Is it worth updating our Sky Router for another (better) router?

lancslass2008

Hi all

I am really confused with all this router terminology (DSL/ADSL, 802 n etc). We are on Sky Broadband. Our kids are complaining that the router is 'no good' for various reasons. I know this is quite a vague statement and after reading up a lot on this subject I realise the problem could be any of a number of problems such as how many items are using the router, distance from router, interference etc. However, my partner is an avid reader of the magazine 'computer active' and he says that almost every month a new router comes out offering the latest technology and faster speeds etc promising huge improvements over the standard Sky Hub. We have no problem forking out the £100 ish for the latest technology router if things are going to get better but there's no point in paying out to get the same service. Can anybody help? Will we benefit if we pay for a 'better' router? Will the range be better? Will the speed be better? If so, Do we need DSL or ADSL?

Thank you.

Jim431

The problem might be the router or more likely you just have a slow broadband connection.
You need to do a speed test. This one allows you to compare the speed to other people in your area.

http://www.uswitch.com/broadband/speedtest/

It is better to plug your computer directly into the router with the cable supplied with the router to exclude a slow wifi link. Then repeat using a wifi link to see if your wifi is slowing things down where you need to use it.

If the wifi is bad then maybe a new router - but you will need one that works with sky.
If the broadband is just slow then maybe consider fibre BB.

Tropez

You will need to be careful. Unless you were a former O2 customer (in which case there may be some leeway), Sky have done the ever-so-kind thing of using a form of authentication that restricts people to their routers and they do not hand out the necessary info to people who want to use their own router.

There are a couple of ways around this for now but it seems Sky are quite keen on having final say over what tech you use and may put up further roadblocks along the line. It is even in their terms and conditions that you should only connect to Sky Broadband with the equipment Sky supplies (since O2 Broadband was bought out by Sky they class O2 routers as being supplied by them).

StuC75

Hard to know without firmer facts..

What is the broadband speed & service that you are paying for?

Do the speed test results show you as receiving that kind of service (Typically)?.

If you have a slow internet speed then that will always be the bottleneck point. no matter what kind of router \ kit you have, Though newer routers with upnp will work better for services such as console gaming and streaming \ more demanding applications..

How many wired & wireless devices do you tend to have connected?
Solid walls can affect wireless signal and strength, other devices can interfere (say if neighbours have equipment on the same channel\frequency) -- inSSider (I think is the program) can help show what wireless points are around,..

What is the model of sky router that you have (is it one of the older b\g wireless speed ones).

What type of devices are you using - newer devices could work with N or 5ghz to give more bandwith.

Its likely to be a combination of router hardware and service that you have..

lancslass2008

Thanks all. Will do the speed check thingy at weekend. As for devices... We have: 4 iPhones, 4 smart TV's, 3 iPads, PS4, X-Box. Obviously all are not on at the same time. The biggest problem seems to be in the bedrooms so we suspect the distance may be the problem or even wall obstacles etc. one thing to note... We did buy one of those XBMC streaming boxes a couple of months ago. Upstairs it just wouldn't stream at all (I presume the wifi was no good). Once plugged directly into the router downstairs it worked fine. I'm no expert (that's why I'm asking you guys) but I think the wireless may be the problem.

There is no model number on the router. It is a quite modern Sky hub.

Niv

You may find that a wifi homeplug solves your problem if it is restricted to upstairs?

OGR

Unfortunately the black Sky hub has awful wireless range but they do make it hard to swap if for another make if you don't have a bit of tech smarts about you.

I have had Sky send me 3 of them with threats to quit and they have all been the same, I lose a bar of signal in the same room while I can get full signal from my neighbors BT router through a wall!

Sky did tell me that a 3rd router model was in the works so I accepted a discounted fibre contract on a 12 month term until that appears. You can use the poor WiFi as a bargaining tool as I am pretty sure they know just how bad the thing is.

For reference as well as the 3 I have my brother has the black one too and in his house I have tested the signal and it is just as bad.

Sorry this doesn't help much but you are not alone.

libra10

Not sure which area of Lancashire you live lancslass, but we are half way between Preston and Southport, and use Plusnet fibre.

Have just done the speed test from link provided by jim431, and our broadband speed is almost 64 mb, three times the speed of other nearby ISP users.

I would seriously look at PlusNet for speed.

Good luck

lancslass2008

We live in Wigan Manchester. Our postcode is M29 7**


So, we followed some instructions from you guys and here's what we did.


I did 3 (WIRELESS) speed tests in 2 different upstairs bedrooms from my iPhone 6 (Ookla app) and then I did 1 only (WIRELESS) speed test in both upstairs bedrooms from the uswitch website on my laptop.


Here's the results:
MAIN BEDROOM Iphone6: OOkla Speed Test @ approx 6pm on Tuesday 7th July 2014


Download Speed: Test 1 = 0.38, Test 2 = 1.24, Test 3 = 1.02
Upload Speed: Test 1 = 0.49, Test 2 = 0.47, Test 3 = 0.38
Ping: Test 1 = 62, Test 2 = 65, Test 3 = 65


Then Onto the 1 test from the Uswitch website on my laptop
We did the Uswitch website test and...
The uSWITCH website says:
Sky Download Speed:
Test = 1.1MB, Upload speed 0.6Mb
It then suggests that we could switch to other provider for an extra fee to get other deals:
Virgin Download Speed 43.2Mb, Upload Speed 4.8Mb for an extra price of FROM £4
BT Download Speed 9.8Mb, Upload Speed 2.6Mb for an extra price of FROM £4.75
Sky Download Speed 6.3Mb, Upload Speed 1.6Mb for an extra price of FROM £5.00
Talk Talk Download Speed 6.1Mb, Upload Speed 1.1Mb for an extra price of FROM £3.50
Tesco Download Speed 4.7Mb, Upload Speed 0.7Mb for an extra price of FROM £2
EE Download Speed 3.6Mb, Upload Speed 0.7Mb for an extra price of FROM £4


NOW I WENT TO ANOTHER BEDROOM TO DO THE OTHER 3 WIRELESS SPEED TESTS ON THE IPHONE 6 AND THE ONE TEST ON MY LAPTOP FROM USWITCH. Here's the results...


OTHER BEDROOM Iphone6: OOkla Speed Test @ 6pm on Tuesday 7th July 2014
Download Speed: Test 1 = 1.26, Test 2 = 1.53, Test 3 = 1.49
Upload Speed: Test 1 = 0.46, Test 2 = 0.46, Test 3 = 0.46
Ping: Test 1 = 73, Test 2 = 66, Test 3 = 95


Then Onto the test from the Uswitch website on my laptop
I then restarted another test on the laptop and The uSWITCH website now says:
Sky Download Speed:
Test = 1.31MB, Upload speed 0.5Mb


So, now I went back downstairs and stood right next to the router and did 3 more Iphone6 tests. Here's the results:


LIVING ROOM (STOOD RIGHT NEXT TO ROUTER) Iphone6: OOkla Speed Test @ 6:15pm on Tuesday 7th July 2014


Download Speed: Test 1 = 1.47, Test 2 = 0.96, Test 3 = 1.51
Upload Speed: Test 1 = 0.44, Test 2 = 0.57, Test 3 = 0.62
Ping: Test 1 = 65, Test 2 = 134, Test 3 = 101


I then plugged the laptop directly into an ethernet port on the router and did the Uswitch website test. Here's the result...
Sky Download Speed:
Test = 1.41MB, Upload speed 0.6Mb


If it helps, the Sky Router is a Black Square type box that stands up (has air vents on top). It is quite modern.
It has the following lights (from top to bottom):
Power
Internet (Smiley face)
WPS BUTTON
Wireless
Sky+HD


Hope someone can help or suggest if we should change provider. Bare in mind we are currently paying SKY over £100 per month for all channels (Movies, Sport etc) and what we believe should be fast Broadband.


If you've got this far thank you.

spannerzone

Yeah that's pretty poor ADSL speeds, 1.4mbps shared is going to be slow going, it'll be slow just for one user to be honest. For all speed checks do it using a wired ethernet connection to the router to rule out wireless issues... although your tests all show the same rough speeds on wired and wireless.

It could be you're on the end of a long line back to the exchange or you could have other issues, first thing is to reboot the router (unplug/plug in again) and try speed tests again. See what is expected at your location using the BT DSL check and/or Kitz line checker If you're OK to do some basic checks then check out Kitz and see if trying the router connected directly to your 'test' connection in your master phone socket helps or solves the problem.

You need to try and establish the problem before moving to another provider which may not solve the problem if it's a wiring (BT line) fault or due to your internal phone wiring (hence trying the 'Test' socket on the link given)

Jim431

THE NEXT STEP

OK congrats on doing the speedtest. The results are quite frankly awful !

So the next thing is to find out what you SHOULD be getting.
Go to this page and click on Postcode Checker

https://www.dslchecker.bt.com/

The highest number at the top left is the best you can hope for on copper.
BT normally supplies the copper lines so that is why its the BT checker.

If the answer is over 3Mb then your installation is bad or there is a fault.
If the answer is pretty much the same or a little higher then you need fibre.

I would suggest you need 2Mb per person (online at the same time) or better as an absolute minimum.