Sky Q Mini Wifi Extender With Sky Max Hub

[ArvidS1]

We recently subscribed to Sky  Broadband coming over from BT. We have been Sky Q and Sky Mobile customers for a while and wanted to bring Broadband over to Sky as well. One of the advantages I was hoping for is using our tw Sky Q Mini Boxes as wifi extenders and do away with the many BT Discs we have to cover the house and Annexe through an external wall.

After troubleshooting I have just been told by Sky that the Sky Max Hub does not enable Sky Q Mini Boxes as wifi extenders any longer? Is this correct?

Will a newer generation of Sky Q Mini Boxes become wifi extenders with the Sky Max Hub?

[oldfella · Accepted solution]

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@ArvidS1 wrote:

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After troubleshooting I have just been told by Sky that the Sky Max Hub does not enable Sky Q Mini Boxes as wifi extenders any longer? Is this correct?

Will a newer generation of Sky Q Mini Boxes become wifi extenders with the Sky Max Hub?

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Hi @ArvidS1 

Apparently the Sky Max acts like a 3rd party hub and so Minis will not be Hot Spots.

Secondly there is no newer Generation mini on the cards and Sky are concentrating new development on Stream.

[ArvidS1]

Thank you @oldfella 

I read somewhere the Sky Q Mini can be set up as a third party device, would that make a difference?

[oldfella]

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@ArvidS1 wrote:

Thank you @oldfella 

I read somewhere the Sky Q Mini can be set up as a third party device, would that make a difference?

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Hi  @ArvidS1 

If you mean Hot Spots with 3rd party broadband then yes if the option is in the Main Q box menu.

see link.

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/wifi-hotspots

[ArvidS1]

Thank you @oldfella I have been able to enable my two Sky mini boxes as Hot Spots. One hardwired with an ethernet cable and one wirelessly linked to the Sky Max Hub. The mini box upstairs wirelessly linked the the Sky Hub Max is still to far away. I have put a TP Link wifi extender halfway, I just need to link the mini box to the wifi extender. I will let you know once that is done to complete this thread.

I may have mixed up terminology, I wanted to enable my mini boxes as hot spots.

[oldfella]

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@ArvidS1 wrote:

Thank you @oldfella I have been able to enable my two Sky mini boxes as Hot Spots. One hardwired with an ethernet cable and one wirelessly linked to the Sky Max Hub. The mini box upstairs wirelessly linked the the Sky Hub Max is still to far away. I have put a TP Link wifi extender halfway, I just need to link the mini box to the wifi extender. I will let you know once that is done to complete this thread.

I may have mixed up terminology, I wanted to enable my mini boxes as hot spots.

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Hi @ArvidS1 

You will find that Q minis if using WiFi will not Connect reliably to 3rd Party WiFi extenders or 3rd party broadband.

You need a Sky Q WiFi booster positioned about midway between the main Q box and the mini.

[ArvidS1]

Thank you @oldfella 

To solve the black spots in the house I was advised 3 options by the Sky technical support team:

1. Get a free of charge Sky booster

2. Sign up to the £4 a month subscription for a booster and an option for another 2 supplied and installed by an engineer

3. Take a £15 credit and buy a generic booster

I opted for option 1 but this offer was retracted on the phone by the Sky technical support engineer then and there after the manager declined to sign off. I opted for the £15 credit and procured a £15 TP link booster. This worked for 4 days and then spot on 4 PM on day 5 the booster lost internet signal from the router AND the internet signal started to drop in and out every 3-5 mins. I was unable to hold video conferecing calls anywhere in the house and had to revert to my data plan on the work mobile.

Several calls with Sky to no avail:

1. Call 1 resorted to : Ofcom allows us to have patchy signal for 14 days and you need a new Sky booster. I had to buy a £4 subscription and received one Sky booster today. This has resolved the dark spot problem in one part of the house.

2. Call 2 resulted in identifying a line fault supposedly causing the patchy internet signal. Openreach engineer to appear on Friday.. Also been informed Sky Q mini box does not serve as hotspot for wifi any longer with the Sky Hub Max. As such need boosters in one more room to cover a dark spot.

I have now received the booster in the post and this has resolved the one of two key dark spots. About to check the patchy internal signal on video conferencing calls tomorrow.

In the round disappointed the Sky Q mini boxes can no longer serve as hot spots and the advice given is to either use a Sky booster or use hard wiring with ethernet cable to the router if possible. Also dissapointing only Sky boosters on a subscription basis can connect to the Sky Hub Max router. 

Will update this thread post Openreach visit on Friday.

[TimmyBGood]

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@ArvidS1 wrote:

In the round disappointed the Sky Q mini boxes can no longer serve as hot spots 

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There's an eight year gap between the proprietary Q mesh and WiFi Max: trying for backwards compatibility with a television platform that is heading towards end-of-life would be likely to cripple wider performance going forwards.