Virgin Media M250 Fibre Broadband Review
Virgin Media M250 fibre broadband offers download speeds of 264Mbps and upload speeds of 25Mbps, which is six times faster than basic fibre broadband, all at an affordable price.
Deciding if Virgin Media M250 is right for you might be challenging when there are so many similarly priced options available. This review explores the speed, performance, and how M250 compares to similar plans in terms of price and value for money.
Speeds
M250 is Virgin Media’s mid-range ultra-fast fibre broadband plan. It offers speeds that are 132Mbps faster than the M125 broadband package. This makes it ideal for busy households with more than 10 users, providing a reliable and fast internet connection for everyone’s needs.
- Download Speeds
264Mbps average download speed
Expected Speed Range: 264 – 273 Mbps
Minimum Guaranteed Download Speed: 132 Mbps - Upload Speeds
25Mbps average upload speed
Expected Speed Range: 25 – 26 Mbps
At 264Mbps, M250 is four times faster than the UK average (59.4Mbps in 2022), giving families more bandwidth to stream, play, chat and work on multiple connected devices simultaneously. It’s so fast, you can download an HD movie in less than 3 minutes.
M250 also now has a decent upload speed of 25Mbps, which is great for uploading large files as well as live streaming and video chat apps like Google Meet, Zoom and Skype.
According to Virgin Media, M250 can provide enough speed for more than 10 devices while 8 devices can stream 4K video simultaneously without buffering.
Virgin Media M125 vs M250
When comparing the M250 and M125 packages, M125 is a slower option with a lower monthly fee and the M250 plan has a definite advantage over the M125 in terms of speed and performance.
The M250 plan offers double the speed of the M125 broadband plan, allowing you to connect more devices and enjoy better online gaming and high-quality video streaming than you would with the M125 plan.
Virgin Media M350 vs M250
Virgin Media M350 Broadband provides quicker download and upload speeds compared to the M250 plan, with only a small price difference of an extra £6 per month.
Upload speed is important for certain applications, so choosing the M350 plan might be a good idea. With its faster upload speed, you can upload files more quickly and experience smoother video calls and multiplayer games.
| Virgin Media M250 |
Virgin Media M350 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Avg. Download speed | 264Mbps | 362Mbps |
| Avg. Upload speed | 25Mbps | 36Mbps |
| Router | Hub 3 | Hub 3 |
| Home Phone | yes | yes |
| No phone line option | yes | yes |
| TV bundles | yes | yes |
| SIM bundles | yes | yes |
| Monthly Cost | From £34.50 | From £38.50 |
| Ideal use for | Browsing, 4K streaming on 3 – 5 devices, online gaming | Browsing, 4K streaming on 8+ devices, online gaming |
Is Virgin Media M250 any good?
For busy households with more than 5 users, Virgin Media M250 fibre broadband service typically provides significantly faster speeds for less money. This is especially useful for those who own multiple devices or want to stream 4K video and play online games.
Overall, Virgin Media M250 fibre broadband has several attractive features that will likely appeal to most UK households. It’s ultrafast, affordable, and provides users with many useful features, such as great home WiFi. This makes it a great choice for anyone looking for more speed without breaking the bank.
Virgin Media M250 Fibre Broadband Deals
Virgin Media offers different options for buying the M250, which means you can get the package as a broadband standalone plan or as a bundle with other services like landline and TV.
- Free setup.
- 18 month contract applies.
- Exclusive Offer: Includes £90 Bill Credit. Ends 1st February.
| Plan | Speed (D/U) | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|
| M250 No phone line |
264Mbps / 25Mbps |
£30.50 per month Free setup Offer: £90 bill credit |
Get Offer |
| M250 + phone Weekend calls |
264Mbps / 25Mbps |
£40 per month Free setup |
See deal |
| Bigger Combo Bundle Weekend calls 190+ TV channels |
264Mbps / 25Mbps |
£40.50 per month 3 months FREE Free setup |
See Deal |
Features
- Virgin Media M250 broadband is a truly unlimited plan. It comes with no data caps, no traffic management, and no throttling or slowdowns during peak times.
- Virgin Media M250 Volt comes with an O2 mobile SIM that offers 10GB of monthly data. While Volt plans include extra perks like discounts on specific O2 products and priority services, they are more expensive than regular plans.
- Virgin Media broadband includes WebSafe parental control and public WiFi as free extras, offering added value and convenience to their customers.
Virgin Media Hub 3
Virgin Media Hub 3 is an excellent router with advanced features like Intelligent WiFi that optimizes speed by choosing the best channels with less interference.
Launched in 2016, this dual-band router is still one of the best on the market, with 802.11ac WiFi, 4 gigabit slots, and 5 antennas.
While the Hub 4 is a better router to upgrade to for M250 customers, the next version is very good at boosting speeds in homes with WiFi black spots.
Virgin Media Connect app helps you optimize your home WiFi by fixing black spot issues. To address these issues, Virgin Media offers WiFi boosters to increase speed, boost signal and better cover your home.
M200 Fibre Broadband
In November 2022, Virgin Media upgraded the M200 broadband to M250, increasing its download and upload speeds. This change also applied to the M100 package, which became M125. Both plans received a free speed upgrade.
Now, M250 fibre broadband customers can enjoy download speeds of 264Mbps, which is 51Mbps faster than the previous M200 plan (213Mbps). The cost of the plan remains the same.
Performance
Virgin Media broadband has shown strong performance in terms of real-world speeds, as revealed by Ofcom’s quarterly reports on UK broadband providers.
A September 2021 report showed that the previous Virgin M200 broadband provided customers with an average speed of around 212Mbps during peak hours (8pm to 10pm). It’s worth noting that this real-world speed is very close to the advertised speed of 213Mbps.
While 25Mbps might not be an impressive upload speed, the M250 plan with 15ms latency can still be suitable for online gaming. The lower latency is beneficial for both gaming and video calling, ensuring smooth and enjoyable experiences.
Value for money
Virgin Media offers reasonably priced packages in comparison to many other providers. When you compare the speeds between Virgin Media and its competitors, you’ll find that the faster Virgin Media plans are often more affordable and competitively priced.
Additionally, during promotional periods, there are no setup or installation fees. Although these promotions are not always available, when they are, you can save some money.
Availability
Virgin Media broadband availability is rather limited compared to the Openreach fibre network used by other providers such as BT, TalkTalk, Sky and Vodafone. Its cable network is currently available in many towns and cities covering over 60% of the UK.
Related
- Virgin Media Broadband Review
- Virgin Media Gig1 Broadband
- Virgin Media M125 Broadband
- Virgin Media M350 Broadband
- Virgin Media M50 broadband
- Virgin M500 Broadband Review
- Virgin Media broadband, phone and TV
- Virgin Media Ultimate Volt Bundle
- Virgin Media Big Bundle
- Virgin Media Bigger Bundle
- Virgin Media Student Broadband
Reviews
Customer Reviews
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I have an original Virgin Super Hub for my computer , should i upgrade?
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Virgin Media M250 is a good package, I have had connection speed issues with my previous provider, TalkTalk. Virgin Media’s setup wasn’t as seamless as I’d like it to be. Happy with the connection speed and WiFi – I get 254Mbps, although it drops to 220Mbps during peak times. I like the Hub 3’s easy setup and fast WiFi speeds, and have been happy with my customer service interactions so far.
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To me, Virgin Media’s speeds are not ideal because the company uses hybrid fibre technology (slightly better than FTTC) to keep costs down. This limits the upload speeds customers can expect, making it less suitable for online gaming, video calling, etc.
According to their advertisements, Virgin Media 200 offers an average upload speed of around 20Mbps (not that fast), which means that even if you have a reliable connection all the time, you may encounter problems when using it for bandwidth-hungry gaming apps and streaming 4K videos. This can be very frustrating for online players at times. I would recommend full fibre broadband with symmetrical speeds for avid online gamers.
However, the company has come a long way in recent years. They announced plans to upgrade the network and increase upload speeds. This should be a big boost for customers unhappy with upload speeds.
Despite some of the best deals, Virgin Media’s customer service is poor, and prices often go up. Many customers complain about lack of knowledge and responsiveness and an unhelpful attitude towards customers.
Despite these shortcomings, this provider offers some of the best deals on broadband in the UK. Even with poor availability and service, Virgin’s ultrafast broadband is far superior to other broadband services in price. This makes them one of the best ultrafast broadband providers for customers on a budget.
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I’m on an M200 and Virgin Media has a very good connection with no lag issues.
However, when streaming 4K or playing online games, upload speeds dropped from 20Mbps to 12Mbps. When connected to the Hub 3, download speeds were staggering across all devices. Only slow upload speeds are an issue.
Another problem is poor customer service. I have to wait about 5 minutes each time
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