NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Is there any way to get a separate SSID for 2.4ghz with an RBR40? Or abandon Orbi?
Hi all I have recently put smart lights throughout my house that require a 2.4ghz network. I'm having huge connectivity issues and I'm told it's probably due to my 5ghz and 2.4ghz channels having...
I've got 2x orbi systems. And a ton of smart devices. And I haven't found anything I couldn't get connected.
It was a bit of a pain when I first started using them but not an issue now.
The problem is lazy coding on smart devices. You shouldn't "need" to be connected to the 2.4ghz for setup but because people are lazy, you do.
So to get your devices setup, just make sure your phone/device is on the 2.4ghz during setup.
Some have done this by reducing the transmit power on the 5ghz and disabling ssid broadcast (doesn't actually disable 5ghz). Then disconnect your phone and reconnect it. Hopefully it connects to the 2.4ghz for setting up your devices.
What I"ve even done in the past is use an old router or my phone hotspot. I set it with the same ssid/password as the orbi. Then I connect to its 2.4ghz and get my devices setup. then I simply power off that old router/hotspot and power the orbi back on. I haven't had to do this in years but it is an option.
Thank you very much for the reply. It's not actually the set up that is my problem. I can get them all going as per the provided instructions but the connection is just super unreliable with dropouts happening all the time.
They are Lifx downlights and it seems that many people solve the issue by having a separate SSID for 2.4ghz.
But of course I'm happy to hear any other solutions because generally my Orbi system is pretty good.
The support web site recommends best practices for where to put their bulbs. Do the bulbs experiencing connection problems fall into any of those situations?
CrimpOn wrote:The support web site recommends best practices for where to put their bulbs. Do the bulbs experiencing connection problems fall into any of those situations?
https://support.lifx.com/english-SksMdoL_
No none of that really applies. Mine are downlights rather than bulbs.
kiwiaussie wrote:Thank you very much for the reply. It's not actually the set up that is my problem. I can get them all going as per the provided instructions but the connection is just super unreliable with dropouts happening all the time.
They are Lifx downlights and it seems that many people solve the issue by having a separate SSID for 2.4ghz.
The known problems caused by shared SSID are during setup, by phone apps that assume their SSID is what the IoT device needs to use (but the phone speaks 5Ghz whereas the device does not).
It seems unlikely that the sharing of SSID between 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz can be the cause of connection dropouts. Your lights cannot "see" the 5Ghz network so how can they be affected?
Try searching for Orbi suggestions for LIFX compatibility that do not talk about the shared SSID. For example, this one suggests disabling 20/40Mhz coexistence and WMM: https://www.reddit.com/r/lifx/comments/dmnyj2/lifx_and_orbi_any_tricks/. It's worth a try but sounds drastic (I think WMM should be on all the time).
https://support.lifx.com/troubleshooting-setup-BJD5Zdi8_#h_becbd926-f472-44a3-91ac-2649196a6cbd also suggests:
- Disable WMM
- Change the router channel from auto to 1, 6 or 11 - Have you changed your wifi channel from Auto to one of these numbers?
- Also mentioned here: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Lifx-bulbs-not-seeing-Orbi/m-p/1179401#M1410
- Do you have any QoS options enabled? They can cause LIFX issues.
- Mentions that the shared SSID is a setup danger, not connectivity, so you should look for other reasons for your dropouts: "Dual-band routers at times can route LIFX to the incorrect band, causing a failure in set-up."
