page 29. To set up, head over to virginmedia.com/myvirginmedia – our online account management area.
8 How to get the best wireless connection Faster? Further? Here’s how to make sure your kit is working at its best. 1. Stand the Super Hub upright Stand the Super Hub on its base with the lights on the front facing into the room. 2. Don’t tuck your Super Hub away Placing the unit inside a TV cabinet or closed shelving can block your wireless signal. 3.
9 Your Super Hub transmits a radio signal on a particular wireless channel within the 2.4GHz band. If another nearby wireless device (for example, your neighbours’ wireless network) is transmitting on the same channel, the two devices could be fighting it out for the airwaves. By rebooting your router it will automatically pick the least congested channel, so it’s a good idea to do this every now and again just in case a new wireless device is competing for the airwaves in your neighbourhood.
10 Connecting wirelessly to your Super Hub Installed by our technician? Your computer should be connected to the internet. If you need to add another computer or device, such as a tablet or smartphone, you can connect by using the simple push-button WPS method (shown across the page) or by following the instructions that relate to your computer’s Operating System e.g. Windows 7, on the following pages.
11 Simple WPS push-button method Step 01 Press and hold the round WPS button until it flashes 5.0 GHz 2.4 GHz Step 02 Within 2 minutes, simply open your Wireless Manager on your PC (typically in the position shown by the red arrow) or locate the WPS button on your device to connect. WPS Connecting Push Open Wireless Manager Note: If you can’t locate your wireless manager, please follow the manual process on the next few pages.
12 Manual method Please follow the instructions that relate to your Operating System Windows 8 set up Step 01 From the Start menu move your mouse cursor to the top-right or bottom-right corner of the Start screen. A sidebar with five icons will open. Step 02 Click the icon at the bottom of the sidebar and the settings panel will open. Settings Step 03 Click the Available icon to show a list of WiFi connections available. Virgin_Broadband_Brochure_reskin_AW_v2.
13 Step 04 Depending on the type of device one or two Virgin Broadband WiFi networks (also known as SSID) will appear and will be something like VM123456-2G and/or VM123456-5G. Click the network name and then click Connect. Connecting We recommend you connect to the 5GHz Wireless Network Connection if your device is compatible (if your device isn’t compatible it won’t show you this option). See page 24 for more information.
14 Windows 7 set up Step 01 First locate the Wireless Network icon in the system tray on the bottom right hand corner of your screen. Step 02 Right click on the icon to show a list of Wireless Network Connections available. Depending on the type of device one or two Virgin Broadband Wireless Network Connections (also know as SSID) will appear and will be something like VM123456-2G and/or VM123456-5G.
15 Windows Vista set up Step 01 Locate the Wireless Network icon in the system tray on the bottom right hand corner of your screen. Right click and select Connect to a network. Step 02 You should now see all the available wireless networks. We recommend you connect to the 5GHz Wireless Network Connection if your device is compatible (if your device isn’t compatible it won’t show you this option). See page 24 for more information.
16 Windows XP set up Step 01 Locate the Wireless Network icon in the system tray on the bottom right hand corner of your screen. Right click and select View Available Wireless Networks. Step 02 You should now see all the available wireless networks. If you don’t see wireless networks listed, click on Refresh network list on the left hand side.
17 Mac OS set up Step 01 First click the AirPort wireless icon in the top right of the screen, near the clock. If you do not see this icon, you will need to connect to your wireless router via Apple > System Preferences > Network > AirPort or, on older Macs, via Applications > Internet Connect. Step 02 Click the network name. If you have the option of ‘2G’ which is 2.4GHz, or ‘5G’ which is 5GHz, we recommend that you select ‘5G’ - see page 24 for more information.
18 Your Super Hub explained Front 5GHz – Solid blue. The 5GHz wireless radio frequency is operating 5.0 GHz 2.4 GHz 2.4GHz – Solid blue. The 2.4GHz wireless radio frequency is operating Ready – Solid blue. Indicates that the Super Hub has completed its registration with the Virgin Media network WAN – Blinks blue. Indicates that data traffic is passing through the Super Hub Power – Solid blue.
19 The sticker on the base of your Super Hub contains the information you need to make a wireless connection. Here are the key bits explained: 1. 2. 3. This is the network name broadcast by your Super Hub. You need to select either 2.4GHz or 5GHz network name (if shown) from your computer or device’s wireless manager to connect wirelessly. Connecting 1. SSID (wireless network name) The Super Hub has a Dual Concurrent WiFi feature. See page 24 for more detail. 2.
20 How to add a new device to your wireless network From computers to laptops, games consoles to printers, smart phones to stereo systems — you’ll be surprised at how many devices you can connect to your Super Hub. Virgin_Broadband_Brochure_reskin_AW_v2.
21 Step 01 — Bring your device into the same room as the Super Hub This will give you the strongest wireless connection. (Don't worry, once it's connected you can move around the whole house.) Step 02 — Select your wireless network from those available Connecting Locate the wireless or network manager on your device. Open and select your wireless network. Depending on the type of device one or two SSID will appear and will be something like VM123456-2G and/or VM123456-5G.
22 How to set up a wired connection Virgin_Broadband_Brochure_reskin_AW_v2.
23 Wired connection Step 01 Check that your computer has an Ethernet socket (it’s usually marked LAN,) and plug it in. Step 02 Plug the other end of the Ethernet cable into one of the four Ethernet ports at the back of the Super Hub. You can add 3 more wired devices by using the remaining ports. Reset Connecting 2 5.
24 What is Dual Concurrent WiFi? 1. What is Dual Concurrent WiFi? When you’re online, your WiFi connection uses radio waves to pass information to and from your computer and wireless devices like tablets and smartphones. Right now, just about all broadband providers use the same radio band, which is 2.4GHz (that’s Gigahertz!). 2.4GHz is a bit like a busy motorway. With so many people using the same band at the same time, there’s lots of congestion and so information travels slower.
25 2. What's the difference between a 2.4Ghz and 5GHz signal? As a general rule, the 5GHz band has a shorter range but is great for demanding activities like streaming HD movies. The 2.4GHz band is better for long range but is more likely to suffer from interference. Weak signal Strong signal 3. How do I connect to Dual Concurrent WiFi? 2.4GHz 5GHz 5GHz If your device is 5GHz compatible it will automatically pick up both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wireless Network names (SSID).
26 Troubleshooting From time to time, you might have a bit of a glitch with your wireless connection. Here’s our guide to getting it back up and running. 1. Turn everything off and wait for 60 seconds. Turn on the Super Hub. Wait 60 seconds and turn on the computer or device. 60 / 60 2. Check all cables and connections to your Super Hub are firmly in place and that the power is on. Reset 5.0 GHz Modem Mode 3.
27 4. Check that your computer’s wireless is switched on. For a laptop, check for a small side button. Some tablets also have a function to turn wireless on and off. Off On 5. Your computer’s Wireless Manager might not be set up correctly. For PCs you can normally find your Wireless Manager by clicking on an icon in the bottom righthand corner of your screen. Then, try clicking ‘Troubleshoot problems’, so you can find the connection problem and fix it. 6.
28 More about Web Safe Protecting you One of the best things about Web Safe is there’s hardly anything that can go wrong with it! It’s either on and protecting you or you can choose to turn it off. Of course, you might get some comments from other members of the family if they try accessing a site that has been determined to be inappropriate – they’ll be notified when they see a message like this. At this point, you can choose to explain why the site is no longer available.
29 Web Safe FAQ’s Do I need F-Secure SAFE (internet security) and Web Safe? Yes, it’s important to remember that Web Safe protects all your devices connected to your home network, whereas internet security software protects the device it’s installed on. Will it block social sites like Facebook, Twitter and You Tube? The Child Safe mode doesn’t stop regular social sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube from being displayed.
Need some help? Go online Discover the fun of fast broadband, get top tips to keep your broadband purring and see your devices come to life in our interactive connected home, all at virginmedia.com/discoverbroadband Talk to us Want to chat things through with an expert? Call our team on 150 from your Virgin Media phone or mobile, or 0345 454 1111* from any other phone. * For details about how much it costs to call our team from a Virgin Media home phone, visit virginmedia.
