Help Setting up Two Parallel WiFi Networks

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bjornand1 wrote:

Hi, I hope some of you Orbi experts can offer some advice on this:

 

I have an Orbi setup with one base station and three satellites. After producing very good WiFi speed in the beginning, the speed is now very poor, and all help I have received points to the number of IoT devices connected, around 50, being the issue.

Numerous Orbi users report having more than 50 devices (some over 100) without impacting performance.  If the majority of these devices are IoT gizmos, their bandwidth usage is minimal.  I disagree with the premise.

I am therefore about to set up a second network, using Eero 6, which I intend to reserve primarily for IoT devices. To make the transfer as painless as possible, my plan is to set up the new Eero network with the same network name and ip address as the Orbi network, preserving a number of static ip reservations from the Orbi (and set the Orbi system up from scratch).

Every time I replace one WiFi router with a new one, I give the new one exactly the same SSID/password as the old so that every device will automatically reconnect.  (and, so that I can "go back" if I do not like the new router).

Preparing for this, one possibly stupic question is: Can I change the name (SSID) of the current Orbi network ahead of the transfer, without causing any issues with the devices connected (i.e., will they remain connected with the same ip address or will they be "confused" by the change of network name)?

The instant the Orbi SSID changes, every device will disconnect.

I ask because I named the Orbi network "MySurnameOrbi", but after this transfer, I would like this original network (after it has been transferred to Eero) to be called something like "MySurnameEero" and assign the "MySurnameOrbi" to the new network I will set up with the Orbi system.

This seems inconsistent with the question above. (Can I set up the EERO with the same SSID/password).

Also, any other issues to consider before underaking this transfer, to minimize problems/devices that disconnect?

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Having two mesh WiFi systems "side by side" is likely to cause interference and reduce the capacity of both.

If you no longer believe the Orbi is suitable, remove it completely and name the new WiFi system with the same SSID/password as the Orbi.  Or, as I would do, put the Orbi in a closet and reinstall it if the EERO breaks or is disappointing.