Yes it appears the SkyQ boxes cause network loops with certain types of framing, which by default the Cisco devices (or likely any commercial grade device) will protect you from by disabling the port. Network loops are a bad thing.
Until Sky fix this network bug/issue, the resolution is to use one access type on the Sky Q only and disable the rest. Ie powerline adapter, Ethernet or wifi.
I disable all accesses on my SkyQ other than Ethernet, and have no loop issues and works fine with my Catalyst switches.
FWIW I have a SkyQ router (but no Sky TV) and 3 Catalyst switches, and it all works fine, including Roon. I’ve even reverted to using the Sky box for WiFi since they gave me one with ac instead of n as it allowed me to eliminate another box.
I wonder if it’s the extra Sky TV boxes that are the problem for the OP?
I don’t use powerline devices, but I am reluctant to disable WiWi for a number of reasons.
Obviously, this would entail buying an additional WiFi device
WiFi, with the exception of the problem when I connect the Sky Q Silver box to one of my Cisco switches works superbly well house wide - and significantly better than any WiFi setup I have had in the past.
I don’t know how a non Sky Q WiFi option would work with the remote Sky Q TV devices I have located in bedrooms, and which receive content over Sky Q WiFi.
Without thinking it through, I logged into my Sky Q Silver router with the intention of trying to prove Simon’s theory about ‘network loops’, but quickly realised that this would be impossible unless I had an additional WiFi device available for the tests. However, I am now pretty much convinced that the problem is probably due to a ‘Network Loop’. The good news for me is that my Sky Q Silver TV setup is working very well without a direct ethernet connection, and so I can live with this until Sky resolve their problem.
The problem is related to the main Sky Q TV box. However, I am certain that my problem is not related to the Sky Q Remote boxes located in my bedrooms because in my house these are all disconnected from the mains when not in use.
That is precisely my suggestion - sorry if I didn’t make clear.
I have multiple Sky Q boxes - but I disable all ports other than ethernet - and I can confirm my Cisco switches don’t detect any loop and shut down the port.
I have sky q router, sky Q main and a mini box. The main box is wired and I am just about to cable the mini.
How do I disable the other modes leaving just Ethernet?
Hi - the obvious thing to do is to look at the console logging - that will tell exactly what is happening…
But yes if wifi works instead of ethernet - then hopefully you have bypassed any issue
No, I think you were quite clear, Simon. I was just chipping in with my experience that perhaps supports the idea that a Sky router itself can work fine and isn’t the culprit here…and that’s with WiFi enabled.
Yes but it’s the looping aspects we were discussing the possibility of which commercial devices like the 2960 protect by default by disabling port to prevent network failure… so an other wifi access point potentially, an other skybox etc…with multiple connected access types.
I don’t think a stand-alone SkyQ box should be an issue, and clearly I couldn’t see how that could cause a loop. But as I say the 2960 will create diagnostic logs if it takes protective action and that will state categorically what it is doing and why.
My SkyQ and mini boxes work fine with my commercial grade network infrastructure but I only have one access type enabled on the Sky boxes… in my case Ethernet.
To be clear, if it is the loop, then it’s only partial data it is letting through such as the BPDU frames, as if it was a general loop the network would become inoperable. On the Cisco switch one could try switching off BPDU Guard which might stop the port being being disabled.
Anyway it does feel like a spanning tree inter working issue of some sort… which can be disabled if necessary on the Cisco switch… but guess work until we see logs… and I do t want to break my home setup to force the logs.
weirdly, my Sky Q box doesn’t seem to have the options for Powerline or Ethernet in the service engineers menu - I can turn off both 2.5 and 5 wifi bands, but there’s nothing else there…
I asked Sky about the built in powerline stuff, and they said it was no longer used in their current hardware. You can turn off WiFi without the need for any fancy service engineers menu, but not Ethernet as far as I’m aware - not that you would want to, I would imagine.
Good, have they brought that into the main menu now on the newer models? The older hardware needed the installers menu to disable which I could never quite understand, otherwise the box kept sending out the wifi SSID beacon needlessly using channel capacity…
Ok, yes I got mine not long after SkyQ came out. My hardware version is 32B062
actually, just went into my installer menu, and I see under network; Ethernet and powerline enablement has gone… just 5G channel width and 2.4 G and 5G enablement. So I assume changed in a software update…
