Broadband issues

[sharon135]

We have had little or no internet since the mega outage in May, since then internet has been  very very hit and miss. Had hardly any internet since Friday 27/6, yet done all the checks advised to do via tv, still nothing although I'm being told there is no problem when I’ve phoned. Well there obviously is as even the lights we have on wifi ( for security) & nest are  not connecting . The wifi connection to my phone is hit and miss . One minute ok next minute nothing,having to switch to data,  which means my data usage has rocketed and probably going to cost more. So we are been paying for a service from SKY that we are not receiving ( in any other businesses that'd be called fraud !!). An engineer was sent out early in June ( turned out he was a Sky Q engineer not broadband and couldn't help) he got someone in India ? to check online and they said everything was OK. Now up until the outage everything was absolutely fine no problems whatsoever and now on our local Nextdoor app page there are tons of people saying they too are having problems and have been since outage. Coincidence?? me thinks not. My son in our annex is "hard wired" to the broadband/internet and doesn't have a problem. Do we need another new router???? Had a new one earlier this year, and are continually having to reboot it, could that be the problem ? To be fair it’s been crappy since we’ve had it but nowhere near as bad as now .

Any help would be very very much appreciated as working from home is not now an option.

[Chrisee]

@sharon135 the fact your son "who is hardwired" is having no problem points to an issue with the WiFi in your home not the broadband connection you are buying from Sky. WiFi issues are extremly common so with respect stop thinking this is a conspiracy and look to see why the WiFi in your home is poor. 

First consider the location of your Sky hub which needs to be out in the open on a surface so it is above obstructions like radiators etc. Second consider what lies between the hub and the device like the TV anything solid like a wall will reduce the signal and if you live in an older property two rooms away can mean the signal level is not sufficent to stream video. There is also the affect of interference to consider as everyone uses nore and more wifi devices each using the same limited radio frequencies this is an increasing issue. 

The common solution is to pay for a home wifi system as a single free hub from Sky is insufficent in many homes to provide usable wifi in every room. Sky will sell you their WiFi Max bundle which can provide up to 3 extender pods for a monthly fee or as I did myself buy a third party system and use that to provide WiFi which can be cheaper in the long run. 

[SusanJSD]

I am having similar issues with mybroadband... I am a new customer to Sky and thankfully I am withing my rights to cancel with no consequence... I have had nothing but one after another link going down and finding that to contact and actually speak to someone is a mare... their systems occasionally say that there is a problem on the line and try to fix, they said they'd send and engineer and (s)he didn't turn up, then sent another engineer from OPenreach who DID turn up and did line testing that there was nothing wrong.. but I am still getting the vdsl link dropping time after time... JUs checked the maintenance logs and sine midnight alone, it has dropped eight times today... BTW, while I am a new customer, I am outside the ten days period where internetmay drop-out!.
Finding SKy an absolute nightmare to communicate with. Sorry I cannot help with your issue, but I am having them too.

[Chrisee]

@SusanJSD adding a post to a thread with a disconnected issue is confusing but you can cancel without penalty in the first 31 days of a new contract but cancelling without setting up an alternnative supply is going to leave you without any connection.

I would call call Sky explain your issues calmly and warn them that you plan to leave in the cooling off period unless they can supplly a reasonable service. In my experience you are most likely to get through to a competent agent if you call during working hours ask them tondeal with your issues calmly as a formal complaint and that you reseve your rights to cancel under consumer law which should remove the 31  day limit. 

[sharon135]

Thanks for your reply.
The router is on a windowsill with nothing  near it to reduce its functionality . We are not in an old house with thick walls etc , my  concern is that since the outage in May internet has been practically none existent. 

So why since then are we having problems?

I don't think it's a conspiracy ( strange thing to say !) but it's concerning that other people in our immediate area are experiencing the very same thing.

We think it's the router but cannot be sure. Don't really want to pay for Sky WiFi Max bundle as prior to outage all was working fine. Virgin have just arrived on our road maybe time for a change.

[SusanJSD]

Trouble is.. all the numbers I call, I get automation and cannot get to speak to a person !!!

[sharon135]

Sky is a nightmare in trying to contact the right person/department. It used to be great when you could get thru to someone in the UK who could actually help . 

[JimM1]

@sharon135 First thing you should do is get the sky hub off the window sill!

[sharon135]

Why off the window sill? the  routers have worked fine on it for last 12years until this last outage. It's not in full sunlight . 

[JimM1]

@sharon135 If you have been happy with it then just continue! Search may help you, does glass affect wifi signal..