Download Failed - Remote Network Problem

[DalikVee]

18 months later and I am still experiencing this problem it seems. I assumed originally that it was my rather poor ISP, but after changing to a different (and more highly regarded) one specifically to try and resolve this, nothing has changed. Seems like if this is indeed a problem with Akamai, they don't like any of the smaller CityFibre ISPs.

@Anonymous Thanks for confirming that my theory about what's causing this is indeed correct. I know the basics of networking and have a sufficiently advanced router, so I've been trying to implement your solution but unfortunately to no avail. Do you perhaps have any idea how this could be set up using an Asus router (asuswrt-merlin)? Or would a raspberry pi be the easier solution as I do have one of those spare.

I entered a new contract with Sky over 30 days ago now assuming that this was no longer an issue, so cancellation isn't an option. Hopefully Sky will eventually do something about this as I feel terrible for everyone in this thread.

Regards

[Daniel0210]

@DalikVee 

Post should now be on correct thread. 

[Chodley]

I've escalated Dalik's post to the online Sky team and asked them to investigate with Akamai given Mark's evidence.

[AJT23]

Did you change the DNS address to google's? Mine worked for a while then stopped working and I had to re-input the DNS details. 

[Anonymous]

Sky box and DNS setting important information

The host name that your SKY box connects to for downloads has many locations around the world. The exact address your SKY box will get, will vary. In my case I proved 100% that if the IP my SKY box attempted to connect with, was Akamai, that downloads would fail. Everyone's circumstances could be different.

If you change your SKY box settings to a different DNS server, you aren't really fixing the issue, unless that DNS server only sends you the working IP (in my case that would be the Limelight one). Otherwise as soon as any DNS server sends you the Akamai IP your downloads would break. DNS servers use something called Round Robin, this means cycling through a list and replying with each IP in that list in turn.

Akamai almost certainly have some geo-location awareness that blocks attempts from certain countries. The issue here seems to be that small UK ISPs have got blocks of IPs from the spare global pool and the system used by Akamai isn't up to date, either by accident or deliberately, this results in connection attempts failing.

my fix (given on other threads) is relatively simple but you do need the equipment to be able to implement it, and of course you may find this does not resolve your issue.

what would be great is if SKY provided a DNS server, that you could point you SKY dns server settings towards, and that DNS server ONLY gives the Limelight IP. This would mean a customer phones up support with the 50% download issue, Sky support direct the user to use this test dns server, user finds their issue is fixed, now Sky finally accept they have the issue and can leave users working on that dns server whilst they fix it in the background. And by fix it I mean bin Akamai as a service and use GCP/Azure or any other download platform that doesn't have this ridiculous issue.

[Chodley]

Nice summary

Frankly Akamai have been in this game long enough to understand and fix this. Unless they've got to the inevitable tech company plateau and service decline where all the good people have been riffed to continue to maximise profit growth in a no-longer-fast-growing hype market. Not that I've worked for tech companies all my career or anything. 😆

[Craigv9]

I would be really grateful if someone, no ANYONE, could explain this to me??

There's a problem. There's LOADS of threads about it (search 'failed: remote network problem). It looks like it stretches back months and years

There's a poster (Mark). He CLEARLY has a background in networks. He CLEARLY knows what he is talking about. He has very CLEARLY posted the solution

I've only been seeking a solution for about a month, others much longer...

The solution is here. The superusers are here. Community managers are here. This is a SKY troubleshooting forum...

Apparently we put a man on another planet 55 years ago, but we can't get this info to someone at Sky who knows what to do with it?!?

It beggars belief. Is there ANYONE here, poster, super user, community manager, passerby, Sky employee, who thinks this is normal, sane or reasonable?

What EXACTLY is going on?

Can ANYONE explain this?

What's the point of supr users, community managers and people like Mark spending time and effort to come up with solutions, if I'm on day 15 of a 'chat' with someone who clearly doesn't know what a network is, doesn't engage with what's on the forum and keeps referring to their 'team of experts' ' in the backroom' like they're trying to crack the Enigma Code?

No need to crack any codes just sort this out as per Marks post...

I'm being civil and polite in the face of utter provocation through incompetence. Can ANYONE hear us?

[Craigv9]

Don't worry about being over the 30 day period...

If you want out just ring Sky, tell them there's an ongoing tech issue. Tell them it affects numerous people. Tell them you can provide ample evidence it's been going on for months and years and has never been resolved. Point out you're paying for a service that you're not getting and theg will release you from your contract...if they don't, then please post here and let us know. Bottom line, you signed a contract. They said they'd give you a service, you said you'd pay for it. They've breached the contract, so the very least they must do is allow an escape (they've relieved me of 12 months left on my contract)

Let's say 'contract law' is an area of 'interest' of mine...more so than networks

There's an arguable case here for civil litigation...not merely because they are in breach, but because there's demonstrable evidence that they are ignoring available solutions and there's an arguable inference as to why...the civil burden of proof is lower than the criminal and appears quite capable of seeing Sky in some strife here. Frankly, if there lawyers are as bad as their network we could all make hay....some consolation to this sorry tale, perhaps!

[DalikVee]

Sky do seem to be aware of this and are escalating cases on an individual basis, I was contacted (by someone who knows what's going on) shortly after posting in this thread in order to provide more information.

Whether or not this will ever be fixed for us individual users, or indeed everyone, I have no idea and the fact that I've been battling with this for a full contract term doesn't exactly give me confidence either. I just hope Sky/Akamai can sort this out for everyone now that there's more attention, otherwise I certainly be trying to leave my contract as Sky are not upholding their end of the terms if this is not resolved.

Regards

[Craigv9]

To be clear, you're saying someone from Sky rang you in an actual attempt to resolve this issue?

• If so If be grateful for their contact details and a summary of where their enquiries are at....

[DalikVee]

@Craigv9 A superuser has asked Sky to investigate with Akamai and also escalated my own complaint (see post #48). I was invited into a direct chat here on the community after that, the employee on the chat was aware of the issue and said that they would relay this to the appropriate team to confirm that my issue is the same one. Whether or not anything will actually be done about it, I have no idea as of yet unfortunately.

I'm sure a superuser will be able to help with your request as soon as one sees your post.

Regards

[Craigv9]

Dalik,

I would copy and paste MY 'chat' here for your amusement but don't want to risk breaking rules

If you have anything to do for the next two weeks, perhaps do that instead?

Your 'chat' will not be fruitful

Start with an easy one:

'Can Sky confirm that my ISP is whitelisted to access your on demand servers'

They'll hit back and say it isn't a whitelisting issue (in which case Mark is incompetent and / or making stuff up and is coming here purely to waste his own time)

At the same time, if it's NOT a whitelisting issues then Sky MUST (logically) know your ISPs IP address (or you wouldn't be on the whitelist that you MUST be on for them to be so confident this isn't a whitelisting issue!) so your follow up question is...can you tell me my ISPs IP address?

You won't get any answers to these questions, but can busy yourself with 'turn it on and off again' and 'I'm sure our 'backroom boys are all over it'....

Fursutrated now? Give it a few days of chat...it'll help you redefine the word...

[Chodley]

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@AJT23 wrote:

Did you change the DNS address to google's? Mine worked for a while then stopped working and I had to re-input the DNS details. 

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Are you saying it changed its DNS settings back to something else in the meantime?

[Craigv9]

I can slam whatever I want in to my Sky box...

All the 8s

All the 1s...

But sure as eggs is eggs, before too long it's reverted back to my routers default....

[Anonymous]

Craig I see you're online, can you respond to my message?