Full Fibre Gigafast underperforming?

[hammersmithjack]

As a long standing Sky broadband user I was delighted when OpenReach finally put in full fibre to the street 3 months ago. My download of approx 45-60Mb/s with broadband was OK but I signed up for Full Fibre Gigafast to be sure I was getting the best possible.  OpenReach came 3 weeks ago and put in the house connection and told me I could continue with my current (4-5 year old) SR203 router which was great given no pw changing of house devices. I didn't really notice any change in WiFi signal or TV app responsiveness despite Sky's tester telling me I was getting an upload of 630-680 Mb/s consistently so measured the D/U at the router using an ethernet cable and a variety of testing apps such as Which and Offcom and measured a range of 95-115 Mb/s downloads and 60-90 uploads. Better for sure but still not as advertised. I contacted Sky and asked if I should have received  a new router and was told 'yes' and was promised the '4.2 ' I saw other people saying I should have. This arrived today and, you guessed it, I received another SR203 which it seems according ot online chat is also called the 4.2. Therefore it seems the SR203 IS STILL the latest model? Really?. Before I waste another hour on chat with Sky is that really it or am I missing a trick somewhere? Is this really the best I am going to get as Gigafast?  

[TimmyBGood · Accepted solution]

@hammersmithjack 

The white Max Hub is the most recent model, released in 2023 and specified as 802.11ax (WiFi 6).  The Sky Broadband Hub is from 2019 and 802.11ac (WiFi 5)

Sky appears to supply the Max Hub by default to new customers, but upgraders aren't so lucky.

[JimM1]

@hammersmithjack Login to your account, go to the srvice checker, click on your Broadband and it will show you the last 30 day's off sky testing to your router. It should look like below but with your speeds.

Service Checker speeds FF500

[hammersmithjack]

Many thanks JimM1

Actually I did that already and in fact see consistent numbers above 600. However what I am measuring myself - with 3 different checking apps - directly off the router is MUCH less. Plus the reality of what I am actually experiencing with my various devices such as Amazon Prime is no improvement. So do I trust the numbers I am being sent by Sky? 

[JimM1]

@hammersmithjack Try the link below first part is speed to the router displays that when you hit update, it then runs a little longer 2nd is the speed to your device. Ethernet testing is the only accurate for high speed, and with all you wireless devices disconnected, but that is not always possible, so try to quiten the wireless activity when you test. Network is a shared resource.....

www.fast.com

[hammersmithjack]

Thanks TimmyB Good 

Exactly as I am experiencing I think during a 90 minute online discussion - still going - with Sky now. First told I had the right equipment, then not, promised something else which meant I could pay less as I was paying already for an obsolete booster, then told I couldn't so this when I was transferred to accounts, now transferred back to the same advisor I spoke to 3 days ago who sent me the wrong router and waiting for him to give me options if any. Lucky I'm a VIP customer of 24 years standing so sure i'm getting the very best service!!! Awful customer service. 

[hammersmithjack]

Thanks again JimM1. 

I will try this once I off the current marathon call with Sky - see below/above. However as I maintain the proof of a MUCH improved service I am told I am getting should be some improved experience. Which I am not getting. 

[hammersmithjack]

Well after exactly 2 hours I dropped off todays online chat (after an hour of the same on Monday) having been given a CFR number and told to check back in 48 hours (!!!) to see if there was an outcome. Basically I was explicitly told - eventually - by a broadband technician I should/would get a new Wifi6 router and that if I also cancelled a booster subscription this would save me money. He then transferrerd me to 'accounts' who turned out to the 'Loyalty' department who then told me I could not get this and the advisor had made a mistake and I was handed back to another technician (the same one I think who had sent me the wrong 'old' router earlier this week as he had the same unusual name) who kept me on hold for a full further 30 minutes without update after telling me to wait for 2-3 minutes to review my case - who then told me he had no resolution and had to give me a CRF number? As I said before I have been a loyal and I think reasonable and undemanding customer for 24 years who has been astounded by today's experience. Apparently also not loyal enough though to get the piece of kit I need to receive the full service I am already paying for? Wow. 

[JimM1]

@hammersmithjack So this is the way it worked for me before my short 12 month leave to EE from march 2024 to mar 2025, now back 20 years with 1 year broken service Sky p'd me off and said leave if you are not happy so i did, then they tried hard to keep but man off principal's....

Had the SR203 and the SE210 Booster subscription for the 24 month period, renewed the 24 month and dropped the booster but as i had it Sky allowed to be kept and i continued to use but without any Sky guarantee etc so saved the £5/month fee. Had the standard landline with full package which worked 99% of the time on fttc, NOT digital as was not a requirement then. Now converted FTTC to FTTP on the FF500 product while away with EE. 

Ditched HD+ and then Q many years before as no one was watching but have my own sat box connected and can be viewed anywhere anyone wants record up to 8 programs at one time but no one does.

Return, insisted on SR203, would NOT entertain Sky MAX, SR is on only to make sure we are good, up since mar 10th, have my own Network Hanging off the Sky Router. EE messed up FW to the EE Router big time, virtually killed my network with one fail swoop, i got it stable but not great, they said go so i did, swapped EE out Sky in no faffing about up and running when sky said you are active. 

[hammersmithjack]

JimM1 sounds like you know what you're doing. I'm less knowledgeable technically but this whole issue has provided the final straw for me with Sky. I have a full package but find I am watching less and less partially due to the declining quality of the Sports package in particular. I've pretty much decided to ditch most of the package, maybe go to Essentials as an interim, and subject to what the CFS response is either return to a lower broadband package or switch supplier altogether. Sky TV is too expensive, declining in quality fast and the customer service is appalling and used I think as a barrier to help reduce customer renegotiation and drop off. Well it's going to fail to stop me. Sad as it was once a great product. 

[JimM1]

@hammersmithjack The SR203 although not the fastest kid on the block is still a reasonable router, with a good wireless device it will not max your Gigabit service but you should get up high 700mb/s, Ethernet easily the 900mb/s but it is all about the device on those too.

I have been doing this for a 40yrs + time, so know what it's all about. Couple of quick ookla test's for you to see one after other and two different sites, you never ever get the same result twice in a row, it's the nature off the beast and it is what i would expect off my connection.

to Newcastle my preferredand to Edinburgh.

[JimM1]

@hammersmithjack Sky Max should/would be better as a specked router, but a router that HAS to be done and set with a Mobile is NOT for me, if it was web interfaced like the SR203 then all for it, without a doubt.

That is why i have my Asus router's on the SR203 at present, another couple of weeks and the sky goes back in its box, but not one issue in the slightest and it's a good test for it as complete mix/match situation and NO one in the household is complaining.

Asus laptop to the (EE router wi-fi 6) maxed the 550mb/s every time, but speed is what it is, from 40/10 to a 500 is more about keeping everyone in the house happy, and off my back... 

[Chrisee]

@hammersmithjack Its not 100% clear as to why you think Sky are not delivering what they said they would or why it affects your usage of the service. 

In practice while the white Sky Max hub can deliver up to 900Mb/s in the same room while the older black hub can only deliver roughly 700Mb/s by the time you are two rooms away from the hub speeds are pretty similar when I ran tests between the two. Both hubs can of course deliver the full 900Mb/s over gigabit Ethernet connections. 

In practice performance of most nearly any app will not improve with the slight increase in speed as almost none can use much more than 100Mb/s in practice. The exception is downloading which is always best done over an Ethernet connection but in practice most servers limit bandwidth to allow more users access. Bluntly you are very unlikely to notice the difference in speed apart from when running tests.

My own approach which is dictated by the layout of my home was to buy and use a third party 3 unit mesh wifi system set up in access point mode behind a Sky hub. When using a WiFi network stability is often more important than speed which is where mutiple unit mesh systems come in as mine delivers a stable connection through out my 3 level home which a single hub cannot.  My devices can stream video which only requires roughly a maximum of  30Mb/s bandwidth but is easily disrupted by interference without any issues but I place a higher value on usability and reliability than outright speed. 

[2muchTV]

@hammersmithjack I would certainly expect that the speed to  the hub to be close to what I am paying for, but as mentioned @Chrisee  usability and reliability is of greater value than outright speed. 

Out of curiousity,  I checked my speeds using Speedtest with a laptop & ethernet cable at the hub and got 929/102.

Speed at the most distant mesh node was 340/90 which is way more than needed. 

I know I could get a cheaper service from Sky et al as I currently pay £55 pm for my broadband (out of contract and no annual price increases). However, what I love about Aquiss is no outage in 3 years and speeds that are consistently fast.

[Sayek]

I got 10 days left to join Sky 500 and curious what the issue here 😉

Currently a Virgin Media customer of 5 years and always see customers on the Gig1 package complain they not getting full 1130Mbs on their Wi-Fi but they get that speed on wired connections.