Sky Q and Mini Box Connection Issues With BT Halo

[Sam+Blackham]

I have Sky Q with an additional Mini Box. I have the following issues:

- Frequently downloading an eposiode of a programme can take literally days. 

- Often apps cannot play at all or they have buffering whilst watching.

- Occassionally on the connectivity page I see the internet connection dropping in/out

- Occassionally the menu comes on of its own accord.

- Occassionally programmes stop playing of their own accord.

- Trying to start the box (and especially the mini box) can take hours if switched on during the evening hibernation. Often have to resort to watching terestrial for a few hours until it recovers (sometimes it doesnt and I have to restart both boxes and synch them again).

There are only two of us in the house and we do not have anything else going on whilst watching TV. i.e. no other streaming, no gaming, no downloading. 

During periods of very slow download I have used a broadband tester and the download on the BT broadband is working fine. BT have been to check and as a precaution swapped the router. No change in behaviour on the Sky equipment. Issues persist.

It needs to be resolved or we will ask for it to be taken away.

[PandJ2020]

Q won't use the halo reliably unless you connect a halo via Ethernet to each Q box.

The halo system may also be disrupting the  Q mesh if clashing at 5GHz ch 36.  Also note that Q will only connect on 2.4GHz so ensure halo steering is disabled.

[MightyQuinn]

Hi @Sam+Blackham   Which BT broadband product do you have and at what speed. It will be basic BT Broadband (ADSL), BT Fibre (FTTC) or BT Full Fibre (FTTP). BT Halo is purely an add on benefit and not a broadband package. The Halo add on benefit could also include Complete WiFi and Hybrid Connect. Sometimes people confuse the Smart Hub 2 router with the Halo benefit.

[Sam+Blackham]

In my account it simply says "Fibre with Halo 1"

[TimmyBGood]

@Sam+Blackham 

Do you have any BT booster disks?

[MightyQuinn]

Hi @Sam+Blackham   You have BT Fibre (FTTC) which is more than adequate for Sky Q, unless you are a long long way from your Cabinet. If you don't know what speed you should be getting try here

[Sam+Blackham]

No I don't. The Sky box is less than 3m from the hub and the mini box is about 8m away from the Sky box (through a floor - new house wooden).

[Sam+Blackham]

Oddly the tool to check the DN doesnt recognise my DN.

[PandJ2020]

Could be a clash on 5GHz ch 36 - this will cause disconnection and slow speeds.

Change the BT router to avoid this channel.

[MightyQuinn]

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@Sam+Blackham wrote:

Oddly the tool to check the DN doesnt recognise my DN.

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Hi @Sam+Blackham   Try the Address Checker, the second tab to right of the DN/ALID/UPRN Checker.

[Sam+Blackham]

[Chodley]

I doubt it's the internet connection. I was getting the same exact symptoms with a non-BT router and BT WholeHome discs. Did what @PandJ2020 suggested in the first reply, over 18 minths ago. Since then I get super fast downloads and it never drops out. Sometimes get a mini complaining (using powerlines for those) but power cycling or doing a Reactivate on those always works.

[Sam+Blackham]

Hardwiring you mean? It is not really viable for me. So would like to explore other options first. Two points:

- It doesnt always have an issue, though when it does it is awful

- Why would they make something that is so sensitive and incompatible with main BB providers?

Leads me to believe its more of a hardware issue.

[Chodley]

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@Sam+Blackham wrote:

Hardwiring you mean? It is not really viable for me. So would like to explore other options first. Two points:

- It doesnt always have an issue, though when it does it is awful

- Why would they make something that is so sensitive and incompatible with main BB providers?

Leads me to believe its more of a hardware issue.

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No not hard-wiring. Well, only as far as a BT wifi mesh node. Not to the router.

[PandJ2020]

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@Sam+Blackham wrote:

- Why would they make something that is so sensitive and incompatible with main BB providers?

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If you had any two pieces of equipment generating their own WiFi network on the same (or near) bandwidth them you would expect issues.

The BT may be set to 'auto' channel which can dynamically change the band which may explain the variability.  It's best to pick a band as far away as possible from the Q.  (This can be changed too in the engineer menu)

Wifi is great but does have its issues - you may even clash with your neighbour if near enough...