SkyQ Download Failed Item Unavailable

[Skull+Treaty]

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@grog+arson wrote:

@Skull+Treaty And I've just swapped over to Gigaclear and be default it was doing exactly the same until I updated the DNS to Cloudeflare, which incidentally was set on my router, but wouldn't work until I updated the exact same address on the Q box directly!

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@grog+arson Interesting, Gigaclear have their own network, that's to say that they are not using Openreach's infrastructure. Sadly they do not operate in my area (or indeed our new place), I'll be moving to BT (boo hiss!) in the next month or so for FTTP : )

[Skull+Treaty]

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@Discombobulated3 wrote:

@LGUser 

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@LGUser wrote:

Question for those with BT and the download problem.

Why are you with BT instead of Sky? What do you get with BT broadband that you cannot get with Sky Broadband?

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Not that you're genuinely interested, I get the feeling your sole purpose on here is to talk any non-Sky internet customers into switching from whichever other provider to Sky internet, but...

Better prices

Better equipment

Better deals

Better up and download speeds

Fractionally more accountability

Fractionally better customer service

Tie-ins with landline and internet, giving better prices there, and with unlimited landline calls even to mobiles and 08 premium rate numbers, ditto with mobile packages offering unlimited data, unlimited calls, and unlimited texts when you take out BT broadband

Vastly more public wifi spots with BT.

I'm with BT simply because they are the best of a bad bunch in this country. You may (or may not) be interested to know that I have thankfully not had a download problem for at least the last week. I have not changed any settings, or DNS, or anything else technical. I have not reset my Q box. I have not restarted my Q box. I have left all of that alone - it isn't my job, plus my Q box was only installed at the beginning of December, by 2 Sky engineers, who also changed my dish. 

I imagine that Sky are slowly rolling out the fix for this enormously widespread issue. It has nothing to do with BT. Many other ISP users are experiencing (or have experienced) the self-same Failed Download difficulties.

BT are the biggest internet provider in the UK, which means they own the lion's share of internet cables/ lines/ whatever you call it, which means that pretty much any other provider you're with is renting their cables/ lines/ whatever you call it from BT. The only difference being the price, the end-to-end equipment, and customer service. 

You've been banging on (and on and on and on and on and....) since the start of this thread, and you're still banging on (and on and on and on and....) even now, long after umpteen posters here have told you that their internet is NOT BT. 

Are you ever going to let it drop, or are you content with those of us here who are familiar with your rigid stance simply ignoring you? 

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With BT, you also have more options in terms of using a third party router, not stuck with one that supports DHCP option 61 like with Sky.

[grog+arson]

@SS123456x Not wrong, the problem is that the Q box has the default gateway address of the router, and that's where the problem lies, for some reason the Q box isn't able to resolve that and get to the router to read the DNS.

If you read again you will see that I said that the DNS was set on the router, and the default gateway on the Q box, but that didn't work, it only stated working after I manually set the DNS on the Q box to mirror what is set on the router.

[cheskabb]

Hi All

Having the same issue but have a few of questions

• has anyone found if using the Sky Go app to download to your TV actually works? (I don't have the app but will get it if it's a workaround) 

• is there the same issue with paid content? I want to rent a movie but am hesitant to pay if it's not going to work! 
• I use Amazon Prime through Sky & want to stream a paid for movie but again don't want to pay if it won't work! 

I'm incredibly untechie so don't want to change my DNS 😳

Thanks in advance for your help! 

[brc7]

This is obviously a universal problem with sky that has been going on for some time and they whave commented that they will resolve a.s.a.p. Presumably they will be providing a credit on our accounts for the lack of on demand services?

[Luigiloops]

We have been having the same difficulty for 2 weeks now. Have done all of the usual, reset, unplug, checked that we have the latest software etc. Broadband signal is strong. BBC ITV etc are no problem, sky max and other sky channels continuously showing as download fail. 

[Luigiloops]

NCIS New Orleans, or most other programmes on sky max.

Any episode on season 1 after episode 5.

Internet provider EE

[grog+arson]

@cheskabb The Sky Go app seems to work for some, but I would say the DNS change has had the most success.

This issue seems to effect mainly (but not all) sky channel downloads, including paid for content.

Streaming services, such as Prime Video, should be unaffected, but you can test by watching something that's free.

The DNS change seems to have had the most positive results and is really simple to do, I think the latest set of instructions can be found on page 91.

Give it a go. 😊👍

[grog+arson]

@Luigiloops Try the DNS change that has been posted, it has had a positive impact for a lot of people.

[grog+arson]

@brc7 @It's possible, but don't count on it happening automatically, and I think you need to make sure that you have Sky Signature in your package as that's the bit that includes on demand.

[Rascal+Red]

I have given up trying to download anything from Sky now.  All over Christmas when trying to download any film got the same answer Download Failed Item Unavailable.  Funny but when we paid for a film downloaded perfectly OK!!!!  Had this problem at the end of November, but problem seemed to resolve itself, just thought it was me.  Was horrified when I got onto this discussion group to see Sky have known about this problem for so long and not contacted their customers.  Very poor customer service.  Been a customer for over 21 years - not impressed!  I will await more news and try to download intermittently to see if they have fixed the problem.  

[Luigiloops]

I am with EE (part of BT I am aware), please could somebody explain how this is a BT problem or other broadband provider problem, when all non sky content downloads with no problem, and all sky content will download through lap top, phone etc . It seems to be the actual sky content via the sky box that has the issues. 

[Doc5907]

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@Luigiloops wrote:

I am with EE (part of BT I am aware), please could somebody explain how this is a BT problem or other broadband provider problem, when all non sky content downloads with no problem, and all sky content will download through lap top, phone etc . It seems to be the actual sky content via the sky box that has the issues. 

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Nobody is saying it is a BT problem.....

(well not quite nobody)

[mike1944]

@Luigiloops. Very good point. It would be very interesting to know an estimate of how many of Sky's customers are actually affected by all this, I expect it is many thousands if the truth be known.

[grog+arson]

@Luigiloops Simple answer, it isn't.

I have recently had the opportunity to change my broadband to Gigaclear, I had the same issue, but having the opportunity to see how 2 broadband providers work at the same time, I believe that the issue appears to be with the Sky Q box being unable to 'see' the broadband router and read the DNS setting on the router, as its supposed to do.
I know this because I had the DNS set on my new Gigaclear router, and the Sky box had the default gateway address (the IP address you use to connect to your router), this should have read the DNS from the router, but the only way it would work was to set the same DNS manually on the Sky box.

To me, this indicates a issue with Sky reading the required info from the router as it is supposed to do.