Dsl username & password

[ChasL001]

I've just changed to Sky broadband and the Sky hubs Wi-Fi is not as good as my own router that I used with my prev ISP.

I have searched all the Sky help FAQs to find the DSL Username and Password to enter in the router. The chat bot is a total waste of time, it just keeps telling me to reboot the hub or cancel my Sky account. TheDSL  username and password are not shown in the Hub's admin settings, so I guess I need a phone number or email address to contact Sky Support to find these details.

Any suggestions?

thanks.

[JimM1]

@ChasL001 The credentials you need for Mer anything@skydsl|anything

[Chrisee · Accepted solution]

@ChasL001 Sky dont use a username or password to authenticate users the line id does that. However they use a non-standard connection method that a router has to support which uses DHCPv4 Option 61 which requires a string where anything@skydsl|anything works. 

As you are on DSL you nedd a modem router those from Asus, Netgear and TP-Link normally will work with this configuration . Note routers from TP-Link as opposed to modem routers dont support that option. Check your old unit supports that standard if it doesnt try the alternative DHCPv6 PD which works on most but not all Sky DSL connections and doesnt need a string at all.

[ChasL001]

Thanks Chrisee, I've just checked and my TP-Link Archer VX1800v does indeed support DHCPv4 Option 61 so should be OK. I'll let you know.

Much appreciated your detailed response.

Chas.

[JimM1]

@ChasL001 That Tp-Link has a sky MER setup link right out the box when doing it so you should be fine if you use the Tp-Link app or web manager to set it all up, it will fill in everything you need to work on a VDSL2 connection!

[Fearitself]

I have a Asus rt-ax86u pro and it works connecting to sky fttp without using  anything@skydsl|anything. Should I be concerned? Should I type that in anyway in option 61?

Even when i had sky fttc I never put in anything@skydsl|anything.  Not sure if I should put that in? Thanks, Gaz.

[JimM1]

@Fearitself No leave it all alone, search XT8 from back in Jul there are some posted pictures up!

[Fearitself]

Thank you, I just found your comments regarding my question. I have the same information as default inmy router so there is nothing to change. There is a guy saying he's copied your screenshots but I compared your screenshots to mine and they are already like that 🤔. 

Everywhere I go online everyone literally everyone says to make sure option 61 is enabled with the username anything@skydsl|anything.  I literally just bought my Asus router and plugged it in and it worked fresh out the box.  Do some people have issues using 3rd party routers on

sky ?

[JimM1]

@Fearitself The comments are all kind off old now and for sure on a direct FTTC copper connection with a DSL Modem Asus yes option 61 MER will be required, but with a FTTP Full Fibre no need to, just use the Asus for the setup and adjust the iPv6 if needed for both IP's there is a newer picture somewhere updated as using google now on the DNS so need to go look myself to see if i updated that also!

Asus is by far the easiest to get working on a sky connection, others do struggle and NO too routers are alike it's just finding all the settings to adjust and make work with no issues..... This post later has some changes for the DNS and also helpful if you are going to need any Ai mesh done!

Third party router or wifi mesh system advice for ... | Sky Community

[Fearitself]

Ok thanks for the help. Definitely recommend anyone reading to use Google DNS servers over sky's for what it's worth. I've tried loads and always come back to googles. Apparently cloud flares are faster but doesn't feel like it. Gaz

[Chrisee]

@JimM1 according to a briefing from Sky only roughly 80% of Openreach's full fibre lines support DHCPv6 PD so DHcPv4 Option 61 can still be required if the customer is connected to one of the 20% not covered, The same % split  applies to FTTC services as the fibre connection go onto the same equipment at the digital exchanges. The deciding factor is the maker of the exchange equipment.  

All City Fibre services support DHCPv6 PD.

[JimM1]

@Chrisee Thanks got it now.

[-rpnz-]

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@Fearitself wrote:

Ok thanks for the help. Definitely recommend anyone reading to use Google DNS servers over sky's for what it's worth. I've tried loads and always come back to googles. Apparently cloud flares are faster but doesn't feel like it. Gaz

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There are trade-offs with this approach of course, such as the obvious "who do you trust with your DNS queries more?" privacy concern, but also performance beyond just the query response time.  A lot of Content Distribution Networks (CDNs) use DNS to map and direct you to the closet CDN servers as possible; 3rd party recursive DNS services lack the required visibilty into our network and CDNs such as Netflix, Akamai, and even Google/YouTube then lose the ability to direct you to their closest servers.

[Fearitself]

Thanks. it is indeed a balance of what you prioritise. Cloudflare utilise a DNS technology called anycast, I haven't looked into it but on the surface my intuition tells me it will be optimal regardless of what it connects to?

[-rpnz-]

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@Fearitself wrote:

Thanks. it is indeed a balance of what you prioritise. Cloudflare utilise a DNS technology called anycast, I haven't looked into it but on the surface my intuition tells me it will be optimal regardless of what it connects to?

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Our recursive DNS servers are also anycast within our network; the two virtual IPs (VIPs) you see used by the Sky Hubs are actually anycast from 6 different POPs around the country.  That helps speed up the DNS query time making sure responses are quick, but what my previous post was focusing on is that even if the DNS resolution is quick, the result of the DNS query may not be the most optimal when using a 3rd party recursive DNS service. 

We have a lot of content distribution networks (CDNs) fairly deep within out network, as close to our customers as possible, some of them use DNS to decide where to map customers to.

i.e., depending on where the DNS query comes from, the authoritative DNS servers may return different IP addresses, influencing which CDN will serve Sky Glass/Stream, other video content, and game updates etc.

Another relatively new thing that attempts to help with this issue, is EDNS Client Subnet (ECS).  This inserts the original source IP of the DNS query into the DNS query payload so decisions can be made based on that instead of which recursive DNS server was used, but this raises privacy concerns, and doesn't itself provide the network topology information to 3rd parties required so they can make more informed decisions.