Virgin Media: Difference between revisions

'''[[wikipedia:Virgin Media|Virgin Media Limited]]/[[wikipedia:Virgin_Media_O2|Virgin Media O2 Limited]]''' is a telecommunications company from Britain, founded in 2007, which provides telephone, television and internet services in the United Kingdom.{{Citation needed}} In 2021 it merged with [[wikipedia:O2_(UK)|O2]].<ref name="about">{{Cite web |title=Hello, we’re Virgin Media O2 |url=https://news.virginmediao2.co.uk/about-us/ |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=Virgin Media O2}}</ref>

Users of Virgin Media's routers aren't allowed to set their own DNS servers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Slazanger |date=27 Sep 2024 |title=Custom DNS or Modem Mode on the Hub5X |url=https://community.virginmedia.com/discussions/Wireless/custom-dns-or-modem-mode-on-the-hub5x/5571095 |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |via=Virgin Media Forum}}</ref> Instead, they must use Virgin Media's provided DNS servers, which are almost always slower and less reliable than Cloudflare's or Google's dedicated DNSes (1.1.1.1 and 8.8.8.8, respectively).<ref>{{Cite web |title=DNS Performance Analytics and Comparison |url=https://www.dnsperf.com/ |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=DNSPerf}}</ref> The reason for Virgin Media forcing its own DNS servers isn't known, but the servers are used primarily to block sites deemed "inappropriate" by the company.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Virgin Media court orders |url=https://www.virginmedia.com/help/list-of-court-orders |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=Virgin Media}}</ref>

There are also privacy implications that come with allowing the company to access your DNS queries,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heddings |first=Anthony |date=14 Apr 2020 |title=Why You Shouldn't Use Your ISP's Default DNS Server |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/664608/why-you-shouldnt-be-using-your-isps-default-dns-server/ |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=How-To Geek}}</ref> as normally it would only be able to see what IPs you are connecting to, but DNS queries also provide exact subdomains.{{Citation needed}}