Sky Broadband

[johnbarry]

Sky Broadband

Is it any good.

Cheers
John

[Dave Rice]

Yes.

[johnbarry]

I will look into it then  (soon) Dave

Cheers
John

[Bob Williams]

Not much wrong with the service JB, but I have reservations about the router, after using it for 12 months. Wireless prone to falling over, only 2 ethernet ports. It is very difficult to set up a non-Sky router instead, Sky have locked the router (they call it a ‘hub’) I believe there are solutions on the web for doing that. I was on FTTC and began with 14 Mbps, but they throttled me after about 4 months down to 10.5. They gave all kinds of excuses, but said they could not improve it. I am now with Plusnet and, after niggling but temporary initial problems, I have gone back to 14 Mbps with Plusnet.

I would advise anyone who takes Plusnet not to take their router though: they also call it a Hub, which it plainly is not, it’s a VDSL or ADSL router/modem. I set up my original 3 yo TP Link 9980 and it works fine. Plusnet sent one which did not work and I set up the 9980 while waiting for a replacement “Hub”. As the 9980 worked OK and I can access its webpage for tweaks, I refused collection when our Postie arrived with it and he sent it back.

It puzzles me that ISP’s nominate routers, with or without modems, as Hubs? A hub is a totally different cup of electronics, isn’t it? Please correct me if I am mistaken.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[blacklion1725]

Its easy enough to change out the old Sky Hub for a different router -have done it for a few people with no issues. the username/password is hard-coded in to the Sky Hub, but can be extracted very quickly using Wireshark. This is the guide I have always followed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvmn3xI77Os&t=1s

Sky Q I have not tried but it doesn’t look too bad

https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/replacing-a-sky-q-hub-with-a-netgear-d7000-help-please.18773507/

 

 

 

[Dave Rice]

I’ve always advocated an independent wireless solution and having a switch as the backbone of a network.

That just leaves the ISP router to do the routing, DHCP and DNS jobs (although in my own network my Synology now does the DHCP). It then doesn’t matter how crap it is at anything else or if you change ISP.

The location of the router is dictated by the BT master socket and it’s usually in the worst place possible. Having the AP on the end of an Ethernet lead means you can place it somewhere a bit better. The £23 TP-LINK TL-WA801ND even comes with a POE injector so powering it isn’t an issue either if you want a very long lead (I use one on my Sky box).

[JayCeeDee]

I’ve had no issues with Sky – I have their ADSL Unlimited service. I went back to them after a short ( cheap, but uneventful ) contract from TalkTalk.

 

My contract is up later this month. I want to go fibre, ( don’t need to, just want!! ) but annoyingly, their offer is for a basic fibre package which has a 25Gig limit on it, so I’d need their next one up. This makes it more expensive.

We’ve just had Virgin cable up the village and surrounding areas, so I might check out their packages. I’ll likely stay with Sky for my TV, as we tend to watch programmes on the channels that aren’t available elsewhere. I’ll be trying to leverage Sky to give me a better deal.

 

On a similar note, I’ve just had renewals through for my house insurance and RAC cover. They’ve both gone up hugely over the last couple of years with me not paying attention.

The RAC wanted £274 for Personal Cover x 2, plus Roadside Recovery, Recovery and At Home. I phoned them and moaned about the cost and suggested cutting back on the cover.  I told them I wanted Vehicle Cover x2, plus National Recovery and At Home which the website showed as £138.99. They offered to maintain the existing cover for £162.01 – I accepted.

Buildings and Contents insurance with the Nationwide had gone up to £647 over the last few years ( one claim for lightning damage, back in 2014) – and as my Car Insurance with LV is up for renewal, I thought I’d check with them as they offer Discounts for more insurances. Got quoted £300 for identical cover, so when it comes round for renewal next month, I know where I’m going!!

 

[johnbarry]

Thanks all, for the info I will ponder the advice

Cheers
John

[The Duke]

Car insurance should be changed every year. It’s practice to get people in at a loss leader for year, and they rely one people not shopping around. For the next years hikes.

In all my years only once I’ve not had to change once. And that was not cos it didn’t go up that year, it just didn’t go up alot, and even changing would of only saved £20. This though is not the norm. If is swap, my insurance hasn’t gone above £300 in almost 15 years. Some years my renewal quote can go up to £450. A quick shop around always drops it below the magical £300 mark. Currently at £280.

 

Regarding RAC, use compare Thr market, and other comparison site, and you’ll slash that figure. I only take out raid side assistance when I go abroad, and there is a hat full of providers that piggy back on AA and RAC at a fraction of the price. Last summer I used a company called Green, it wad under £50 for full euro roadside assistance, with rental and hotels in the event. the big boys wanted 3x as much.

Home insurance along with pet insurance, should also be visited annually. I changed my gas and electricity yesterday (SSE) , and saved £200+ on my old price, nevermind the price hike NPower just informed me about, even though I’m massively in credit, according to my bill.

I wouldn’t mind but last quarter they rebated £300+, then within the last quarter, I’m already 200 in credit, but in their wisdom they want to up my minty payments from £90 to £140! By putting in my usage data, I’ve got that down to below £70pm, which is actually unlike with NPowers prices, once you take rebates in to account, but they don’t overcharge upfront.

Rule of thumb, set aside one half day a year to go through the lot. It will probably your most productive (financially)  day of each year.

 

[Bob Williams]

Help the Aged and Motability kept bugging me to take out Home Contents with them. I knew it was just RSA in disguise for both, so I played along. Asked them both for a quote, both asked me who I was with currently and what was I paying. Not telling you, I said, this is the cover I want: give us a quote. HtA were more expensive and Motability were more expensive than my current deal, straight from RSA. Told them both – you are proposing to sell me the cover I am getting now, for a higher price than I am paying for it directly from the same insurer. Sorry, but I am not that dumb!

Don’t you want to Help the Aged by taking our sponsored product, they said. I am aged, I said and I help myself by not paying too much for my necessities. To Motability I answered a similar question by stating that I sell raffle tickets for them and I donate my Shell Driver’s Club points to them. I also have small monthly DD’s supporting McMillan Nurses and NSPCC and I sponsor a Guide Dog in training. How many in your offices are as charitable as that?

Today I received yet another Charity collection bag through the letterbox. They target our Close because they think all of us in the Senior Ghetto are soft in the head. I have two that I give stuff to: Cancer Research and the BHF. I have counted 5 separate, different cancer charity bags in one week here, it’s ridiculous, how many old clothes and books do they think we have?

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

I use the charity cloth bin bags, to get rid of the cloths my kids grow out of. Easier than taking them myself. Otherwise I stay clear of most charities. I trust very few of them.

Even the ones I agree with, are usually found to be less than fair with their percentages, or they clouded with my moral compass. Ie. I agree with thier cause, but disagree they should be needed, and ultimately think they ultimately harm their own cause, that the British legion, help the heros wad also in this bracket, until it came out they wad just as crucked as the rest.

I’ll donate time and effort, but I won’t give cash to a charity.

[JayCeeDee]

I’ve always been suspicious about the bags, also some of the vans that collected them – they should at least be modern, and certainly sign-written. I tend to drop excess clothing off to the shops themselves or the wife takes them in when she volunteers at the shop.

 

It looks as if something is going to be done about them – how effective that will be in the long run is up for debate.

NSPCC article. Government Briefing Paper. (pdf download).

 

 

[Bob Williams]

Services charities are among the worst, Steve. Jobs for the boys, as I found out when picked as a Corporal to sit in a meeting of the REME Benevolent Fund. A retired Colonel (dead ringer for Col. Blimp!) was president and members consisted of a W.O.1, 2 Staff Sergeants and myself. Several cases of hardship amongst retired personnel were read out and I agreed with all votes until the last one. This is how it worked: they took cases 2 by 2, comparing one aginst the other. The last 2 cases concerned an ex- Lance Corporal driver who had become disabled and out of work, with a family of 4 children to support, and an ex-Major. The ex-major had massive gambling debts and had lost wife, kids and home. There were medical reports that nailed him as an alcoholic. Guess who got the help? I made a protest, was shouted down, but demanded that my terms of protest were recorded. They pulled rank, upon which I reminded Col. Blimp that he had stated at his opening address, that there was no rank amongst the Committee in terms of decision making, and everyone had an equal voice. The decision stood and the alkie Major got his money, but they could not avoid giving me a true record of the proceedings. I used them in a protest letter to the Defence Minister and it was reversed. My own C.O., a Technical officer and also a Colonel, took me aside later and told me that I was marked down as an “Agitator”. MOD BS. Corporal Bob the barrack room lawyer, apprently.

When I eventually became disabled and out of work, I applied for help from the REME BF. I got zilch, (unsurprisingly) but I did get an Army pension after a long fight, which made a great difference to the lives of our Gert and myself.

Charity begins at home, my old dad used to say…

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

A sad tale bob! But not unsurprising ?

[Author]

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