topic Re: Alternatives to Sky Boosters in Broadband

Alternatives to Sky Boosters

Danny297 — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 10:22:22 GMT

Hi, I'm having issues with the connection to my PC and PS5 upstairs in my house and was wondering if anyone could offer the best solution. I have the Sky Max Hub with the 500 package.

The first step is that I've contacted Sky who have sent out a booster that should be with me in a few days. I know that from previous experience these boosters aren't great. I'm not sure if this has improved with the newer version of the hub and booster however I suppose I'll soon find out. Regardless, I know that a wired connection is better, especially when it comes to gaming.

Other than the extreme alternative of paying to have my house wired, does anyone have any suggestions for some suitable solutions that will allow me to have a wired connection? It's been a few years since I've looked into the subject so my knowledge of recent technology isn't great however I know there's some extenders that you can plug directly into - this is a viable option? And if so, can anyone suggest a system that works with the Sky Max Hub?

Open to any suggestions at all.

Thanks,

Re: Alternatives to Sky Boosters

TimmyBGood — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 10:25:43 GMT

@Danny297 wrote:

And if so, can anyone suggest a system that works with the Sky Max Hub?

Any non-Sky hardware works alongside rather than with a Sky Hub.

Your choices include Powerline network adaptors (with or without their own WiFi) or one of numerous 'mesh' bundles at many price points.

Re: Alternatives to Sky Boosters

Danny297 — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 10:43:49 GMT

Sorry for my ignorance but what's the difference between working alongside rather than with?

Appreciate your suggestions - is there any particular make or model you'd recommend I look into?

Re: Alternatives to Sky Boosters

TimmyBGood — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 11:48:25 GMT

@Danny297 wrote:

Sorry for my ignorance but what's the difference between working alongside rather than with?

Only Sky boosters appear in the Sky diagnostics and 'mesh' with a Sky Hub.

Re: Alternatives to Sky Boosters

JimM1 — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 12:21:07 GMT

@Danny297 You first decider has to be 1. Need a landline phone connection, then YOU MUST have a sky hub for that, there is no other choice if you are using the sky talk service! 2. How is the connection going to be done and do you feel you can do it, sky will only and can only look at there unit's when problems arise!

Re: Alternatives to Sky Boosters

Danny297 — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 12:41:46 GMT

1. Landline isn't required so no issues there.

2. It depends on the method and the steps involved. I'd say I'm tech savvy enough to be able to set up a new system but it really depends what it is and the steps involved.

The reason for me asking was to get an idea of any/all options available to me so I can do some research on what's required under each of these (time, cost, IT knowhow) and made a decision from there.

Re: Alternatives to Sky Boosters

JimM1 — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 13:10:10 GMT

@Danny297 Take a look at this below, you can go get the manual they allow complete download, and then you have to decide, ok sky Max goes and the Asus goes right on the Fibre ONT and you control it that way etc! Same goes if you use for instance Tp-Link it's just how easy is it all to do!

ASUS ZenWiFi XD5

Re: Alternatives to Sky Boosters

Danny297 — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 16:55:20 GMT

Thanks @JimM1

Would this provide a good low latency solution for my gaming?

The main issue I'm having is that the connection isn't great when online gaming. I can get connected to the internet ok but tend to have lag especially at peak hours. I've previously bought a long ethernet cable and connected my router directly to the PC and PS5 which has solved the issue however it's not a permanent solution as the cable runs from the living room, right up the stairs through the hall and into the bedroom.

Re: Alternatives to Sky Boosters

JimM1 — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 18:17:53 GMT

@Danny297 That's the trouble cable is king in the world off speed/latency, where wireless have someone pass the sky Hub and see what a body does to a wireless wi-fi signal, never mind when the sky hub get's that little bit busy when multitasking the signals.

If you want to game, and you want to do it via a wireless wi-fi signal then good luck with that! Powerline Ethernet may possibly be worth a try, if it works great, if not then you can send it back, YOU will not be a speed demon especially on a split floor level, the picture below takes Ethernet and AV paused to get have a look when it clears!

Ethernet connected to get speed /latency good!

Re: Alternatives to Sky Boosters

Danny297 — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 11:01:35 GMT

Thanks @JimM1

If a wired connection is option 1 then I'm looking to find out what my next best option is to reduce ping/latency as much as possible. Is the product that you've recommended above the next best thing to a wired connection?

Re: Alternatives to Sky Boosters

JimM1 — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 11:08:22 GMT

@Danny297 If it is powerline then have a read at the Tp-Link about it, it's a may/may not solve the problem, all down to the interaction between both devices! Take a read at the ? about and see what it say's. Not recommending anything there are no guarantees that is going to be a fix!

Powerline Adapters | TP-Link United Kingdom

Re: Alternatives to Sky Boosters

2muchTV — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:27:24 GMT

@Danny297 wrote:
Thanks @JimM1

If a wired connection is option 1 then I'm looking to find out what my next best option is to reduce ping/latency as much as possible. Is the product that you've recommended above the next best thing to a wired connection?

So here's a pic of my setup, which is entirely wireless backhaul using a tri band system in AP mode

Just done a test on my laptop which is connected to 1st floor XT9 in my home study with an ethernet cable .via Wavlink USB 3.0 dual display adapter

ping: 9 ms

Down: 762.22 Mbps

Up: 81.51 Mbps

I don't game so no idea how good or bad this would be in that scenario.

XT9s are not cheap but work brilliantly