Sky Multiroom with UPC phoneline

nava

Hi

I wonder if anyone can advice.

I got Sky multiroom installed recently but the installer didn't get the callback to work as it is VOIP line with Blueface, reading around looks like Sky does not work with VOIP lines, but should with UPC.

Can anyone let me know if they successfully manage to get a working line with UPC for callbacks, Sky Active, etc? Looks like I might need to get a new line with UPC to use with SKY.

Thanks

paulm17781

I only have one Sky box and it is connected my UPC phone line, which I don't use. Every UPC bill I get has a free phone number on it which I can only assume is the Sky callback, nothing else connected.

Sky may tell you UPC line won't work with Sky, they told me this, but seemingly, it does.

I have heard if you explain you have an VOIP line with ATA they can configure the boxes to work, I have never tried this though.

nava

paulm17781 wrote: »

I only have one Sky box and it is connected my UPC phone line, which I don't use. Every UPC bill I get has a free phone number on it which I can only assume is the Sky callback, nothing else connected.

Sky may tell you UPC line won't work with Sky, they told me this, but seemingly, it does.

I have heard if you explain you have an VOIP line with ATA they can configure the boxes to work, I have never tried this though.

Hi

thanks for the feedback, could you please test something for me, can you go to Interactive and do "Sky Active", and something like "My Sky Account", "Manage My Account" that should connect to Sky to Show your statements if it successfully connects to SKy.

In my case I can see in Blueface if failes to connect I can see some calls are answered but get drop after 30sec. probably they can't talk to each other.

I only have Broadband with them so there's a €7.50 charge I can get a UPC Home phone and that will be only €6 so saving of €1.50 and will get both services.

steveon

I have tried doing callbacks using UPC router in Limerick countless times and every single one has failed everytime. However some users have claimed it works for them.

200motels

I have no problem with my UPC phone line and Sky box, it works every time. You might need to go into telephone settings on the Sky box, press services and then 100 and you'll see telephone settings, go to that type in 142 and save and the box will do a call back and it should work. Try it anyway.

Solair

Actually, just thought of something.

UPC's phone service handles caller ID 141 and 142 slightly differently to eircom.

When you dial 141 or 142 on a UPC line it gives you a second dial tone and you continue dialling.

It might be worth putting a "," or a pause in after the 142 prefix.

(Eircom lines will let you dial the whole sequence without any pauses, as there's no second tone)

Also, make sure your UPC number is actually registered with Sky and that it's sending the correct Caller ID to them.

sharkman

I went through a month of calls to SKY and UPC , Basically you need SKY to put you on an exclusion list , this will stop your box from doing callbacks . UPC will not disclose the correct codes for SKY(why should they make life easier for a competitor) . I explained this to a manager(make sure you escalate it ) and was put on a list . Hey presto NO CALLBACKS .

Solair

sharkman wrote: »

I went through a month of calls to SKY and UPC , Basically you need SKY to put you on an exclusion list , this will stop your box from doing callbacks . UPC will not disclose the correct codes for SKY(why should they make life easier for a competitor) . I explained this to a manager(make sure you escalate it ) and was put on a list . Hey presto NO CALLBACKS .

UPC don't have any codes to disclose. They provide a simple, standard, phone service. It works exactly the same way as any other phone line, except that the technology behind it is VoIP.

VoIP can screw up modem signals. There's nothing really that can be done about that, the 56kbps modem is obsolete tech and UPC would assume that you are unlikely to be using your landline to use dial-up internet when you already have 25+Mbit/s broadband on the same service

All Sky uses is Caller ID information to facilitate those call backs. UPC wouldn't have any ability to distinguish it from any other type of call.

Crackity Jones

sharkman wrote: »

I went through a month of calls to SKY and UPC , Basically you need SKY to put you on an exclusion list , this will stop your box from doing callbacks . UPC will not disclose the correct codes for SKY(why should they make life easier for a competitor) . I explained this to a manager(make sure you escalate it ) and was put on a list . Hey presto NO CALLBACKS .

that would be nice. cant say I have the patience for a month of calls with those two.

I've a bit of a wierd one....I have sky multiroom installed about 4 years. Had the boxes connected initially probably for the first year when we had BT broadband (now with UPC) but they haven't been connected the last three years with no issues/no letters from Sky. In August we upgraded one of the boxes to HD and didn't hook it up to the UPC modem.

Now a month later we get a letter from Sky saying that although our boxes are connected via phone line (they aren't) the phone number is unlisted and they cant determine that the two boxes are at the same location.

So do people reckon that the letter is sent in error and I should just ignore it or will I be hit with a full charge in the near future. I guess having the HD box installed has triggered something in Sky HQ's systems.

Cantona's Collars

Contact Sky and tell them you have a UPC phonline and explain the issue with callbacks,that should get you sorted,sometimes they will send an installer out to physically verify that the boxes are in the address they're meant to be in.

Solair

Skys specification is a bit stupid to be honest.
The box should have an ethernet connection for sky interactive as the data rate of a dial up modem is ridiculous in this day and age and most people have broadband of some sort.

They should throttle the modem in the box back to some really show standard like V23 which should be able to get a signal over voip. It only needs to send a couple of lines of text to verify the box location.

Phone lines won't necessarily support high speed dial up modems in the very near future. People have cable voip lines, fibre to home, wireless services like Digiweb metro etc etc

steveon

zerks wrote: »

Contact Sky and tell them you have a UPC phonline and explain the issue with callbacks,that should get you sorted,sometimes they will send an installer out to physically verify that the boxes are in the address they're meant to be in.

Sky will not accept voip lines unless they work its as simple as that, and verifying that they are in the house they are meant to...there is nothin stopping people removing one once the engineer has left which is exactly what is going on in some people houses .Sky could introduce other ways such as wireless card senders that pair 2 cards together as is used elsewhere but they wont...as they make 2 much money from kids and others using games and interactive services via the phoneline.

Cantona's Collars

steveon wrote: »

Sky will not accept voip lines unless they work its as simple as that, and verifying that they are in the house they are meant to...there is nothin stopping people removing one once the engineer has left which is exactly what is going on in some people houses .Sky could introduce other ways such as wireless card senders that pair 2 cards together as is used elsewhere but they wont...as they make 2 much money from kids and others using games and interactive services via the phoneline.

Isn't there a workaround by swapping the ports that the UPC phoneline is plugged into on the modem? I'm sure I read that on another thread here with instructions on how to do it.

Solair

zerks wrote: »

Isn't there a workaround by swapping the ports that the UPC phoneline is plugged into on the modem? I'm sure I read that on another thread here with instructions on how to do it.

I don't see how that would do anything. The problem is that modem signals do not pass over VoIP CODECs very well. The second port on the UPC box is for a second line if you want to order one.

Changing the model of your sky box might work, if some version has a modem that's less fussy.

You could ring UPC and ask them to change you to a different CODEC that's more modem-friendly. I'm not sure if they can do that.

Usually a-Log is the best as it's what's used on a normal phone line.

cgarvey

Using short phone line lengths and/or good quality cable works for me. Make sure all Sky boxes are connected to the same Tel port on the router (though it's likely only Tel1 will work for most).

Dialups still fail (I'd say around half of them fail), but they get there on the 2nd or 3rd attempt. By dialups, I mean automated callbacks, and using the Sky Active features.

Same as Digiweb Metro really, though UPC seems more tolerant of phone cable quality/length than Metro.

Have had various Sky boxes (old Pace, old Grundig, Sky+ and Sky+ HD) all with the same results. Caller ID is enabled on the line, so I don't have to worry about any prefixes, etc.

nava

Just tested the Sky Active with my new UPC phone line and works without any issues, but might leave the line disconnected till they ask and try to get them to out them on the exception process.

steveon

zerks wrote: »

Isn't there a workaround by swapping the ports that the UPC phoneline is plugged into on the modem? I'm sure I read that on another thread here with instructions on how to do it.

As I stated I tried everything in numerous houses around Limerick and could never ever ever get it to callback despite trying in some cases 15 times to prove to the customer it doesn't work...that doesn't mean it doesn't work elsewhere but it definitely does not work in Limerick

Aquos76

I posted up this a few years back, I had no bother getting it to work

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055330370&page=2

enfant terrible

Does anyone know if the UPC line doesn't work with the sky box when installing can you just pay the Total one-off cost of €37.50 there and then or will they cancel the install.

I'm just getting one box not multi room.

enfant terrible

enfant terrible wrote: »

Does anyone know if the UPC line doesn't work with the sky box when installing can you just pay the Total one-off cost of €37.50 there and then or will they cancel the install.

I'm just getting one box not multi room.

Anyone know the answer to above.

Jon_459

If you only have one box from SKY, you don't need a telephone. Multi room requries a phone line to ensure both boxes are in the same house

enfant terrible

Jon_459 wrote: »

If you only have one box from SKY, you don't need a telephone. Multi room requries a phone line to ensure both boxes are in the same house

Think there's a one off charge if you don't have a landline, even if your only getting one box.

steveon

enfant terrible wrote: »

Think there's a one off charge if you don't have a landline, even if your only getting one box.

There is no fee at the moment for manual activation of a card, you need a landline for multiroom it is not required if you only want one box.

enfant terrible

steveon wrote: »

There is no fee at the moment for manual activation of a card, you need a landline for multiroom it is not required if you only want one box.

Is that if you don't want a free sky box with your install?

When i'm ordering online there's a no phone line installation fee of €37.50.

WelshPaul

Not sure if it will work with your voip providers but if your using a pap2/pap2t and want to connect your sky box to a voip line a guide can be found here:

http://www.voipfoneuserforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=7&p=16183&sid=21a9211d63f96fb4bf6f60bb94647aa2#p16183