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Forum Discussion
Forcing Guest SSID to be 2.4
Hi - I have seens lots of posts to talk about how you can manually go into debug mode and setup separate SSID's for various purposes. However, I've been unable to force my Guest network to only suppo...
As long as you are willing to experiment, can you please give this method a try:
- Navigate to the Orbi Advanced Tab->Advanced Setup->Wireless Settings.
Uncheck the 5G box "Enable SSID Broadcast"
Click "Apply" - On the smartphone, navigate to the WiFi control panel.
Disconnect from the Orbi and "forget" the Orbi WiFi. (this clears the password) - On the smartphone, search for nearby WiFi networks and select the Orbi from the list.
- Enter the Orbi WiFi password and connect.
- (At this point if you connected to the Orbi web interface or used the Orbi app, it should show the smartphone connected at 2.4G.)
- Open the smartphone app and set up the device.
- Once the device says it is set up, go again to the Attached Devices or Orbi app and verify that the device has connected.
- Now that the task is complete, navigate back to the Orbi Advanced Tab->Advanced Setup->Wireless Settings, check the box "Enable SSID Broadcast" for 5G and click "Apply"
- The smartphone can be left connected to the Orbi at 2.4G or can be reconnected to 5G, either be doing the "forget" process or turning the phone off and back on again. (with the password being saved, the phone will select from whichever Orbi SSID is best).
Note to JeriD, as CrimpOn says, disabling the 5 GHz temporarily SSID is reckoned to be the easiest and most reliable way of dealing with these IoT devices whose developers don't know what they are up to. Lots of satisfied customers have reported success with this strategy.
When you have done it, please complain to the people who made your life difficult by writing half-baked installation apps. They need to know that it is time to enter the 21st century.
Thanks for all of the replies. If disabling the 5 Gz SSID broadcast works, that will be the simplest thing by far. I will try that once my next bulb comes in and update the thread. As to the comment about "please complain to the people who made your life difficult by writing half-baked installation apps. They need to know that it is time to enter the 21st century.", while I completely agree, I also think it would be an easy solution for other scenarios I can come up with for Netgear to provide a simple toggle in the setup screen that allows (independently for the main network and the guest network) to have choices of 2.4/5/both with the default recommended setting being both. Is there a down side to that?
JeriD wrote:
I also think it would be an easy solution for other scenarios I can come up with for Netgear to provide a simple toggle in the setup screen that allows (independently for the main network and the guest network) to have choices of 2.4/5/both with the default recommended setting being both.
That breaks the whole raison d'etre of Orbi and Mesh systems and hardware that is easy to set up and manage.
People who want this facility are free to buy different equipment.
Sadly, too many people turn up here saying "why doesn't my kit do so and so?" Often this is because they made the wrong purchasing choice and then want to find someone else to blame.
I canlt blame them. I have made similar mistakes in the past. But I don't whinge.
JeriD wrote:.....it would be an easy solution for other scenarios I can come up with for Netgear to provide a simple toggle in the setup screen that allows (independently for the main network and the guest network) to have choices of 2.4/5/both with the default recommended setting being both. Is there a down side to that?
What seems like "easy" to you and me may turn out to be more complicated internally. How does "band steering" work if one band isn't there? Oh, simple. Just add a few lines of code here and there... IF 5G not there THEN... ELSE... And then someone complains, "I checked the box and now (so and so) doesn't work correctly."
Seriously, it will be a BIG help if you report what happens with your next IoT connection.
Some IoT Mfrs fail to recognize or realize that 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz are on the same network. Just two different frequencies. Why these IoT mfrs limit there setup software on phones and pads that must be connected to only 2.4Ghz is not progressive or helpful. If there setup software would allow this, then most IoT setup issues wouldn't be a problem or hassle and users wouldn't have to temporarily disable the 5G on the Orbi. For now, this is a simple work around and seem to work as others have mentioned it working for them:
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/orbi-20-cannot-connect-Swann-Camera/m-p/1822475/highlight/true#M75403
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Kindle-Paperwhite-not-found-my-Orbi-RBR40/m-p/1712069/highlight/true#M53584Also users have just reduced the power output of the 5Ghz radio down to 25% and this seems to work as well:
User should directly these issues, experiences and complaints to these IoT Mfrs.
JeriD wrote:Thanks for all of the replies. If disabling the 5 Gz SSID broadcast works, that will be the simplest thing by far. I will try that once my next bulb comes in and update the thread. As to the comment about "please complain to the people who made your life difficult by writing half-baked installation apps. They need to know that it is time to enter the 21st century.", while I completely agree, I also think it would be an easy solution for other scenarios I can come up with for Netgear to provide a simple toggle in the setup screen that allows (independently for the main network and the guest network) to have choices of 2.4/5/both with the default recommended setting being both. Is there a down side to that?
