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Forum Discussion
Firmware Update 2.0x but still no option for enforced 5Ghz connection
Dear all, I am really frustrated by now, new firmware but still no solution for the problem that most of my apple and android devices all capable of 5Ghz connectivity are forced down to 2.4Ghz co...
Thanks a lot for the reply.
Actually, it's only half true.
It's Netgear setting the Signal level thresholds when a device is enforced to switch over from the 5 to the 2.4 band and vice versa. You can't influence currently. The defined Levels seem to be quite high.
One solution path might be then to make policy rules available for each device based on the MAC address to set the signal threshold level individually for the 5 GHz band when the device falls back to the 5 GHz band.
That should be not to difficult for Netgear to implementiert.
I don't have any problem with my iOS or Android devices preferring 2.4 GHz, so this is not a fundamental issue with Orbi. It's more likely something due to your environment--poor 5 GHz propagation or high noise levels.
Also, you're saying you believe Orbi is forcing devices from the 5 GHz band to 2.4 GHz band. This should not happen if you have a good 5 GHz signal. The main purpose of band steering is to steer devices to 5 GHz, so Orbi is almost certainly not steering devices to 2.4 GHz. You must have poor 5 GHz signal where your devices are located and/or a 2.4 GHz signal that's too strong.
Start by reducing your 2.4 GHz power, as I suggested. Set the power to 50% or even 25%. That will help ensure the 2.4 GHz is not stronger than the 5 GHz. Band steering can have issues if the 2.4 GHz band is much stronger than the 5 GHz.
Thanks a lot again for the reply and suggestions.
But after trying solves the problem only to some extent.
Point is: before installing the Orbi I had an Asus access point and sitting next room at the position I sit now I had still a level of signal strength with 5 GHz with decent speed. The Orbi switches me at the same position to 2.4 GHz even with reduced 2.4 GHz band to 25% signal strength. So I think the threshold of Orbi for switch over is still set too high in the default mode.
If you want to avoid a separate 5GHz SSID with the Orbi and keep the universal mesh SSID Orbi should allow for individual device policy settings for determining switch over from 5 to 2.4 band. That would allow to fine tune the system to given needs without giving up the universal mesh SSID.