FAQ for Sky broadband - Please read first!

[SatDish]

New update from Sky regarding the FUP and Sky Broadband Max

Click here to see the Official Sky Broadband FAQ as at 18th October 2007

July 2008: Added a new page of Contact details for Sky: How to Contact Sky (New) July 2008

Where can i get Sky Broadband
click the link Choose your own Broadband, Digital TV & Phone combination with Sky

What Sky Broadband products are available to me?

The Sky Broadband products are available to Sky TV customers only, and will depend on which area of the country you live in. Sky is rolling out its state-of-the-art network across the country as fast as we can. If you are in our Sky Broadband network area you could be in a position to select from our range of three Sky Broadband products. Register your interest at www.sky.com/broadband to find out what is available to you.

a better explanation of packages can be found here

What is the maximum download speed available to you?

Depending on where you live, our state-of-the-network allows download speeds of 2Mb, up to 16Mb.

All depending on how far you are from the exchange the further away you are the less speed you will get, you can try our ADSL Checkers here SkyUser - Tools and Tutorials Section

What are the monthly usage allowances?

In our network areas we have three Sky Broadband products to suit all types of usage needs;
Base: 2GB
Mid: 40GB
Max: Unlimited - Updated at 23/09/08

How do usage allowances work?

Your usage allowance is made up of the total amount of bandwidth you use to upload content to the Internet plus the bandwidth you use to download content from the Internet.

Why do Sky have usage allowance in place?

The main reason that Sky have usage allowances in place is to maintain the service quality on the Sky Broadband Network to all customers and prevent very small numbers of customers using all the bandwidth.

What happens if I exceed my usage allowance?

Don't worry if you go over your allowance a little bit, we won't cut you off or charge you extra. You'll only hear from us if you're much more active on the Internet every day, and frequently/constantly uploading/downloading - then we may get in touch to suggest you upgrade to Sky Broadband Mid or Max if they will suit you better.

Am I eligible to buy Sky Broadband?

You must be a Sky TV customer and have an active BT compatible Line to subscribe to any of our Sky Broadband products.

How quickly can I get it?

We are working hard to roll these services out across the country so our customers can enjoy the great value broadband. However we can?t guarantee an exact availability date because we have been inundated with requests that far surpassed our expectations. Visit www.sky.com/broadband where you can register your interest in the service and we?ll try to meet your needs as soon as we can.

What is the minimum contract length?
The customer must stay with their chosen Sky Broadband product for 12 months and with Sky TV during their Sky Broadband contract.

I'm assuming this means you will have a new 12 sky TV contract as well.

How do I cancel my contract?

The cancellation/cooling off period is eight days from the Sky Broadband Box (for self-install) or your SHS Home Installation (as applicable) and your activation date

so even once connected you get 8 days to cancel .

I already have broadband, can I cancel that and take broadband from sky?

Yes, although you should be aware that if you are in a minimum term contract with your current ISP they may have rights against you, check your current contract for details. To join Sky Broadband you need to get a MAC code from your current ISP and enter/provide it during the ordering process. MAC stands for Migration Authorisation Code and your current ISP generates it. We will use this code to synchronise the provision of your new line with the cancellation of your old line so that you should only be without broadband for a couple of hours. Please don’t get a MAC code until you hear from us that Sky Broadband is available to buy.

Will the MAC code cancel my contract and payments to my existing broadband provider?

The MAC code will only transfer your line from your existing broadband provider with minimal downtime, it will not cancel any existing contract or associated payments. Sky does not accept MAC Codes for ISP?s that use local loop unbundling (LLU) to provide you with your existing broadband service. Customers that currently use LLU must cease with their existing provider & Sky will re-provide broadband.

Please note: The big LLU providers are Bulldog, Home Choice and Be. Aol and Wanadoo do have LLU areas but the majority of which are on the BT network allowing us to ask for MAC codes.

so if your on a LLU service and its not on one of those listed providers then you will have to cancel your broadband.

How long will it take to obtain the MAC code?

Most ISP's should be able to provide you with your MAC code within 5 working days of customers requesting it.

some if you phone will give you your MAC there and then.

What if I want to end my Sky Broadband contract within my initial 12 month period?

You will need to contact our Customer Services team on 08702 40 40 40, they will explain to you the cost of cancelling your contract within the minimum terms based on your specific situation.

How do I end my Sky Broadband contract after 12 months if I want to?

You will need to contact our Customer services team on 08702 40 40 40 if you wish to end your account. The Customer Services team are available Monday - Friday 9.00am - 5pm. Please note there is a minimum Sky Broadband contract period of 12 months and you also need to keep Sky Digital throughout this period.

How do I set it up/install it?
Sky Broadband has been designed for easy-installation. You can self-install or if you want us to do it for you, we will for £50 on our Sky Broadband Base, Mid and Connect or free with our Sky Broadband Max product.

Self-install
Once you've signed up, we will send you a Sky Broadband Box. In the box you will find the Box itself and all the correct plugs and colour coded wires. You'll also get a welcome guide and the Get Set CD.

Simply insert the Get Set CD and follow the instructions and enjoy the show.

Home-install
If you don't have time or don't want help to set up Sky Broadband, that's not a problem. We've trained our Sky Engineers to install Sky Broadband as well. If you'd like to take advantage of this service, just let us know when you come to order Sky Broadband for a charge of £50 or (if you subscribe to our Max product you can get this for FREE.)

What equipment do I need to get Sky Broadband? Does it work through my Set Top Box?
No, Sky Broadband does not work through your Set Top Box. The minimum spec equipment you must have to get Sky Broadband is as follows:

A PC with Ethernet port or wireless connection. Or a Macintosh with Ethernet port or wireless connection.

One of the following Operating Systems; Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, Apple Macintosh OSx.

TCPAP network protocol installed.

An activated Sky Broadband service and the Sky Broadband Box Wireless Router plus an active compatible BT line.

What is the McAfee Security Centre?

The award-winning online security suite:

VirusScan helps protect your PC from viruses, hackers, spy ware and unwanted spam.

Privacy Service - help protect your family with easy to set up and use parental controls.

Personal Firewall Plus - help protect your family from hackers and identity thieves.

SpamKiller - help block spam and unsolicited emails.

Extras including pop-up blocker to help stop annoying, computer-slowing web adverts.

Do I have to take the McAfee Security Centre because I already have security software?

Sky recommends that you take the McAfee Security Centre, as it offers a suite protection for 12 months for PC users worth £49.98, however it is not compulsory. Mac Users can choose the Virex software worth £29.99.

How do I get McAfee Security Centre? Is it part of the installation process?

Yes you can choose to take the McAfee Security Centre during the installation process; it can be downloaded onto your PC from the Get Set CD.

Will XBox live work with Sky Broadband?

Yes it will, Sky Broadband does not block any console or any other game systems from using the internet

Will Sky Broadband be blocking any ports?

No ports are been blocked as far as we know 21/09/06

Email address's to contact Sky

Tech Support email is:

Sky have changed the email addresses that we have previously published on this website.

Their preferred way of contacting Sky over email is by a form, which sends the query to the right department.

You can find that form here

Sky.com - Customer Support>Contact Us>Kana Form

[hugsie]

For those new to ADSL, I have put together a list of terms commonly used on this board. If you have any suggestions to improve the FAQ please feel free to comment.


Attenuation: is an indication of the strength of the signal you receive. The lower the better and the faster speed you will be able to receive.

SNR: Signal to noise ratio. This is an indication of how much noise there is compared to the strength of the signal. Generally the higher the SNR the more stable your connection.
Problems arise when your SNR drops to such a level that your signal can be lost.

Syncing: is the speed at which your router connects to the exchange. Your connection cannot go any faster than the speed at which you are syncing.
Reboot When you turn your modem off and on this is known as a reboot. ADSL modems are designed to be "always on" and while you have good performance there is no need to switch your modem off

Negotiating a Sync Speed: ADSL2+ is the type of connection used by sky BB. It goes through a negotiation procedure every time you reboot your router. It negotiates with the exchange for the highest signal speed it can get, while matching a target SNR set by the ISP. The SNR target is usually between 7 and 10db. When it agrees this, your router syncs and should in theory perform at that speed minus overheads. During normal operation the router will normally only resync when you reboot. If the signal is lost completey it may resync automatically

ISPs can lower the target SNR on your connection in order to increase stability. This will result in a reduced speed.

ADSL2+: ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) is a type of Internet connection that allows you to have high-speed Internet access. ADSL2+ is an enhanced version of ADSL that potentially offers even greater speeds.

Master Socket: The master socket is the main socket in your home. It is the one which is connected to the external BT wiring as it enters your home. Newer Master sockets have a removable face plate allowing access to the BT test socket. Older Master sockets do not have this feature and have one moulded face plate. This should not be removed.

Faceplate: The removable section of a BT master socket, this can be removed to gain access to the test socket. It can also be replaced with a faceplate with a built in ADSL filter

Test Socket: Allows you to connect your ADSL connection directly into the BT wiring. Doing this can rule out or identify any problems with the wiring in your home.

Filter: A filter is a small plug that fits between the phone jack on the wall and the telephone. These plugs are used to separate the voice and data traffic into 2 separate lines and need to be fitted to every phone (this includes alarms and sky boxes connected to the phone line) in the home. If you have double sockets on your filter then plug the modem into the appropriate connection on the filter. If not the router can go into an unfiltered phone socket as the router itself soes not need to be filtered
If a filter is not used, telephone calls may be affected by interference when the ADSL2+ is connected. The ADSL2+ connection may also be affected by telephone calls.

[NewsreadeR]

Order tracking: Landline orders

If you need to know whats happening on your line look here, you do have to be registered to use it

Order Tracking

Sky web portal and login:

This has been hit or miss for a few weeks, if you are trying to log on to the Sky portal, many users are reporting that is unavailable or unresponsive.

Thread here:


Router Lock ups and reboots required:

Many users have reported constant disconnects or the need to constantly reboot the router.

Thread here: Router Freeze, Loss of Connection Possible Fix


Unable to contact Sky support:

Many users have reported unable to get through to Sky support:

Try these numbers: 08705 515515 or 08700 248933


Unable to access certain websites whilst on Sky broadband:

A long list of sites that unable to be accessed via your Sky broadband connection

Thread here: websites that dont work!


Long delays with your activation:

Many members reporting long delays whilst trying to get connected to Sky broadband

Thread here: Activation Delays


How do I setup my Sky email with Outlook or Outlook Express?

We have a guide here: http://www.skyuser.co.uk/forum/view-outlook.html


Moving from an unbundled ISP to Sky

Discussion here: Moving from an unbundled ISP to Sky


Outlook receives email OK but gives an "unknown user" error message when sending to any other email address other than your own.

Thread here: Outlook receives OK but sending gives error


How do i get my Sky router stats?

Thread here: http://www.skyuser.co.uk/forum/view-routerstats.html


I cannot log into the Sky Portal

Thread here: POP,SMTP help.


Firewalls and possible router problems

Thread here: Sky Broad - The "good", the BAD and the UGLY


Want to know when your exchange is going to be LLUed

Email this address: enquiries@easynet.com with the name of the exchange produced a next day reply


Can I flash the firmware on my router?

Yes you can, however it is against the T and C's that you agreed to when you signed up, and we do not allow discussions on this to take place regarding this subject. However there is a guide available on this site, if you would like to see if it is possible.


Do I have to use the Sky router?

Yes is the official answer


Error Codes Explained

Error 100 = No Sync possible fix, plug into the master socket with a new filter or try the test socket if you have one. If this doesn't work ring TS for more help.

Error 200 = Can't Authenticate possible fix, try rebooting the router by pushing a pen or something into the reset button, if this doesn't work ring TS for more help.

Error 300 = No IP address possible fix, try rebooting the router by pushing a pen or something into the reset button if this fails turn it off for an hour, if you still get error 300 ring TS for more help.


What are the different levels of support?

Tier 1 - Basic assistance, set up and faults eg microfilter issues firewalls etc. tests can be done on the line to determine speed and port status etc. and the tone test.

Tier 2 -escalated tickets for bt issues or browsing issues and tone test failure. not solved by tier 1 and limited line tinkering abilities.

Tier 3 - full exchange abilities and changing of all the settings to do with your line and speed for major issues and important ticket issues etc.

[NewsreadeR]

Please add the relevant information to this post and we will edit the op to include and then delete your post

Thank you

[Rothesay]

I note that Windows 2000/XP is a minimum requirement for using Sky Broadband. Apparently I was told this before I signed up but I certainly don't recall that. In any case, I am (still) using 98SE - can I use the kit/service or do I need to do some upgrading? I managed to use Telewest 2Mb/s broadband no problem on the same setup.

Can I just go ahead and use it anyway? Do I need extra drivers? Or (gulp) do I need a new OS/PC?

[Wheelie]

I wouldn't think it wouldn't be a problem as long as you have a working Ethernet or Wireless connection as the router doesn't need to be installed just plugged in to the filer and connected to the phone.

[grumsta]

They probably insist on 2000/XP for three reasons:

1. Less OS to train their helpdesk staff on

2. There's no real support for wireless in W9x

3. The AV package shipped isn't supported in W9x

As long as the OS supports TCP/IP you will get connected okay.

[sal100]

Possibly Also because microsoft no longer support win 98, 98 se and ME. So these op systems would be out of sky's tech support scope?

[NewsreadeR]

removed the freephone number to FAQ

[plague]

Hi there,

I moved to a new house and I was considering getting Sky Broadband since I am already a Sky customer. Apparently my exchange is far from my house and BT said they can only provide 3.5MB max through my phone line. Would this have any affect on what my Broadband capability will be if I get Sky Broadband? Does Sky Broadband require BT Line and work only in the bandwidth of my BT Line? If anyone knows about this, please let me know so that I can make a clear decision on whether to go forward or not.

Thanks
Plague