4g home broadband connecting to Sky Q Mini box

I have just bought 4g Broadband from 3 and it works great, But while I can connect my main Sky Q Box to the router wirelessly the mini box will not connect and tells me the router is not issuing an IP Address.

Having spoken to Sky Tech Support I finaly found that although the main Q box works on a 4g connection the mini box does not. Effectively I was told to go away and speak to my internet provider because the mini box wants a dynamic IP address but wont accept it from a 4g source as the data stream isn't quite right.

Any suggestions how I can overcome this. It's the only way I can get a decent internet speed.

Currently the Router is a Huawei 4g Router Lite Model B311s-220.

The Sky Mini box doesn�t need to connect to the 3 Router, it should connect to the main Sky Q box (which does need to be connected to the 3 network).

Assuming the main Q box is connected to the network and turned on, press the WPS button on the front of the main Q box and then press the WPS button on the front of the Q mini box,

The mini should then connect to the main Q box.

Sadly it does not I have successfully connected the main Q box to the router wirelessly but the Mini box will not link up. THe error report is failed to obtain an IP Address. Sky tech support say that the mini box is incompatable. I'm no expert just a iuser but if one works surely the other should too.
I have has this self same issue before the last time I changed the router even though it was on the same provider and ADSL.
I'm worried if I book an engineers visit they might take the incompatable card and charge me for the visit. SO I need to be sure that the Mini Q Box is not incompatable with the signal coming from the router and causing the issue,

I have 4g and I have no problem with my mini box connecting to the sky q box.

Thank you for that information. One question do you also have a second mini box connected as well?

Yes I have three mini boxes connected, I do remember having to reset everything when I first had 4g with three but I can�t remember if it was the same issue as yourself sorry that�s not much help.

Edited by deleted (Mon 16-Sep-19 23:03:17)

No no your reply is brilliant and assures me they were talking [censored] when I rang. I had exactly the same issue when I changed my router for a new one a fewe months back. The engineer then said there was difficulty connecting the two boxes. This looks like the same thing, SO i will now call them and get the engineer to attend.
Thank you once again most helpful.

In reply to a post by Mike260:

I have just bought 4g Broadband from 3 and it works great, But while I can connect my main Sky Q Box to the router wirelessly the mini box will not connect and tells me the router is not issuing an IP Address.

Having spoken to Sky Tech Support I finaly found that although the main Q box works on a 4g connection the mini box does not. Effectively I was told to go away and speak to my internet provider because the mini box wants a dynamic IP address but wont accept it from a 4g source as the data stream isn't quite right.

Any suggestions how I can overcome this. It's the only way I can get a decent internet speed.

Currently the Router is a Huawei 4g Router Lite Model B311s-220.

That sounds like the Sky Tech support are talking utter garbage.

What is frequently called a router these days, (at least BT and Sky now call them hubs which although a change of meaning from what a hub used to be is at least a bit less confusing), is a box containing a modem, a router, an ethernet switch and a wireless access point (WAP).

That's almost exactly what the B311 is. It has a modem that handles the connection to the mast, just like a Sky hub handles a landline connection to the Openreach FTTC cabinet. (Assuming that's what your Sky connection is).

The router component is what issues LAN IP addresses and controls the LAN. The ethernet switch in the B311 supplies one ethernet port and the inbuilt WAP.

However, you have two routers on the network both trying to do the same thing, issue LAN IP addresses.

At this point I begin to run out of steam as in a landline setup with two routers, you would normally either set the one connected to the line to modem only (bridge mode) and let the second handle the LAN, or disable DHCP in the second and use it just as an extension ethernet switch and WAP.

I know nothing about the Sky Q box/hub, so don't know if you can disable its DHCP. If you can I would expect both the Q box and the mini to connect to the B311. But maybe you can't turn off its DHCP.

What I can see in my B311 is that you can disable its DHCP under the Advanced tab. Which might work, and in fact might let other devices connect to whichever is giving the stronger signal in the room they are in. (This can require tweaking of devices).

If you turn off the B311's WAP under Wi-Fi (basic) settings, as well as its DHCP as above, I would expect onthenet's method to work.

The Sky Q mini boxes connect directly to the Sky Q main boxes using their own proprietary wireless protocol. They don't use your house's wi-fi. It's entirely possible that your mini box is too far away from the main box in order to make a connection to it. Move it to the same room to see if you get a connection to rule out problems with the 4G.

This article is worth a read; sounds a bit complex.

https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/tvs-entertainment/pv...

In reply to a post by jchamier:

This article is worth a read; sounds a bit complex.

https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/tvs-entertainment/pv...

Complex; yes, correct; no.

All the information on Sky's own help forums indicates that you cannot connect a Sky Q Mini box to a normal wi-fi network for the purposes of linking back to the main Sky Q box. It can only connect wirelessly to another Sky Q device using its own 5GHz proprietary mesh protocol which runs on channel 36 by default.

You can have absolutely fantastic wi-fi throughout your house from your existing wi-fi system but it's not going to help you connect a Sky Q Mini box.

To quote from Sky's forum an answer which may already be familiar;

TimmyBGood writes;

You cannot connect a Mini box by WiFi to any router, whether the internet connection itself is ADSL, fibre, 3G, 4G, 5G or anything else, and no ISP can fix that: it's how Sky designed them. Mini boxes connect to a Q Hub, Q main box, another Mini box or a Q booster by WiFi, or to another network device (including all of the above, plus other routers and data switches) by ethernet.

Connection by ethernet isn't guaranteed either as some switches and powerline adapters can break it according to Sky;

If you're using any third-party equipment to connect your Sky Q box, like a powerline adaptor or a network switch, you may experience connectivity problems. [source]

If you have Sky as your ISP then the Mini Q boxes do function as wireless repeaters for the home's wi-fi network.

Thanks for the suggestion. I have in fact done that.
I have a 150 year old part of a farmhouse in rural Somerset. The walls are in places 20"thick 50cm.
As a result when Sky fitted the Sky Q box and satelite Mini box the only way to get a connection between the two was to run a network cable between two booster stations. There is a line of sight at both ends to the respective wi fi connection. I have in fact brought the Mini box to the main box (Within 10') using another TV have gone through the process of linking according to the menues etc. I cannot get it to link to the main box while the Huawei Router is powered up and delivering an internet signal. The main box connects to the internet but the mini box refuses to do so. If I go to the pervious Adsl Router then it reconnects albeit it is a flaky link that keeps dropping off.
I had the same issue before changing ADSL routers and had to have the engineer out and he found an issue between the router and the main box but it look like it has come back.
IS there anyone that can confirmthat the signal (internet connection) coming from this router Huawei 4g Router lite B311s-220 is the same as a n ADSL router signal.

Check that your Huawei router isn't using channel 36 on 5GHz as this will interfere with the mesh connection between the Sky Q main and Mini boxes. Also, if you can, connect your Sky Q main box by ethernet to the Huawei rather than wi-fi.

Thanks for the info! Sounds a nightmare when most people need 5Ghz bands to get any sort of throughput. Especially in flats.

My friends gave up multi room otherwise I would have had to run cat5 everywhere!!

Sarah, Thanks for the assist.
No the router is on 2.4mhz and set to auto chanel. (choice of 4)
Connecting vias ethernet will a powerline connection suit?

Powerline adapters are what a lot of people use to solve Sky Q mini connection problems. Ask around on the Sky forum for recommendations of brands that are known to work. I've seen reports that Lenovo's 1200 series do but there may be cheaper alternatives. You can always purchase online and return them if they don't work.

A lot depends on what the wiring is like in your property. I did use powerline adapters successfully in a 16th century manor in Devon. It's got granite walls up to four feet thick in places so wi-fi doesn't get very far The connection works over about forty metres.

I already have powerline connector in the form of Devolo 500mbps. I can connect the router to one by cable and the Main box via another one without any difficulty.
It looks like if I then diable the 2.4mhz wireless that it will force a 5mhz network only and should avoid the issue with the 4g router. Is that how you read it?

Do your Devolo 500 adapters have one or two ethernet ports on?

The problem isn't between the Sky Q main and the router, it's between the Sky Q main and mini.

Assuming one of your Devolos has two ports, plug the Huawei 4G router and the Sky Q main into the same powerline adapter.

Plug your Sky Q mini into the other powerline adapter where you want to use it. This should allow the main to talk to the mini via the powerline connection.

If both Devolos only have a single port you'll need to buy a small ethernet switch.

Don't worry about wi-fi at this stage. If it works, all well and good, you can then fiddle with wi-fi to suit your needs

Does any of that make sense?

Edited by caffn8me (Tue 17-Sep-19 15:29:42)

What an inspired reccomendation. I am technical enough to understand this. (just).
I turned off the 2.4 mhz wireless signal in my main box and connected the main box to my router via a powerline connection. Then I reset the boosters and reconnected them to the main box. Then went through the process of connecting the mini box again and lo and behold is has created it's own sky network at 5mhz and I have tv on the mini box.
So problem solved at least for the moment.
Thank you for all your help
Mike

In reply to a post by Mike260:

So problem solved at least for the moment.

Great!