Poor WiFi to streaming puck.

[Cleveleysbob]

My Hub is Ethernet connected to SkyGlass TV, but I rely on WiFi to my puck in Bedroom.

This constantly falters with programmes either stopping dead, or dropping out comp,etely.

unplugging and re plugging in the puck usually sorts it out but only for a short while. I'm having to do this every day sometimes twice a day.

Any ideas? I see that SKy have launched a WiFi max hub. Is this any good or is the availability of this new kit the reason the old version is acting up? I know, conspiracy theories abound, but I'm always suspicious about tech gear acting up just when upgrades hit the shelves.

I'm getting 75Mb/s to my Hub. My system checks tell me everything is good, but it ain't - Help!

[Padam_Padam]

@Cleveleysbob 

What speed is your bedroom puck actually receiving? To find out open the Netflix app on it, navigate to the get help menu and run a network check. 
You'd probably be better off with Powerline adapters rather than a WiFi booster. 

[Jporch316]

@Cleveleysbob

If you have some spare cash investing in a decent mesh WiFi system would be helpful for all your devices not just the sky puck 

you could try and pick up a 2 node or 3 node system (depending on the layout of your house) on the used market

other option is to use a set of powerline adapters to extend the ethernet connection from your router to your puck - these are pretty inexpensive for a pair  

[Cleveleysbob]

@Padam_Padam 

Hi, thanks for your reply. I'm getting 49.3Mb/s to my puck & I have a Sky WiFi booster in the bedroom.

I would have thought that was sufficient but the number of times the channels just drop out is unbelievable. Mainly On Demand stuff as we stream everything these days. Live tv is OK, but when the Mrs tries to get on Discovery, All 4, or My5 (the 3 worst offenders) it almost invariably goes kaput.

Occasionally we get an outage on IPlayer or ITVX but not so often as the others.

I'll have a look at power line adapters or Mesh WiFi systems as suggested by @Jporch316 

I'm not very tech savvy are these the same thing or completely different?

[Padam_Padam · Accepted solution]

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@Cleveleysbob wrote:

@Padam_Padam 

Hi, thanks for your reply. I'm getting 49.3Mb/s to my puck & I have a Sky WiFi booster in the bedroom.

I would have thought that was sufficient but the number of times the channels just drop out is unbelievable. Mainly On Demand stuff as we stream everything these days. Live tv is OK, but when the Mrs tries to get on Discovery, All 4, or My5 (the 3 worst offenders) it almost invariably goes kaput.

Occasionally we get an outage on IPlayer or ITVX but not so often as the others.

I'll have a look at power line adapters or Mesh WiFi systems as suggested by @Jporch316 

I'm not very tech savvy are these the same thing or completely different?

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That speed should be enough but Sky Stream is notoriously sensitive to speed fluctuations (more so than other streaming devices) so even the slightest change in speed can cause it to have a wobble and freeze. 

Powerline and Mesh systems are different. Powerline uses the existing electrical wiring in your house to transfer the broadband connection from your router to another location (in your case, your bedroom.) It involves buying two Powerline plugs (you can buy them in a starter kit) one of which plugs into the mains near your router and has an ethernet cable from the router to an ethernet port on the adapter. You then plug another adapter into the socket near your Stream puck. You then connect an ethernet cable from this adapter to your puck. The broadband connection is basically sent from the router to the first adapter, along the electricity wires in your house, to the other adapter and out to your puck. This way there is no WiFi interference and less chance of speed fluctuation. 

A Mesh WiFi system is better if you want to improve WiFi throughout your home and want everything to remain wireless. They tend to be more expensive as they are a more like a clever form of booster and can involve connecting multiple nodes or secondary devices around your home which keep a more stable WiFi connection to each other and all the devices connected to them. 

[Jporch316]

@Cleveleysbob 

A booster rather unfortunately grabs the signal (which already maybe weak) and throws it on (weakening it further in the process and occasionally creating a secondary WiFi network. That can confuse the life out of your WiFi devices 

easy fix - pick up a pair of tp-link powerline adapters plug one into your router and electrical socket 

plug the other into your sky puck upstairs and into an electrical socket and all will be (mostly) good 

setting up a mesh network is more complicated and expensive but will create a much larger WiFi network in your home by joining together and creating one big fluffy WiFi bubble 

this would benefit all of the devices using WiFi in your home and gives a stronger and more consistent WiFi signal 

[Cleveleysbob]

@Jporch316 

Thanks for that, I've got a TP- Link adapter set arriving Tomorrow. It looks like the answer.

I tested my speed at the Glass TV (Ethernet linked) from Hub (twice) and was surprised to find it was only. 59Mbps and 48Mbps, when Sky are telling me my speed at the Hub is 74/75 Mbps.

I was expecting better, plus I'm registering about the same level in the bedroom over the WiFi inc booster, so I'm a bit confused, but hopeful that the power adapter will improve things.

[Jporch316]

@Cleveleysbob 

Im pretty sure you can pair a third to link adapter (any kind) to the original 2 meaning you could ethernet both devices to the one adapter 

I bought a set of older ones used for a tenner .... as the network cards in the sky devices are 100mb you don't need to get the expensive 1gig ones 

[Exiled-in-HH]

Get something like a Firestick as a backup device... you'll find it a preferable device for on-demand🤔

[Cleveleysbob]

@Jporch316 @Exiled-in-HH @Padam_Padam 

Hi everyone, I got my power line adapter this afternoon,set it up and so far so good.

Ran a speed test and getting 65Mbps to Glass tv and 53Mbps to Puck.

everythings worked without any re boot necessary 🤞

thanks for all your help.

[Jporch316]

@Cleveleysbob 

Good to hear 

remember to turn off WiFi in the settings