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How Connect to 5G on Orbi?
My local 2.4G WiFi environment is crowded. I have some devices which support both 2.4 and 5G. I would like them to connect to the Orbi at 5G instead of 2.4.
With my Nighthawk router, the 2.4 and 5G WiFi had different SSID's, so this was easy.
With the Orbi, both networks share the same SSID.
Surely there is SOME way to make this happen.
I have thought of setting up a Guest network (with security), but when I put my own SSID on Guest, the Orbi made both 2.4 and 5G SSID's the same.
Is there a way to turn off the Guest 2.4 radio?
Thanks
The devices should automatically connect to the 5G network. The Orbi has a built in feature, called band steering, that will try to push all 5G capable devices onto the 5G network. There is nothing special for you to do.
Take a look here, you can use this trick so that the Orbi will display if wireless devices are connected via 5Ghz or 2.4. All of my 5Ghz devices are connected at 5G, I had no issues:
Regards
4 Replies
The devices should automatically connect to the 5G network. The Orbi has a built in feature, called band steering, that will try to push all 5G capable devices onto the 5G network. There is nothing special for you to do.
Take a look here, you can use this trick so that the Orbi will display if wireless devices are connected via 5Ghz or 2.4. All of my 5Ghz devices are connected at 5G, I had no issues:
Regards
Absolutely PERFECT ! Why would anyone prefer less information?
Thanks
No Joy. My device is a WiFi video security camera (RLC-410WS) from Reolink that claims 2.4G and 5G capability. It has to be connected via ethernet for initial configuration. I set it up, entered my SSID & password, removed the ethernet cable and rebooted. Came up and connected at 2.4G to the ORBI which is 4 ft. away. (Thanks to your hint, my ORBI now reveals the wireless connection type!)
(Because I want to keep track of security cameras) I gave it a fixed IP and rebooted. This time, it connected at 2.4G to the satellite ORBI which is 30 ft. away, through several walls, instead of to the ORBI base station which is 4 ft. away.
I will, of course, ask Reolink how to force the camera to 5G, but I'm not optimistic.
Do devices have different MAC addresses for 2.4G and 5G? If so, maybe I could set the ORBI to reject connection from the 2.4G MAC and allow from the 5G MAC?
(Hmmm. How would I figure this out? Maybe disable the ORBI 2.4G radio and see what happens?)
Or, maybe I can set up a Guest network on the ORBI and turn on ONLY the 5G radio?
I had such high hopes.
More Info:
Seems like the 2.4G and 5G MAC addresses are the same. (sigh, that would have made things SO easy)
The camera does indeed connect at both 2.4G and 5G. I disabled the ORBI 2.4G radio and the camera happily connected at 5G.
However, after I turned the 2.4G radio back on, the camera eventually went back to 2.4G.
Turned on the Guest network, but can find no method for allowing only 5G for Guests. (a separate SSID would also have made things SO easy)
Damn, Damn, Damn
