Virgin Media M350 Fibre Broadband

Large downloads and shared home working are the clearest reasons to choose Virgin Media M350 over M250. The package delivers an average download speed of 362Mbps and an average upload speed of 36Mbps, enough for four or five people streaming in 4K, making video calls and gaming online. At those speeds, a 100GB game download and a 10GB video upload each take about 37 minutes.

The current broadband-only deal is harder to justify on price: M500 costs less and delivers faster speeds in both directions. M350 is still worth keeping when a renewal or TV bundle costs less than the equivalent M500 package, or when it is supplied through a Volt boost. For a new broadband-only contract, M500 is the better buy at the current prices.

Plan details

The offers displayed are for new customers; renewal prices are quoted separately.

Pros and cons

Speeds and everyday use

The extra upload speed is one of the more useful improvements over M250. A household running six separate HD video calls, with 4Mbps upload allowed for each, needs 24Mbps. That leaves only 1Mbps on M250, compared with 12Mbps on M350. Background photo syncing and file uploads have more bandwidth available before they start competing with the calls.

The download speed is sufficient for considerably more simultaneous viewing than most families need. Eight 4K streams budgeted at 25Mbps each use 200Mbps, leaving 162Mbps of M350’s average download speed for other traffic.

These are separate examples, calculated from service bandwidth requirements and speeds near the package average. Good Wi-Fi or Ethernet connections are necessary; the figures are not fixed device limits.

The calculations use decimal file sizes, a 362Mbps download speed and a 36Mbps upload speed. They describe the transfer itself, excluding game installation and other processing.

Minimum speed guarantee

M350’s minimum guaranteed download speed is 181Mbps into the Hub. The average package speed is 362Mbps, so the guarantee should not be mistaken for a promise that every device will receive the full download speed.

Virgin’s policy covers a connection below the guaranteed minimum for three consecutive days. After the fault is reported, Virgin has 30 days to resolve it before cancellation without an early disconnection fee becomes available under the policy. The Hub needs to stay switched on for testing, and fault checks and engineer appointments must be completed. The guarantee applies to slow connections rather than complete outages.

Virgin Media Hub and WiFi Max

M350 works with the Virgin Media Hubs supplied for its cable and full fibre networks. Cable equipment can include Hub 3, Hub 4 or Hub 5; full fibre connections use Hub 5x. The order confirmation establishes the model supplied, rather than the M350 name alone.

A Gigabit Ethernet port can carry the full 362Mbps package speed, so M350 does not require a 2.5Gbps adapter or switch. Hub 3 and Hub 4 remain capable wired routers for this speed. The newer Hub 5 and Hub 5x add Wi-Fi 6, which also requires compatible devices to take advantage of the newer wireless standard.

Standard M350 does not include WiFi Max automatically. The add-on provides up to three Pods where needed and a 30Mbps room-speed guarantee, subject to its terms. That is enough for a 4K stream using a 25Mbps allowance, but it is far below M350’s full package speed. Volt includes WiFi Max without a separate charge.

M350 with a home phone

An M350 and Virgin home phone bundle retains the same 362Mbps download and 36Mbps upload speeds. The calling plan determines the additional value; the broadband speed does not improve when a phone is added. Virgin’s newer full fibre connections do not currently offer its home phone service, so availability depends on the connection at the address.

M350 with Virgin Media TV

Six simultaneous 4K streams, allowing 25Mbps each, leave 212Mbps of M350’s average download speed for other use. That makes M350 more than fast enough for Virgin Media Flex alongside TVs, tablets and laptops streaming elsewhere in the home.

Adding more channels does not itself require faster broadband; simultaneous streams determine the bandwidth needed. Recording, premium channels and access to 4K content depend on the TV package and box. M500’s faster connection mainly reduces the wait for large downloads running alongside TV viewing.

Virgin Media M350 for gaming

M350 cuts the calculated download time for a 100GB game from M250’s 51 minutes to about 37 minutes. The saving is around 14 minutes per installation. M500 finishes the same transfer in about 26 minutes, so frequent downloads provide a clearer reason to upgrade than ordinary multiplayer gameplay.

According to Ofcom testing, M350 cable connections recorded 13.9ms median latency. The difference from M250’s 14.8ms was less than 1ms, despite M350’s higher download speed. Those results give little reason to pay for M350 solely to reduce ping. They are historical measurements to test servers on cable connections; latency to a particular game server and performance on Virgin’s newer full fibre network are separate measurements.

For matches, Ethernet avoids the wireless interference that can affect a console or PC connected over Wi-Fi. A faster package does not repair packet loss or a faulty line, and a backup using the 36Mbps upload connection can still compete with gameplay.

Virgin Media M350 Volt

With Volt, a standard M350 package increases to M500: 516Mbps average download speed and 52Mbps average upload speed. That is approximately 43% faster for downloads and 44% faster for uploads. A 10GB upload falls from about 37 minutes to 26 minutes at those speeds.

The arrangement requires Virgin broadband and an O2 Pay Monthly plan registered at the same address; O2 Essential plans are excluded. WiFi Max is included, and there is no additional broadband charge for the boost. Virgin and O2 retain separate contracts and bills. A bundle already showing M350 as its boosted speed is different from standard M350 receiving a further boost to M500.

Customer support

Virgin handles M350 service faults, Hub replacements, account changes and billing disputes. Call 150 from a Virgin Media landline or 0345 454 1111 from another phone. Telephone hours are 8am–9pm on weekdays and 8am–6pm at weekends.

For M350 renewals, the complete bundle matters. Removing TV or a phone service can change a bundle discount, so a broadband-only offer cannot be compared directly with a bill that includes those services. The customer team can quote M350 and M500 with the same TV and calling options for a like-for-like comparison.

Unresolved upgrade charges or service complaints can be submitted by phone, web chat or online form. My Cases in My Virgin Media records the complaint’s progress. Virgin states that it acknowledges complaints within 48 hours.

Is M350 any good?

M350 is fast enough for a busy family, and its upload improvement over M250 is useful for several home workers or regular file transfers. Existing customers with a competitive bundle have no need to move for ordinary streaming or gaming. The current new-customer broadband-only deal is poor value beside M500, which costs less and is faster. M350 is easier to justify as a Volt boost or a cheaper negotiated bundle than at the current standalone price.

Alternatives to consider

The following five plans from four providers cover the 300–500Mbps range. The 300Mbps options have lower download speeds than M350 but faster uploads; the Vodafone plans increase both.

Within Virgin’s range, M500 is the clear comparison at current prices. M250 costs less than M350 for households that do not need the extra speed.

The comparison uses current online new-customer deals on 24-month contracts. It does not represent existing-customer renewal prices or TV and phone bundles.

Virgin Media M350 FAQs

Is M350 noticeably faster than M250?

The difference is clearest during file transfers. A 100GB game takes about 37 minutes instead of 51 minutes, while a 10GB upload takes about 37 minutes instead of 53 minutes. Browsing and an individual 4K stream gain much less because M250 already provides enough bandwidth for them.

Why is M500 cheaper than M350?

Discounts differ between packages, so prices do not always rise with speed. The current M500 broadband-only offer costs less than M350 at the start and after the scheduled April increases. For those deals, there is no saving from choosing M350.

Is M350 suitable for 4K cloud gaming?

Yes. GeForce NOW lists a 45Mbps connection requirement for 4K at 120 frames per second on supported PCs, well within M350’s download speed. It also requires latency below 80ms to an NVIDIA data centre, suitable hardware and the relevant membership. M350’s Ofcom latency result does not establish the ping to NVIDIA’s servers.

Will M350 improve Wi-Fi coverage compared with M250?

Changing the speed alone does not make the Hub’s signal reach further. With the same Hub and placement, a room with weak reception still needs a coverage improvement. A different Hub, a wired access point or WiFi Pods addresses that separate issue.

Does M350 include an O2 SIM?

Broadband-only M350 does not include a SIM. Virgin also offers bundles containing an O2 plan, while households already using O2 Pay Monthly can receive Volt benefits without taking a second mobile contract. The order lists the broadband speed and any mobile service included.