Broken Sky router

[Alison556]

My brother is with Sky for his BB and his router is on the blink - it's just stopped working.

Sky are telling him that to get a replacement, there's a £70 charge for a new router - they also said that he couldn't use any other router for his BB.

Anyone know if you can actually use a non Sky router (I've got a spare O2 router here) and more to the point, heard of such a charge for replacing the router from them?

They said it's just out of warranty, hence the charge for a new one - bit of a cheek really - they say you've got to use their equipment but when it breaks, they want you to pay for a new one?

 

[handyjack]

Tell him to phone them up and cancel his contract. To keep his custom they will send a new router free of charge.

 

[Monkeh]

Anyone know if you can actually use a non Sky router

You can but it's an involved process and if the router isn't even working, not going to happen.

 

[skhudy]

As HandyJack, but don't get put off if the 1st pleb you speak to, it's probably cancellations / retentions that can give a new one. I've gone through the cancellations in the past, even if you do get things processed to cancel, you can call it off in a certain amount of time (check on that though)

 

[Alison556]

He thinks it might be the power cable that's got a wonky connection as he was fiddling with it and it came on and went off again.

I guess we just need to try and get a new cable for it to see if that resolves the problem.

 

[Astra99]

Every (home) broadband connection uses a User Name and Password to connect to the ISP's servers. Provided you know the U/N & P/W and also the appropriate settings, then ANY router, with the appropriate external connections can be used. I personally use the TP-Link TP8960W routers, but others have their own preferences. Sky, IIRC at one time used "brain damaged" Netgear DG834 routers (Netgear DG834 with Sky's own firmware).

£70 for a new router is a ******** scandal! You can buy ADSL2 routers for under £30! Tell them you'll contact TalkTalk and ask for your MAC code. See what happened then. (A MAC code MUST be provided on demand within 10 working days IIRC)

 

[Monkeh]

Every (home) broadband connection uses a User Name and Password to connect to the ISP's servers.

A few services are actually identified by the line, not a username and password. BT do this, AFAIK, and certainly Virgin with their DOCSIS crap.

 

[Alison556]

It's a Sagem router he's got I think. I've got a couple of spare routers from O2 here and I'd donate one of them to him if I knew how to do it.

I'm due to be transferred over to Sky and I'm not looking forward to it - O2 was really good but the last couple of weeks, my connection has been awful - dunno if I've been changed already or if O2 is running things down.

I'm contemplating shifting to BT.

O2 have replaced my routers at the first sign of a problem - in fact, they've replaced them when there's even been a hint of a problem (which is why I've got a couple here) - no charge, no hassle.

 

[jockscott]

Thing is with Sky, unlike most other service providers, (whereby they own the equipment), Sky actually give you, the equipment, so you technically own it.

 

[Astra99]

If you know your user name and password for your broadband connection, beg/borrow/steal or otherwise obtain another router, set it up using its web interface, and plug it in. It should kick in straight away and give you an internet connection.

From Monkeh's comment, yes, I do appreciate that some broadband connections are line specific; I was perhaps over-generalising.

 

[Monkeh]

If you know your user name and password for your broadband connection, beg/borrow/steal or otherwise obtain another router

Unfortunately, Sky don't tell you. The only way to obtain it is to prise it out of the supplied router, which is not always simple.

 

[foxhole]

Sky are giving away free new sky hubs, just received one , though it took three requests and 6weeks and 3hours slagging them off on Facebook to get it.
Had three broken sky routers replaced free of charge.

 

[Spark123]

There's plenty of cheap sky routers on ebay, I think they are just plug and play things - you don't need to enter a username or password for them as they are already programmed with these. iirc there is something in the contract that you'll only use their equipment.

 

[mattylad]

If you go no the skyuser.co.uk forms there are ways to get the skyrouter passwords etc.

But going off the description - this sounds like its actually the PSU thats dodgy?

And AFAIK sky have recently dropped the requirement for it to be only sky supplied routers that are used.