Internet drop out, specifically with Sky Q and video calls

[Boroblue]

We have been with VM for broadband for about 3 months after having terrible problems with drop outs with our previous provider. For about 2 months, everything was brilliant. However, with no changes to our set up, our main sky q box would not stay connected to the WiFi and took hours to download a film. When looking at the connection settings on the sky q box, you could see it switching between connected and unconnected every few seconds. 

I connected using an ethernet cable and it seems OK. I do not want a cable trailing across my room though and it worked fine on WiFi for weeks so i know it can do. However, the sky q mini boxes have started the same behaviour and will not work at all if they cannot connect through the WiFi to the main box. Trying to watch anything whilst it breaks up every few seconds is impossible. Then, after an hour or two, it is fine again. Very random and very frustrating. 

On top of that, we work from home quite a lot and just recently, when on a video call, it drops out regularly (WiFi connected). Can't say for sure if it is just the video calls or whether it drops out fully because you may not notice a 5 second drop out when only browsing or emailing. 

We have reset the sky q boxes and also restarted the router. The only thing I haven't done as per your suggestions is reset the router and I don't want to do that because it took hours to reconnect the smart devices connected to it (lights, alexas and smart sockets) because they will only connect to the 2.4 ghz frequency - that is the only change I have made to the router settings to split the frequencies so that these devices will connect. 

Please can you help, this is so frustrating! 

[Client62]

Which VM Hub is involved ? ( Hub 5's are super likely to break if the Wi-Fi is modified from the default )

[Reece_MH]

Hi Boroblue 👋

Thanks for posting, and welcome to the Community Forums.

I'm sorry to hear you're experiencing some issues with your service. Whilst we can't specifically diagnose issues with independent 3rd-party devices, we can run checks on your network as a whole. I've run some checks, and can see there is a large amount of wireless interference, which can cause issues for your home devices. There are potential changes to the home environment that can improve wireless performance. You've mentioned splitting your bands, are you able to merge these back into one individual SSID? Any smart home devices should automatically connect to the right frequency.

Can you please also ensure that your Hub is:

- Out in the open

- Next to the TV not behind it

- Away from large bodies of water (e.g. fish tanks)

- Away from baby monitors and cordless phones

- Away from microwaves

Can you please also reboot your Hub by switching it off for 30 seconds and switching it back on? This will refresh the network and automatically connect to the least congested channels.

Thanks

[Boroblue]

Thank you - it's a hub 3 we have.

[Boroblue]

Thank you for your reply Reece. I will try and merge the id's again but my smart plugs and lights would not connect to it when I first got the router unless I split them, which is why I did. I will give it a go though as you suggest and I will restart the router too. 

As for its position, it is in the open and about 5 metres away from the TV. It's not near a microwave and we have no fish tank though it is relatively near to our wine rack if that could be an issue. The cordless phone is also quite near but has to be as it is plugged into it.

I will try the id and reset thing tomorrow

[Beth_G]

HI Boroblue,

Thank you for getting back to us. Yes possibly - WiFi signals cannot travel through liquid, so the signal will struggle to get through the wine rack.

Keep us posted with how it goes.

[Boroblue]

Hi Beth,

I have followed the instructions and it does seem to have sorted the issue with our Sky Q on that it does stay connected to WiFi now (or at least it has over the 2-3 days since I made the changes).

However, it had made the connection very poor on all 4 of our mobile phones (3 iphones and 1 android) in that it is very slow at times. It can be fine for a good while but then runs terribly slowly for a few minutes before rectifying itself - sometimes even doing off altogether.

This wasn't happening before I combined the two frequencies but then again sky Q wasn't working properly then - surely we should be able to have both working perfectly with a service like this? 

Thanks

Jamie

[Robert_P]

Thanks for the update Boroblue, glad to hear Beth's suggestions have gone some way to resolving the issue. From what you have advised this is wireless signal and intermittent, the problem with iPhones could be due to a number of factors, devices age, distance from the Hub, property lay out (ie walls, pipes, electrics) and other devices like fridges, microwaves, TV's. They may not always be in the direct line of the signal but when they are can impact the strength. 

We do have the Connect App which will allow you to scan each area of your property for potential issues, it can optimise these and if nothign can be done will let you order Pod's.

Let us know if this helps.

Rob

[Boroblue]

Thanks Rob. 

Unfortunately, the connect app is also extremely unreliable. It works when I am less than 1 metre from the hub but as soon as I try it in another room, it returns an error or my WiFi cuts off altogether. And I am talking about 5 meters away - we live in an average modern 3 bed semi with paper thin walls and I am literally in the next room. 

Upstairs is similar, very poor connection.

We had the hub installed in the middle of the living room on purpose - away from the TV and nowhere near the kitchen appliances. 

2 of the iPhones are less than 1 year old. 

We had no problems at all with the bt hub (and that WAS next to the tv) so this can only be an issue with the virgin hub. 

Please can you help? 

[Matthew_ML]

Thank you for letting us know when it does allow you to scan it does allow you to order a pod?

We don't actually guarantee a WIFI signal but by getting a pod this will help improve the signal.

Please let me know if it does allow you to order a pod or not. Cheers