adding my complaint here too and being a software tester and a network engineer, I think I have found the root cause of the problem.
My setup:
50Mbit FTTC--->master socket---> Sky Hub Max. (SR213-O2-UK-wht)
I started my contract with Sky on 1/11/2024, it worked fine till day 10 (and since then nothing).
Sky have sent out an Openreach engineer and - as expected - tested the line and saw some really good stats (SNR, BER,...). He connected his equipment, got a Sky specific IP. Openreach engineer then called the Sky network centre and they confirmed they could see his equipment. JOB DONE! ( have photos and video of all of this btw)
1. Plug the white Sky Max router in; goes through its boot sequence and then, solid red, meaning it does not find ADSL line. Good!
2. Plug the ADSL line in, the modem will start a sequence of finding the line, sync-ing and training that line and the LED will flash white slowly, I think)
3. Goes to a green slow pulsing light. Meaning it has found all the equipment but is now waiting to open a session (DHCP or PPP).
But such session never gets established. why? well it's very simple and complicated at the same time.
1. The modem, needs a SKy supplied IP address, in order to be recognised on the network and for data to be correctly router.
2. The firmware on the modem, disables IP v4 on the WAN side. In essence all of the infrastructure is fine, except the Sky modem is incompatible with the Sky network, because the Sky firmware repository has got a borked firmware, which is going to mame your Hub.
You might ask, why this consipiracy theory.
1. When I had my first modem go FUBAR, I called several times, for several times. Eventually I got routed to the American call centre and there they started to listen to my request to look at historical data (at that time, Sky were convinced it was the Openreach equiment that was at fault, or that I had incorrectly plugged in the modem). But when they could see sessions and traffic for 10 days (and beyond, when I was with the previous supplier), only for the data to stop at 2:39 am local time, their theory of 'User error' no longer stuck. They could also connect to the local cabinet and see the equipment to be just fine.
2. The Openreach engineer, on day 4 of my outage, confirmed this.
3. Sky send out a new router. Again, a white rectangular box, called: SR213-O2-UK-wht (day 7 of outage)
4. BEFORE plugging the ADSL line into the modem, I checked the admin pages, the firmware!!! It was different to the bricked one I already had. (now affectionately called Brick1)
5. So I plugged it in and it worked for 30 minutes. (Had great speeds btw).
6. Then it started to flash like crazy! At this point I started to video the whole thing
7. the modem restarted and now, the IP v4 was disabled and the firmware is EXACTLY the same as Brick1. (Brick1 and Brick2 are clones and live together in a Sky box waiting to be sent back)
8. I called Sky (with pretty much zero 4g coverage and loads of dropped calls), over 2 days trying to explain that they are pushing out borked firmwares, but off course, they reply with 'I am doing a line test and I can't see your modem so you go check your microfilter, sir'. I have lost my rag with Darren, for which I apologised profusely, but no matter; the agent has to follow the script. Impossible to talk to tech minded, asking for a firmware downgrade file or to push it based on equipment Serial.
9. Sky are now sending a Sky engineer to my property to - get this - check the wires aren't tangled as that can cause interference. This is going to take place on the 24th. (so 10 days of service and 14 days of zero Internet, wp Sky)
How did I test my theory?
1. Got onto ebay, bought an SR102 for £4.60
2. Plugged it in, saw it updating to the latest firmware applicable
3. I now enjoy broadband at a near perfect speed AND can setup my IP tables and Schedules of Service
Why is this happening?
TLDR: Greed!
Longer explanation: Tierification and monetisation. Sky are trying hard to write custom firmware for their modem/routers. They want to put tiers in place where you can have a basic modem service and a more advanced one. They are trying to monetise things like Port Blocking, IP filtering, site filtering, Scheduling these services. They put it under the term Parental control. You want to be able to block your kids from going onto tiktok? Pay for it. You want to block ports or an IP at a certain time of the day? PAY FOR IT!
I encourage you to post your firmware version here and to work out whether your line is good, by using https://www.sky.com/help/articles/set-up-hub-which-sky-hub-do-you-have to work out what modem you have or works for you.
I welcome a Sky employee, ( @Lisa-P1987 or @Kelsingra perhaps?) or others for their constructive comments, or to PM with further troubleshooting; what with enduring 11 days of outage and 10 days of initial uptime
What can I do as a customer?
IF and I mean IF you have the same issue, where the supplied hardware is deffective, then
Talk to Sky, ask for another modem? Maybe
Ask for a troubleshooting by 2nd line?
Like this post?
Tag admins and employees?
Post the firmware version of your Brick(s)
Ask for your Exit fees to be lifted?
Open a complaint and ask for a reference number to be sent via email?
Stop paying the bill till you get a working modem?
I'm open to suggestions
