Wifi Max user review

[KevNewMedia]

Hi Everyone

We welcome healthy debate from all angles, however can we be mindful of the Community Guidelines please and be nice to each other.

[AlphaRomero]

Can anyone please tell me how the child control works? The current broadband shield is useless, it lets the kids still use things like Roblox when I'm asleep and blocking roblox.com accomplishes nothing, they're potentially using VPNs. I believe this new router lets you block hte device? But is that something available from the app and does it work or do I have to install software on their devices which is hard work? This would be the main reason I want it as I want an easier way to make sure they have to sleep that doesn't involve me removing all plugs every night.

[Chrisee]

@AlphaRomero if you buy the Wifi Max package Sky add a parental control option to the My Sky app where you can set schedules etc for any device connected to the Wifi Max hub. More here https://www.sky.com/help/articles/sky-wifi-max-parental-controls

[TimmyBGood]

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@AlphaRomero wrote:

 I believe this new router lets you block hte device? But is that something available from the app and does it work or do I have to install software on their devices which is hard work? 

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Device blocking is applied at the router level but administered in the My Sky app: there's no software installation on the client devices themselves.  As @Chrisee indicates this does require monthly subscription to the WiFi Max supplement on top of the broadband cost rather than just possession of a Max Hub.

[AlphaRomero]

Restricting the ability to block access to devices on your own network to a subscription is pretty underhanded by Sky, but from both your responses it seems like this would be the solution to my problems.

Thanks

[Chrisee]

@AlphaRomero adding extra features in add-on packages is standard practice in most every industry.

[Shinyhair]

Those pods mean wifi extenders or mesh networks https://www.tp-link.com/ph/home-networking/range-extender/ . which are used to extend the range of your WiFi..If you have large homes or areas in your house with very poor connections, wifi extenders are helpful.

[Chrisee]

@Shinyhair using third party extenders can cause interference issues with the Sky hub while the pods Sky supply wont and usexa third closed band to connect. If you want to use third party WiFi then buy a system like TP-Links Deco or Netgear's Orbi which do create a mesh network and connect them to the hub by ethernet configured in Access Point mode and turn off the Sky hub's wif which is how my own network normally operates.

[Chasloyal]

@AlphaRomero donating the kids to a charity of your choice is a great option, you won't go far wrong taking that route 😀 

[greg_away]

So if I order it, will Sky provide me with a Max Hub, even though I have a Sky Q box with one mini-box and Sky Superfast Broadband at the moment? Will there be compatibility issues?

[MarkAPhilpot]

I'm wondering the same. Just placed an order for WiFi max gigafast but have the sky Q box. Is the general consensus that this won't work over WiFi due to the Q not having WiFi 6. 
would like to be well informed so I can call Sky to discuss my options. 

[Markh1968]

So I ordered the Sky WiFi Max. I also have Sky Q with 2 Q mini boxes. I am getting the feeling that these are not compatible with the new Max router? Solution I have read if I connect the all the Sky Q boxes on Ethernet cable then it should be fine. So I assume just a cable from the router to each of the Sky Q boxes and then I need to turn WiFi off on the boxes (anyone know how I do this??) this should work?

I would get rid of Q and get sky stream but the non-ability to record programmes is a deal breaker. 
cheers

[TimmyBGood]

@Markh1968 

The Sky ordering system cannot accept ethernet as a workaround for Q compatibility with Max: it just won't permit the account alteration unless/until Sky changes this policy.

Edit: If Sky accepted your order then presumably they've made this change.

Q works alongside Max, just not with the full functionality of the Max mesh (which Mini boxes cannot use: their wireless signal would come from the main Q box only). Having Q on ethernet is preferable anyway, just for system stability.

[Markh1968]

Yer order went through fine. I upgraded to the Giga fast service at same time. Was going to go with Virgin media but they changed the install date 6 times, so had enough of that and guess there won't be much diff in speed anyway. 
will see what happens when I set up the kit. 
its pretty poor from Sky I must say that there are compatibility issues with kit that they currently offer. 

[TimmyBGood]

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@Markh1968 wrote:

 
its pretty poor from Sky I must say that there are compatibility issues with kit that they currently offer. 

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Simply that the Q mesh dates from 2015 and was a very early semi-proprietary system.  Max was released in 2023 and meets the international WiFi 6 standard: things move on and full backwards compatibility would cripple performance going forward.