Sky multiroom, but no phone line!!!

yop

Guys,
My parents are considering putting in a 2nd sky box, with a mult-room sub, think its 15 euro or something.
When they got their orginial box in it was about 8 or 9 years ago and there was no issue with the landline, they still dont have one, but what happens now since there is meant to be a landline required?

Also I presume the multi-room is a mirrored sub and that the box can be moved between bedrooms as long as there is a sky cable there???

Thanks

cgarvey

The 2 (or more, if you have multi multi-room subscriptions) boxes must be connected to the same telephone line, at all times, according to the Sky T&C.

If they're not, you'lre likely to receive a letter demanding you rectify it, and if you continue to abuse, they'll slap you with a charge for a full subscription on the 2nd (and subsequent) boxes. So if you're on a basic €21, you'll be charged the difference of €6 for the months the boxes have been detected as not being connected.

You can get Sky, Sky HD and Sky+ without a phone line (subject to an additional once-off charge), but Sky Multiroom must have all boxes connected to the phone line.

The theory is that Sky send signals to the different boxes at random times, that instruct the box to phone home (a freephone number). If they notice only 1 box, or no boxes, of a 2-box subscription is phoning home, they'll send the letter.

The multiroom box is a mirror sub, like you say, and can be moved anywhere as long as it remains connected to the phone line. I know there is tolerance there (as I've had my 2nd box disconnected for a few weekends, etc.), but there's a number of calls per week back to Sky, so you'll need to leave it connected, for the most part.

The mirror sub only applies to Sky channels (including premium channels), not to 3rd party channels (Setanta Sports, for example).

yop

well there goes that then!!!

crosstownk

On a similar note, I've had multiroom installed recently. Both were connected to a phone line at installation and for about two weeks following the install.

I have now removed one of the phone lines as it was only a temporary job. I can reconnect it on a temporary basis in a few seconds. Will Sky notify me that the second box can't be detected or will they simply charge me?

byte

They will probably notify you first.

If you knew what nights the box was doing its callback you could run the line temporarily for those nights so callbacks succeed.

I don't know if a manual callback every month will suffice.

construct06

if u had ur no. blocked on ur phone and then moved box to \another house with phone line but again phone line blocked...would that work?

not legit i know but....

byte

construct06 wrote: »

if u had ur no. blocked on ur phone and then moved box to \another house with phone line but again phone line blocked...would that work?

not legit i know but....

Callbacks fail if number is blocked

aodh_rua

If phonelines are required - has anyone got a better solution than laying cables into rooms where there is no phone line at the moment? Are there any cordless units that will do the job?

aodh_rua

Bit of an update on this. I spoke to a Sky installer mate of mine this afternoon, and they are now recommending a cordless receiver\transmitter combo that can be attached to you Sky+ box to give you phone connectivity without the wires. It costs about €30.

byte

aodh_rua wrote: »

Bit of an update on this. I spoke to a Sky installer mate of mine this afternoon, and they are now recommending a cordless receiver\transmitter combo that can be attached to you Sky+ box to give you phone connectivity without the wires. It costs about €30.

Sounds cheap, as the ones I've used in the past were more expensive than that.

Random

aodh_rua wrote: »

Bit of an update on this. I spoke to a Sky installer mate of mine this afternoon, and they are now recommending a cordless receiver\transmitter combo that can be attached to you Sky+ box to give you phone connectivity without the wires. It costs about €30.

Do you have details on this? As byte says I've only seen them much more expensive.

Thanks

aodh_rua

Random wrote: »

Do you have details on this? As byte says I've only seen them much more expensive.

Thanks

All he said is that it is much better than what they recommended before, and that it's €30 a unit - although I'm not sure if that means €90 in all for one base station and two satellites.

jkb_dub

Here's a link to the phone line extender I used to get around the phone line restriction.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=97658

I think I paid approx 90 euro for it at the time. To be honest I only used it for about 2-3 weeks after the install.

BraveDonut

I got a 2nd box installed about 2 months ago. I bought something similar to the wireless option above and connected everything.

A week or so later, my broadband seemed slow, so I disconnected all of the phone-lines from the sky boxes.

I haven't heard a thing from $ky.......

cgarvey

BraveDonut wrote: »

I haven't heard a thing from $ky.......

Yet

martinr5232

Ive had multiroom for the past two years and have never had a phone line connected.
Heard nothing from Sky either.

sdanseo

martinr5232 wrote: »

Ive had multiroom for the past two years and have never had a phone line connected.
Heard nothing from Sky either.

Same really - heard from them once, pluggd it in for a bit then took it out. That was a year or more ago and not a peep.

Mlo

I had my multiroom installed a few years ago and did get letters for not having both boxes connected.

I moved to a rented house a year ago (while building my own house) and didn't have a landline, the installer was happy enough to setup both boxes without a line. I was living there for 9 months, no phoneline, no letters or problems.

I've since moved into my new house and I got sky to install my sky box (Sierra did the installation) and they wouldn't install my second box without a phone line.

As it looks like it might be quite a while before I have a landline, Of course I'm wondering if I just hooked up my second box will it work? (understanding that Sky might not be happy with this)

As I upgraded to Sky+ at the time I now have three boxes and 2 viewing cards, if I were to hook up the spare box without a viewing card will it get FTA channels or just not work?

byte

Mlo wrote: »

I had my multiroom installed a few years ago and did get letters for not having both boxes connected.

I moved to a rented house a year ago (while building my own house) and didn't have a landline, the installer was happy enough to setup both boxes without a line. I was living there for 9 months, no phoneline, no letters or problems.

I've since moved into my new house and I got sky to install my sky box (Sierra did the installation) and they wouldn't install my second box without a phone line.

As it looks like it might be quite a while before I have a landline, Of course I'm wondering if I just hooked up my second box will it work? (understanding that Sky might not be happy with this)

As I upgraded to Sky+ at the time I now have three boxes and 2 viewing cards, if I were to hook up the spare box without a viewing card will it get FTA channels or just not work?

I'd say your second box willl still work.

The spare box can indeed be used for FTA channels.

crosstownk

byte wrote: »

Callbacks fail if number is blocked

Right, well that sorts it for me as my number is withheld so that would mean that any callbacks I made with the phone line connected were a waste of time.

I'll be keeping me number withheld as I make work calls on it (free national calls) and don't want my home number shown.

I'll wait to hear from Sky...........

staker

Can an online vote be cast on blocked no.?

Blazer

We got in the Sky+ plus 2 multirooms.
Mine is not connected to the phone and never has been since the day it was installed.
Works perfectly with no calls from sky

byte

crosstownk wrote: »

Right, well that sorts it for me as my number is withheld so that would mean that any callbacks I made with the phone line connected were a waste of time.

I'll be keeping me number withheld as I make work calls on it (free national calls) and don't want my home number shown.

I'll wait to hear from Sky...........

There's a code you can put into the phone settigns on the Skybox, that overrides the blocked number (but only for Skybox, everything else still blocked as per usual).

Eircom wrote:

eircom caller line restriction

Ex-directory customer who wants to display number

* Lift receiver.
* Dial 142 before the number you wish to call.
* Your number will be displayed for this call only.

Directory customer who wishes to with-hold number

* Lift receiver.
* Dial 141 before the number you are about to dial.
* Your number will be withheld for this call only.