Is there an issue with WiFi connectivity in Sky stream?

[bydandie]

So I've seen a fair few people who have been having issues with WiFi connectivity on Stream pucks and this is something that I've come across over the past month.  Essentially, the stream buffers it's content, saying it's taking some time to load or similar.  When I check the network speed on the the Netflix device of the puck it says it's connecting at below 7mpbs, but when rebooting it's reporting over 200mpbs.  This has been going on for some time, and I'm wondering if:

a - People are seeing this?

b -- if they've done the same checks as me to see if there is an issue

[Jporch316]

@bydandie 

Not seen this on any of my 3 pucks? Or my glass 

have you got a booster or mesh system where the puck might be connecting to an access point further away 

[bydandie]

---

@Jporch316 wrote:

@bydandie 

Not seen this on any of my 3 pucks? Or my glass 

have you got a booster or mesh system where the puck might be connecting to an access point further away 

---

It's an issue with the WIC, not the network.  Both the mesh networks within range have 1Gig backhaul, and Sky support have confirmed the issue is with the WIC.

[MarkGoldsmith]

I saw the exact same thing with my pukc during the first week so i switched over to ethernet. 

However i'm fairly certainly the issue is related to be stability/strength of the WIFI connection. The reason i know this is because my Smart TV (which is over 10 years old now), has a similarish problem, where occassionally where its located it struggled to get a decent WIFI signals, or the wifi would drop on it for a few minutes. It was only that one device that i had the problem with, all other devices has always been fine. I'd assume it was just an issue with the TV until i got my Stream puck.

When i started to see this same behaviour on my stream puck (which is connected to the aforementioned TV), with the wifi signal strength dropping and occassionally cutting out at least i knew the issue wsan't just with my TV. Because it worked as a fix for my TV, i did the same for the streak puck, connected via ethernet and have had zero issues with it since.

What i suspect is an issue is that the stream puck doesn't seem capable of recovering from a network issue, What seems to happen is the puck crashes, and even when the WIFI network signal returns after its brief dropout, whilst my TV would auto recover, the puck doesn't. It seems to me like the puck is essentially crashing after a small dropout, which is why rebooting it fixes the issue until it reoccurs. My hunch would say its the lack of decent memory in the puck, which is likely the reason it won't auto-recover and why a reboot and a flush of the cache restores service.

[bydandie]

---

@MarkGoldsmith wrote:

I saw the exact same thing with my pukc during the first week so i switched over to ethernet. 

However i'm fairly certainly the issue is related to be stability/strength of the WIFI connection. The reason i know this is because my Smart TV (which is over 10 years old now), has a similarish problem, where occassionally where its located it struggled to get a decent WIFI signals, or the wifi would drop on it for a few minutes. It was only that one device that i had the problem with, all other devices has always been fine. I'd assume it was just an issue with the TV until i got my Stream puck.

When i started to see this same behaviour on my stream puck (which is connected to the aforementioned TV), with the wifi signal strength dropping and occassionally cutting out at least i knew the issue wsan't just with my TV. Because it worked as a fix for my TV, i did the same for the streak puck, connected via ethernet and have had zero issues with it since.

What i suspect is an issue is that the stream puck doesn't seem capable of recovering from a network issue, What seems to happen is the puck crashes, and even when the WIFI network signal returns after its brief dropout, whilst my TV would auto recover, the puck doesn't. It seems to me like the puck is essentially crashing after a small dropout, which is why rebooting it fixes the issue until it reoccurs. My hunch would say its the lack of decent memory in the puck, which is likely the reason it won't auto-recover and why a reboot and a flush of the cache restores service.

---

The interesting thing here is that I know the when support connected to it a couple of months ago they the signal on both mesh node was strong enough but the puck had issues maintaining a connection.  There's certainly an issue that requires further investigation but I'd wager the only way to test it will be to raise a complaint 🥲

Thats the reason I was trying to gather some data first 😃

My Virgin stream has no issues 😃

[MarkGoldsmith]

The thing that bugged me, is why it doesn't auto-recover after any potential issue. 

Thats why i got fed up and went with my tried and tested powerline adapters.

We know some people will have issues with general WIFI signal strength in their property based on location of router/devices etc etc, but i think Sky need to do a much better job at explaining this as part of the information provided for Glass/Sky. The key thing for this to work is a good, fast reliable connection to the internet which as most techies know isn't going to be a 100% guranteed thing via a basic home WIFI setup. The ordinary Sky streaming customer is unlikely to have a great technology understanding ( and shouldn't really need one). I've always felt the glass/puck should come with an ethernet cable and the instructions should say ( if you have these issues, trying plugging the ethernet cable in and see if it improves).

[MarkGoldsmith]

---

@bydandie wrote:

---

@MarkGoldsmith wrote:

I saw the exact same thing with my pukc during the first week so i switched over to ethernet. 

However i'm fairly certainly the issue is related to be stability/strength of the WIFI connection. The reason i know this is because my Smart TV (which is over 10 years old now), has a similarish problem, where occassionally where its located it struggled to get a decent WIFI signals, or the wifi would drop on it for a few minutes. It was only that one device that i had the problem with, all other devices has always been fine. I'd assume it was just an issue with the TV until i got my Stream puck.

When i started to see this same behaviour on my stream puck (which is connected to the aforementioned TV), with the wifi signal strength dropping and occassionally cutting out at least i knew the issue wsan't just with my TV. Because it worked as a fix for my TV, i did the same for the streak puck, connected via ethernet and have had zero issues with it since.

What i suspect is an issue is that the stream puck doesn't seem capable of recovering from a network issue, What seems to happen is the puck crashes, and even when the WIFI network signal returns after its brief dropout, whilst my TV would auto recover, the puck doesn't. It seems to me like the puck is essentially crashing after a small dropout, which is why rebooting it fixes the issue until it reoccurs. My hunch would say its the lack of decent memory in the puck, which is likely the reason it won't auto-recover and why a reboot and a flush of the cache restores service.

---

The interesting thing here is that I know the when support connected to it a couple of months ago they the signal on both mesh node was strong enough but the puck had issues maintaining a connection.  There's certainly an issue that requires further investigation but I'd wager the only way to test it will be to raise a complaint 🥲

Thats the reason I was trying to gather some data first 😃

My Virgin stream has no issues 😃

---

Be interesting to see what response or feedback you get from them.

[Exiled-in-HH]

Do VirginMedia use a client/server architecture for the streaming service?

Using a client/server architecture is what allows Sky to deliver their service via any ISP🤔

[bydandie]

---

@Exiled-in-HH wrote:

Do VirginMedia use a client/server architecture for the streaming service?

Using a client/server architecture is what allows Sky to deliver their service via any ISP🤔

---

How else would they deliver content? A server would present content on the basis of a data schema 😀

[Exiled-in-HH]

Apps aren't located on Sky Pucks they are on the server😉

[bydandie]

---

@Exiled-in-HH wrote:

Apps aren't located on Sky Pucks they are on the server😉

---

The apps are on the puck, the content comes from the server but there will be a cache of some sort 😀

[Exiled-in-HH]

They might be on the pick ... BUT they are certainly not on a Sky Puck😉

[bydandie]

---

@Exiled-in-HH wrote:

They might be on the pick ... BUT they are certainly not on a Sky Puck😉

---

The app most certainly is, the way that a content delivery system works is that the client will make calls to the Cloud storage to call content based on a data schema (JSON,XML etc). That data will be buffered in a cache 😀

[MarkGoldsmith]

---

@bydandie wrote:

---

@Exiled-in-HH wrote:

They might be on the pick ... BUT they are certainly not on a Sky Puck😉

---

The app most certainly is, the way that a content delivery system works is that the client will make calls to the Cloud storage to call content based on a data schema (JSON,XML etc). That data will be buffered in a cache 😀

---

Otherwise there would be no need for a app refresh functionality on each Glass/Stream. There is clearly some content "locally".

[Floydianslip]

@bydandie I have 4 pucks all connected via WiFi since October 2022 and had no issues. IMO this is down to using my own router rather than the generally poor specced routers most ISP's provide.

I have FTTP 900mb connection and use an Asus AX3000 router, my advice would be ditch the router your ISP provides they really  aren't up to the job.