Unable to connect new Sky Q Mini box to main Q box

[Opulent+Pete]

I have had a Sky Q box for several years It's working fine, it's connected to my (BT) boardband via ethernet cable. (No mini boxes until now)

Just for reference as for my "skill level" I am a network / IT engineeer.

I received a Sky Q Mini box this weekend, with the intention of using it in the bedroom, which for reference is directly above the the living room where the sky box is, probably 3 meters in a treight line through the wood floor. 

Attempted to set up the box for the first time as per the instructions, plugged into the TV and power only, it asked me to press the "2 arrows" WPS button on the main sky box till it flashes, which I did, flashing, and......  nothing. Try again, nothing. Reset, try again, nope. Like the Mini simply cant see the Main.

So plan B, after poking about settings I see I can connect it to my Wifi instead, Oddly it cant see my 5GHz network.. So I connectd it to my 2.4GHz, and YAY! connected, then 20 seconds later though, the Mini drops the wifi connection and complains that there's a connectivity error (despite it letting me watch 20 seconds of Bargain Hunt..) Now unable to connect to the Wifi at all even after restarting the Mini. I repeat this by resetting the mini, re-sonnecting, and yet again it drops after 20 secs. 

OK I think, do I have interference? So I turn off my house Wifi access point (not router) 
and try the "2 arrows"  WPS connection again, still nothing, so its not wifi interference. 

Last option, I connect to the router via Ethernet cable and BOOM it works perfectly. No use though as the room I want to use it in has no ethernet. (I then did a firmware update on both the Q and Mini boxes to be sure, but didnt change anything, also a factory reset.)

So, Could I have a duff Mini box? with a faulty Wifi circuit? 

[TimmyBGood]

@Opulent+Pete 

A Q Mini on WiFi will only stay connected to another item of Sky hardware (in this case the main Q box).  It will never remain linked to the BT Hub or any BT wireless disks.

[Opulent+Pete]

I dont see why it shouldnt, Why is it an option then? 

It works briefly. 

Either way, the direct connection isn't working.

[TimmyBGood · Accepted solution]

@Opulent+Pete 

They just don't, and never have.  Some users have BT Whole Home disks with a Mini over ethernet from the disk, and that does work.

[TimmyBGood]

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@Opulent+Pete wrote:

Either way, the direct connection isn't working.

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For some reason that does seem to happen sometimes.  One workaround is for Sky to loan one of their wireless boosters, and have that running off ethernet from the BT Hub and then make a WPS link to the Mini

[Opulent+Pete]

oooof... well thats... not good. 
I dont want yet anther unnecessary box so my best option now will have to be to contact Sky support directly. If it cant work on Wifi then they can have it back and downgrade my contract. 

[Opulent+Pete]

Oh for reference Im not even trying to connect to a BT device - My BT Ulltrafast FTTP hub has wifi disabled, I run a Netgear Nighthawk AP, so it cant even be seen as a Sky/BT rivalry thing!

[TimmyBGood]

@Opulent+Pete 

Q networking has always been somewhat unorthodox: it uses some proprietary elements on top of the usual standards.

I ran a Q setup off BT broadband (ADSL and then FTTP) from early 2016 to late 2021, and always found ethernet was preferable.

[Opulent+Pete]

An update on this. 

I managed to get the Mini to WPS connect to the main Q box last night. 

However to do this I had to disable my main AP's 5GHz radio. 

Not a big issue, but mildly irritating.