Do Sky Q mini boxes connect to eachother?

[DavidW67]

Hi

I recently had Sky Q fitted and had a mini box too.

In a very small nutshell: my main Sky Q 1TB UHD box is connected to my BTHub6 wirelessly. However, the main box couldnt connect to the mini box upstairs due to it not being able to locate it. Engineer used a Sky Booster SE210 which connected to my main box via WPS, then upstairs into the minibox directly via an ethernet cable from the booster.

How hard it would it be to connect another sky q minibox in another bedroom if I have the same problem again? I'm thinking with two boxes upstairs basically next door from eachother there would be some connection but main question here is: are you able to connect two mini boxes to eachother via the same way you'd connect the main sky Q box to a mini.

I'm sorry if that's confusing, I explained it the best I can. 🙂

Thanks for reading!

[Chrisee]

@DavidW67 potentially you can add a seond Q mini upstairs as you describe. You would connect the new box by using the wps button on your exisisting Q mini. Performance will depend on the signal strength of the link between the main Q box and the booster. 

[bob1234]

@DavidW67Yes it should work by WPS either to the other mini box or the Q booster. I do not understand why the installer connected the mini box to the booster by Ethernet as it should be within easy range of the booster and connect by WiFi (Well the Q mesh) But as it works leave it like that.

If you have not done so move your 5Ghz channel in your router as far away as you can from Ch36 as this can also connection problems with mini boxes. If the HH6 is the smart one also turn off smart in the router.

[DavidW67]

Thanks for replying!

The reason he had to do that is because as you go upstairs toward my bedroom the broadband signal strength becomes so patchy it wasn't holding. Same with the booster as it's by my BThub6 so the signal would have been the same, so the engineer had to drill a little hole in my wall, feed the ethernet cable up into the bedroom (living room & bedroom are right above eachother) and plug it in. The reason being is because the walls/insulation must be so thick it was pretty much totally blocking it. 

It's such an annoying situation cos it's not that I can even put the booster upstairs as it would probably lose connection the main box down here 😂

Do you think I could try it though? As in take the ethernet out of the booster and unplug the box, put it upstairs and see if the wireless connection holds with the box downstairs? And if all else fails just take it back downstairs and plug it back in as it was?

[bob1234]

@DavidW67Don't get confused between your home WiFi and the Q mesh.

Only your main box connects to your router using your home WiFi on 2.4Ghz

Other Q devices, boosters, main and mini boxes, if not wired by Ethernet, connect using the Q mesh which they generate themselves on 5Ghz Ch36. This is why it is important to move your home WiFi channel away from Ch36. It is even more important if your HH6 is near to a Q device as its 5Ghz can swamp the Q mesh. This may be why the installer had to wire with ethernet.

[TechmanagerMal]

• @DavidW67  You ask "Do you think I could try it though? As in take the ethernet out of the booster and unplug the box, put it upstairs and see if the wireless connection holds with the box downstairs?"
• Clear line of sight is a good way to position WiFi-connected devices so the nearer you can get to that the better your signal will be.
• You are aiming for a booster halfway between devices avoiding blocking by thick walls, radiators, heavy furniture, fish tanks, you know the drill.
• Also, observe the rules @bob1234 highlights.

[DavidW67]

Again, thank you very much for your detailed response, and you also @TechmanagerMal .

I think I am getting slightly confused yes.

Let me just recap the current situation for you both.

Sky Q 1TB UHD box is connected to my BTHub6 via the 2.4GHz channel in my living room. (Hub is right behind the TV cabinet)

Sky Q Mini-Box is in the upstairs bedroom right above the living room. (Pre-booster, Sky Q mini could not find the main 1TB box to connect to.)

Engineer used Sky Booster SE210 placed by the Hub behind TV, WPS'd that to my 1TB box. Connected fine.

Tried to connect upstairs Mini via WPS again, no luck in finding box again. He then 'ethernetted' the mini box to the booster and now it's working upstairs fine.

Also a question, would I benefit from turning the 5GHz channel on my BTHub6 off totally? I don't use it anyway.

[bob1234]

@DavidW67If you don't use 5Ghz turn it off in your router, 5Ghz is not very good through walls anyway, 2.4Ghz is fast enough and turning off 5Ghz could help your Q connections.

[DavidW67]

@bob1234 @TechmanagerMal 

Some pics to describe current situ

 

 

 

[TechmanagerMal]

• Right behind the TV is not good.
• The booster should be halfway between the devices unless hardwired to them all.
• Only Sky broadband creates a 5 GHz mesh from the Q box to the minis.

[DavidW67]

@TechmanagerMal @bob1234 

I should mention the engineer said the walls were probably so thick that if you put the booster upstairs the 5GHz channel on that wouldn't be able to penetrate through the floorboards to keep the connection stable with the Q 1TB box

[TechmanagerMal]

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@DavidW67 wrote:

@TechmanagerMal @bob1234 

I should mention the engineer said the walls were probably so thick that if you put the booster upstairs the 5GHz channel on that wouldn't be able to penetrate through the floorboards to keep the connection stable with the Q 1TB box

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• Mine does and the signal goes upwards nowhere near the walls if placed at the right angle to them.

[DavidW67]

I'm going to try:

- unplugging the ethernet cable from both booster and sky q mini box

-putting it half way upstairs

-reconnecting sky q mini via wps to booster

Could I also ask, if I added another QMini to my network, could it connect via WPS to the same booster or would I need a second?

[bob1234]

@DavidW67If within range it should WPS to the same booster.

[DavidW67]

@bob1234 

I've just disconnected my 5GHz channel and noticed the middle 'connected' option on my booster has gone off.

Shall I reconnect my booster to my 1TB box via WPS again to sort this?