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Old 27-12-2016, 20:03
tdenson
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Just installed this yesterday, and so far v impressed. It is BT's version of Google wifi - same mesh network concept.
Dead easy to install and it "just works". I have quite a large house, 3 hotspots, 200Mbit VM broadband and am getting 150Mbits + on my phone all over house. Single SSID but always connects to the best hotspot (which doesn't necessarily mean the closest - if that is congested it will connect to another one) and other clever things.
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Old 28-12-2016, 12:44
Clem
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Interesting. Any product links/details please?

Cheers, Clem
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Old 28-12-2016, 14:17
SkipTracer
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For 300 quid I’d expect it to make the tea as well.

https://www.shop.bt.com/products/bt-...Fe0y0wodF1AGYg
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Old 28-12-2016, 15:22
aurichie
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For 300 quid I’d expect it to make the tea as well.

https://www.shop.bt.com/products/bt-...Fe0y0wodF1AGYg
It can do that too if you have a smart kettle. I have a smart toaster too all connected to my Sky Q mesh network. BT's offering looks well overpriced and probably won't perform any better than what Sky Q delivers.
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Old 28-12-2016, 15:43
Maccadanny
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It can do that too if you have a smart kettle. I have a smart toaster too all connected to my Sky Q mesh network. BT's offering looks well overpriced and probably won't perform any better than what Sky Q delivers.
Nothing performs better than your beloved Sky does it?
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Old 28-12-2016, 16:12
moox
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It can do that too if you have a smart kettle. I have a smart toaster too all connected to my Sky Q mesh network. BT's offering looks well overpriced and probably won't perform any better than what Sky Q delivers.
The BT system works regardless of ISP or router. That alone is a massive plus over Sky's version, which requires you use their broadband and TV services and their god awful router.

The BT system also appears to handle seamless roaming between APs. I don't know if the Sky system does this.
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Old 28-12-2016, 16:44
aurichie
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Nothing performs better than your beloved Sky does it?
In terms of ISP-supplied equipment, Sky Q is easily rated among the very best.

The BT system works regardless of ISP or router. That alone is a massive plus over Sky's version, which requires you use their broadband and TV services and their god awful router.

The BT system also appears to handle seamless roaming between APs. I don't know if the Sky system does this.
BT wireless equipment is notoriously buggy and unreliable. The BT Care forum is flooded with complaints about their latest Smart Hub router, and BT Home Hub 4 and 5 have had similar problems with dodgy firmware upgrades that you cannot opt out of and never get fixed. I think you'd have to be crazy to waste £300 on BT mesh network hardware given their lousy track record.

BT has so little faith in their own wireless networking gear that they will not let you use wifi for the BT TV service. You have to hard wire to the router.
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Old 28-12-2016, 16:52
moox
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In terms of ISP-supplied equipment, Sky Q is easily rated among the very best.
On the aurichie ISP equipment index maybe.

BT wireless equipment is notoriously buggy and unreliable. The BT Care forum is flooded with complaints about their latest Smart Hub router, and BT Home Hub 4 and 5 have had similar problems with dodgy firmware upgrades that you cannot opt out of and never get fixed. I think you'd have to be crazy to waste £300 on BT mesh network hardware given their lousy track record.
Pick any router, you'll find a "flood" of complaints about it somewhere. The most recent issues (chromecasts and windows 10) have affected routers from multiple vendors.

Still, unlike Sky, BT doesn't actively try to stop you from using your own router if you so wish.

BT has so little faith in their own wireless networking gear that they will not let you use wifi for the BT TV service. You have to hard wire to the router.
When Sky finally launch some sort of live IPTV streaming they'll likely say the same thing. It makes sense - wifi is inherently unreliable, especially when you may be trying to send a high bitrate 4K stream. FWIW they don't want you to use homeplugs either for the same reason. Maybe that's also why Sky doesn't use the homeplug feature on the Q?
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Old 28-12-2016, 17:09
aurichie
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Pick any router, you'll find a "flood" of complaints about it somewhere. The most recent issues (chromecasts and windows 10) have affected routers from multiple vendors.
There is a massive thread on the BT Care forum about the Smart Hub and recent firmware revisions causing wireless to break intermittently for users. This isn't a glitch you can blame on Google or Microsoft software. It's very clearly a crappy firmware update from BT and it's nothing new from them. They are useless.

When Sky finally launch some sort of live IPTV streaming they'll likely say the same thing. It makes sense - wifi is inherently unreliable, especially when you may be trying to send a high bitrate 4K stream. FWIW they don't want you to use homeplugs either for the same reason. Maybe that's also why Sky doesn't use the homeplug feature on the Q?
Wireless is challenging and sometimes you will need wired connectivity if you live in a very busy apartment complex for example with heaps of other wireless networks floating around. But most people should be able to comfortably stream 4k content from Netflix etc. if they have a decent router or mesh network. If you have a lousy BT router then you have almost no chance of streaming 4k over wifi.
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Old 28-12-2016, 17:13
moox
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There is a massive thread on the BT Care forum about the Smart Hub and recent firmware revisions causing wireless to break intermittently for users. This isn't a glitch you can blame on Google or Microsoft software. It's very clearly a crappy firmware update from BT and it's nothing new from them. They are useless.
http://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Sky-Q/Sk...i/td-p/2434044 I can use the patented aurichie method for cherry picking too.

Wireless is challenging and sometimes you will need wired connectivity if you live in a very busy apartment complex for example with heaps of other wireless networks floating around. But most people should be able to comfortably stream 4k content from Netflix etc. if they have a decent router or mesh network. If you have a lousy BT router then you have almost no chance of streaming 4k over wifi.
My day job is in enterprise networking. I configure networks with equipment where individual components can cost more than a mansion. My own house is kitted out with seriously expensive wifi equipment from a well known vendor (no, I didn't pay list price for it). I am aware of the constraints and challenges.

If I had BT TV I'd still be running a cable to the box... Just as I do for my freesat box, my NVIDIA shield, my desktop PC, etc. Anything that isn't portable - and it results in a very reliable experience.
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Old 28-12-2016, 17:30
aurichie
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http://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Sky-Q/Sk...i/td-p/2434044 I can use the patented aurichie method for cherry picking too.



My day job is in enterprise networking. I configure networks with equipment where individual components can cost more than a mansion. My own house is kitted out with seriously expensive wifi equipment from a well known vendor (no, I didn't pay list price for it). I am aware of the constraints and challenges.

If I had BT TV I'd still be running a cable to the box... Just as I do for my freesat box, my NVIDIA shield, my desktop PC, etc. Anything that isn't portable - and it results in a very reliable experience.
That's good for you, but most people want a wireless experience nowadays. Geeks are far more willing to compromise on ugly wires in return for better performance. Of course your home may well be wired appropriately and you don't have cabling stretching out across your floors - but that's not most people. Totally denying people the possibility of using wireless networking especially when 99% of your content output is either SD or HD and definitely not 4k is ridiculous.
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Old 29-12-2016, 21:44
tdenson
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All I can say is that the proof of the pudding ....
This BT product has absolutely transformed my home wifi experience. I no longer find mobile devices connecting to hotspots at the other end of the house instead of the closest/best one. I can also move around seamlessly with mobile devices without missing a beat.
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Old 29-12-2016, 22:33
Mystic Eddy
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When Sky finally launch some sort of live IPTV streaming they'll likely say the same thing. It makes sense - wifi is inherently unreliable, especially when you may be trying to send a high bitrate 4K stream. FWIW they don't want you to use homeplugs either for the same reason. Maybe that's also why Sky doesn't use the homeplug feature on the Q?
Effectively, the streaming of TV from the main Q box is a form of IPTV - Sky still let you stream it wirelessly between boxes.
And where have you been? Powerline is now enabled on the boxes. Admittedly, the Sky Q minis don't support 4k, but Sky must have deemed it capable enough to stream 1080i.
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Old 30-12-2016, 17:14
SteveMcK
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I have a smart toaster too
Is it smart enough to get the bread out of the freezer first?
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Old 30-12-2016, 18:52
NilSatisOptimum
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Similar to Ubiquiti products.
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Old 30-12-2016, 23:14
tdenson
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Similar to Ubiquiti products.
Quite possibly, but when I've used Ubiquiti products in the past they have been a bit of a pig to install.
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Old 01-01-2017, 17:51
Gigabit
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I'm looking at this after having a poor experience with the NETGEAR Orbi, which I have found to give poor range in my house.

In terms of setting up Whole Home Wi-Fi, I understand you connect one "dish" to the router and then the others connect wirelessly?

In terms of the network, does the main router still do the DHCP, routing, etc. or does the Whole Home Wi-Fi do that too?
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Old 02-01-2017, 10:23
tdenson
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I'm looking at this after having a poor experience with the NETGEAR Orbi, which I have found to give poor range in my house.

In terms of setting up Whole Home Wi-Fi, I understand you connect one "dish" to the router and then the others connect wirelessly?

In terms of the network, does the main router still do the DHCP, routing, etc. or does the Whole Home Wi-Fi do that too?
Yes, you start at the router and work away, each one talks to the next. However, you can plug any of them into a wired network and it uses that appropriately. In fact I have a wired network that goes to the furthest point of my wifi coverage but I haven't bothered to plug it into the third BT "disk" as I haven't felt the need, it works so well as it is.
And yes, the main router still does all the network stuff - I would never have bought it if I thought I would be stuck with BT firmware for routing functions !! I have a DD-WRT router as my main router.
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Old 02-01-2017, 14:23
TheBigM
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I'm looking at this after having a poor experience with the NETGEAR Orbi, which I have found to give poor range in my house.
Interesting to hear as reviews seem to have been quite positive about the Orbi. I'm just waiting for these things to mature and come down in price. I think the plume might be interesting.
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Old 02-01-2017, 16:12
tdenson
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Old 02-01-2017, 16:16
tdenson
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How do I delete a message. When I hover over the edit button it says edit/delete but for the life of me when I select it I see no way to delete
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Old 02-01-2017, 17:07
Gigabit
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How do I delete a message. When I hover over the edit button it says edit/delete but for the life of me when I select it I see no way to delete
You can only delete it for a few minutes after posting. What you have done is correct.
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Old 02-01-2017, 17:10
tdenson
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You can only delete it for a few minutes after posting. What you have done is correct.
Ah that explains it thanks. What is the thinking behind this behaviour though ?
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Old 02-01-2017, 17:13
Gigabit
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Ah that explains it thanks. What is the thinking behind this behaviour though ?
I don't know. The forum will be updated soon so they will add that behaviour I'm sure.

Regarding the Orbi, I too was surprised as NETGEAR claims you can get 4000 square feet of coverage with the router and a satellite but in my 3000 square foot home it can't cover it.

People were claiming they were getting coverage up the street, exceeding the 4000 square feet claimed and so I was very excited but it's not working well for me.

I will try it again before I need to return it to Amazon.
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Old 02-01-2017, 17:22
tdenson
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I don't know. The forum will be updated soon so they will add that behaviour I'm sure.

Regarding the Orbi, I too was surprised as NETGEAR claims you can get 4000 square feet of coverage with the router and a satellite but in my 3000 square foot home it can't cover it.

People were claiming they were getting coverage up the street, exceeding the 4000 square feet claimed and so I was very excited but it's not working well for me.

I will try it again before I need to return it to Amazon.
Seems expensive for only two hotspots.
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