Query re coverage without Sky Q

[PaulJ2]

Hi,

Would be grateful for some advice on this please.

in 2017, we moved to our current house, and installed Sky as soon as we moved in - both TV and broadband. Our house was extended at some point (before we moved in), and I noted that the wifi signal wasn't great in all parts of the house, particularly upstairs in the extended part. I spoke to Sky and got a signal booster put upstairs which if I remember correctly helped improve the problem. Then when Sky Q came in, we got a mini box upstairs as well (in the extended part of the house) as a Q box downstairs. We now have great broadband signal in the house.

The problem is that we nowadays don't use Sky TV very often and are paying a lot every month for it. I would cancel the TV aspect (keeping broadband) but am concerned about potentially messing up the WiFi signal quality in some parts of the house. 

I have rung Sky twice to discuss and had very different information about what the Q and mini box do and how they help boost the signal. 

One said that the boxes work as a hot spot in that your device will connect to them when in the room, but that this works ONLY when the boxes are on i.e. showing green. He stated that when the boxes are on yellow i.e. standby, this doesn't work. As the boxes are on standby except when being used, this indicated to me that they aren't actually helping improve the Wifi signal and that I could get rid of them without affecting the signal. 

The second operative I spoke to said they worked as a booster and did so all the time (including whilst on standby), except between 2-5am if we have Eco mode turned on (which we do). Which would indicate to me that the boxes DO contribute to the quality of signal coverage across the house. 

So I'm a bit confused on the reality of what the role of the boxes are in giving us a good Wifi signal coverage across the house? Would be grateful for a technical input here please.

Also, is there any way I can test what the signal coverage would be like ie disconnecting the boxes for a few days WITHOUT messing up the box settings etc?

Grateful for any advice, thanks.

Paul

[TimmyBGood]

@PaulJ2 

The second statement was the correct one: Mini boxes are hotspots all the time except when the main box is in deep sleep.

[JimM1]

@PaulJ2 If you have a mobile device, then Netspot app but the free do not pay anything at all will let you see what the signal is like for all the devices in the home, you can switch one off and it will disappear and let you know how good the signal is if it can maintain a connection! There are many such apps in the store, all your choice!

[PaulJ2]

Hi both,

Thank you for your help! Realy appreciate the advice.

@JimM1 - I have downloaded that app and tested the wifi speed in 4 parts of the house, both with and without both of the Sky boxes on. Here are the results:

#1 - living room (where the modem is) - 33.8mbps download/28 ms ping with boxes on, dropping to 32.2 mbps/12 ms ping with boxes off 

#2 - back room in extended part of house (where we have never had great signal) - 28.6mbps/19ms ping dropping to 10 mbps/77 ping with boxes off 

#3 upstairs room directly opposite Wifi booster (door open) - 32.7mbps/15 ping dropping to 30.8mbps/28 ping with boxes off

#4 upstairs room in extended part of house (with door closed) - 33.7mbps/13ms ping dropping to 27.4mbps/20 ms ping.

Given your experience, can I please ask your thoughts on what these results may indicate in terms of our wifi quality with the boxes off? I do work from home and make regular video calls (in room #3).

Many thanks

Paul