Download Failed - Remote Network Problem

[StuartJeff]

I have further information regarding this issue whilst diagnosing for some of our customers - Rapid Rural

When a sky program is requested for download on the SKY Q interface the request goes to your configured DNS Server and ask for ondemand.cdnselector.skycdp.com which is on a round robin between two CDN (content delivery networks) 1. Akamai Networks and the 2. Limelight (Edgio). This is where the problem starts becuase either one of these two content delivery networks could hold a blacklist for your plublic ip address or range of addresses from your ISP.

In a specific test case we have been able to isolate any traffic going to the Limelight (Edgio) as creating a "failed download" while any requests that go to Akamai as completing succefully and the download working normally. We have taken this testing further and forced DNS resolution of ondemand.cdnselector.skycdp.com to the results for Akamai and this results in no failed downloads. 

In our findings we have found that the Content delivery network Limelight (edgio) is blocking IP's from our ISP network and this is causing the failed downloads. 

@notagain By changing the DNS server you are adjusting the likleyhood of the CDN you will hit and in some cases works but will not fix it perminantely and will eventually route to the blacklisted route and gives a failed download. 

The solution we are working on is to get our IP addresses whitlesisted with Limelight (Edgio) which will results in no more failed downloads!

[AJT23]

Hi

This sounds promising. Have you had any luck. My move to 1.1.1.1 works some of the time, but not all.

At least the issue is now clear!

Thanks

[StuartJeff]

Still awaiting a response from Limelight the CDN following a packet capture of the failure on their side. 

[AJT23]

Tks. 

[Charlesholden]

I've found that requesting a download to the box via the Sky Go app seems to work. 

[seanreay1986]

Hi, I have a similar issue when attempting to download anything from Catch Up on SkyQ - It starts downloading but doesn't move from 0%

strange thing is that anything downloaded from BBC or ITV channels works fine but anything else (Sky, Channel 4 etc) doesnt

any suggestions on what to try or would amending the DNS on the SkyQ box to 1.1.1.1 sort the issue?

@Sky Any feedback on this issue as I have tried multiple boxes now and different Internet connections and the issue is still the same. Was working fine a few weeks ago before my box was swapped out the first time round 

[StuartJeff]

Who is your ISP?

[seanreay1986]

Sorry i had to restyle my post and left that info out. It's Plusnet

[StuartJeff]

It's a sky issue as shown by my original post  but you can try setting DNS on your sky box to 1.1.1.1 which will mean it should work some of the time for you. 

[seanreay1986]

Thanks

Seen this across multiple forums so surely Sky are aware of a wider issue in play here. Spent a while speaking to their tech support over the past week who weren't able to help and don't appear to be aware of a wider issue (hence another box replacement 🤦‍♂️)

[AJT23]

I'm with Rural Broadband. Changes the settings and it works most of the time. One of RR's staff was liaising with Sky to have their Ip address added as it's one of the ad serving systems which always makes it fail. 

bloody irritating but my wife hasn't mentioned it for a few weeks so it must be OK! Good luck. 

[Me123321123]

I believe that Rapid Rural have now implemented a fix...  I've move to Sky Stream so download isn't an issue anymore. 

[Wasif]

I had the same issue as the ones reported above. I was using Google Mesh routers. The problem was indeed the DNS entry. I changed the option in the router from "Automatic" (which uses google DNS) to ISP (which uses the DNS provided by ISP.  This immediately fixed the problem and I was able start downloading "The Wire" TV series immediately.

[boardtc]

Same issue this week for me, incredible annoying, downloading various shows, like The Daily show.  We have Eir fibre. Has anyone changed some DNS setting in the Eir router that works?

[Coys55]

I found this thread yesterday after another 3 episodes out of a 6-series drama I was downloading failed (as usual). I was already using Cloudfare's DNS servers (1.1.1.1), so I can confirm that isn't the definitive answer, but it is definitely somehow realated to ad servers and DNS servers as suggested upthread because as soon as I changed Cloudfare to Google (8.8.8.8) at router level all three failed episodes then downloaded at lightning speed.

I supect it will eventually fail again at which point I will switch DNS back to Cloudfare again and see what happens.

SkyQ box firmware, ISP (BT FTTP in my case), router (Linksys Mesh) and broadband speed (900 Mbps) are all irrelevant. Requesting downloads from the Sky Go app doesn't always work either (another suggestion), since that's what I always do and the same percentage always fail to download.