New router for Sky broadband

paulpud

We are one of the many customers that were migrated from O2 to Sky broadband a while ago and I think we need a new router to replace our ageing O2 wireless box II that is still in use.

We have a Buffalo Linkstation NAS in the office that I could really now do with accessing from home but I'm struggling to use the web access service once I'm away from the office. I think this may be due to a port forwarding issue but when I try to create or assign any kind of port forwarding within the O2 router, it disconnects the internet and refuses to save any changes I've made. It is also prone to disconnecting itself every now and again.

With this is mind I'm assuming it's possible to go out and buy a bog-standard ADSL router that will be a bit more accommodating when it comes to port forwarding and connect it to our broadband service but is there anything in particular I need to be aware of?

kwikbreaks

It's in breach of Sky T&C and they won't give you the necessary login details to connect.

I found a page yesterday for a similar question about Sky FTTC where is said pretty much anything would work for FTTC but it sounds very much like you have ADSL. There may be ways of getting that login info and if nobody pops in with the info a google search may well reveal it.

paulpud

Yes, it is a standard ADSL connection we have.

I have made a few notes from the research that I've done and as an ex-O2 subscriber it seems that username/password is just install@o2broadband.co.uk/install, but I was wondering if anyone in a similar situation had had any issues with this.

wongataa

I have used my own router with a Sky ADSL connection. It worked with no issues.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

No issues with my connection on sky and buffalo/ Thought you need to register at buffalo's website.

paulpud

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth wrote: »

No issues with my connection on sky and buffalo/ Thought you need to register at buffalo's website.

I log on to our linkstation via the buffalonas.com portal and I can access our folders fine as long as I'm in the office using either a PC physically connected to the network or using the android app on my phone via Wi-Fi. If I try to log in at home (connecting from a different IP address) it's just timed out and it seems that the most common cause of this is port forwarding issues.

I found some good instructions on how to open up ports in the O2 box, but it just isn't doing what it's supposed to be doing. The router is a few years old now and does clap out every now and again so I think a replacement is the first thing that I'm going to try.

paulpud

DavidP24 wrote: »

Have you done a test of your connection at speedtest.net from home?

ASDL is asymmetric, upload can be a tiny fraction of download.

It may be that there is simply not enough bandwidth.

I'm on fibre at home and achieve speeds between 20Mbps and 30Mbps so I know speed isn't an issue. If I try to connect through the Buffalonas portal I usually get a message saying the site couldn't be reached as it took too long to respond whereas the Android app just stays on a loading screen.

I picked up a new ASDL router on my way home from work which I shall try and get up and running tomorrow.

WAYT

DavidP24 wrote: »

Sorry Paul

You seem to be confused

You can't be on ADSL and Fibre?

ADSL at work. Fibre at home. He is not the one who is confused.

paulpud

Yes, it's ADSL at work with an upload speed of 0.86Mbps and download of 7.40Mbps, which is a lot better than it used to be.

When I first installed the NAS a few years back we were on a 2Mbps AOL service at work and I was on a 1.4MBps Plusnet service at home and I did manage to use the Linkstation's web access on a couple of occasions purely out of curiosity, but it was painfully slow and not really workable. I get the impression that my recent attempts are struggling to actually find the NAS.

On a more successful note, installing the new router was a doddle, fully up and running within 5 minutes and the port forwarding settings are pretty easy to alter. I just need to see if I can get the Linkstation to function remotely now.

paulpud

Thankfully the new router seems to have done the trick - 30 quid very well spent

Logging in takes a few seconds but once I'm into our filing system opening most folders is near instantaneous, although there are some folders that each contain around 1000 pdfs and they're taking about 10-15 seconds to list their entire contents.

The only slight downside I've found is that when I open a file such as a spreadsheet it actually downloads to my laptop so I'd have to work on it and then upload it back to its folder, but hopefully it will prove workable enough.