Sky MINI SD501 Wireless Connector

Product Information

The pace, Samsung and DRX780 initially weren't conpatibel because they hadn't received the R007 firmware update which added support for the mini connector. As robust as this system is, problems start to occur if you want to make changes. One of the most common ones is that people think that their Mini boxes are connected to a 2.4GHz network, so reset them, only to find that they can’t see their existing 5GHz network. This is entirely normal, as your existing 5GHz network doesn’t have the Quality of Service (QoS) or mesh networking abilities that Sky Q needs. This is why a hidden network is created.

Wireless Connector Quick Set Up Guide - Sky

One common problem is that people split the wireless networks, using the option in the Sky Q Hub’s networking settings, so that they can physically choose which network to join: the 5GHz network has less range, but is considerably faster. However, doing this causes problems, as it breaks down the mesh network and can force Sky Q Mini boxes to connect via 2.4GHz networks. For a stable system, you have to use the default settings. I’ll show you how to set Ethernet up on the main box, but I’m not going to cover how to make your entire system Ethernet-based: this is a specialist setup for when there’s a massive issue with getting wireless to work properly and should only be done by a Sky engineer. 1. Connect your main boxHowever I am not sure if the recent update to R008 for those boxes will they now work with the mini connector, or if the hardware isnt capable. If you don’t have Sky broadband, you won’t have a Sky Q Hub. The default installation option is to have the main Sky box connected to your existing 2.4GHz network for internet access. Additional Sky Q Mini boxes connect to your 2.4GHz network and also to a hidden 5GHz mesh network. 1. Connect your main box your network One of the main pieces of advice in the forums is to disable the 2.4GHz modes on the Sky Q Mini boxes. This forces the boxes to use 5GHz networking, which sounds great, but you shouldn’t have to do this at all. In fact, in a properly set up Sky Q system, all streaming is performed over 5GHz, and 2.4GHz is only used for Wi-Fi hotspots, as a failover and for some updates. In other words, streaming problems are not caused by the 2.4GHz network!

Sky SD501R Wireless Connector Mini on Demand box - Black

An SD501 connects for both power and broadband via the box's USB port, as @TimmyBGoodposted, so if your box doesn't have a USB port, an SD501 definitely isn't compatible. I think I recall that some earlier Sky+HD boxes (possibly DRX780, Pace and Samsung boxes?) that do have a USB port aren't compatible either.

The next mistake is that Mini boxes are then connected directly to the 2.4GHz network, as there seems to be no other option. Doing this joins the Mini to your 2.4GHz network only, and makes streaming unreliable and prone to interference. If you haven't, it looks as if the box isn't seeing the wi-fi box for some reason. Are the lights on the wi-fi box lit? If you’re streaming to tablets, you use your regular network connection and aren’t technically part of the mesh network. Any drop-outs or issues here will come purely down to the quality of your network connection and your network speed. If you’ve got Sky Broadband, you shouldn’t have problems, as all of the Mini boxes act as hotspots. If you don’t have Sky broadband, read my guide on how to extend Wi-Fi range. I assume you haven't got an Ethernet cable connected to the Sky box, if you have disconnect it or the box won't recognise the wi-fi box.

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I don't think the original Ethernet connected Sky wi-fi adapter boxes had that function, but I could be wrong. A secondary problem is deciding to connect your main Sky box via Ethernet, as this can interfere with your mesh network. If you decide to use Ethernet from your main box, you need to properly configure your entire system again. This will disable 2.4GHz network connections, forcing the rest of the system to use the 5GHz band. USB version works fine on my DRX895, so you mean only works on "newer" than DRX890/895? Hard to belive but many of these boxes are now into their 5th year of operation .If you’ve got the Sky Q Hub, your router also acts as part of the mesh network, and you get an additional feature: your Mini boxes act as Wi-Fi hotspots, repeating the same network name around your house and improving coverage. With this system, both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks have the same name.

SKY HD WIRELESS WiFi MINI USB ADAPTER FOR - Midland sky SD501 SKY HD WIRELESS WiFi MINI USB ADAPTER FOR - Midland sky

It’s a little harder to tell if your Sky Q Mini box is connected to the mesh network, as viewing the network settings will just show you that it’s connected to your home’s 2.4GHz network. So, the easiest option is to go to Settings, Network, Setup and select the Reset option and then select Confirm.callmediva, to find the details of your box press "services" then the right arrow to go to "settings", then "select" and then the number 3 to go to the "details" tab. Sky Q uses a 5GHz mesh network for video streaming to Sky Q Mini boxes. A mesh network means that, in the system, every Sky Q device (main box, Mini boxes and boosters) acts as a booster, but it’s the system that finds the most efficient and fastest way of transmitting data: your Sky Q Mini box in the bedroom, for example, might send its signal to a Sky Q Booster, which then sends it to the main box. The usb one only works on the newer boxes, I got one and sky had to send the Ethernet version for it to work on my box. In some cases, disabling 2.4GHz does nothing. However, there are some cases where you might want to disable this channel. I’ll show you how later on, but you need to understand the reasons first. Before we get into the real details, however, it’s worth explaining how the system works.In our experience and from reading all the various advice on forum threads, the problems are largely caused by changes being made to a system that upset the way the Sky Q mesh network behaves. Tweak things the wrong way and it can cause issues with, or bypass completely, the mesh network used for streaming. We’ll explain why problems occur and, in the later sections of this article, how to properly configure your Sky Q system. Read on for the full story or jump straight to the bit you’re interested in using the links below.