New WiFi Max but poor connection speed outside room with hub

[Yeamo]

Hello I joined Sky today and while I get 400+ when I'm next to my router, just 2 rooms on the same floor away my TV struggles to connect to the router and another room doesn't get any consistent signal at all. How do I get the boosters that I'm paying for as part of my deal? I assumed they'd be in the box but they weren't. Thanks in advance

[Chrisee]

@Yeamo to deliver high speeds the Wifi Max hub uses the  5GHz WiFi band which does not pass through solid objects that well so if your home has solid internal walls you will have an issue. Sky will supply an extender unit if you call them and say you cannot the  guaranteed !0Mb/s if you have Superfast or 25Mb/s if you have Ultrafast in every room. If a single extender is not sufficentvSky will arrange for a broadband engineer to visit who can authorise 2 more extenders .This is explained here https://www.sky.com/help/articles/sky-wifi-max

However a word of warning the extenders need a strong signal from the hub to work that signal also uses the 5GHz band so in a property with solid walls is going to be difficult. There are better systems for properties with this type of issue.

[Yeamo]

Thanks @Chrisee . House is 1930s with proper walls so I'm quite annoyed with Sky that none of what you said above was clear before I ordered.

[Chrisee]

@Yeamo you can reject Sky Wifi Max in the first 31 days.

I had a similar issue in my own home not due to solid walls but a retaining wall where the layout meant the extenders did not get a decent signal . It was only a couple of weeks after the launch and the broadband engineer was very helpful but we couldn't sort the issue without moving the hub 10 meters from the fibre entry point. In the end I cancelled the add on and reverted to uding my old Deco M4 units which use both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands which although slower than Sky Max's triband system works better here.

With your property Powerline Networking may be a better bet this uses the mains wiring to get the data to distant parts of your home. Sky's engineers are great in my experience but they share my and other Superusers frustration with Sky's marketing department fixation with wifi being magically wonderful. It isnt and Sky's kit is limited by the laws of Physics.

[Yeamo]

Spoke to sky this morning and have a booster being sent out.Thanks for help @Chrisee 

[TimmyBGood]

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@Yeamo wrote:

How do I get the boosters that I'm paying for as part of my deal? I assumed they'd be in the box but they weren't. 

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I suspect Sky would argue that sending out booster pods by default before establishing if they are actually necessary at a particular address would both involve a significant extra expense to be covered by higher subscription, and generate a considerable volume of electronic waste materials.

[jamesn123]

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@TimmyBGood wrote:

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@Yeamo wrote:

How do I get the boosters that I'm paying for as part of my deal? I assumed they'd be in the box but they weren't. 

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I suspect Sky would argue that sending out booster pods by default before establishing if they are actually necessary at a particular address would both involve a significant extra expense to be covered by higher subscription, and generate a considerable volume of electronic waste materials.

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And people would just install them because they have been provided, even though boosters in a setup where they are not needed make the connection worse

[AndyBee1]

Hello.

i am not currently a sky customer but have contacted them for broadband and sky tv. We want TV and broadband in the main house but also have an outbuilding used for recreation 25 metres from the main house where we also want the broadband and sky tv. They have offered us 2 wifi max boxes and said this would then reach the outbuilding. They say they guarantee it but I note in the legal bit that the money back does apply to outbuildings 

The outbuilding is on a separate electricity meter (not sure if that matters).

Do you think the WiFi max would work or is there a better alternative 

thank you

[TimmyBGood]

@AndyBee1 

I'm afraid that's an over-eager salesperson: there's really no such 'guarantee' even for inside the main property*, and the wording specifically excludes external buildings.

Ethernet cable, Powerline network over the mains connection or dedicated point to point WiFi are the realistic options.

* what's guaranteed is a small refund if wireless coverage isn't achieved.

[AndyBee1]

@TimmyBGood  Thank you.

would the power line network over mains connection work as the outbuilding is on a separate electricity supply with its own meter?

Is point to point WiFi the best option? and have you any knowledge of these. I have looked them up and ' line of sight' appears to be the issue. I.e there can't be any obstacles such as trees etc...

[TimmyBGood]

@AndyBee1 

If there's no mains connection in common with the main building then Powerline won't work.

Not having line of sight is potentially a real problem for WiFi, particularly if there's something like (wet) foliage in between.

[AndyBee1]

@TimmyBGood  Thank you