Is SkyQ actually compatible with anything or is it the most flakey equipment known to man?

[cjw76]

I have been a Sky Q customer since the outset in 2016 but recently we've found it unreliable with an endless supply of excuses of what it can't work with; so trying to understand if anyone has found a combination of ISP, router and network hardware that means you can just watch TV week in week out, without something going wrong each week?

We had issues in our last house, but moved in September and the same and more issues have been occurring. The common ones are mini boxes not being able to connect to the main box, the main box freezing and needing constant re-starts. The main box is around 4m from one mini with a clear line of sight and it still has regular problems.

We have had:

- the main SkyQ box replaced twice 

- 2 mini boxes replaced twice

- told the problem is with our Devolo powerline network connection, as Sky Q can't work with them, so switched to wifi

- told the issue is with the BT broadband

- had a Sky Q booster put in to help

- had the Sky Q booster removed as it was causing the problem

- had all the HDMI cables replaced becuase they have to SkyQ hdmi cables only (not 3rd party)

...now facing the reality that it could be the router (Asus) + separate Mesh that is causing the problem. Actually quite incredulous that I'm facing the fact I have to spend £££ to buy a new router to see if this resolves the problem.

Taking Sky BB is not an option due to the maximum device limit on the hardware (64 devices) as we have more, because its 2023 and the hardware limit seems to be at 2003 levels.

So has anyone managed to find a set of hardware that Sky Q doesn't get upset by and you can just watch your TV without some sort of a problem?

[bob1234]

@cjw76I am trying to work out what you have, is it BT broadband using an Asus router that was not supplied by BT and a separate mesh manufacturer unknown.

The HDMI leads are a red herring as any high speed HDMI lead should be OK.

The problem may be your mesh.

If BT is your broadband provider then the main Q box should connect to this using your home WiFi on 2.4Ghz.

The main box then creates its own mesh on 5Ghz Ch36 nothing to do with your home WiFi or your own mesh. BUT all sorts of problems can be caused if your own mesh is on the same 5Ghz channel and you should move any 5Ghz router or mesh as far away as possible from this channel.

Here is information on how to set up Q devices
https://www.sky.com/help/diagnostics/setting-up-sky-q/what-sky-equipment-do-you-have

[cjw76]

The broadband is via BT but not their router/modem hardware.  I have a Draytek modem connected to the Asus router, & mesh nodes to get around the limitations of the BT Homehubs.

I should have mentioned, already ruled out the channel issues.... Sky is using Ch38 and my mesh has the 2.4Ghz on Ch12 and 5 Ghz on Ch116....so no overlap.

[Mark39]

Sky Q connected over wifi to a BT broadband Hub worked reliably for me during the couple of years or so I had Sky Q.

[Chodley]

Sky uses 36 doesn't it (maybe centred on 38 if it's 80MHz wide, I can't remember) but yeah 11x should be nowhere near.

I use BT Wholehome mesh nodes (Q plugged into one via an ethernet switch)

2 minis on Netgear powerlines. 3rd powerline adapter attached to switch that has Q & mesh node hanging off it.

wifi disabled.

Pretty much stable.

A new router won't help.

Why do you think SkyBB can only have 64 devices? (I am not on SkyBB)

[TimmyBGood]

@cjw76 

We ran Q from early 2016 to late 2021 from BT ethernet and WiFi very successfully, the main difference to your setup being no third party mesh.

[Chodley]

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@TimmyBGood wrote:

@cjw76 

We ran Q from early 2016 to late 2021 from BT ethernet and WiFi very successfully, the main difference to your setup being no third party mesh.

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That's fine if you don't need a mesh but our wifi would never work just from a router. Sky Q should play nicer with them.

[cjw76]

Apologies, a typo there, it is on 36.

My only option for ethernet is a Devolo powerline setup, which I have and is giving great speeds but every Sky engineer that turns up tells me I should start by ripping it out as Sky Q doesn't like it!

So despite the fact I can get healthy speeds across the powerline ethernet (avg 500mbps) and use it all day whilst working and the Smart TV apps have no issue connecting and streaming through it, yet is apparently off limits to set all my SkyQ hardware to go via this ethernet route. (Same was true at the last house where we had Netgear powerline)

The 64 device limit is in the Sky Broadband hub documentation and in other posts in this forum.

[oldfella]

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@cjw76 wrote:

Apologies, a typo there, it is on 36.

My only option for ethernet is a Devolo powerline setup, which I have and is giving great speeds but every Sky engineer that turns up tells me I should start by ripping it out as Sky Q doesn't like it!

So despite the fact I can get healthy speeds across the powerline ethernet (avg 500mbps) and use it all day whilst working and the Smart TV apps have no issue connecting and streaming through it, yet is apparently off limits to set all my SkyQ hardware to go via this ethernet route. (Same was true at the last house where we had Netgear powerline)

The 64 device limit is in the Sky Broadband hub documentation and in other posts in this forum.

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Hi @cjw76 

Using Devolo Powerline units here for two minis.

Main Q box and further mini on full Ethernet.

Also using additional Devolo Powerline WiFi units cloning and broadcasting BT HH6 WiFi.

All Q box WiFi is off.

No issues whatsoever.

[PandJ2020]

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@cjw76 wrote:

The 64 device limit is in the Sky Broadband hub documentation and in other posts in this forum.

It's 64 per frequency, so 128.  (SR203)

[cjw76]

Thanks @oldfella ...this is really useful to know, perhaps I should investigate going back to a similar setup, as excluding the BTHH in place of the 3rd party modem + router I have, it should work and I've fallen foul of the textbook advice of engineers. 

Have the ability to do exactly the same with the Devolo kit I have, but for good measure I am going to test a different modem to see if that is the problem. The router I have works for others with SkyQ  so don't think it is that - unless the mesh is causing an issue.

I live in hope of having no issues 🙂 

[TimmyBGood]

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@Chodley wrote:

That's fine if you don't need a mesh but our wifi would never work just from a router. Sky Q should play nicer with them.

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Quite possibly, but the Q mesh pre-dates most other mesh systems, and is based on the proprietary technology which was available to manufacturers in 2015.

https://advanced-television.com/2016/01/26/airties-supercharges-sky-q-wi-fi-devices/ 

Maybe other mesh hardware should play nicely with Q ; ) 

[Chodley]

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@TimmyBGood wrote:

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@Chodley wrote:

That's fine if you don't need a mesh but our wifi would never work just from a router. Sky Q should play nicer with them.

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Quite possibly, but the Q mesh pre-dates most other mesh systems, and is based on the proprietary technology which was available to manufacturers in 2015.

https://advanced-television.com/2016/01/26/airties-supercharges-sky-q-wi-fi-devices/ 

Maybe other mesh hardware should play nicely with Q ; ) 

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The fact it insists on setting up its own instead of just using the one that's there, just because of the BB provider is a fatal compatibility flaw and a rejection of every interoperability principle the networking industry has been built on.

[TimmyBGood]

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@Chodley wrote:

The fact it insists on setting up its own instead of just using the one that's there, just because of the BB provider is a fatal compatibility flaw and a rejection of every interoperability principle the networking industry has been built on.

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I agree: that's the peril of bringing something new to market using proprietary tech (and then running it in a way which wasn't designed, with the built-in Powerline missing).  I'm not presenting this as an excuse, but it is undoubtedly a factor: I seriously doubt Sky would choose to go down that route now, but with something like twenty million Q boxes deployed it's presumably really tricky to 'fix' retrospectively.

[rscott]

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@TimmyBGood wrote:

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@Chodley wrote:

The fact it insists on setting up its own instead of just using the one that's there, just because of the BB provider is a fatal compatibility flaw and a rejection of every interoperability principle the networking industry has been built on.

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I agree: that's the peril of bringing something new to market (and then running it in a way which wasn't designed, with the built-in Powerline missing).  I'm not presenting this as an excuse, but it is undoubtedly a factor: I seriously doubt Sky would choose to go down that route now, but with something like twenty million Q boxes deployed it's presumably really tricky to 'fix' retrospectively.

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Glass & Stream don't attempt any sort of mesh, so I think you're right..