Sky Q keeps dropping Vodafone Fibre WiFi connection

[Swordy]

I've just had Vodafone fibre installed but now my main Sky Q box keeps dropping off the wifi. I've reset DNS setting to 8.8.8.8 and I've selected 'comaptility mode' and tried everything else.

Also when I plug in the Ethernet cable to hard wire my Mini Sky Q box the internet connection drops from my main Sky Q box (connected via WiFi) and the mini box says it's connected a some random Sky source but can't connect to the main Sky Q box. All my other devices have had no issues with the WiFi but the Sky Q boxes are causing me a headache. 

[PandJ2020]

The DNS settings have no bearing on the WiFi connection.

For non-Sky ISP the box will only connect over 2.4GHz band.  If you router is performing any band steering then it will drop.

Best configuration is to have a separate 2.4GHz SSID on your router.

The Q-to-Q connectivity will default to its own 5GHz mesh, channel 36 (80MHz width).  Ideally, you need to Ethernet connect your main box...  (Ethernet connecting the mini is probably not routing back to the main Q box which it needs...)

[Swordy]

Thanks for the reply. The sky box is connected via a separate 2.4ghz SSID. 

I was only connecting the mini SKY Q box via Athena's as it's at the end of the garden and I wanted to use it as a hotspot as well as being hard wired to the router. It's not possible to connect to the main box via Ethernet. The fibre box is in an upstairs bedroom for some reason - we have a very old cottage (with thick walls!). 

Connection for all of the Sky Q boxes was working fine before I got this Vodafone router. I was previously using a Sky router. 

I can't understand why connecting the Ethernet cable causes the main box to disconnect causing all Sky Q boxes to not connect. 

[Chodley]

Q's networking behaves differently with (old) Sky routers. They can act as a peer in the Q mesh so the minis and Q can have distinct connections to the router and it's all fine. That doesn't work with 3rd party routers or new Sky routers and it's absolute disgrace to the whole networking standards industry but here we are.

try powerlines to get the Q and mini onto the same physical network.

[Swordy]

Thanks for the reply. So you're saying that the Ethernet connection will never work with the Vodafone router cos Sky's software doesn't integrate with the Vodafone router or new Sky routers? 

[PandJ2020]

In a nutshell - I found you could get it working as long as all connected via Ethernet on the same subnet but the traffic could upset other devices.  (Ideally it needs separating as above)

It probably stems from the mid-2010's development using proprietary QoS protocols.

[Chodley]

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@Swordy wrote:

Thanks for the reply. So you're saying that the Ethernet connection will never work with the Vodafone router cos Sky's software doesn't integrate with the Vodafone router or new Sky routers? 

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I'm saying the Q has to establish a direct connnection to the mini. Switches and hubs between are ok, routers are not. How you do that is flexible but it defaults to wanting to use 5GHz wifi which will never work in your situation except maybe if you can get a Q booster from Sky and put that half way between the boxes. Powerlines are the lowest cost, most likely to succeed approach. Hard wiring into wifi mesh nodes has worked for some people.

For whatever reason (possibly performance related back in 2014, imaginary or not) the peer to peer streaming tech Q uses can't just run over standard networking protocols like every other piece of software.

[PandJ2020]

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@Chodley wrote:

For whatever reason (possibly performance related back in 2014, imaginary or not) the peer to peer streaming tech Q uses can't just run over standard networking protocols like every other piece of software.

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

[Swordy]

I've got a Vodafone booster pretty much halfway between the router and the sky Q mini that's outside. The booster is in the living room close to the main sky Q box. Booster is all connected and working which is confirmed via the Vodafone app. 

[Chodley]

That won't work via wifi. Has to be direct. Might work if you can hardwire the Q into it.