A box keeps freezing

[NSB7]

It's a Q 2TB box which has been replaced 4 times in the last 3  weeks! 

all sky boxes connected to EE hub via Ethernet and WiFi turned off on all boxes. 

Advice please 🙏 

[hrai]

Well if the box has been replaced 4 times I would be looking elsewhere - as you may have guessed Tbf.

(I'm assuming that you've done the basics of different cables and different HDMI socket on TV.)

Two thoughts spring to mind

1) there may be an issue with the tv. If you can try to connect the Sky box to a different TV - even if it's just sat on the floor next to it - and see if the problem persists. If it doesn't then it might point towards the TV in which case see if there is an option to firstly reset up external devices. Ideally delete the Q box from your TV (maybe forget device?) then set it up again. If that doesn't work you could 
reset the TV to factory defaults. (This may be a bit of pain if you to setup apps again on your TV. Also be aware that a lot of modern TV need an internet connection to complete a setup - as Samsung and LG owners have found in recent months! So make sure your connection is good and stable.)

2) The other thought due to the regularity of the occurrence is maybe an issue with the electricity supply? This is really unlikely but if the TV/sky box is connected to "newer" socket (maybe a spur) or extension lead?  - I'm thinking outside of the box here!

In an ideal world you could take your box to a friend's house and see if the issue still occurs. 
EDIT - Not sure of the legality of the last idea so probably best avoided ! Unless Sky say it's ok for a test purpose

[NSB7]

Excellent suggestions, thank you. I will look at those options and report back

[hrai]

No problem - remember modern TVs are pretty much computers with their own OS, storage etc and all that entails!

[NSB7]

Tried a new TV (JVC) and the screen froze after a short while (no pink hue) so isolated it to the sky Q system. Engineer booked for 11th because this is getting very tiring now as it's keeps freezing a few times a day now! 

the positive point is that I don't (yet) have to replace a very expensive TV.

[hrai]

Well at least you've narrowed it down.

Back in the day - before cpus had features like thermal throttling to protect them - a computer just locking up was sometimes a sign of overheating. Is there any chance your Q box is located such that it is overheating? (Having multiple boxes experience the same issue does suggest a common cause external to the boxes themselves or you've been really, really unlucky)

[Chodley]

It's the EE hub. Other threads on this. Try wifi instead. Not ideal.

Someone also said they had luck putting a cheap 100Mb switch between. But someone else said the same approach didn't fix it for them. I assume EE still allow 3rd party routers to be used so you could swap theirs for a non-terrible one.

It's frustrating Sky support wasted your time and their money swapping the box 3 times when this is a fairly well known issue now. I'm going to highlight it to the Sky community managers here.

edit: https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Sky-Q/Sky-Q-box-crashing-amp-box-fan-spinning-loudly-EE-Broadband/m-p/4...

(note that collated thread seems to have also netted some irrelevant stuff about random disconnections from EE routers)

[hrai]

Yeah EE are fine with you using 3rd party routers.

I switched to them 2 years ago and told the guy on the phone that I was currently using my own router so would there be any problem if I continued to use mine? He said it was perfectly but just to keep the one they sent me safe so it could be returned if/when I changed ISP in the future.

(Annoyingly there was no mechanism in place to return a unwanted "free" router. BT and TalkTalk were the same - their systems just didn't allow it.)

[NSB7]

Engineer replaced the box (HDD fault) but also got confused as same problem occurred. Did say to buy a 1000gbit switch which is arriving tomorrow as there could be a power issue on the Ethernet via EE hub. 
phone Samsung who told me that the TV resolution error is due to a weak signal  coming from the satellite but does the picture quality come from the satellite or from broadband (if the latter then the switch may help with the added power) if not sounds like new infrastructure is required.

[RuralPirate]

I disconnected the ethernet and now use wi-fi, no more problems

[harkid]

So, the issue is now entirely solved for me by downgrading from a 2TB box to a 1 TB. Before this we'd been through 3 2tb boxes, many many engineer visits (one engineer actually told me the main q box doesnt have a fan. Yeah.) and hours of calls to the help desk. 
Previously we were getting the fans spinning up, everything going unresponsive and the mini boxes then losing signal every single day. If you're able to, and you're as frustrated as we were then i wholly recommend getting on to sky and switching to a 1TB main box. 
hope this helps somebody. 

[Chodley]

---

@NSB7 wrote:

Engineer replaced the box (HDD fault) but also got confused as same problem occurred. Did say to buy a 1000gbit switch which is arriving tomorrow as there could be a power issue on the Ethernet via EE hub. 
phone Samsung who told me that the TV resolution error is due to a weak signal  coming from the satellite but does the picture quality come from the satellite or from broadband (if the latter then the switch may help with the added power) if not sounds like new infrastructure is required.

---

What TV resolution issue?

weak signal from the satellite is nonsense.

The live TV picture comes from the satellite but it's either the right res (SD, HD or UHD depending on the content/channel) or it's not working at all if there's a signal issue.

[wadinga]

@NSB7

My experience is that while an ethenet switch allows ethernet from the EE Superhub to work PCs it does not cure the Q Box crash problem. Only Wi-Fi  communication is reliable. Recent heat wave caused fanless minis to overheat and fall over. Used "cool box" blocks to bring them back into operating window. 

The Samsung observation is twaddle. Chodley is right. 

Otherwise cheesed at my huge subscription increase, despite having no sports channel, just to subsidize all those extra football matches! 

All the best

wadinga