Connecting Sky to a phone line

jezza574

Hi

Considering signing up for Sky for the first time and noticed the clause that the box has to be connected to a phone line.

Not overly concerned aside from the fact that I only have one telephone point which already has a splitter for my broadband internet connection.

Would I be able to have all 3 devices going into one telephone point or will I be requiring an extra one?

mike_paterson

jezza574 wrote:

Hi

Considering signing up for Sky for the first time and noticed the clause that the box has to be connected to a phone line.

Not overly concerned aside from the fact that I only have one telephone point which already has a splitter for my broadband internet connection.

Would I be able to have all 3 devices going into one telephone point or will I be requiring an extra one?

It should be able to fit in your existing one - might be a bit bulky though with the additional sky splitter - so you might want to fit an extension - this is easily done with a kit available at most DIY and BT stores.

Midas

jezza574 wrote:

Hi

Considering signing up for Sky for the first time and noticed the clause that the box has to be connected to a phone line.

Not overly concerned aside from the fact that I only have one telephone point which already has a splitter for my broadband internet connection.

Would I be able to have all 3 devices going into one telephone point or will I be requiring an extra one?

Don't you think it's rather freaky that you are compelled to plug it into the phone? They force you to do this so that they can transfer information about your viewing habits back to HQ.

Big Brother Murdoch is watching you...

surfcat

We have a sky box (albeit we don't subscribe so just get the free junk) and it's never been plugged in to the phone. It seems to work fine...

oldagetraveller

As soon as the installer has left and you're sure everything's working, just disconnect the Sky box from the 'phone socket. Mine has not been pugged in for the past 5 years and there have been no problems. As mentioned earlier it stops them "spying" on you as well!
If at any time the power to the Sky box is switched off, when it's switched back on there will be a message about the 'phone line, just press the "back" button and it will disappear with no effect.

danmanchester

I've just had sky installed and also use broadband adsl with 2 microfilter wotsists - yes it does work but does look a bit messy!

Incidentally...what actually happens if I unplug the cable from the sky box/phone line? Installer told me it was just for downloading the EPG (?) or ordering box office movies which I have no plans to do nor will I be using it for email or those sky active games/ votes etc.

oldagetraveller

danmanchester wrote:

Incidentally...what actually happens if I unplug the cable from the sky box/phone line? Installer told me it was just for downloading the EPG (?) or ordering box office movies which I have no plans to do nor will I be using it for email or those sky active games/ votes etc.

Absolutely nothing in my experience. See my previous post. Sky have never commented about the non connected box but if/when I have to 'phone them i just plug Sky into 'phone socket temporarily in case there's a spy about?

mike_paterson

oldagetraveller wrote:

Absolutely nothing in my experience.

It is a contractual obligation to have it plugged in for the first year. Sky receive a subsidy from some of the companies operating interactive services and they supposedly give you free connection/free dish or whatever as a result of this. They can and do check (quite rightly) that you meet these criteria and I have heard of them sending letters to people that do not have the box plugged in.
Once the year is up, you are free of this requirement.

drlight_2

Sky Box Phones sky once a month to send info about pay per view, so you can be billed, it has a battery which stores anything you have to pay for and transfers the data to sky at the end of the month. It's because a sky dish only recieves waves and can't transmit.

Sheel

I don't how you lot are getting away with not having your Sky box plugged into the phone as we get letters regularly about ours not being plugged in and threatening to put up our subscription. It's because we have 3 Sky boxes and broadband all connected into one socket and it's a beggar to get them connected in the correct order so that everything's working :rolleyes:

oldagetraveller

Sky must have missed me then and i'm not alone with this. The box's 'phone connection was disconnected 10 minutes after the installation (5 yrs ago).
When my daughter had her Sky fitted the installer just used a telephone extension lead, at her request, to connect initially and he told her to do whatever she wished after he'd left. It was disconnected soon after and has been this way since without problems.
Personally, if they had the gall to send a letter about this I'd just 'phone them up and cancel, it wouldn't be the end of the world to not have Sky.