topic Re: Sky Q Mini box info in Sky Q

Sky Q Mini box info

Davy+Neill — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 13:34:07 GMT

Hello, i'm looking for info on how a Mini box gets its signal.

If i'm watching a different channel (say, BBC2) on the Mini Box other than what is being viewed on the Main Q box (say, BBC1) , is it fed (over wifi) from a tuner on the main box? Or is it using my internet connection to "stream".

Actually, that begs another question...does the main Q box also transmit on a WiFi channel ?

Thanks in anticipation

Davy

Re: Sky Q Mini box info

Chodley — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 13:43:00 GMT

Wifi (or ethernet) from a tuner in the Q

Re: Sky Q Mini box info

TimmyBGood — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 14:07:02 GMT

@Davy+Neill wrote:

...does the main Q box also transmit on a WiFi channel ?

Yes: a main Q box has a wireless backhaul to Q Mini boxes (and any Q boosters), plus a WiFi 'hotspot' signal by default when Sky is the ISP and manually available for other ISPs. It's also talking to the internet router over WiFi.

Re: Sky Q Mini box info

Davy+Neill — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 14:57:25 GMT

Thanks for the replies.

So, does the WiFi backhaul happen over a separate WiFi channel? If yes, is that channel changeable (as you can in a router?)

And...is it only the main Q box which acts as a hotspot? Or can the mini box act as a hotspot too?

(are there online manuals for these?)

Re: Sky Q Mini box info

Chodley — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 15:06:12 GMT

@Davy+Neill wrote:
Thanks for the replies.
So, does the WiFi backhaul happen over a separate WiFi channel? If yes, is that channel changeable (as you can in a router?)
And...is it only the main Q box which acts as a hotspot? Or can the mini box act as a hotspot too?
(are there online manuals for these?)

The mini:Q proprietary network is fixed at Ch36. I think that applies to extending wifi hotspot behaviour too. You can narrow it to 40MHz instead of 80.

The minis act as hotspots too.

No config to be done really, hence no manuals. I have wanted and requested a technical deepdive on how Q does its networking given we spend an inordinate amount of our time on here trying to help people fix issues with it, but don't see it ever happening.

Re: Sky Q Mini box info

Davy+Neill — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 15:11:30 GMT

Thank you to you both for your replies

Ch 36 is well out of the way for us mere mortals using standard 2.5 & 5 gig ranges

I look forward to ditching my present extenders to compare speeds etc

Thanks again

Davy

Re: Sky Q Mini box info

simon194 — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 15:33:48 GMT

@Davy+Neill wrote:
Thank you to you both for your replies
Ch 36 is well out of the way for us mere mortals using standard 2.5 & 5 gig ranges
I look forward to ditching my present extenders to compare speeds etc
Thanks again

Davy

Actually Ch36 is the channel that practically every router in existance defaults to in the 5GHz band but as the range is shorter than the 2.4GHz band it's not so much of a problem.

Re: Sky Q Mini box info

TimmyBGood — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 16:30:07 GMT

@Davy+Neill

More discussion here:

https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Broadband/5ghz-Channels/m-p/4195946

Re: Sky Q Mini box info

Chodley — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 17:25:20 GMT

@Davy+Neill wrote:
Thank you to you both for your replies
Ch 36 is well out of the way for us mere mortals using standard 2.5 & 5 gig ranges
I look forward to ditching my present extenders to compare speeds etc
Thanks again

Davy

2.4 😉

Re: Sky Q Mini box info

Davy+Neill — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 17:37:26 GMT

I sit corrected lol

Re: Sky Q Mini box info

Chodley — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 17:38:24 GMT

@Davy+Neill wrote:
I sit corrected lol

It's a funny one that, see it a lot and not sure why. Maybe it seems more mathematically elegant/intuitive that it would be half.

Re: Sky Q Mini box info

TimmyBGood — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 15:03:30 GMT

@Chodley

Really interesting explanation of why it's 2.4Ghz rather than 2.5Ghz here:

https://www.wired.com/2010/09/wireless-explainer/

TLDNR: microwave ovens ; )