Virgin MediaHub 3 Intelligent WiFi

Wireless router

£0Typical price

Test score

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Virgin Media is offering everyone with a Hub 3 router an upgrade to its 'Intelligent WiFi'. It promises constant, speedy wi-fi speeds, plus the ability to tackle problems to increase performance. Virgin claims its testing shows speeds improving by up to three times, even without any wireless boosters. So, how fast is it actually – and is it really that intelligent? Find out what we uncovered in our expert review of the Virgin Hub 3.

pros

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cons

What's included?

What is it?
How well does it perform?
What's it like to use?
Is there anything I should watch out for?
Is there anything else I should know?
Should I buy it?

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May 2023Last checked by Which?
Sept 2019First reviewed by Which?

The overall Which? test score is made up of the following star ratings, all determined by our rigorous lab tests.

How we test wi-fi routers and extenders

5 May 2023

Real-home testing

Overall
Audio
4K video
Internet streaming
Online file transfer

How we test real-home testing

To assess performance in a 'real-home' scenario, we simultaneously stream 4K video from Netflix, 1080p HD video from YouTube, audio and transfer online files at different locations around the home. We then monitor each device and see how well each multimedia app is displaying video or playing audio and record the file transfer speed. This shows how well the router will cope under an everyday, relatively light load. We understand that every wireless network and its environment are different, but this is how we accurately compare routers and extenders for multimedia performance.

Coverage

How we test coverage

To assess wireless coverage we record throughput at multiple different locations around the test house and average this.

Stress test

Overall
Multi-device
Single device

How we test stress test

To push the router or extender to the limits and test how well it copes with single vs. multiple devices, we record file transfer speed at multiple locations around the home - both with a single devices connected to the network and with multiple devices working simultaneously.

Ease of use

Overall
Ease of configuration
Ease of setup

How we test ease of use

How easy it is to setup the router and operate on a day-to-day basis. How easy it is to change or adjust the configuration and advanced settings.

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General
Year tested	2019
Product type	Wireless router
Wireless standard	N, AC
Ethernet speed	1000

Features
Built-in modem	Yes
Dual band	Yes

Virgin MediaHub 3 Intelligent WiFi