Sky Glass ISP and WIFI requirements

[DGE13]

Whilst Sky are still trying to resolve issues being experienced for those on FTTP Ultrafast Broadband and WIFI6 or Ethernet Networks, there are many households still expereincing severe speed/connectivity issues. One thing I've noticed with these complaints is whilst Sky Glass (10Mbps HD or 25Mbps UHD) and Pucks (15Mbps - new required minumum speed) are defined clearly, many households are on WIFI4 or less, which immediately indicates those households are susceptible to issues given WIFI4 can only communicate with one Client at a time. It is good to see Pucks are WIFI6 Clients, but this should not cause any performance issues if on WIFI5 minimum unless there are wider bandwidth issues with the ISP. I think Sky should at least outline what the minimum requirements should be based on the Sky Glass set up they want eg. if someone would like Sky Glass UHD and 2 Pucks to run simultaneously they need at least 55Mbps and either WIFI5 or opt for Ethernet connectivity. I sense they don't as this would likely reduce sales. I think this is why so many have returned their equipment given their installations are just not up to the required specification. Anybody else picked this up....?

[Aaln]

Most households have the equipment their supplier provided when they first signed up.

If you've not switched recently then maybe it is time, you'll get a more modern router, no guarantee of WiFi 6. 

Huawei do a WiFi 6 router at a reasonable price and own quite a few network technology patents. So perhaps if you can't get new equipment and are not willing to change, this could be an option?

[DGE13]

I have a WIFI6 router and whole house wifi 6... and 923Mbps download... i dont have issue with their system requirements, just with their inherent design problems. I am not sure Sky Glass will actually connect to WIFI5 as i think its only on the 2.4 channel... so given most of the UK is still on WIFI 4 or older, Sky Glass is a problem of reliability in a Smart household on 30Mbps and WIFI4..... thats the point i am making....

[Anonymous]

@DGE13 you are correct a lot of people do not realise that the equipment that have been provided is very basic.  We we with BT and replaced our router with a LinkSys Wi-Fi 6 router.  Although saying that both our Glass and Puck are connect via Ethernet cable.

[DGE13]

I haven't had a Puck yet after lots of SkyQ minibox issues so thought I'd wait. Given you have similar set up to me, you've not had Puck problems? I'm on 923 and Wifi6 whole house but would use Ethernet..... 

[Anonymous]

@DGE13 95% of the time the puck is fine.  We have had to reboot it on occassions, like most complaints on these forums concerning stability of the puck.  I will say with each software update th estability has improved.

[Lapwing9596]

@DGE13 ,

You mention, whilst Sky still try to resolve issues being experienced for those on FTTP, do you have any more information?

Is there a fault number we can track, have any comments been issued by Sky.

I am on FTTP with freezing and sound issues and Sky tell me this is not being reported by others. 

[DGE13]

It is as shame that Sky haven't openly given each issue a fault code... they've no doubt got one. These faults are up and down the country and the ones you can believe  being a Sky fault are those on FTTP. I'm sure some folks who have said they have an ISP download speed of 6.7Mbps have to sort their own issues out in parallel. Sky are not being truthful telling you that, this issue is widespread and in place since Day 1. I had the same response back in October where they said a list of faults I had was my issue only and they thought it could be my ISP or Wi-Fi. By November many blogs had started up and I could see this was not true. For shame Sky. Sky monitor this site but never chose to comment on this issue as I think it's perplexing them. The only issue I've seen them comment on quickly of an issue is the scheduling failure last week. I've demanded an email from to their techical team on this issue as its four months old now in when there's a fizzled coming but still no reply!! 

[Chrisee]

@DGE13 actually the older 802.11n standard is plenty fast enough for Glass as it offers up to 300Mb/s it is only routers over 10 years old that really need replacing.

My experience is speed is actually not the main issue rather its the level of jitter (stability in simple language). Glass is very easily disrupted by high jitter as unlike You Tube and other services Sky and the other broadcasters dont seem to use rate adaptive streaming. Use of a single wifi source in modern homes is often insufficent to provide a good stable signal on different floors and rooms. Throw in interference from neighbour's wifi networks, other wireless kit like heating controls, wireless speakers etc it is a wonder these things work at all. 

As someone who has been trying to help people sort wifi issues for many years I groaned when Sky announced Glass as a single isp provided router is definitely going to struggle. I agree that the plug and play marketing is confusing but getting that changed is vanishingly unlikely. 6 years of supporting Q which has its own wifi issues has taught me that Sky marketing live in a different world with different laws of physics to me and incidentally their own engineers who, off the record, are even more critical.

That is why I and the other forum superusers have been advising use of ethernet cables, powerline adapters and wifi mesh systems which both cost money and require some work from the customer but do work. 

[DGE13]

I use Ethernet and my home is Wi-Fi 6 whole home mesh and FTTP 923Mbps .....I don't have an isp speed wifi problem, I have a Sky problem that's what I'm saying. I just find it a nuisance that people with Sky Glass on a bandwidth less than 10Mbps are moaning about Sky reliability and quality, it's getting in the way of fixing the real issues they have ....

[Anonymous]

@DGE13  Those people are "moaning" because they are general consumers who don't understand bandwidth etc.. and Sky did zero checks before selling them a product that isn't suitable for them.

They are now stuck with a TV they can't use properly.

[DGE13]

It is the customers responsibility to ensure they have the correct set up. I wholly agree Sky have not done enough to check or explain the minimum set up needed.... I was annoyed they increased 3 months after launch that Pucks now need 15Mbps minimum to operate correctly. That's not on! But you can't get away from customers buying the product with UHD and Puck packages that need at least 40Mbps to work effectively and they only have 30Mbps and WIfi4.... I know people are stupid but they should enquire further if they don't know what bandwidth means....

[Lapwing9596]

Like @DGE13 I am using an ethernet cable (Cat7) and have done since day 1 (1st Dec), I have tried 3 different cables to eliminate this as a concern.

My connection is 500 / 500Mbps FTTP.

We need Sky to treat FTTP / std Broadband / FTTC issues seperately.  If someone only has 20Mbps then I suspect they will have an issue with Sky Glass, but don't lump me (or us) in that bucket when our connections should be perfect for this technoligy.

[Anonymous]

@Lapwing9596  But it is well known all over these forums now that it's got nothing to do with your internet connection its glass thats the issue, many people have been through the wars in getting their glass to work even though they have a solid internet connection which worked fine until glass came along, sadly they are never going to awknowledge it, it's been a farse from day one (having gone through the wars to get a stable glass tv myself which now I do have but it took a lot of work).

Either the hardware stack for networking is rubbish or there are some serious software issues.

It's a global issue whether you have cutting edge fibre or some rubbish 20mb connection, people streamed perfectly well before glass but couldn't after.

[Lapwing9596]

@Anonymous

It is very frustrating.  Given Sky staff access the forum's you would like to think they might look for or highlight to their Tech Teams issues and create "Problem Records" to ensure the paying customer can enjoy the service.

I am 100% one of the people you talk about.  I used to stream on a Samsung TV, Now/Netflix/Amazon Prime/etc.  Now I can stream those but not watch Live TV, which is great for live sport 😞

I do like the 3min catch up clips that always work with no issue, I just cant watch the full game Live.