Sky WiFi Max

Launched back in the summer of 2023, Sky have upgraded their Broadband Boost add-on, boosting guaranteed wireless speeds from 3Mbps to up to 25Mbps.

Now called Sky WiFi Max, the add-on also includes the provider's new router, the Sky Max Hub, for any customers who don't already have it.

Customers who don't get the minimum wireless speeds can claim one month's broadband subscription back, but there are drawbacks to the new service.

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At a glance

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What does Sky WiFi Max offer?

Sky WiFi Max is a boosted whole home WiFi guarantee bundled with an upgraded router and a range of other service extras for broadband customers.

Launched in July 2023, the new add-on replaces the previous Sky Broadband Boost service. It can be added to any Sky broadband package and currently costs from £3 per month for the first 24 months, which is a good discount over the initial launch price of £10.

Sky broadband customers on Superfast 35, Superfast 80, Full Fibre 75, and Full Fibre 100, packages are promised minimum download speeds over wireless in every room of their home of at least 10Mbps.

For Sky broadband customers on Full Fibre 150, Full Fibre 500, or Full Fibre Gigafast packages, they'll receive a wireless speed promise of 25Mbps.

Sky WiFi Max ensures customers get these speeds by sending out up to 3 Max Pods, small WiFi booster devices that can be located around a home to boost coverage.

The add-on also includes:

• An engineer visit to ensure WiFi coverage in the home (if needed)
• Free off-peak engineer visits (if needed)
• 2GB of Sky Mobile data for each broadband outage of 30 minutes or longer
• MySky app updates, with advanced security and additional parental controls

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Sky Max Hub

Unlike most WiFi guarantees, which make use of the customer's existing router and only supply WiFi boosters, Sky WiFi Max also includes an upgraded router - if customers don't already have it.

New customers joining Sky full fibre broadband plans for the first time now get the Sky Max Hub included at no extra cost, but for those who still have the Sky Broadband Hub, or part fibre customers joining on Sky Superfast, they'll still get the router upgrade included in this add-on.

The Sky Max Hub, or Sky SR213, offers several improvements over the Sky Broadband Hub.

The main update is to the WiFi protocol, with the Sky Max Hub supporting the latest WiFi 6, or 802.11ax, where the Sky Broadband Hub only supports WiFi 5, or 802.11ac.

It's an important upgrade for customers within Sky's ecosystem, as both the new Sky Stream Puck box and Sky Glass TV set support WiFi 6.

The Sky Max Hub also upgrades the security from WPA2 to WPA3 and introduces advanced security with real-time monitoring via updates to the MySky app. Parents also get more control with individual device control and total breaks from WiFi via MySky.

Here is the Sky Max Hub side-by-side with the Sky Broadband Hub:

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Whole home WiFi guarantee

Alongside the new router, Sky WiFi Max's main selling point is the whole home WiFi guarantee.

The 'Enhanced Wall to Wall WiFi Guarantee' is a serious improvement over the previous Sky Broadband Boost, which only promised minimum wireless download speeds of 3Mbps.

Sky broadband customers on Full Fibre 150, Full Fibre 500, and Full Fibre Gigafast packages will be guaranteed minimum download speeds of 25Mbps in every room, while Superfast, Full Fibre 75, and Full Fibre 100 plans are promised at least 10Mbps.

If customers aren't getting those speeds in every room they can request up to three Max Pods, and Sky may also arrange an engineer's visit.

Sky Max Pods are actually the same Plume WiFi Pods used by Virgin Media's WiFi Max add-on, which now promises minimum speeds of 30Mbps in every room.

WiFi Pods, or Max Pods, use intelligent mesh and work with the Sky Max Hub router to extend the wireless network seamlessly around a home. This means unlike with some older WiFi boosters or extenders no extra WiFi networks are created.

Sky Max Pods can be placed in areas of weak wireless coverage, simply by plugging them into a power socket, to boost signal in that area and ideally reach further rooms too.

When Sky say 'every room', they're clear to specify that doesn't include gardens, any external rooms, such as sheds or garden offices. Converted lofts and basements however seem to be included.

If customers still aren't getting the minimum download speeds, they can claim one month's broadband subscription with WiFi Max as a refund.

However, be aware - the WiFi Max add-on has an 24-month minimum term and can't be cancelled. That's unlike quite a few other whole home WiFi guarantees, including Virgin Media's WiFi Max, that do allow customers to cancel it if it doesn't work out.

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What else is included?

Sky WiFi Max bundles a router upgrade and WiFi guarantee, but also manages to include a few free extra services as well.

Customers taking the add-on will also benefit from:

• Off-peak engineer visits
• 2GB of data for Sky Mobile plans
• MySky app updates including Advanced Security and improved parental controls

Engineer visits in the evening & weekend

Sky usually charge customers £15 per call out if they need an engineer appointment in the evening or over the weekend.

For those who work typical office hours, this benefit could make any potential fault finding and resolution appointments a little more stress free.

Sky also say this discount will be automatically applied, whether they book their appointment online or via an advisor.

Free Sky Mobile data

Sky broadband customers with the WiFi Max add-on who experience any outages will receive a 2GB data allowance free for use through a Sky Mobile plan.

The extra data will be added automatically to a connected Sky Mobile Piggybank, and customers can benefit from up to three data credits per month, or up to 24 credits per 24 months.

For outages to apply, they must be:

• Unplanned (by Sky)
• Last more than 30 minutes
• Between 7am and 11pm

MySky app updates

Sky WiFi Max customers will be able to access Advanced Security through the MySky app, which aims to add an extra layer of protection against cyber threats.

Once activated, the Advanced Security tool helps to:

• Block risky malware and phishing sites to prevent accidental downloads or visits
• Monitor devices connected to your Sky broadband in real time to detect any risky behaviour

Security alerts are shown in the MySky app too, so you can keep an eye on any threats that are discovered.

Customers will also benefit from improved parental controls through the MySky app too. Allowing parents to schedule bedtimes and homework breaks; pause certain devices; and easily manage all connecting devices from anywhere at any time.

Of course, all Sky broadband customers also benefit from free parental controls through Sky Broadband Shield.

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How do I get Sky WiFi Max?

Sky WiFi Max currently costs just £3 per month for the first 24 months on packages from Superfast 80 and above, and £6.50 per month on Superfast 35.

Sky no longer publish out of contract or 'standard' pricing for Sky WiFi Max, it used to be £10 per month, but now the provider only says that prices may change.

WiFi Max can be added to any of the following Sky broadband plans:

As mentioned, while all packages come with the same features, only Full Fibre 150, Full Fibre 500, and Gigafast get the full speed guarantee of 25Mbps. While those taking Superfast 35 or Superfast 80 are guaranteed 10Mbps, yet, these plans will also benefit from the upgraded router that comes included with full fibre packages.

It's also worth bearing in mind Sky WiFi Max comes with its own 24-month minimum term, and can't be cancelled early without incurring penalty charges.

The early termination charge for Sky WiFi Max is £8.10 for each month left on the contract, although where customers are paying less than this as part of an introductory offer, the lower price will apply.

So, if a customer was cancelling with 12 months remaining on their contract, and had been paying the current offer price of £3 per month, the early leaving charge would be £36.

However, even where the WiFi guarantee isn't met, customers should remember the upgraded router and three Sky Max Pods will still offer tangible improvement to wireless coverage even if they don't manage the full guarantee.

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How does Sky WiFi Max compare?

The majority of broadband providers now offer whole home WiFi guarantees, usually as add-ons to existing broadband services, and they tend to cost a similar amount to Sky WiFi Max.

Generally speaking, the benefits and features of each WiFi guarantee vary between providers, with some offering substantially more than others.

Sky's WiFi Max is one of the better guarantees, although they don't quite match up to Virgin Media in terms of guaranteed speed or the money-back offer if it doesn't live up to those promises.

The major difference for Sky in their guarantee is the addition of an upgraded router for all customers who take the plan that don't already have it. That's an arguable benefit especially considering people on cheaper packages generally don't get access to the latest routers at all.

However, Virgin Media for example, include their latest WiFi 6 router and the whole home WiFi guarantee for free for customers on their fastest Gig1 and Gig2 plans.

In contrast, Sky Gigafast customers have to pay extra for the WiFi guarantee, although new customers do now at least get the WiFi 6 Sky Max Hub included as standard.

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What happened to Sky Broadband Boost?

Sky WiFi Max replaces Sky Broadband Boost for the majority of new and existing Sky customers.

However, customers who also subscribe to Sky Q, or who add it to their basket when they join Sky broadband, will still be offered the Sky Broadband Boost add-on.

This is because the new Sky Max Hub router doesn't work with Sky Q as yet, and so customers bundling the older satellite-based TV service are limited to the Sky Broadband Hub router.

Sky Broadband Boost was first launched in September 2019, while it now costs £4 per month it offers a whole home WiFi guarantee of just 3Mbps in every room. That's going to be pretty slow for most people, and doesn't offer much over the free Wall to Wall WiFi guarantee included as standard.

However, Sky Broadband Boost does offer customers intelligent mesh based WiFi boosters that will work with the Sky Broadband Hub, as well as other benefits including free off-peak engineer visits and 2GB Sky Mobile data in the event the fixed-line broadband goes down.

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Verdict: Is Sky WiFi Max worth it?

Sky WiFi Max is a major upgrade on the previous Sky Broadband Boost and is now one of the best whole home WiFi guarantees on the market.

While WiFi 6 is a fairly new protocol and not all devices will support it yet, it's worth knowing both Sky Stream and Sky Glass do, and customers with those devices will benefit from the upgrade.

It's also good that, now the full fibre broadband plans come with the Sky Max Hub as standard, the price of the WiFi Max at just £3 per month remains good value for money - with or without - the router upgrade.

However, there are some niggles or drawbacks to the new Sky WiFi Max add-on.

The inability to cancel the add-on if it doesn't live up to promises is a potential issue. While this is the same for add-ons from BT, other providers including Virgin Media, Community Fibre, TalkTalk and Vodafone all allow customers to exit the add-on penalty free.

Overall, Sky's new WiFi Max add-on offers good value for money, providing access to the latest router tech, while promising some of the fastest wireless speeds of all providers.