Can't login to Smart Hub 2 over Ethernet but Wifi works!

[Phil_H]

The Sky ADSL Router that I see in Network on my Win 11 PC is my own Sky Box as the SSID matches what the Sky Q Box tells me. I can also see the BT Hub if WiFI is ON. Only the Sky Router shows up if WiFi is OFF.

When I double-click on the Sky ADSL Router icon it launches this browser:

The Win 11 PC is listed in the Devices connected list. Presumably it picked up it's (incorrect) IP address when I still had the powerline adaptors connected so that's why it shows up in Network even though there is no Ethernet connection via powerline or direct cable to the Sky Box now? I can't seem to get it to use the BT Hub DHCP for Ethernet, while the WiFi  connection continues to work as it should.

[naylor2006 · Accepted solution]

The Sky Q Box has its own 5Ghz network which it uses to for what was once called, 'Multi-room', I forget what its called now, mini boxes or something....

Instead of having a dish with a giant LNB running two coaxial cables to every box around the house to give those boxes satellite, the Sky Q box can beam TV to the other boxes over its own private WIFI. For that WIFI to work there will of course be a DHCP server in the Sky Q box to assign IP's to the mini boxes, this way they can be on their own private network.

Apparently you can use these Sky boxes as WIFI hotspots also, all sounds a bit messy to me but whilst Sky Q uses its own backhaul WIFI to talk to the other boxes (which I dont know if you have or not) it avoids bogging down your WIFI. 

Anyway, turn off hotspots for sure as per below:

How to enable WiFi Hotspots for non-Sky Broadband lines | Sky Help | Sky.com | Sky Help | Sky.com

In normal operation connecting the Sky Box to ethernet via powerlines should not have an issue unless those powerlines are potentially picking up something from next door if they have sky.

Anyway, disable Sky hot spot, get rid of powerlines (they are burgers anyway) and just connect the Sky Box to your BT Wifi.

[Phil_H]

Hi Phil,

I had just got there ahead of you! Once I found the Sky box login, I turned off the Wifi access point and after a few attempts to renew the IP, my Win11 PC is finally talking over Ethernet to my BT Hub and getting it's IP from 192.168.1.254 - hoo-flipping-ray!!!

I do indeed have a Sky Mini Box beside my PC but it's connected via the Ethernet switch, at least I think it is, I'm not sure of any of this any more! I rarely use it in any case.

By the way the powerline adaptors are back 😊 so the main Sky Box can access the Internet via them as I think WiFi is a bit slow. If I do get any more bother I know I can ditch them and get the Sky Box to connet to the BT Hub via WiFi.

Many thanks buddy - you have been so helpful. I thought I was going nuts as I couldn't figure out what was going on.

🎸Phil.

[naylor2006]

Great news, btw I think even the smaller boxers can act as hotspots also, I think the point is they can all help boost your own network but via their SSID, probably a bit more seamless if you are already with Sky for broadband also. Point is, make sure its switched off there too.

I think so long as you switch off the hot spots on all the boxes you should be okay now, unless there is some spooky thing going on with the powerlines because we cant forget that Ookla was mentioning you were using Sky, I thought it detects this via your external IP, so this would indeed mean you were connecting to another network, a Sky one, not just Sky hotspots in your home but literally a completely different network.

[Phil_H]

Yeah, the ookla result is very puzzling. I assumed they had deduced my ISP from the IP address?

[naylor2006]

Yeah, pretty sure it does.

What might be happening is that, and I’m not sure if this is the right technical terms but….the internets could be transferring between the electricals 🤔