topic Re: Help with Enable WiFi Access Point in Archive

Help with Enable WiFi Access Point

Badjester1 — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 20:44:29 GMT

Hi,

I'd just like some information on the subject of router settings and the "Enable WiFi Access Point" and what exactly it does? So I have Google Homes and Alexas dotted around the house. What I've noticed especially with Alexa is that the "Group" I've created with the speakers keeps messing up. Basically for those that know a bit about these speakers, you can group all your speakers together to play music etc simultaneously in different rooms. After a bit of Googling I found some vague information about turning off the WiFi access point on the router.

So I went in and found that my Sky Q Hub has the Enable WiFi Access Point already ticked. So I unticked this and it does appear to fix the issue I'm having with creating a group for my speakers. When it's ticked the speakers seem to eventually drop off from the group I've created. For example only three out of four Alexa speakers will play music when I select the group. What I'm trying to find out is what exactly does Enable WiFi Access Point do when on or off? Reason I ask is when I untick it, there's a warning box pops up saying that if I have other Sky Q products (Which I do as I have Sky Q TV.) Then it'll cause problems. So I don't know if I can leave the option unticked or I must have it turned on? Can anyone elaborate for me?

Many thanks.

Re: Help with Enable WiFi Access Point

cookiemonsteruk — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 20:49:34 GMT

@Badjester1

Basically if you untick enable wifi access on a particular wifi band it will stop devices connecting to 2.4ghz,5ghz or both depending on which band you've disabled

Re: Help with Enable WiFi Access Point

CyberFriday — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 20:52:43 GMT

@Badjester1 wrote:
Hi,

I'd just like some information on the subject of router settings and the "Enable WiFi Access Point" and what exactly it does? So I have Google Homes and Alexas dotted around the house. What I've noticed especially with Alexa is that the "Group" I've created with the speakers keeps messing up. Basically for those that know a bit about these speakers, you can group all your speakers together to play music etc simultaneously in different rooms. After a bit of Googling I found some vague information about turning off the WiFi access point on the router.

So I went in and found that my Sky Q Hub has the Enable WiFi Access Point already ticked. So I unticked this and it does appear to fix the issue I'm having with creating a group for my speakers. When it's ticked the speakers seem to eventually drop off from the group I've created. For example only three out of four Alexa speakers will play music when I select the group. What I'm trying to find out is what exactly does Enable WiFi Access Point do when on or off? Reason I ask is when I untick it, there's a warning box pops up saying that if I have other Sky Q products (Which I do as I have Sky Q TV.) Then it'll cause problems. So I don't know if I can leave the option unticked or I must have it turned on? Can anyone elaborate for me?

Many thanks.

@Badjester1 You can connect your Sky Q box to the Sky hub using an ethernet cable.

Re: Help with Enable WiFi Access Point

cookiemonsteruk — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 20:54:16 GMT

@Badjester1

You would be better seperating wifi bands so that the smart speakers can differentiate between 2.4 and 5 without losing either

- Log onto router and go to wifi
- Go to 5ghz band and untick synchronise 2.4ghz and 5ghz
- Go to 5ghz ssid and add -5g at the end
- Save
- Go to individual devices and assign wifi band accordingly

Re: Help with Enable WiFi Access Point

Badjester1 — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 20:57:41 GMT

@CyberFriday Hi, thanks for the reply. It is connected via ethernet but just wasn't sure if it would still cause problems.

Re: Help with Enable WiFi Access Point

CyberFriday — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 21:01:49 GMT

@Badjester1 wrote:
@CyberFriday Hi, thanks for the reply. It is connected via ethernet but just wasn't sure if it would still cause problems.

@Badjester1 If you are not using wifi on the q box then disabling it on the router won't have any effect. Although if you have other equipment in your house that relies on wifi then disabling it on the router will kill their internet access. You could also kill off the wifi on the q box if you aren't using it.

Re: Help with Enable WiFi Access Point

Badjester1 — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 21:02:39 GMT

@cookiemonsteruk Thanks for the info, I think I'll just have to unfortunately live with it. reason being is if I change the SSID, it completely messes up all my smart lights/plugs/cameras etc. Obviously because everything then needs to be re-connected to the correct SSID. I actually did this method recently to connect a new smart bulb that wouldn't find the 2.4Ghz for some reason. (Btw I have checked it's not interference from other devices quite extensively previously.) It's just obviously a problem with one of the speakers dropping off from one of the bands or something.

Re: Help with Enable WiFi Access Point

Badjester1 — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 21:04:54 GMT

@CyberFriday Yeah I just noticed that before when I unchecked it, my smart cams went offline. So it obviously needs to be kept on. Good point about the Q Box and turning off the WiFi. Am I right in thinking that a Sky Q TV Box also acts as a hotspot or is that just the multiroom boxes?

Re: Help with Enable WiFi Access Point

CyberFriday — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 21:21:28 GMT

@Badjester1 wrote:
@CyberFriday Yeah I just noticed that before when I unchecked it, my smart cams went offline. So it obviously needs to be kept on. Good point about the Q Box and turning off the WiFi. Am I right in thinking that a Sky Q TV Box also acts as a hotspot or is that just the multiroom boxes?

@Badjester1 There is some deatil here about the wif hot spots

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/wifi-hotspots

Although from what the article says wifi hotspots is about using your Q mini boxes as wifi hotspots. But, as you have a sky hub and internet from sky then wifi hot spots will already be set up. Not sure if the q box itself is a wifi hot spot, the article doesn't say that.

Re: Help with Enable WiFi Access Point

Badjester1 — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 21:41:17 GMT

@CyberFriday I seem to remember reading conflicting info on the Sky Q box being a hotspot. I'm swaying towards that it isn't. Thanks for the help 🙂

Re: Help with Enable WiFi Access Point

Chrisee — Sun, 10 Oct 2021 07:12:43 GMT

@Badjester1 Sky Q boxes definitely act as dualband wifi hotspots if you have a Sky hub by default. The only way to stop them is to disable the wifi on each box and use ethernet to connect them. Dont know where you read the opposite but that is definitely wrong.

Having a Sky mesh wifi network in the same area as a Google mesh network is almost bound to cause interference. The Q boxes expect to be using wifi and have been known to re-enable the wifi spotaenously when rebooted so you need to keep an eye on them.

Re: Help with Enable WiFi Access Point

Badjester1 — Sun, 10 Oct 2021 19:27:28 GMT

@Chrisee Hi and thanks for the reply. Ok good to know about the Sky Q TV box. There seems to be confusion depending on who I've asked about that. As for Google mesh, I don't have a Google mesh network? I have Google speakers as in Google minis and a Google Home. I've also got Alexa speakers (which I find better for smart home commands like lights and plugs.) These are purely speakers that connect to my WiFi but don't provide anything to do with network. Unless I'm misunderstanding your reply? I can only assume the issue I'm experiencing is to do with my Alexa speakers so I'll have to live with it. Although since posting my original question I have learnt that I need to keep the "Enable WiFi Access Point" on my router turned on. Hopefully some future update to my Alexa speakers might sort the dropping out issue.

Re: Help with Enable WiFi Access Point

jamesn123 — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 16:42:34 GMT

@Badjester1

I think @Chrisee didnt quite understand your setup correctly. Having Google smart speakers wont create a Google Mesh, thats only with Googles WiFi products.

Your best option is to do as @cookiemonsteruk suggested which is split the WiFI bands on the hub. This will hopefully solve your dropping issue and ensure your smart cameras stay online