Connecting a Tado thermostat to Sky's WiFi

[DickP]

I am trying to install a Tado thermostat, which has a Tado ReceiverX connected to our Wifi which in turn broadcasts from a house-wide Mesh system which, in turn is fed by our Sky Fibre Hub. The Tado ReceiverX connects to the wifi but, in Tado language "the Tado cannot verify the connection". Looking online, the problem could be that Tado's system requires 2.4Ghz wifi but the Sky Hub puts out 5Ghz wifi and 2.4Ghz wifi on the same network. I understand that it might be possible to split the two bands in the Sky Hub so that they are independent. Does anyone know how to do that?

[JimM1]

@DickP The split is not possible if you have a sky Max hub, but you can disable the 5Ghz to get the device connected and then they do normally stick once connected, always turn the 5Ghz back on once it is done! Linked below about doing both!

Sky Max change settings link.
https://www.sky.com/help/articles/change-wifi-max-hub-settings-a

And from the Tips.

Split Sky WiFi bands

[DickP]

Many thanks for your help on this. Frankly, I am way out of my depth on this and it scares me for fear of losing our wifi. First I have to detrmine which Sky Hub I have. It has no name on it that I can see but is white with a single white LED in the middle. I did try and access it a couple of days back to split the bands by inputting the numbers suggested in my browser and using the Wifi name and password that came with it when new, but they don't work. Could that be because we changed the wifi network name to suit our family? I have no idea but really ap[preciate your help!

[JimM1]

@DickP First off all you have the sky Max hub as you say it is white, so there is NO splitting off bands on that hub at all. to change you need to use your app on the mobile device that you are using, then you turn off the 5Ghz band to the hub, that will leave you with the 2.4Ghz transmitting the wireless signal. Try then to connect the Tado thermo to the hub and set everything up as needed. If it all works out the stat will stick fine once it is connected. You may also have to drop the wireless securities back to WPA2-PSK mode that will work way better for every device in the home.

It is all in the advanced section for the help link, copied that below just click on the link. When all done, go back and enable the 5Ghz to work again, that is the speed connection!

 Sky Max change settings link.
https://www.sky.com/help/articles/change-wifi-max-hub-settings-a

On that link above this is what you are looking for,

Disable WiFi

1. Open the My Sky app.
2. Tap the Broadband tab.
3. Tap WiFi Settings then Advanced settings.
4. Tap Disable WiFi.

[DickP]

Jim: Thank you for your patience and good thorough advice! With some trepidation I did as you suggested and turned off the 5Ghz on the SkyMax Hub using the App on my phone. It seemed to go OK but then how would I know? But still no luck! The Tado receiver says it's connected but still cannot be verified by the Tado App. Am I wrong in assuming that, now with no available 5Ghz, the whole house (my phone and the Receiver included) would revert automatically to the 2.4Ghz band?

Assuming that to be the case, I rebooted the Tado receiver and it fired up just fine and shows it has internet - I assume that the netwoerk name and password remain unchanged for 2.4Ghz? When we first attempted all this, we had to press a button on the side of the SkyMax Hub and one on the receiver (I think this is called WPS) so, presumably, the receiver still retains that under the new 2.4Ghz regime?

All this shows my naivety and ignorance - I assumed, having done that WPS thing first, that the Tado Receiver gets in touch with the Sky Hub first and therefore shows a wifi connection. Then,  switching to the App, it is attempting to align the iphone with the newly connected receiver via this 'verification' process and that's where it stumbles and will not proceed. 

Swearing profusely and loudly at it, at Tado, at the world and at the ineptidude of Google seems to make no difference at all! Quite why a serious company would make a domestic wifi device which uses a bandwidth (2.4Ghz) which appears to be superceeded by something better (5Ghz), requiring us to switch back to a steam-powered wifi, is a complete mystery to the ignorant.

Any further advice will be appreciated!

[DickP]

Hi Jim. Many thanks. I thought I had replied but, when I tried to add to my remarks, i couldn't see it. No matter.

I followed your excellent instructions and turned off the 5Ghz leaving only the 2.4Ghz.

I also rebooted the Tado receiver again. It came back to life as before, showing two LEDs of wifi connection. But still, the App would not verify the connection. What a nightmare!

After further consultation online, I decided to switch wi-fi networks. Our system has the in-built wifi router which comes with the SkyHub and we have a Deco Mesh system (different wifi name)which is needed to distribute wifi around the whole house. Obviously, we use this latter system as the Sky network does not reach everywhere. So, I switched the wifi on my phone to the Sky built in wifi (now reset to 2.4Ghz only).

I then rebooted the ReceiverX, ran upstairs and down the corridor to press the WPS button on the SkyHub, rushed back downstairs to the Receiver X (where the signal is weak; that’s why we need the Mesh system) and pressed the WPS button on the ReceiverX. Praise the Lord, it connected and verified.

I then attempted to connect and verify the Tado Thermostat, unsuccessfully at first (lots of watching the spinning wheel only to be told you’re out of luck), so I took both my phone and the thermostat up the stairs and down the corridor to be close to the SkyHub currently working on 2.4Ghz. Keeping the phone and Thermostat close together (for Bluetooth), the two miraculously connected and so . . . . whoopee! Both seem to be working.

I have now switched the 5Ghz network and Deco system back on, reselected the Mesh network and given it time to settle down and it still appears to be working.

What a fandango eh? I wonder whether the Tado team has ever tried to set up some Apple earbuds, or upgrade an iPhone to a new one? Just place the earbuds next to the phone and they say hello to the phone and the phone says ‘Hi earbuds! Do you want to connect?’ And that’s it. It does not require several days, a qualified electrician, consultation with two different help lines and around 10 emails. No, it just works.

I wonder why Tado builds its systems to work on a lesser 2.4Ghz network when the whole country is moving to fibre and therefore to 5Ghz. Why not make the bloody thing work with the faster system? Maybe there is some technical reason beyond my understanding?

But hey - I buy Nest and then, a few years later, Google tell me that my old trusty Nest thermostat will no longer work. But, they say, no worries, we will sell you a direct replacement that is better. Enthused, and desirous of a better system, I do as they suggest. I watch all the videos and read all the stuff . . . it seems easy. But the bloody thing does not work and requires global experts to install. What a mess eh?

Still, many thanks for your patience and help on this - let's see if it still works this week - I am not hopeful! And I hope too that this thread can help some other helpless old fool connect a SkyHub into Tado (and thence into the might google empire)!

[JimM1]

@DickP All my IOT is tado on the 2.4Ghz band, certainly not the easiest but now been on Sky SR203, jumped accross to the EE Smarthub+, back to the SR203, retired that and all now running on the Asus Router mesh, few oops now and again but nothing major, and i do have all the bands split no matter what!

The sky Max does make it very awkward to do it all, but then again all the Isp's are following suit!