Sky Broadband Connect and On Demand issues - advice required

[Jontod]

Hi All,



Hopefully someone can help me with this and please forgive me for my lack of technical knowledge.

About 4 weeks ago our Sky Connect broadband started slowing down. We noticed that it was taking 4 days to download from on demand. Then the broadband stopped altogether. No on demand and no internet via mobile or laptop.



We’ve rung Sky innumerable times and received an ethernet cable and a microfilter. Eventually they sent out a BT engineer who fixed some connectivity issues from the exchange. That was after they had us unscrewing the phone sockets!! Internet is now running ok, however on demand is still as poor/non-existent as it’s recently been.

We’ve suspected for some time the Sagem router has fallen over but Sky want to charge us £70+VAT for the privilege of a new one. No way are we paying that.



So what are my options:

• We can threaten to cancel everything (sky sports HD, phone and broadband) in the hope they’ll send us a new router for free. And we will cancel if they call our bluff cos the customer service has been pants!;
• Cancel broadband only and move to a new supplier. Presumably we can go with BT or Plusnet (for example) and still access on demand??
  
  
• ??

As I say look forward to hearing some advice. Thanks Jonathan

[Saturday]

Sky Connect is a re-badged BT service and it is frankly, quite appalling. Sky sell it when they are unable to provide their own BB. If they can't provide you with their own BB then there is a reasonable possibility that your exchange isn't "unbundled" or has no spare capacity, which means that other suppliers would also be selling their version of Sky Connect and you would be no better off.

If you threaten to cancel you won't get offered a free router but you may get a discounted one for £20. It is possible but I doubt your problem is down to your Sagem unless you are connecting your Sky box wirelessly and there's a wifi problem, either with the router itself or interference/setup issues.

Two things to suggest:

1. go to samknows and see who can provide non BT Connect BB (look for LLU after their name) at your exchange. Then call them and ask for a speed estimate for their service.
2. Have a look in our Cabling and Faceplate help forum and read up on how to improve your wiring. It would also help if you posted your router connection stats here and someone would be able to offer further advice.

Ultimately you really need to get off Sky Connect, either to another supplier or move to fibre. However, if you have wiring issues these also need to be sorted.

[Scubbie]

Also if FTTC is available you can easily upgrade to Sky Fibre Unlimited.

[Jontod]

Hi - just an update in case its useful info to anyone out there.

We had to threaten to leave Sky in order to resolve the problem; namely getting a discounted router. In the end they gave us one for free and 10% off our TV package for 12 mths.

Router arrived at weekend and our BB and On Demand is working perfectly!

Ta to the two posters for their advice.

Jonathan