Virgin Media M350 fibre broadband review

If you want broadband that simply gets the job done, M350 is a great mid-range plan that sits right in the sweet spot. It’s quick enough for families who stream in 4K, hold video calls, or download large files every day.

Virgin prices it competitively, giving households a faster plan without the high monthly bills of top-tier packages. It’s a solid mix of speed, value, and coverage.

What does virgin media m350 offer?

Speed

M350 broadband delivers an average download speed of 362 Mbps and an average upload speed of 36 Mbps, giving you ultrafast performance for everyday home use.

Router

The package includes Virgin’s Hub 5 router in most locations, offering strong Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and support for multiple devices.

Add-ons

Optional extras include WiFi Pods for extended signal and Volt bundles with mobile data boosts and Wi-Fi guarantees.

Customer Support

Support is handled by UK-based teams through online chat, phone lines, and technician visits for installation or repairs.

Virgin Media M350 broadband deals

Virgin Media M350 is available in several package options to suit different households and preferences. All plans come with £0 setup, a 24-month contract, and Virgin’s standard annual price adjustment each April.

Broadband only

This plan offers the M350 broadband connection on its own, ideal for those who only need internet access. It comes with no setup charge and includes Virgin’s QuickStart self-install kit for most addresses that already have a Virgin connection point. If an engineer visit is required when self-install is possible, a small service fee may apply. Customers can later add a digital phone line or TV if needed without changing the contract length.

Package type	Feature
Broadband only	No landline
Broadband & phone	Includes landline Anytime Chatter (unlimited UK landline & mobile calls)
Broadband with TV	Includes Stream TV 150+ channels (add premium apps & packs)
Volt bundle	Double mobile data (O2) Speed boost on broadband tier Free WiFi Pods (WiFi Max)

Broadband with phone

This package combines M350 broadband with Virgin’s digital home phone service, now including Anytime Chatter as standard. It provides unlimited calls to UK landlines and mobiles over Virgin’s fibre line, replacing the older copper system. Optional international call bundles can be added at checkout. There’s no setup charge, and the plan runs for 24 months.

Broadband with TV — M350 can be paired with Virgin’s TV 360 platform or the new Stream setup. Customers can choose bundles such as Mega TV or Mix TV with premium options like Sky Sports HD, Sky Cinema, TNT Sports, Netflix, and Disney+. The Stream option allows flexible add-ons on a rolling 30-day term, plus 10% credit back on subscriptions added via Virgin. Multi-room users can add up to five additional Stream boxes. Setup remains free, and broadband stays on a 24-month term.

Volt (broadband + mobile + perks)

Volt bundles M350 broadband with O2 mobile benefits and added features. Customers get double mobile data on eligible O2 Pay Monthly plans, WiFi Max (a whole-home Wi-Fi guarantee with free WiFi Pods if needed), and a speed boost to the next broadband tier where available. Volt also includes roaming in 75 destinations under O2’s Travel Inclusive Zone. There’s no setup fee, and the contract lasts 24 months.

After the minimum term, Virgin moves customers to its standard out-of-contract pricing unless they recontract or switch plans. Annual price adjustments are applied every April under Virgin Media’s fixed increase model introduced in 2025.

How fast is Virgin Media M350?

Virgin Media M350 plan gives you enough speed to handle heavy use in a busy household. You can stream in 4K on several devices, game online, join HD calls, and download large files all at once without delay.

A 50 GB game or movie takes roughly 18 minutes 25 seconds to download. Uploading a 1 GB file — say a short 4K video — finishes in around 3 minutes 40 seconds, which covers everyday tasks like sending photos, work files, or cloud backups.

Package	Time to download 50 GB file	Time to upload 1 GB file
Virgin Media M350 (362 Mbps / 36 Mbps)	18 minutes 25 seconds	3 minutes 40 seconds
Virgin Media M250 (264 Mbps / 25 Mbps)	24 minutes 55 seconds	5 minutes 20 seconds
Virgin Media M500 (516 Mbps / 52 Mbps)	13 minutes	2 minutes 30 seconds
BT Full Fibre 300 (300 Mbps / 50 Mbps)	22 minutes	2 minutes 40 seconds
Vodafone Full Fibre 500 (500 Mbps / 68 Mbps)	13 minutes 20 seconds	1 minute 55 seconds
Community Fibre 300 (350 Mbps / 350 Mbps)	19 minutes	20 seconds
Hyperoptic 500 (527 Mbps / 523 Mbps)	12 minutes 40 seconds	20 seconds

Compared with Virgin Media M250, which offers 264 Mbps download and 25 Mbps upload, M350 feels noticeably faster when streaming and downloading.

Stepping up to M500 delivers 516 Mbps down and 52 Mbps up, cutting a 50 GB download to about 13 minutes and halving upload time to 2 ½ minutes.

Among other providers, BT Full Fibre 300 offers 300 Mbps down and 50 Mbps up, taking about 22 minutes to download a 50 GB file and 2 minutes 40 seconds to upload 1 GB.

Vodafone Full Fibre 500 goes further at 500 / 68 Mbps, downloading 50 GB in 13 minutes 20 seconds and uploading 1 GB in just under 2 minutes.

Full-fibre rivals such as Community Fibre 300 (350 / 350 Mbps) and Hyperoptic 500 (527 / 523 Mbps) provide symmetrical connections, so a 1 GB upload takes 20 seconds or less. That’s far quicker than Virgin’s current cable network, though these services are limited to certain cities.

Overall, M350 holds a strong middle ground. It’s faster than most Openreach FTTC or entry-level fibre plans and offers great download performance for its price. Upload speeds trail the fully symmetrical providers, but for general household use — streaming, gaming, video calls, and remote work — M350 still feels fast and responsive.

How reliable is M350 broadband speed?

Independent speed reports for 2025 show that Virgin Media M350 performs close to what users expect in real homes. Across thousands of speed tests logged by Ookla and ThinkBroadband, M350 customers typically get average download speeds between 330 and 375 Mbps and uploads of 30 to 36 Mbps during busy evening hours. These figures are almost identical to Ofcom’s latest technical results, which show Virgin Media delivering about 96% of its average speed during peak time.

Package	Real world speed range	Latency
Virgin Media M350	330–375 Mbps down / 30–36 Mbps up	13–15 ms
BT Full Fibre 300	280–310 Mbps down / 47–52 Mbps up	8–10 ms
Vodafone Full Fibre 500	460–490 Mbps down / 65–70 Mbps up	8–10 ms
Community Fibre 300	340–360 Mbps down / 340–360 Mbps up	8–10 ms
Hyperoptic 500	480–520 Mbps down / 480–520 Mbps up	8–10 ms

In terms of responsiveness, Virgin Media connections come with an average latency of 13–15 ms, slightly higher than full-fibre providers such as BT or Vodafone (around 8–10 ms). This small gap is noticeable mainly for competitive gamers or people using delay-sensitive apps, but not for typical streaming or home working.

When we look at real-world speeds from other providers, BT Full Fibre 300 customers average 280–310 Mbps down and 47–52 Mbps up, while Vodafone Full Fibre 500 users see roughly 460–490 Mbps down and 65–70 Mbps up. Community Fibre 300 customers often record 340–360 Mbps in both directions thanks to its full-fibre setup, and Hyperoptic 500 users reach around 500 Mbps down and up consistently.

So, in actual daily use, M350’s downloads are faster than BT Full Fibre 300 and similar to Community Fibre 300, but its uploads remain behind all full-fibre rivals. For most households, the difference only matters if you regularly upload big files, livestream, or work with large cloud storage.

Customer feedback collected in 2025 backs up these figures. Roughly 78% of Virgin M350 users rate the speed as “consistent” or “very good”, saying it rarely drops below 300 Mbps even at night. Around 12–15% mention slower performance in the evenings or minor outages, mostly in dense city areas.

Overall, M350 is a dependable mid-tier broadband plan. It offers fast downloads that stay steady throughout the day, but uploads and latency still trail the newer full-fibre services. For most households streaming, gaming or working online, it remains quick and reliable.

Virgin Media M350 router

Most Virgin Media M350 customers now receive the Hub 5, which has become the default router across Virgin’s broadband range. A small number of users on older contracts may still have a Hub 4, while the Hub 3 is gradually being phased out. The Hub 5 brings noticeable improvements in Wi-Fi performance, device handling, and future-proof connectivity.

Hub 5 key specifications

• Wi-Fi standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
• Frequencies: Dual-band 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
• Antennas: 7 internal antennas
• Ethernet ports: 1 × 2.5 Gbps + 3 × 1 Gbps LAN
• Features: Intelligent WiFi optimisation, guest network support, compatibility with Virgin WiFi Pods (WiFi Max mesh system)

In practice, the Hub 5 offers stronger coverage and faster wireless speeds compared to the older Hubs, especially in multi-device households. It supports mesh connectivity using Virgin’s WiFi Pods to extend coverage and includes an automatic Wi-Fi channel optimiser to prevent signal congestion.

If your package still includes the Hub 4, you’ll get decent Wi-Fi 5 performance and four 1 Gbps LAN ports, though it lacks the newer 2.5 Gbps socket. The Hub 3, while reliable, is more basic and may show its age in homes with many connected devices. Virgin allows eligible customers to upgrade to a newer router if required.

Against other UK broadband providers, the Hub 5 compares favourably. BT’s Smart Hub 2 and Sky’s Broadband Hub both use Wi-Fi 5 and don’t include multi-gig ports, whereas Vodafone’s Ultra Hub Pro 2 (Wi-Fi 6E) and Pro 3 (Wi-Fi 7) offer higher wireless capacity but are limited to premium plans. Full-fibre specialists like Community Fibre and Hyperoptic provide Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers, delivering excellent upload performance but with limited availability.

For most M350 customers, the Hub 5 strikes a good balance of range, speed, and reliability. It’s fast enough to handle multiple 4K streams, large file transfers, and gaming without lag, making it one of the better mid-tier routers supplied by a UK broadband provider.

Installation

Virgin Media M350 broadband is usually installed within a week of ordering, depending on whether your property already has a Virgin connection point. In most cases, existing Virgin customers or homes with prior cabling can choose QuickStart self-installation, where the Hub 5 is delivered by post with a step-by-step guide. The setup is simple — you plug the router into the existing Virgin wall socket using the provided cable, connect it to power, and activate the service online or via the Virgin Media app.

For homes that haven’t had Virgin broadband before, a technician visit is arranged to install the connection point and test signal quality. The engineer typically sets up the Hub 5, ensures Wi-Fi coverage is stable across the home, and confirms activation before leaving. Installation is generally free during promotional periods, and most appointments take about an hour. Once connected, the M350 line is active immediately and ready for use.

Virgin Media M350 fibre broadband alternatives

If you’re considering similar mid-range fibre plans, these five broadband packages offer comparable speeds and features to Virgin Media M350. Each differs slightly in router quality, customer satisfaction, and availability across the UK.

Plan	Speed (down / up)	Router	Monthly Price
Virgin M350	362 Mbps / 36Mbps	Hub 3 or 5	From £25
BT Full Fibre 300	300 Mbps / 50 Mbps	BT Smart Hub 2 Wi-Fi 5	From £30
Sky Full Fibre 300	300 Mbps / 50 Mbps	Sky Broadband Hub Wi-Fi 5	From £30
Plusnet Full Fibre 300	300 Mbps / 50 Mbps	Plusnet Hub Two Wi-Fi 5	From £30
Vodafone Full Fibre 500	500 Mbps / 68 Mbps	Ultra Hub Wi-Fi 6E	From £27
Hyperoptic 500	500 Mbps / 500 Mbps	Hyperhub Wi-Fi 6	From £25

BT Full Fibre 300

This plan delivers average speeds of 300 Mbps download and 50 Mbps upload on a 24-month contract. It comes with the BT Smart Hub 2, which can be upgraded with BT Complete Wi-Fi discs for stronger whole-home coverage. The plan runs on the Openreach full-fibre network, now reaching over 20 million premises. BT’s service reliability is high, and Ofcom’s latest data shows BT sits close to the industry average for complaints.

Sky’s package offers 300 Mbps download and 50 Mbps upload speeds, usually priced similarly to Virgin’s M350. It uses the Sky Broadband Hub, with the option to add the new Sky Wi-Fi Max Hub (Wi-Fi 6) for better coverage and control. Sky connects through both Openreach and CityFibre, serving more than 24 million premises. Sky continues to record some of the lowest complaint rates in Ofcom’s broadband reports.

Plusnet Full Fibre 300

Offering 300 Mbps down and 50 Mbps up, Plusnet’s plan sits among the best-value full-fibre options, often undercutting major competitors. It’s supplied with the Hub Two router (Wi-Fi 5) and operates entirely on Openreach’s FTTP network. Plusnet has an excellent customer reputation and regularly ranks as one of the least-complained-about broadband providers in Ofcom’s quarterly data.

Vodafone Full Fibre 500

A strong upgrade option for roughly the same price bracket, this plan provides 500 Mbps download and 68 Mbps upload speeds. It comes with the Ultra Hub Wi-Fi 6E router, or the newer Ultra Hub 7 (Wi-Fi 7) with the Pro 3 plan, plus automatic 4G Broadband Backup if the line drops. Vodafone uses both Openreach and CityFibre infrastructure, offering broad coverage and performance. Complaint levels are around the market average, but customer satisfaction has improved since mid-2024.

Hyperoptic 500

For homes in urban flats, Hyperoptic’s full-fibre service offers 500 Mbps symmetrical speeds — both download and upload — at highly competitive prices. Customers receive a Wi-Fi 6 Hyperhub router, and the service runs entirely on Hyperoptic’s own fibre network, covering about 1.9 million homes as of 2025. It’s widely praised for speed consistency and responsive customer support, although availability remains limited to selected apartment blocks and multi-dwelling properties.

Is virgin media m350 any good?

Virgin Media M350 is a fast and reliable broadband plan for most households, offering good value for money. However, its upload speeds are still limited compared to full-fibre providers, and customer service feedback remains mixed.

Pros

• Virgin Media M350 comes with free setup for new customers.
• The Hub 5 router supports Wi-Fi 6, providing faster and more efficient wireless performance across multiple devices.
• It’s widely available, reaching over 18 million UK premises.
• Customers can also bundle M350 with TV or Volt for extra value, gaining WiFi Max coverage and O2 mobile benefits.

Cons

• Latency is higher than full-fibre alternatives, which may affect competitive gaming or real-time work.
• An annual April price rise applies to all plans, even those within the minimum term.
• Virgin’s full-fibre upgrade rollout isn’t complete, so not every area benefits from the latest network improvements yet.

Verdict

Virgin Media M350 is one of the best mid-range broadband plans, offering ultrafast speeds of over 350 Mbps at a fair monthly price. Upload speeds are decent for most users, but those needing faster or symmetrical uploads will find better options elsewhere.

The option to bundle with Virgin TV and the company’s efforts to improve customer support add extra value, making M350 a solid all-round choice for busy households.

FAQ

1) Is Virgin Media M350 good for gaming?
Yes, it performs well for most online gaming. M350 offers quick downloads and fairly low latency — typically around 13–15 ms according to 2025 Ofcom testing. That’s fast enough for smooth play in popular titles. However, full-fibre providers such as BT or Community Fibre average closer to 8–10 ms, which gives them a slight edge for competitive gamers.

2) Do M350 and M500 come with the same router?
Yes. Both plans usually include the Virgin Media Hub 5, which supports Wi-Fi 6 and handles many connected devices efficiently. In areas using Virgin’s new full-fibre network, customers may instead receive the Hub 5x. In all current deals, Hub 5 is the standard router supplied for both M350 and M500.

3) Does M350 broadband offer symmetrical speeds?
No. Like all Virgin cable packages, M350 provides much higher download than upload speeds — 362 Mbps down and 36 Mbps up on average. Symmetrical speeds, where uploads match downloads, are only available on full-fibre networks such as Community Fibre or Hyperoptic.

4) Community Fibre, Virgin Media and Hyperoptic are available in my area — which is best?
If you need faster uploads, low latency and true full-fibre performance, Community Fibre or Hyperoptic are better choices, especially for creators, home businesses or cloud users. Virgin Media M350 suits households that prioritise high download speeds, TV bundles or Volt extras. Availability, price and customer service can differ by area, so it’s best to compare your exact postcode before choosing.

5) Does Virgin Media perform well in peak times?
Yes. Ofcom’s latest 2025 technical report shows Virgin Media users receive around 94–98 percent of their average speeds between 8 pm and 10 pm — the busiest hours of the day. Most M350 customers report their speeds stay above 300 Mbps in the evenings, meaning performance remains consistent for streaming and gaming even during peak use.