openbox - communal satellite issue

MyKitchenSink

Hi guys,

Allow me to apologise in advance for what might be a ridiculously simplistic issue, but I'm an absolute novice.

My apartment is connected to a communal sky satellite dish, so with that in mind, I purchased an openbox freesat receiver on the understanding that I'd be able to connect the openbox to cable plate in the livingroom. Having now connected it to the cable box, I can't get any signal whatsoever.

I've checked with sky and they've confirmed that I am set up with a communal satellite dish, so I have no idea what the issue may be.

Is it possible that it has to be connected individually in order for next to receive it into my apartment? As a side note, I've previously had a virgin media horizon set top box connected through the cable box and that worked absolutely fine.

As I said above, I have absolutely no idea what the possible solution may be, so I'm hoping someone out there might be able to provide one.

Cheers

Thurston?

You won't be getting a satellite signal from a Virgin cable outlet.

There must be another outlet for satellite, assuming you've been correctly informed.

magentis

MyKitchenSink wrote: »

Hi guys,

Allow me to apologise in advance for what might be a ridiculously simplistic issue, but I'm an absolute novice.

My apartment is connected to a communal sky satellite dish, so with that in mind, I purchased an openbox freesat receiver on the understanding that I'd be able to connect the openbox to cable plate in the livingroom. Having now connected it to the cable box, I can't get any signal whatsoever.

I've checked with sky and they've confirmed that I am set up with a communal satellite dish, so I have no idea what the issue may be.

Is it possible that it has to be connected individually in order for next to receive it into my apartment? As a side note, I've previously had a virgin media horizon set top box connected through the cable box and that worked absolutely fine.

As I said above, I have absolutely no idea what the possible solution may be, so I'm hoping someone out there might be able to provide one.

Cheers

There may be a second point?Or there is two cables behind the existing point.One for the sat and one for virgin media which is currently connected.It is also possible that there is a cabinet in the building where what is being supplied to your apartment is connected.

MyKitchenSink

Thanks for the replies. I'm absolutely positive that there has been a communal dish installed and sky have confirmed this to be true

Here's a photo of the cable coming into the livingroom:

https://i.imgsafe.org/37f30f26eb.jpg

There's a similar one in one of the spare bedrooms, but that's it. Any ideas? :-s

former total

MyKitchenSink wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. I'm absolutely positive that there has been a communal dish installed and sky have confirmed this to be true

Here's a photo of the cable coming into the livingroom:

https://i.imgsafe.org/37f30f26eb.jpg

There's a similar one in one of the spare bedrooms, but that's it. Any ideas? :-s

That looks suspiciously like a Virgin Media connection.

Are you trying to connect the satellite box to the same connection as the Virgin box was previously connected to? That definitely won't work.

It's possible that the communal dish was added after the apartments were built, and that you need to get connected up to the feed, i.e. someone needs to come out and install the wiring. If you can't see another outlet anywhere, that's the most likely explanation.

dubrov

Sounds like the communal dish was retrofitted to the apartment block.
It is very likely you only have one cable installed so would need to be switched over from cable to satellite.
There is usually some central control room where someone would need to switchover the source.

Who owns the communal dish?
Is it SKy or the management company?

If Sky installed the communal dish, they would have only connected apartments who were paying subscription.
They might even disconnect apartments when a subscription ended but I'd imagine in most places they wouldn't bother.

If the management company own the dish then get onto them to switch you over from Virgin cable to satellite.

Thurston?

MyKitchenSink wrote: »

I'm absolutely positive that there has been a communal dish installed and sky have confirmed this to be true

Here's a photo of the cable coming into the livingroom:

https://i.imgsafe.org/37f30f26eb.jpg

There's a similar one in one of the spare bedrooms, but that's it.

That's definitely a cable outlet, with the diplexer for the modem upload & all.

The satellite system would probably use a single fibre cable to each apartment, with a box in the apartment to mimic the feeds the satellite receiver expects from the usual LNB. Would be totally separate from the cable TV/internet system.

MyKitchenSink

How big a job would it be to connect to the dish? Assuming there is a central box somewhere, would it just be a case of switching it on for my apartment?

Would it be considered a little bold to try do it myself? ;-)

bittihuduga

in the building with communal dishes, the dish wire is not made available to the houses by default. my previous management company charged me 5 euros a month for the connection.
with the current house, there was no cable available. i rang sky for a connection and the sky to apartments guy ran the cable to the house from communal dish.
so what i am saying is - first time you need sky to run the cable to your house or speak to management company and pay for the cable to run to your house (i doubt they will agree to this)

Vic_08

Thurston? wrote: »

That's definitely a cable outlet, with the diplexer for the modem upload & all.

The satellite system would probably use a single fibre cable to each apartment, with a box in the apartment to mimic the feeds the satellite receiver expects from the usual LNB. Would be totally separate from the cable TV/internet system.

"Probably" is the wrong word to use here. "Might, if it is an apartment block put up in the last 10 years" would be more accurate.

Out of 4 apartments I've been in recently 1 had a fibre (and co-ax for VM), all the others had a solitary co-ax feed, 2 were switchable sat/VM and the other was in-hoc to those Conway crooks with a large number of apartments having put up their own dishes.

Vic_08

MyKitchenSink wrote: »

How big a job would it be to connect to the dish? Assuming there is a central box somewhere, would it just be a case of switching it on for my apartment?

Would it be considered a little bold to try do it myself? ;-)

If that is the set-up then the box will most likely be locked.

Bottom line is that you need to contact the building manager to find out what set-up there is and how you access it.