Connecting Sky TV to the Internet via a normal broadband router

[adubya]

If the sky box has an ethernet port then you could use one of these:-

WIRELESS WIFI BRIDGE CLIENT FOR SKY HD ANYTIME XBOX PS3 BBC IPLAYER NETFLIX STB | eBay

Configure the dongle on a laptop/PC then plug into the sky ethernet port and use the USB flying lead to get power from the Skybox.

Note the text in the aution though: PLS BE WARE THAT SOME SKY BOXES HAVE LOCKED USB PORTS SO AN EXTERNAL POWER ADAPTER MAY BE REQUIRED TO POWER THE BRIDGE, OR POWER BY 5V~15V EXTENAL DC POWER ADAPTER.

I set my Brother's Sony TV up with one of these, much cheaper than buying the propriety Sony USB Wireless dongle.

[Troll]

Mine works fine plugged into the back of my BT home Hub up through the cavity wall, across the loft and down into the lounge
The only issue I am aware of is the wireless thingy is a Sky only component so you would need to buy , hence the hard wired solution

[rhubarb]

Ah, I think that is my problem. I seem to recall it was the Box Office functionality I rang the Help Desk about.

Has anyone else had problems with that, or do the "no problem for me" replies above include the Box Office working OK?

Thanks for the replies so far BTW.

Yes our Box office works ok, but our box is indeed plugged into the phoneline. We have Sky Multi room, so we have to have them connected to the phone so they report back into Sky and let them know both boxes are still in my house.

[VectraMan]

Yes - Box Office needs the phone line (I guess they haven't developed an internet safe way of authentication), but when I tried it just now it said "check your box is connected to a phone line", so I don't know how you were confused by it.

I had no idea you could get box office stuff via the internet to be honest, but then I've never used Box Office in all the years I've had Sky (and never had the box plugged into a phone line either).

It is pretty good for iPlayer and the like, because it downloads and stores along with any other programmes you have recorded, so no issues over streaming speed and you can always choose the highest quality. The HD content is more or less the same as broadcast, whereas iPlayer on my telly is not bad, but noticeably lower quality and not usually in HD.

I rarely watch live TV, so it could be downloading my series links via broadband overnight and I'd never notice the difference. We can't be far off being able to ditch our dishes and aerials and just use broadband for telly.

[OwlHoot]

... I can access all of the On Demand and Catch-up stuff with the exception of Box Office. You need the box plugged into the phone line for that, which seems a bit daft, and will never happen at my place.

Ah, I think that is my problem. I seem to recall it was the Box Office functionality I rang the Help Desk about.

Has anyone else had problems with that, or do the "no problem for me" replies above include the Box Office working OK?

Thanks for the replies so far BTW.

[rhubarb]

My sky+ box is plugged into my Virgin media router, and works perfectly!
Had to go into the menu system and enable Broadband Network Connection etc, but all worked fine.

[BillHicksRIP]

My Sky box is plugged into a HomePlug via an ethernet cable with the other HomePlug being upstairs next to the router. I can access all of the On Demand and Catch-up stuff with the exception of Box Office. You need the box plugged into the phone line for that, which seems a bit daft, and will never happen at my place.

[eek]

To be fair, can you imagine the nightmare of having to talk techno-numpties through connecting up via potentially 100s of different types of router?

Mine didn't work first try because I'd plugged the cable in whilst the box was on. I.e. I assumed I knew what I was doing and didn't follow the instructions.

I'm not criticising Sky. My viewpoint even if I was in charge would be the same. I'll happily support things I recommend clients and friends buy (even if I regret it later on the support front) but if you ignored my recommendation or didn't ask me in the first place sorry but I don't support it.

[VectraMan]

I think there is the problem. The standard response to I have a problem is to spend money with us to fix it.

To be fair, can you imagine the nightmare of having to talk techno-numpties through connecting up via potentially 100s of different types of router?

Mine didn't work first try because I'd plugged the cable in whilst the box was on. I.e. I assumed I knew what I was doing and didn't follow the instructions.

[stek]

Connecting Sky TV to the Internet via a normal broadband router

Mines plugged into a home plug works fine. Used to be that Sky frigged it to work only with Sky BB but OFTel or whoever stopped that.

Could be your box is too old? I had a first gen HD box that wasn't capable of running the EPG with the on demand stuff...

[eek]

I have a Sky Box for my TV, which I would like to connect to the Internet. But the Sky helpdesk say my broadband router cannot be used for this and that for Sky one must use a "special router".

I think there is the problem. The standard response to I have a problem is to spend money with us to fix it.

Connecting a sky box to the internet is usually a matter of plug in cable and then possibly telling sky that you've plugged it in (via their self service website).

[VectraMan]

Mong. Mine's plugged into my Cisco ADSL router with an ethernet cable, and that's on PlusNet not Sky broadband. Works fine. Can't imagine why it wouldn't.

[OwlHoot]

I have a Sky Box for my TV, which I would like to connect to the Internet. But the Sky helpdesk say my broadband router cannot be used for this and that for Sky one must use a "special router".

Is this just some mong's misinterpretation, or is it possible that Sky really is unable to use a normal ADSL router with (AFAIK) standard settings, or is it a wheeze to force people to switch to Sky as their ISP? There's no way I'm replacing my router or ISP. Or could it be one just needs suitable settings in the router?

Any advice or pointers welcome. I mean surely this must be a pretty common requirement.