Sky broadband Max

[JSH1988]

Hello -

Sorry if there is already a thread under this "topic" but i could not find it.

I have had sky broadband for about 2 month and had nothing but problems with the intermitten disconnections, from the internet, the router is fine because i can access files on my NAS (Network Attached Storage) Drive, Every so often the LCP is "down". For Techie People i have included a list of all the things i have tried to solve this (apart from getting sky to sort it - that is pending awaiting a 2nd call)

1) Tried Router Linked to main Telephone Socket, + Others around the house, (Sky Extension's)
2) Router placed upright and flat.
3) Moved away from any cordless phones that may interfere, and other devices that operate within the 2.4GHz range
4) Changed the Channel number to avoid interference from other nearby wireless routers
5) Unlinked any attached devices, (Network Hard drive)
6) Connection speed never over 3MB (3072kb/s) from the stated speed quoted at point of agreeing to contract
7) Fact that the disconnecting is at random intervals (Do not know when it will disconnect next)

any one else having this sort of problem with sky max?
Also why the West Sussex IP address when i live in the north east of england?

thanks for any help

[2Grumpy]

You haven't mentioned filters - are all of your phones, sky boxes & router connected to filters rather than directly into the socket

[Curlyben]

You mention changing wireless setting, but not if you are actually using the wireless connection.

Sounds like a typical ADSL sync problem.
You will NEVER get the whole advertised speed unless you live very close to the exchange.
have a look here (Samknows - Availability checker) and see what the BT recommended speed is as that is close to what you can expect.

As 2grumpy mentioned ALL extensions need to be filtered, not just the one you're connecting your router to. Also the best speeds are obtained from the test socket on the main BT socket.
NEVER run your router on a phone line extension as this will also cause problems.
You need to ensure a single line from socket to router.
On the modern BT lines the socket has an unscrewable bottom half.
Remove this and plug your filter straight into the visible socket there.
This provides the "cleanest" connection to the ADSL line.

A good site I have found for testing connection speeds is: Namesco BroadbandMax ADSL Broadband Bandwidth speedtest | Test your ADSL Broadband connection speed

Hope this has given you some ideas.

[JSH1988]

Hello 2grumpy and curlyben..

My bt phone socket (the main one in the living room) only has one socket,is this the one you mean by "test socket" or is there another one/ ment to be another one.

I have "Sky" extension running from the phone socket to the skybox, (one from the converstory (not currently used), last house owner had multiroom, but the one i am using is plugged into the phoneline, at the other end (at the sky box) i have linked the ADSL Microfilter to, and the router/modem.

but if i link a microfilter at each end i lose the signal all together.

if it help you under stand the set up i will embed a few pics.

thanks

[ukaviator]

I had a simular problem and i found out after numerous calls to Bt, that the box on the Telegraph Pole outside had water inside it. The Engineer dried it out and re sealed it. I have had no problems since doing that.

Uk

[JSH1988]

Hi Ukavorator

No Telegraph poles = cant be that (unless damage to a "switch" if you know what i mean, as copper is all under ground but if there is damge to a similar kind of box above ground, could be that, that is causing the problems? as my noise levels drop then the LCP is down shows in the logs.

thanks

[Curlyben]

This explains what I was referring to on the socket front and also offers some excellent tweaking guidance.
DSL ZoneUK - Improve your speed - Extension wiring and Disconnection help
Follow the animation and you'll see what I meant.

[PKea]

Go here

SkyUser - The unofficial support forum for everything Sky!

Answers to ALL your sky related problems

[jonni2bad]

I signed up a few months back and have had some problems like this, but found the answer that suited me at the forum shown above.

Access the router set up by opening a web page (in IE or Firefox etc).

Type 192.168.0.1 into the address bar (as if typing a web address) and this brings you to the admin console for the router. You will also now see a log-in panel...

Type Admin for the username and sky for the password

When in the console, look on the left hand side, near the bottom, and click on UPnP - this brings up the details in the centre of the screen and you can UNTICK "Turn UPnP On". Then click APPLY.

Now select 'Wireless Settings' from the left hand panel (near top) and, in the main screen, then select Auto108Mpbs from the Wireless Network / Mode drop-down section. Just above there, your 'Channel' will likely show as '6'. If you can see your 'neighbours' wireless broadcasting and any of them are using Channel 6, then in place of Auto108 select 'g & b' in the Mode drop down box - this will then allow you to choose another, different channel.

Auto108 is fine for me...

Select Router Status from the left side (under Maintenance) and, in the centre panel, scroll down the page and select 'Connection Status' tab - this brings up a new window and should show you as being connected to network. Close this window and return to the bottom of the Status main page...

Finally, select 'Show Statistics' - another new window appears and shows your Down and Upstream connection speeds, Line Attenuation and Noise Margin (MN). This page automatically refreshes every 10 seconds, unless you change it of course. The NM should not be too high, otherwise this could be a problem than needs the help of the line provider. By high I would say above 20db, but there is no actual cut-off point between low and high, so others may say that problems can occur below or above this figure.

My own reading is about 9db.

Before logging out, you might wish to change your access password to something less obvious and you might also wish to review the security settings, but that's another discussion...

What you should do though is to select 'Diagnostics' from the left panel and click on Reboot (the router). This will start the router under the new settings made but will result in a short loss of connection.

I have had no dropped line since doing this and my speed has actually increased slightly overall, although I'm not sure if that is a connection between events or just me being lucky.

As I understand it, these problems are well known by Sky. I don't know why they don't let their customers know if that is true, but I have also heard that the problem could well be the firmware (like software) that powers the router itself. There is a way to upgrade it for free, but again that is another discussion.

[JSH1988]

hello and thanks for you help -

the above i have already tried endless times, but when the router its self crashes i loose all settings and it goes back to default,

since they capped my line at i think he said 8mb it seems fine but disconnects less (could just be a lucky day) as the NM drops from 12 < 6-7 and LCP goes. resulting in a loss of ADSL connection.

he also said there was "White Noise" on the line, could this be a fob off to say its not skys fault, its my fault for faulty (bad) wiring in the house ect?

[CrystalGecko76]

Hi...I had this problem in the first few months of being with Sky but now everything is running smoothly...

Here is what I did to sort it out...after several calls to engineers etc

1) Unplug all your Sky+/Sky boxes and make sure you have a microfilter attached to your phone point.
2) Just plug in your phone & modem.
3) disable any icons relating to the internet/network connection and switch off the modem. Then plug the modem back in and go into control panel/network connections and re-enable the modem connections.
4) Once modem lights are green open internet explorer and type in the address box 192.168.0.1 and at the info box type User Name = admin and Sky = password. If you do not see an IP address get in touch with Sky if you do see one but are having problems do the next steps...
5) Look down the page on the left and click where it says Advanced/UPnP. Where the box says Turn UPnP On make sure there is no tick in the box, save & exit.
6) Now right click on your Internet Explorer link in your start menu or desktop. You need to go to Internet Properties...go into the Security Tab and go through each option setting it at the Default Level.
7) Next go into Control Panel/Network Connections/Local Area Network and right click and select Properties...highlight the fourth item on the list Internet Protocol TCP/IP then click properties...in the first window that comes up click on Advanced button. The first Tab/Window should show IP Settings, go down to where it says Default Gateways and click add...type in the following 192.168.0.1 and save it. You can then close down all the windows.

Try this for a few days and log down any drops in your connection. I was having drop outs every 10 - 15 minutes now I have none. I can surf all the time and I am really happy with the service.

I did ask them to cap my line at 3.5mb as I felt the fact that the line was speeding up & slowing down all the time was causing the drop outs. Maybe you need to ask them about the max your line can take and go just slightly below that until it becomes stable. Also having several Sky boxes on your line can screw it up, also worth checking is if you have a Thompson box because some of these cause problems apparently, it is due to the dialing software or modems in the boxes.

Hope this helps,
Crystal

[joe1965]

My sister in law had this problem a few months ago. Take out all lines from your main socket leaving in your filter. Now just add your router and see if it works ok.
The line going into your skybox may be the problem as it was for my sister in law.

[Rainmaker]

Surprised nobody has mentioned this so far (though, I am a techie lol)... The Sky router (a Netgear DG834GT) ships with custom locked down firmware. The firmware is notorious for its bugginess. The primary bug in this fw is... wait for it... constant (or at least regular) loss of SYNC. In other words, your connection drops.

Flashing the router to 'real' firmware (I highly recommend UberGT) will cure this problem, AND give you the option to tweak your line. Sky User have a thread about flashing iirc. Do a search