Sky Max Hub, poor wifi range experience

[Garry777]

Hi there.

I posted a while back asking whether it would be upgrading the old broadband hub to the max hub. I was told it wasn't, and I heard of peoples bad experience with wifi range.

Well..... I like new things and to be future proof. I also am very OCD with spending, and I couldn't resist. I am not sure how long I have had the new hub now (well its hardly new is it) Maybe 6-8 months or more, and I can agree about the poor WIFI range.

Now yes I did get pods in the box but it kind of defeats the purpose, as does manually selecting a WIFI channel. Some people lead busy stressful lifestyles, when I get home in the evening I just want to connect. Fair enough my main PC is connected to ethernet (which ironically isn't that great and keeps dropping off as well) so I end up using my phone if I cant sleep (insomnia) to just consume something, and its terrible.

I rarely get WIFI calling, and I need it as I am on EE nearly 4 years now and I am dying with the signal coverage. All in all not a great experience in my life with signal coverage. Anyway, I am thinking of moving to EE for my broadband as well, heard good things. Unless I am missing something and I can find a fix. Its just these EE deals run out soon. I dont know what to do anymore. Why are we paying £8 for WIFI max please someone please tell me whilst using this piece of junk. KInda wish I stayed with the goth hub (more my asthetic tbh lol)

[JimM1]

@Garry777 Everyone has choice, mine was to move back to sky after a year in EE broadband hell, stated off reasonable, took a while 3 months to get a fix, upgraded to fibre and great 8 months virtually error free, one FW upgrade and EE back in the toilet, and as they have NO clue what they are doing that was it! So back to sky 20 years really no issues, 1 year wilderness, and so far 5 months of bliss again!

Good luck whichever way you go!

As sky will not let you go back hub wise, go get yourself one the old SR203 works well as an sky ISP hub!

Sky's once you go Max you never go back, is sure the way they stay!

[Garry777]

Yeah I mean I could but I cant be bothered now lol I just wish we didnt have to pay £8 to have such an awful router. 

[Garry777]

If anyone has an idea of what I can change eg settings please let me know. If I am out in the garden on the previous router I could get signal at least by the door, as my iPhone 15 pro is WIFI 6 compliant I would have thought the range would be better. Oh well. Oh and there is a tool to see who is using what band in the interface but I tried a few things and it didn't make much difference

[Chrisee]

@Garry777 the wifi max hub and pods operate automatically so for example you cannot change the wifi channels the settings that can be controlled are in the My Sky app. You cannot split the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands which some people believe improves performance but I am very sceptical that it helps at all.

In practice I find my unit is reasonably sensible on its channel choice - I actually use a third party system to connect devices but the Sky hub's wifi keeps well away from the channels that system uses. With WiFi6 equipment both bands are used but Sky's pods are only WiFi5 so to get WiFi6 the device has to be nearer the hub than the pod. The other thing about the pods is they link to the hub using a closed 5GHz signal which is great if your home is wifi friendly but less so if your home has solid walls. 

The reason why I choose to use third party wifi is in my house it works better than the WiFi Max setup of a hub and 2 pods. This is due to the layout and type of construction as it is a split level property. 

Coverage outside the house is a lottery depending on how your home is layed out and built but having a unit near a window overlooking where you need the signal usually works. 

[Garry777]

Yeah but extra cost to me... I guess I do use an ethernet connection outside sometimes ive got a hub and a dock I can use my MacBook with but I am rarely outside for too long, nor in the house, so I guess maybe I am complaining too much. But others are suffering as well. The hub drops out more than I would like and I get a text in my own time or when I am at work by my dad to say the Q has gone off. What exactly is the £8-10 a month WIFI max for?

[Garry777]

And as I am trying to split my time between going out and staying, and suffering from insomnia I really dont have to deal with early morning dropouts

[BCav1]

I think I am going to suffer the same problem. I should've read this first before upgrading. My house has very thick stone walls and my office is the opposite end of the house to where the router is. What is the third party wifi that you are using? It sounds like it is working for you. 

[Garry777]

So still suffering. We just got rid of Q so no mesh system. The previous broadband hub fared a lot better, I was getting wifi calling upstairs now barely 4 bars on WIFI and no calling. Outside before with the previous hub, slightly better. And when I say outside its a straight line between the phone socket and the garden, literally just outside the door. We are paying for WIFI Max as well and not even bothered        trying the pods as they are WIFI 5. I connect to my main PC via ethernet and the iPhone 15 pro WIFI 6 (as far as I am aware)