Sky Broadband Reviews
by julie-haworth@sky.com
at 20:59 on 2 Mar 2010
by James Brown
at 14:32 on 28 Nov 2009
p.s My local Exchange is Wapping-London Report abuse
by Nigel Ayers
at 23:33 on 27 Nov 2009
Tel staff also useless Report abuse
by els
at 16:42 on 24 Nov 2009
by Xaras | registered | 2 posts
at 21:41 on 19 Nov 2009
My download speeds are under 0.5Mb during peak times, I understand that during peak times my speed will be slower, but 1/20th of what you are paying for is not acceptable any way you look at it.
I live less than half a mile from the BT exchange - honestly i could throw a stone from my front door and just about hit it, at 2am on a saturday night I can get speeds of 6.5-7.5Mb so its nothing to do with line quality or distance from the exchange, sky tech support said themselves its down to BTs traffic shaping during peak times.
The "UP TO" statement is fair enough but if I may use an analogy if I buy an 8 ounce steak I know that when cooked it will weigh less than advertised, but if it weighed 0.5 ounces when it was served to me I would deem that unacceptable. There are limits companies can stretch their advertising.
What makes it even more sickening is that whilst BT are picking and chosing the speeds Sky broadband customers are getting I know people on BT broadband that are getting a more reasonable peak time speed of 3-4Mb whilst im on a measly 0.5Mb!. I am not unreasonable, I would have no issue with speeds on 3-4Mb during peak times - half the speed I am paying for seems more than accommodating on my part. Report abuse
by Xaras | registered | 2 posts
at 21:21 on 19 Nov 2009
When I phoned tech support they informed me that during peak times (between 5pm and 11pm the fastest download speed I can expect is around the 1Mb mark - despite me paying for 10Mb speed, they also told me that they were at the mercy of BT and could do nothing to help me.
I tried to contact their Customer Relations team for which there is no telephone number you have to write them a letter or fax them (I only got the fax number after ringing around all the various sky departments trying to get a resolve - tech support, cancellations, sales). I faxed them on the 14th November and am still waiting for a response.
A tech support team that are unable to help you with such a basic technical problem as slow connection speeds, a sales team that hides all the facts from you when conning you into a contract with them, a customer relation dept that you cannont contact or just plain dont want to relate to their customers and a service run by their major competitors - This is what you can expect when you sign up to Sky broadband.
Such a shame because the couple of years I have subscribed to Sky TV I have had little problem .... lulled me into a false belief that Sky were actually a good choice. Steer well clear. Report abuse
by Liam
at 00:40 on 17 Nov 2009
Like i say, can not play new COD MW2,150 pings...
seriously, i have been on a few isps, and the old 56k is better for gaming. Dont say i didnt warn you
You really need to contact Infinity Ward about that as it's a problem with the game not your ISP, Ask them to Reduce you Net Delay as this should help. Report abuse
by damian
at 20:40 on 15 Nov 2009
Like i say, can not play new COD MW2,150 pings...
seriously, i have been on a few isps, and the old 56k is better for gaming. Dont say i didnt warn you.
Report abuse
by William Hill
at 12:21 on 28 Oct 2009
by jonathan roberts
at 15:38 on 12 Oct 2009
No I signed up in august, took them three weeks to put the tv in.
The +box locks up freezes reboots or simply cuts out on live pause or recorded stuff.
They asked me to delete all recordings and it would work.
then i wanted a new provide phone line it took them till october 5th to arrange bt to come and fit the phone line saying broadband would be on the same day.
No I had to call them, they promised it would be with me a day or so after , no luck there.
I had no paperwork mailed with even my telephone number, i had to ring them up and ask what it would be.
They claimed letters had been sent, none arrived, i had to call nother three times to get the tc's n c's letter about my phone, and the broadand service .
They were full of excuses and appologies, Now I am a computer engineer, I setup routers so asked tobe given my username and password to access the dsl , they refused. despite my adsl signal coming on last wed (bt are quick) , I called thursday and was told router was being sent fri, to arrive sat, sat came no router, i called, they said it hadnt been sent a special team needed to ring me as they had issues (dont i know it), they gave me free movie channels to shut me up today no router , i had called this mornign to be told by sky the post office had got it yesterday at 7am, when i called the post office they told me sky hadnt even sent it till today and it will be several more days before the router arrives.
Its cost me another months subscription to my current mobile system, which to be fair is supplied by three (who despite the common thing about indian call centres being rubbish are not -
They are helpfull friendly and do their job!) I get 15mb a month and 3.6 mb download speed, the issue is i need more bandwith and allowance something they cant do hence going to sky.
plus i wanted a landline phone , this being a new house bt wanted 160 quid to install a line sky did it cheap.
But i have to agree with folk on here, dont touch sky with a bargepole. I tried to talk to a supervisor who was absolutley no use at all didnt even say sorry for the endless delays and poor service. she said she'd b*****k the guys who told me the info in the first place, i said why it isn't their fault! Report abuse
by Dave
at 00:44 on 27 Sep 2009
by Míceál
at 11:04 on 20 Sep 2009
The total cost of all this is £26/month. Previously I was paying £17.58/month for Tesco 500kbps internet, £11.50/month for BT line rental and £25.00/month for Talk Talk phone package.
As you can see I have halfed my costs but I'm quite worried by some of the feedback on this site. I think it's just pot luck as if you think Sky customer services (CS) are crap, try Talk Talk. I've even had a call from Talk Talk on a listed scam number trying to sell me different packages and when I reported it to Talk Talk they said IT WAS them calling officially!?!?!
Talk Talk were abominable. Absolutely abominable! Report abuse
by John smith
at 14:55 on 18 Sep 2009
their "unlimited" package is truly unlimited with no fair use policy and speed restrictions and is ideal for the heavy user and gamer.
was with Virgin media and after a few days was restricted to a quarter of my regular download speed and was so frustrated; why advertise "unlimited" broadband when you clearly do not have the means do provide the full service? Report abuse
by Mike
at 22:08 on 13 Sep 2009
by JAFFA 1991
at 21:09 on 11 Sep 2009
Supper fast Britain with award wining Sky and you can,t get much closer to the exchange as it only 1.2 miles away - yes, just over a mile! Report abuse
by Linda Fitzgerald
at 23:02 on 10 Sep 2009
the speeds vary from excellent to low in seconds and then disconnect. Sky customer service is crap - You are also supposed to be able to fill out a complaints form online and it wont submit the form!.... so you then phone and cant understand the Scottish accents....(sorry to Scottish people) but whats the old saying "patience is a virtue" Sky have tested my patience to the limit! How can I get out of a contract? Report abuse
by liam wilson | registered | 2 posts
at 23:15 on 4 Sep 2009
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With computers many factors can cause a problem, Wireless connections are always going to be slower than a wired connection, you can stand next your router and get a crap speed then move away into another room and it can speed up, this is a problem with wireless connections, and all routers have this so being near the router isn't always the answer.
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As I said in my post distance to Router doesn't mean anything.
BT offers as far as Ive heard a good wireless router, but speaking as an Avid Gamer(I have been playing online games for years) if you are using a Wireless connection you really need someone to slap some sense into you, Wireless Connections for Online Gaming is rubbish and for gaming a hard wired connection should be used hekp with Lag.
The PS3 Network is poor at best and having loads of Wireless players in your game aint gonan help/
Make your Kids happy get them a Wired Connection.
Other routers can be used on teh SKY Network you just need to get your username/password, a simple google search will show you how to get it from your Router, but you may find your Tiscali Router is also locked.
The BT router you get when you subscribe to their Broadband is pretty rubbish, but BT sell routers of a better quality that can be used, I personally used a BT router I bought for many years and had no problems until it died 1 day, but I got about 5 or 6 years out of it so I can't complain. Report abuse
by David | registered | 1 post
at 23:46 on 2 Sep 2009
At no point does anyone tell you that you can only use the sky router which is totally usless for online gaming. When it does manage to find signal from the router the ps3 shows a signal strength of just 9%. The two are no more than25 ft apart.Connection is intermitent. When i contacted sky technical suport they said it was a problem with the ps3 and should contact their technical dept, i replyed that the system worked fine with my previous supplyer and that the fault was with their inferior service. I then requested a contact number where i could make a complaint about the quality of the service supplied, only to be told they dont have a customer complaints dept. Very convenient. How many other sky customers out there are suffering the same poor inferior coverage and service?
My advice to any one considering sky as a broadband supplyer is to think again.
I now have an inferior sevice compared to my previous suppler and 2 disgruntled kids unable to game on line with friends Report abuse
by Jake
at 23:50 on 31 Aug 2009
by liam wilson | registered | 2 posts
at 00:00 on 31 Aug 2009
Problem 1:My Internet is Slow
Answer:
Slow internet can be caused by many factors and in most cases are not controled by the ISP.
Yes an ISP can Cap you, with a cable connection you can uncap it yourself for insane speeds but you will get your account banned, Ive looked at many computers with slow connection problems only to find out the user has more or less visited every porn site on the web and seems to download anything that says click here to download therefore filling there computer up with that much Spyware and Virusues that Im suprised they can even get online,(Do a Virus and malware Scan and get a good anti-trojan which is something folks never seem to do, please be aware a Virus and Trojan are 2 different things).
Over time your computer will slow down and things will go wrong, bit like a human when old age starts to kick in, theres a load of Apps out there that are meant to fix this i.e. registry cleaners ot tune up utilities, these programmes rarely fix it completely, the only thing that will sort this is a Windows re-install.
About every 6 months you should be looking at installing windows again to sort it out.
Problem 2:Software won't install
Answer:
First of all the software you get with the Router does not really need installed unless you are using a USB Connection, your ISP gives you a dedicated line unlike the old Modem days, just plug teh router into teh phone line and put the Ethernet Cable in.
If the software won't install there may be a problem with the disc or there may be a problem with your computer.
The disc you are given is the same as everyone else so if they can install it then so can you, you will need to check your hardware i.e. CD/DVD Drive to make sure it still works, try the disc on a different computer to see if it works there, if the disc fails on another computer then the disc is bad get another 1 from your provider.
If the disc works on another computer then your computer is the problem, if your computer hardware checks out to be Ok then the problem lies with Windows(ive seen this many a time).
You can mess about trying to sort this but to be a honest a Windows Re-Install is probally the best way to go as there is a good chance WIndows seems to have got its knickers in a twist somewhere and god only knows what it is doing(yes Windows isn't perfect).
Problem 3: I have subcribed to the 8mb Version but I only get 1
Answer
OK this is an easy 1, no ISP claims to give you a set speed they only offer you a speed upto 8mb, UPTO being the main word here.
For example they may say speeds upto 8mb and you are getting 512kb, the ISP never said you were getting 8mb they only said the product can go upto 8mb, the speed you get is different for each person as the speed is determined by how far you stay from the Exchange, if say the Exchange is next door to you getting 8mb is not a problem but if the Exchange is 5 miles down the road you will get lower speeds.
To solve this problem sell your house and move nearer the Exchange, there is no other way round this so complaining will make no difference and since all ISP's use teh same Exchanges you will get the same speeds from them all.
Also try rebooting the router this can fix slow speeds.
Problem 4: Some apps wont connect i.e. Messenger Peer to Peer programmes
Answer
Check your Firewall and make sure the correct ports are open, for Peer to Peer make sure Unpnp is turned on.
Problem 5: Connection Drops
Answer
Pretty common this 1 with loads of ISP's, reboot your Router, SKY did have an issue with this in the past but seemed to have got it sorted.
Problem 6: My ISP's tech support is poor
Answer
Welcome to the real world, tech support is generally poor as the tech you speak to has to go through a list of things to do, you hate it and in most cases the tech will hate it but at the end of the day thats what he is told to do.
If the tech cannot resolve the problem(there is only so many things that can go wrong)then the problem will be with the Line itself or your computer.
Problem 7: The router they gave me is rubbish and I can't use my own
Answer
All routers you get from ISP's suck, no ISP will give you a top of the range router, a bit like McDonalds don't give you the finest beef in your Big Mac they give you the crap thats left when the good meat has been taken away, you can use your own Router and you won't get banned for this, getting you username and password is easy just google it.
I used a router I bought for years on many different ISP's with no problem, it just takes you looking about the net a bit to see how to do it.
With computers many factors can cause a problem, Wireless connections are always going to be slower than a wired connection, you can stand next your router and get a crap speed then move away into another room and it can speed up, this is a problem with wireless connections, and all routers have this so being near the router isn't always the answer.
if more than 1 computer is on your network you will get a slow down as the juice is being spread over a number of computers, getting a different router will make no differnce neither will changin ISP, this is just something you need to live with.
Every ISP has it's problem I personally use the £5 a Month SKY Deal and I have no real problems but then again I am trained and know how computers work so I have no problem in finding a problem and fixing it, my Sister is with BT and she pays £24.99 a month for the same service I get.
I see folks saying go with BT, I would argue against this as BT will try and thob you off with some stupid excuse when a problem crops up, I personally spent 9 months telling BT there is a problem with my Line a few years back, BT's answer was to keep sending me new Routers I got sent 4 router in total, despite me telling the guy I had diagnosed the problem, also BT will try and refuse to give you your MAC Code, they can't do this by law.
In the end I said my line was poor quality when I was using the phone, a few days later an engineer came out and told me there was a breakage on the line, and the line was at fault, BT wouldn't believe me when I told them this despite me being more qualified and technical than there techs, 9 months on and my Net finally worked problem free.
A lot of the posts I read here are a few years old and SKY did have teething problem at teh start but to be honest for £5 a month Im more than happy, All ISP's are the same there will be problems and you will call tech support and leave feeling nothing has been sorted but at this point it is up to you to push tech support and also try and fix the problem if it is at your end.
My advice to everyone I speak to about computers is the same, keep your computer up to date through Windows Update along with keeping your Drivers update at all times,
get a good Virus scanner, Kaspersky and NOD32 are the best you will get, if you use Norton like most do then Bin it and get a real Anti-Virus, if you can't afford to buy 1 there are a few good free ones out there AVG and AntiVir are pretty good,
Check for SpyWare I use Malwarebytes I find this a good utility and its free alough there is a few free Anti-Spyware ones out there.
Get a firewall and configure it, if you don't know how read the instructions, you can buy 1 or just download a free 1 like Zonealarm which isn't that bad.
Surf Safely, there is a good few dodgy websites that will install malicious software on you system without you knowing, stick to the safer websites. Report abuse
by paul
at 23:43 on 25 Aug 2009
looks i be mac coding again when contract is up and moving to a reliable and faster service. Report abuse
by Bev
at 20:07 on 21 Aug 2009
by Becca
at 16:32 on 12 Aug 2009
by C Sutherland
at 22:50 on 14 Jul 2009
Sky's traffic shaping is a joke, they always blame BT despite on their own website Sky say they use traffic shaping.
Speeds are awful. Want to do online gaming forget it, like to watch youtube etc? forget it, anything Sky deem as bandwidth intensive is throttled to death!
Save yourself hassle & stay well away Report abuse
by Andy | registered | 1 post
at 19:59 on 13 Jul 2009
All I can say is that if you are thinking of getting Sky Broadband - FORGET IT and forget it quickly. Let them stick to TV pics.
We have now had a problem for nearly 2 months with BB dropping off every couple of hours which is crushingly annoying when you are linked into your office or working remotely. Their so called Technical Support is an absolute joke and pretty much stacks up as follows:
Level 1 - Go straight to level 2
Level 2 - '...is the little green light shining on the box?
Level 3 - ...oooooh, sorry, did nobody call you back again...
We have been at Level 3 for weeks and so far we have spent a small fortune trying to get things sorted with their team. It is hassle you just wont need and after Level 3 there is nowhere else to go apart from selecting an alternative provider, which is exactly what you should do if considering Sky for BB.
Sky BB is great if it is working but when you hit a snag, and you will with these things, the whole thing decends into farce as you grapple with their totally useless customer support system (I use 'system' quite loosely).
If you want good BB, go to the professionals and leave Sky well alone. Report abuse
by Pete
at 23:50 on 7 Jul 2009
It is possible to determine your user name and password to allow the use of a different router [edited: you can search for how to do this online, but it will breach your Sky terms and conditions which could lead to suspension of your service]. Report abuse
by Kelly
at 17:30 on 26 Jun 2009
by kail
at 16:06 on 11 Jun 2009
There are plenty of sites that allow you enter your Post Code or Phone Number (land line) & find out what speed you can "sensibly" expect to get. So, do your home work first before you buy anything. Researching the technology will also help.. if you're looking to buy a 16Mb service do NOT expect to actually get 16Mb (it is almost impossible). So, if you're rejecting providers on this basis.. you'd better get used to disappointment.
I'm using Sky Max & I get a maximum download of 8Mb, which is better than the exchange or Sky's estimates. A peak times this can, and does, drop to anywhere between 4-6Mb.. but, that is to expected. If you're not expecting this then you are going to be severely disappointed. But, to be clear, this disappointment is really coming from your lack of understanding of what you're trying to buy.
PS I agree that Sky's Customer Services could do with some major improvements. Report abuse
by Singa
at 14:47 on 29 May 2009
Never had any problems with the internet as 2Mb is the max speed for my area.
But I do remember having a connection problem when I first set up the broadband.
I called the Tech support which were no help as they told me to move my PC nearer to the main telephone exchange - great as this is in my hall way and I use a desktop and wireless laptop' anyway as they only follow a script and if your problem is not on their script the only answer they have is 'Computer says no' or 'move nearer the main telephone exchange'
I manage to resolve the problem myself with a simple reboot which their support guys didn't even advised specially after installing their new software. 'More training needed for the tech guys'
My SKY+ box also needs to be rebooted whenever new software is downloaded automatically from Sky - haven't spoke to SKY yet about this issue but has anyone else had this issue? Report abuse
by bill
at 13:54 on 6 May 2009
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