Sky Q downloads no longer working

[#1]

Hi,

First post. Hoping someone may be able to offer any advice. I have spent hours searched for answers but to no avail.

I have an Archer VR600 router connected to Plusnet running 2.4GHz and 5GHz wifi bands on separate SSIDs.

I had Sky Q installed in early May 2023. 1 main box and 4 minis. Main box was connected to 2.4GHz with no problem (can only use 2.4 on non-Sky broadband apparently). Minis connected to main box ok using Sky Q internal 5GHz mesh.

Until a couple of days ago, I was able to download On Demand, Films etc. Now when trying to download, the download percentage gets stuck at 0%.

I have restarted the router multiple times, restarted the Sky Q box multiple times, reset network settings on the Sky Q box multiple times and also connected the router to the Sky box with an ethernet cable but still cannot get the downloads to start. I am confident that the Sky Q box is working ok because as a final test, I connected the Sky Q using my phone as a wifi hotspot and downloads worked.

Really frustrating as everything was fine until a couple of days ago.

Thanks in advance.

[#2]

Can you please post the DNS IP addresses reported by your router please.

[#3]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum!

A couple thoughts on this from a logical point of view.

You've eliminated the local WiFi and the Sky Box as the likely causes, that leaves the following points as the next most like:

Something with the router or the router settings

DNS

Plusnet Broadband Network and connectivity to the content you're trying to download.

Do you have an alternate router e.g. an old Plusnet Hub you could try? If that works then it would point at something with your router, if it fails then we're looking more likely on the network or DNS.

As Townman asks do you know which DNS servers you're using on the router? It shouldn't matter but there are some complexities about how all the various content providers send people to the content servers, ideally they try and use a server that's closest to you and that's sometimes based off of the DNS server you're using.

Have you tried different content? E.g. a BBC show like Richard Osman's House of Games or an ITV show like All Elite Wrestling Dynamite as well as a Sky show like Poker Face if you have that channel. These all worked for me so doesn't look like a global issue but could still be something more local.

[#4]

Thanks Dave and Townman for responding.

I do have an old Plusnet hub somewhere. I'll have to dig it out and try that when I get time. I work from home, so messing with connectivity during the day is a no-no. Although my current router worked fine for a few days after the Sky Q install as we downloaded Sky on demand (box sets) content with no issues.

I did wonder about DNS settings as these have been mentioned in some of the online research I've done so with nothing to lose I did change them to the Cloudfare ones, Primary 1.1.1.1 and Secondary 1.0.0.1. I've attached screenshots of my router config.

When Sky Q was first installed, I was just using the default Plusnet ones, it's only since the downloads have not worked that I've changed the DNS values.

With regard to trying to download different content, no Sky content will download, so that includes catch-up, box sets, films etc. BBC and ITV catch-up download fine but Channel 4 and My5 catch-up don't download.

Regards

Mick