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How to connect 2.4GHZ Devices
I just bought few smart plugs. But they only connect to 2.4 Ghz. How do i add them to my home network as they will not show up in App on my phone for a setup. I have a good coverage in my house so mo...
Kcobra1 wrote:I just bought few smart plugs. But they only connect to 2.4 Ghz. How do i add them to my home network as they will not show up in App on my phone for a setup. I have a good coverage in my house so most of the time phone is on 5Ghz.
While the smartphone apps for many (most?) Internet of Things (IoT) devices are able to deal with "mesh" WiFi networks, there are some which are poorly written and simply fail to work when the smartphone is connected at 5G. What has worked for many people (including me) is this:
- Access the Orbi web interface (http://orbilogin.net) using the admin credentials user "admin" and the Orbi router password (not the WiFi password)
- Navigate to the Advanced Tab, Advanced Settings, Wireless Settings
- Uncheck the box "Broadcast SSID on 5G Channel"
This will not affect any devices which are currently attached to the Orbi at 5G. - On the smartphone settings, "forget" the Orbi WiFi
- Search for WiFi networks and select the Orbi WiFi
- Enter the WiF password and connect
- At this point, open the IoT app and go through the steps
- After the device is connected, reverse the steps
Check the box "Broadcast SSID"
"Forget Orbi WiFi"
Search for and connect.
This sounds like a lot of work, but doesn't take very long.
p.s. "Poorly written" may seem harsh, but GEEZ. My TP-Link, Belkin, Eufy, Teckin (and other) smart plugs connected immediately. I have only had one that required the above steps. For one plug, I simply ignored the warnings "MUST connect to w.4G" and kept hitting "Continue" until it worked. "TAKE THAT!", I said.
bad_guy wrote:
Sorry, but you are incorrect. It is neither misguided nor erroneous.
You are free to believe what you like. My worry is that people will read your messages and take them as the gospel truth.
I know that you are beyond convincing, my reply was intended as a health warning for other people.
They have been warned.
There is no need to be offensive, and it's not about "what I believe".
I have said just the opposite to what you imply. There is no gospel truth, no one size fits all solution. It depends on the combination of things that you have, or what you can afford to do about the problem. For some people, this can be made to work. For others, it doesn't (unless you can afford to replace all the miscreant 'smart devices', or get a new iPhone, or change the Orbi system you are using).
The important thing, rather than being prescriptive, is that people understand why the problem exists, and what to try. I pay for Pro Support from Netgear, and have spent many hours on the phone with a number of different engineers, and have tried all of these things. At the end of it, they advise that there is no solution if you have certain combinations of equipment, other than to replace it.
So, it's not me that needs convincing. I suggest that if you feel differently, you talk to Netgear support team and engineers. They will tell you that this problem is the reason functionality was added back to the 960 series (top end consumer Orbi, 6E support) that was taken out of the models below that.