Sky Stream is just unusable

[TotalTOPS]

For context I have a Sky Stream Puck next to a Smart TV. Both the TV and the Puck are connected by Ethernet cable to a Sky Router which consistently runs at 150Mbps. If I watch a (BBC) programme via the puck it stutters and this causes the subtitles to go out of sync (it seems the subtitle feed carries on whilst the picture freezes - so the subtitles get more and more advanced. If I then switch to IPlayer simply on the TV (not via the puck) then the programme plays normally with no breaks.

Things got even worse last night,

.

Using the TV – not the puck, we watched a film, stopping and starting it successfully when we were interrupted by a caller. We then watched a program in IPlayer (TV version) with no problem. This took us to five past 10. We switched to the puck and selected a programme on the 5* channel. We selected the “view from start” option. But it doesn’t seem to know where the start of the program is – it went back and showed the last 5 minutes of the previous programme. We tried to fast forward, but to no effect. So, we had to sit through the 5minutes and several adverts. Finally, the programme started and was just a few seconds in when it reset itself and went back to the last 5 minutes of the previous programme again (the remote control was sat on the shelf with no one near it).  So, another 5 minutes passed and once again the program started. This time we saw about 5 minutes of the program we wanted to watch when the screen went blank “There is a technical fault please try later”. Switch the puck off and on and give up on that programme and we selected a different channel. This lasted somewhat longer but about 20 minutes in “There is a technical fault….” Switch off and go to bed!

[Chrisee]

@TotalTOPS thstvis certainly not normal so check you have disabled wifi networking as the pucks can switch to using Wifi as opposed to ethernet.

[TotalTOPS]

WiFi is definitely switched off on the puck. If I go to the Network settings it shows the Etghernet is connected, but the IP Address it shows alternates between the expected 196.169.0.nnn and 0.0.0.0 about every couple of seconds??

[Jporch316]

@TotalTOPS 

Take out the Ethernet cable, enable the WiFi and connect via WiFi 

[Exiled-in-HH]

OR request a replacement Puck as ethernet should work🤔

[TotalTOPS]

So a few experiments. Using just WiFi then all OK. If I wire the puck on a cable directly from the router then again all OK. Which points the finger at the "powerLink" extenders (actually BT mini connectors)

When one of these is connected to the puck in the Network Settings screen is shows as connected to Etrhernet, but the displayed IP address fluctuates between 192.168.0.113 and 0.0.0.0. Flipping about every 2 seconds.

It seems that the puck and the mini connector do not work together. But the mini connector has two output cable - one to the puck and one to the Smart TV. The Smart TV works perfectly with its cable with all its apps. So the mini connector is working - or at least this address fluctuation is acceptable to the TV but not the puck. Maybe I will keep the puck after all.

[Jporch316]

Good troubleshooting! Is there a reason you don't want to use WiFi?

providing the connection is stable it works fine ..... also note the network card in the puck is only 100mbs ..... 

[TotalTOPS]

My (Sky) broadband runs at 150Mbps download. I measured the WiFi at 25Mbps next to the puck (quite a big house). In all the coming and going with Ethernet I did experience some stuttering with WiFi (I think!) So just assumed that 150 Ethernet would be better than 25 WiFi. But it has all got a bit confused particularly with "the management" on my back handing out blame at every opportunity in my direction. (Makes calm considered diagnostics a bit difficult).

So hopefully with a stable configuration going to try every combination of program /  app / start from beginning/ fast forward  for the next week - before I call it "fixed"

[Jporch316]

@TotalTOPS 

Ye 25mbs is cutting it fine .... maybe you have a dodgy powerline ? I've used an older set of tplink adapters I picked up used for a tenner (I think they were av600) which worked perfectly ok with my sky glass 

[Jporch316]

Or if you wanted to boost your WiFi generally around your home a WiFi mesh system is pretty good 

I also picked up three of the older Google mesh WiFi s used for £80 and they improved my wifi signal around the home greatly