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Forum Discussion
Disable 5GHz
My printer only supports 2.4 GHz WiFi, but my Orbi system keeps steering it to 5 GHz. This causes the printer to go offline, fail to wake, and requires the Canon app to reconnect. My Orbi model does not show options to:
- split 2.4/5 GHz bands
- disable 5 GHz
- create a second main SSID
- force IoT devices to 2.4 GHz
The only workaround I see is creating a Guest SSID and limiting it to 2.4 GHz. Before I do that, does my Orbi model have any hidden or advanced settings that allow:
- forcing a device to 2.4 GHz,
- disabling band steering, or
- creating a dedicated 2.4 GHz network for IoT devices?
If not, is the 2.4 GHz Guest Network the recommended solution.
Thank you.
23 Replies
My printer only supports 2.4 GHz WiFi, but my Orbi system keeps steering it to 5 GHz.
Band steering "encourages" clients to choose 5 ghz (or 6 ghz), but the decision is made by the client. It doesn't prevent the printer from joining the 2.4 ghz network, so the connection drops must be due to something else.
My own printers (and several other devices I have) are 2.4 ghz only, and they aren't experiencing this problem with my own Orbi mesh.
creating a dedicated 2.4 GHz network for IoT devices?
What model Orbi do you have?
Model: RBR50
My printer supports 2.4 and 5.0. But, 5.0 is very unreliable and the printer does not wake up when connected to 5.0. I am told this is a common issue with Canon printers. It sounds like my only solution is to use the Guest band for my printer and limit SSID Guest to 2.4. I would like to dedicate an IP address for my printer - as that would make it more responsive. But, that does not appear to be an Orbi option.
As StephenB pointed out, a device containing only 2.4G WiFi capability cannot be "steered" to a different frequency. It is just not possible.
Does this printer ever work, even for a few minutes?
p.s. In Orbi systems, the primary WiFi and the Guest WiFi broadcast both 2.4G WiFi and 5G WiFi and there is no method to disable any of the channels.
My printer works. When it goes into error mode, I launch diagnostics. I only print 2-3 times a week. But, every time I print requires 20 minutes of set up. I am told this would not be an issue if the printer was connected via 2.4 instead of 5.0.
See if you can get the printers configuration page and set it for 2.4Ghz only. I know some printers you can force the printer to only use one or the other frequency.
Does the printer have an ethernet port? if it does, could connect it this way.
Make sure the printers FW is up to date.
Contact the printers Mfr for additional help and information regarding there printer products.
It might be worth spending under $20 (Amazon) to purchase a TP-Link RE220 WiFi Extender. Locate it close to the printer, but where it still gets a good signal from the Orbi system (router or satellite). i.e. don't hide it near the floor behind massive furniture or a metal desk.
This provides two choices:
- Connect the printer to the Ethernet port on the extender. WiFi on the printer is no longer relevant. or...
- Define a 2.4G network on the extender which has a unique name so that when the printer is connected to that unique WiFi network the only thing it can find is the extender.
p.s. The Orbi system provides a way to assign an IP address to devices in the web management interface. Advanced Tab. LAN Setup menu. Sometimes WiFi extenders create pseudo MAC addresses for devices that are connected through the extender, so be careful to record the MAC address that appears in Attached Devices.
Thought about that.......... Unfortunately, my Canon printer has no ethernet port - WiFi only option. Canon techsupport helped me to download a program that appears to have forced their printer to setup on my network via 2.4GHz. Will need to test this out over the next few days - primarily let the printer and computer sleep and then see if they wake up properly. If that doesn't work, will look at assigning a unique IP address. I looked into doing that and I thought it was not an option. More in a few days. Thanks!!!
Can set a IP address reservation for the printer on the RBR unit:
https://kb.netgear.com/25722/How-do-I-reserve-an-IP-address-on-my-NETGEAR-router
My printer only supports 2.4 GHz WiFi, but my Orbi system keeps steering it to 5 GHz.
Nonsense. From where is this idea coming from. There is no "active" steering...
As StephenB pointed out, a device containing only 2.4G WiFi capability cannot be "steered" to a different frequency. It is just not possible.
Yep!
Band steering "encourages" clients to choose 5 ghz (or 6 ghz), but the decision is made by the client.
A wireless client is - for a short moment not allowed to connect on one bane - so it's expected to the wireless does re-associate on the "other" band. That's all there is.
My printer supports 2.4 and 5.0. But, 5.0 is very unreliable and the printer does not wake up when connected to 5.0. I am told this is a common issue with Canon printers.
...so something to nag on with Canon support.
I would like to dedicate an IP address for my printer - as that would make it more responsive. But, that does not appear to be an Orbi option.
Of course there is:
- You can either reserve the MAC-IP address on Orbi, so the Orbi DHCP server does always assign the saame IP address, or
- configure a fixed static IP configuration (address, subnet mask, default gateway, ...) on the printer.
I doubt this does change anything on the known poor WiFi or wonky keep-alive of the wireless connection on some Canon printers.
The wiresss adpter on the printer has to keep up the WiFi connection 24*7, in case of a DHCP client it has to renew, like
- T1 Timer (50% of the lease): When exactly half your lease time passes, your device sends a direct message to the DHCP server (usually the router) asking to keep the IP address. If the server approves, it sends an acknowledgment, and the timer resets to zero.
- T2 Timer (87.5% of the lease): If the server was busy at the 50% mark and didn't reply, your device sends a wider network message when the lease is 87.5% complete. This asks any available DHCP server on the network to renew the IP.
- Lease Expiration: If the timer reaches 100% with no reply, your device must stop using the IP address entirely and start the initial network search from scratch (the "Discovery" phase) to get a new IP.
The default total DHCP lease time is (if I'm not wrong, to far away from NTGR consumer devices) is 24 hours. So after 12 hours, the printer DHCP client should, after 21 hours it must renew the IP address - otherwise, the DHCP lease will expire. Both these require an active and workable wireless connection.
If the printer IP address can be pinged successfully after one day, one would assume the IP stack of the printer remains reachable, and the wake-up should be possible.
Problem solved. I purchased a WiFi extender. I connected it to my Orbi and it is creating an alternative WiFi signal that is limited to just 2.4GHz. I send a print job from my computer (via my Orbi mesh) to the printer which is receiving signals from orbi through the extender. The extender only broadcasts 2.4GHz - which the Canon printer prefers. To test it, I let it sit for several hours and the computer and printer went to sleep. Woke up the pc, sent a print job and the printer did what it was designed to do immediately. This was well worth spending $7 on a cheap extender. As much as I luv technology, technology sucks.
How did you connect it to your Orbi? Do you have a part number for the extender you bought?
The extender connects to my Orbi via a cable. Could extend it wirelessly - but cable was easier.
Sad that Canon's program failed to lock the printer to 2.4G. But, good news that an inexpensive WiFi extender did the job. "Problem Solved"
Sad that Canon's program failed to lock the printer to 2.4G.
Why should it? These printers come just with poor to avarage wireless client. And the big majority of dual-band WiFi clients, being in IoT, mobile phones, tablets, notebooks, ... the user has no such choice, never, nowhere.
Since there is no such choice, it's up to the printer manuafacturer investigating, why their printers (equipped with extremely cheap WiFi adapters) are failing badly if the customer WiFi environment is not that basic as intended in their product specs and design!
But, good news that an inexpensive WiFi extender did the job.
Yes, these (even inexpensive) extenders allow (just like consumer and business wireless access points) to define an SSID active on e.g. the 2.4 GHz band only. Thats why some senior community members here (including yourself in a differet fur) have suggested that approach.
The extender only broadcasts 2.4GHz - which the Canon printer prefers.
So you know wehre you should complain to....
Now, if I tell you that the Netgear EAX80 extender (a Broadcom platform, with BCM43684 WiFi ...) does, when operating on all bands, and in mesh mode, fail miserably in a typyical environment with business class APs (Qualcomm platfrom, Netgear WBE71x and WBE75x, almost the de-facto standard with all vendors), what does that mean to us? The IT worls is - when it comes to WiFi - is not perfect.
In my opinion the problem is shared between Netgear and Canon. Netgear because they offer no means to control band steering. Canon because they should not even be configuring their printers to work with 5GHz. But since Canon is allowing users to use 5GHz - they should offer the ability to toggle it on or off. I spent 2 hours with Canon Tech Support not solving my problem. It wasn't until I dug deeper on my own to discover that 5GHz is crap. Canon sent me a survey to measure the results of my satisfaction with their tech support. I happily responded and I have not heard back.
