SKYQ powerline

looks like the SKYQ power line service has started to roll out. It is now available as a configuration option on my SKYQ router and SKY Silver box. Not sure if I will convert from Wifi to Powerline yet

I've been using powerline for years. Much better in my view and never let me down.

Is there anything you haven't used?

Does WiFi work well for you? If so I would leave the current setup in play.

In my home powerline drops out and is slower than wireless AC so I get no benefit from it.

Remember SkyQ powerlines are an integral part of the hybrid mesh network http://www.wi-fi360.com/airties-can-finally-talk-ope...

yes and the sky power line only talks to other sky power line equipment. I have switched this on, on the router (off by default). Need to see if there is an option now on the SKYQ box or if it is automatic.

Looks like sky are slowly switching services on, checking stability at each phase. As an example the sky-mini connection into the skyq box was very fragile at the start with the skyq box stopping to respond to the mini. After a few firmware updates of the skyq box this looks to have been fixed.

Apart from the fact you'll be lucky to get more than 60mb/s

Until my fibre connection dropped from 72 Mbps to 54 Mbps I could get 69 Mbps across a couple of Solwise AV500 plugs and across ring mains as well.

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

Remember SkyQ powerlines are an integral part of the hybrid mesh network http://www.wi-fi360.com/airties-can-finally-talk-ope...

We have just moved from Sky HD TV to Sky Q, (less than 7 days ago), we also moved our broadband from BT Infinity 2 to Sky Fibre and I have a few queries regarding the Sky Powerline system.

Firstly; is the Sky Powerline system now operational ?

Second; is the Sky Powerline system likely to be fully compatible with the existing homeplugs that we already have on our home network ?

Thirdly; if the Sky Powerline system had been and/or is about to be enabled should we not have been issued with Sky Powerline plugs that we could use with the Sky powerline system ?

Since the 200Mbps homeplugs that we presently have are about 10 years old and one of the original four was removed from the system when it became defective, (a few months ago), we had been considerring updating them and buying four new 600Mbps homeplugs but the Sky Powerline option make that decision more difficult.

We would probably want to use the Sky Powerline system as soon as it is available but we are concerned that it could affect the existing homeplugs or visa versa.

When we asked the guy who installed the new Sky Q a few days ago about switching on the Sky Powerlines he said that they were not to be used yet but he did not seem to be very competent.

We then asked about providing and leaving us with more Sky Homeplugs for us to use after the switch on and he said that he would but he did not leave any before he rushed off. - We understand that the Sky Q Box and the Sky Q Mini Box uses its own power lead for Sky Powerline purposes but we want to continue to use homeplugs/powerlines for our other devices after the Sky Powerline system is switched on.

Does Sky supply separate powerline adapted for other devices in the home for use after the powerline switch on date ?

I was not at all impressed by the guy that sky sent to install Sky Q, (who is apparently the local Sky Q man for our area), as he seemed to have very limited technical ability, therefore, I have a few other queries regarding wireless such as the apparent need to keep always WPS switched on, (even after all the boxes are set up and linked wirelessly). - Why does WPS always have to be switched on ?

The Sky installation guy did not show us anything before he left. He was rushing and said that he was behind time and was obviously really struggling to get the Sky Q Mini Box to link with the main box, (which is actually located in a position 15 foot away from the router in a nearby room), in spite of the monsterous, huge, WHITE, (bigger than the mini box), WIFI booster box in the hall.

He said that we could not replace this unsightly WIFI Booster with a smaller, (eg. Netgear), dual band wireless AC booster that you can get from Amazon as that would be incompatible with the Sky Q system and that we could not connect the Mini Box to one of our homeplugs instead. As soon as he left, we plugged in a homeplug Ethernet cable to the Mini Box and we unplugged the unsightly Sky Q WIFI booster and the Mini Box was even happier. - Can we use a standard dual band WIFI booster ?

After he had left we realised that he had not shown us the new system and we had to work out how the system operated after he left and the first thing that we noticed was that the pictures stank in comparison to older 2 TB Sky HD Box which had great picture quality. - We corrected most of the picture resolution issues ourselves by switching the picture settings on the main box from 1080i to 2060P-10-bit and from 1080i to 1080P for the Sky Q Mini Box. etc..

Kindly advise regarding the Sky powerlines and the other queries.

Regards,
Fido

Firstly; is the Sky Powerline system now operational ?
Believe so

Second; is the Sky Powerline system likely to be fully compatible with the existing homeplugs that we already have on our home network ?
Should cause no issues if existing kit is AV2 standard, but may slow down other kit not to that standard.

Thirdly; if the Sky Powerline system had been and/or is about to be enabled should we not have been issued with Sky Powerline plugs that we could use with the Sky powerline system ?
My understanding was that the Sky Powerline is all about linking Sky Hub with Sky Q and Sky Q mini boxes, rather than a generic plug solution. Believe the spare Ethernet ports can be used on the Q mini once they are linked wirelessly or via the powerline.

On which wireless the minis work with, have not seen one to see what configuration control you have.

Mesh systems are all great in theory, but of the ones I've seen if they work fine, but many hide configuration options to make things simpler but when you go for non-standard mixtures of kit this can raise issues.

1st Q: Yes it is available, but only if the router/SkyQ hubs have the correct firmware to allow you to switch it on. Mine came live about 6 weeks ago.
2nd Q: It is compatible, but SKY have set their own password so your power line devices can not talk to the SKY powerline devices. They operate in parallel. So you actually have 2 parallel powerline services working in your home. I have used this same config for 6 weeks and have not noticed any difference.
3rd q: the way I am reading this is the SKY powerline network is a "private" network and for now you can not use your own or a possible SKY powerline device (which is not available or being discussed at all on the boards). The SKY powerline devices are connected inside the router/box devices and for now are just to allow them to talk to each other to make the internet functions of SKYQ work.

Firstly: Sky haven't officially announced that the powrline function has been released despite the return of the configuration option on the hub.

Second: I do have it enabled and I have noticed a slight drop in speed on my AV 500 network

Third: The powerline "kit" is built into the Q hub, Q box and minis so no external powerline plugs are required. The Q powerline network is set up as a private network and, as Batboy says, is an integral part of the AirTies system that connects the hub and boxes and as such can not be used by non-Sky devices.

Thanks to all who replied and thank you for the information regarding the powerlines/homeplug compatibilities.

With regard to WPS; the Sky Q Installation guy said that WPS had to be kept switched on, (all of the time, even after all the boxes are set up and linked wirelessly), does anyone know if WPS always has to be switched on or can WPS be switched off ?

when I switched it off, the SKYQ mini could no longer connect to the SKYQ silver box. When I switched WPS back on (I do not use it) the service burst into life.

In reply to a post by jb66:

Apart from the fact you'll be lucky to get more than 60mb/s

With the powerline OFF all seemed to be OK and via wireless I was getting a fairly steady 37 Mbps.

I switched the powerline ON, (via the router which resulted in a reboot), and the wireless speed dropped by over 30% to less than 24 Mbps.

I decided to switch the powerline back OFF, (via the router), but no reboot occurred and the wireless speed stayed around 24Mbps.

I pushed the reset button, (on the rear of the router), and it came back at 37 Mbps.

I have no idea if the powerline is worse or is better but the wireless speed did seem to be much worse when the powerline is switched on.

Regards,
Fido

That's not uncommon power line is sometimes slower and drops out (like in my home).

5Ghz WiFi is pretty good especially when you have a decent signal.

Stick to what works best for you.