Hardwired mini boxes with wireless main box?

[DaveB69]

Does it make sense to hardwire my mini boxes to mesh nodes, even if my main box is connected by wi-fi? I’ve tried to research this as much as I can, but am still totally confused as to how the Sky Q connections work.

My current set-up:

• Virgin media ultrafast (1Gb) fibre
• Virgin Hub 4 switched to modem mode
• Linksys Velop mesh: 1 node hard wired to Virgin Hub acting as the parent/router; 5 other nodes around the house (it’s quite a large house with thick walls!)
• Velop mesh network separated into two SSIDs: 2.4ghz and 5ghz
• Sky Q main box connected by wi-fi to the Velop 2.4ghz band
• Sky booster (SE210)
• 3x mini boxes connected by wi-fi (not sure if these are connected to the Velop mesh or the Sky booster?)

In addition to experiencing issues with the main Sky Q box randomly disconnecting from the router (which I have asked about elsewhere, and I understand to be a problem with interference on the 2.4Ghz band), I am also experiencing regular connection failures with the mini boxes. Sometimes the mini box is losing connection to the internet, sometimes it is losing connection to the main box, and sometimes both.

I was therefore wondering if it might help to hardwire each of the three mini boxes to a Velop node, thus taking the Sky booster out of the picture?

What I’m really confused about is the difference between the connection to the main box (which I presume is via the Sky booster?) and the connection to the internet (which I am led to believe, from my research on this forum, is also via the Sky Booster?). Is it the case, as I have read here, that the miniboxes use Sky’s own mesh system, created by the Sky booster, rather than my home wifi (the Velop mesh) to communicate with both the internet and the main box? If so, how does hardwiring them to the Velop mesh allow them to connect to the main box? And does it matter whether or not my main box is hardwired or wireless (the reason it is on the wi-fi is that I can’t easily run a cable to the router).

I’m also confused about the role of the Sky booster. There are lights on the front of the box for ‘connected’ and ‘internet’. My assumption is that the ‘internet’ light means that the booster is connected to my Velop mesh. Is that correct? What about the ‘connected’ light?

Apologies for my total ignorance of this, and I do hope this makes sense. The more I read the more baffled I get! If any of you lovely people could explain (in terms that a non-techy like me might understand) how the Sky Q connectivity operates, and whether my suggestion above would improve things (and if not why not!), I would be immensely grateful. Many thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Dave

[bob1234]

@DaveB69Mini boxes only connect to the main or other mini box/booster using the Sky mesh on 5Ghz Ch36. The main box uses your own WiFi on 2.4Ghz which is why it can connect to Velop by 2.4Ghz.

If you want to use Ethernet it will have to be between mini box to main box. You can't connect mini boxes to Velop.

If you have problems with the main box it will also cause problems with the mini boxes as everything streams through the main box.

It would be best to use Ethernet to connect your main box to your Virgin router and as far as Sky is concerned forget Velop.

[DaveB69]

@bob1234  Thanks for that. I was really surprised by your statement that "mini boxes only connect to the main or other mini box/booster using the Sky mesh". I'm sure I've read elsewhere on this forum that mini boxes can (and many say should) be hardwired to the router/modem (e.g. this thread: https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Sky-Q/Sky-Q-mini-boxes-and-hard-wired/m-p/3727715#M448622). Is that categorically not true? Thanks.

[Laing1]

---

@DaveB69 wrote:

@bob1234  Thanks for that. I was really surprised by your statement that "mini boxes only connect to the main or other mini box/booster using the Sky mesh". I'm sure I've read elsewhere on this forum that mini boxes can (and many say should) be hardwired to the router/modem (e.g. this thread: https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Sky-Q/Sky-Q-mini-boxes-and-hard-wired/m-p/3727715#M448622). Is that categorically not true? Thanks.

---

@DaveB69 I am fairly sure that you can connect the minis to your router by ethernet but you also have to have your main box connected to the router by ethernet as well I dont think you can connect the minis by ethernet and the main box by wifi

[bob1234]

@DaveB69I told the truth but perhaps not the whole truth. I was referring to WiFi.

However you can connect using Ethernet between boxes but if you want to connect back to the router then both mini and main boxes need to connect this way. In fact this would be the most reliable way of connecting as you can then turn off the WiFi in all the Q boxes and disconect the booster.

[DaveB69]

Thanks @bob1234 . When you say "you can connect using Ethernet between boxes", are you saying that if I want to hardwire my miniboxes I have to connect each minibox to the main box by ethernet cable, rather than hardwire each minibox to a node? I hope I've misunderstood!

What I think I now understand is that I can't hardwire the miniboxes to a Velop node if the main box is still connected by wi-fi (though still not entirely sure why, as I would have thought that both main and mini boxes were all still connected to the same network?), so what I am now thinking is buying an additional node to site next to the main box, and hardwire the main box and each of three mini boxes to their own Velop node. Would that work? If so, I assume that this is when I can turn off wi-fi on all boxes (main and minis), unplug my Sky booster, and also recombine my 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands into a single network/SSID? Does that make sense? Many thanks. And apologies again for my ignorance.

Cheers,

Dave

[bob1234]

@DaveB69Going back to what I hope is 1st principles.

As you have your Virgin router in bridge mode and.

• Sky Q main box connected by wi-fi to the Velop 2.4ghz band
• Sky booster (SE210)
• 3x mini boxes connected by wi-fi (not sure if these are connected to the Velop mesh or the Sky booster?)

Ignore the booster for a moment.

The main Q box should work OK unless the WiFi signal between the Velop and Q box is not strong enough. (This is where I would check your existing set up in case the coverage on 2.4Ghz to your main box is not as good as it should be)

The main box (and minis/booster) generate the Q mesh on 5Ghz which unless Sky is your ISP will be the only way to connect boxes by WiFi and cannot use your home WiFi to connect.

So this set up should work BUT does not as even with the booster the Q mesh does not seem reliable between boxes.

Unfortunately with mini boxes connected to nodes by Ethernet they are not seen as being on the same network as the main box (if it is connected by WiFi) if the main box is connected by Ethernet to the main Velop then it should work and all WiFi can be turned off in all Q boxes. You can then turn back on your dual band as the 5Ghz should no longer cause any problems. Once this works you can also turn off the booster as it will no longer be doing anything.

The above is my understanding, I am sure someone else will pop up and correct me if I am wrong.

[DaveB69]

Thanks again @bob1234. I've just ordered an additional Velop node and some ethernet cables. Will let you know if I have success!