Keep connecting to 5GHz network despite disabling 5GHz SSID broadcast

The signal is there however the SSID is just hidden. 

Do your mobile devices remain connected to the 2.4Ghz after you forget that nework and connect again? 

What happens if you disable the 5G SSID and turn down the Power to 25% and walk farther away from the RBR. Mobile devices should remain connected to the 2.4Ghz radio. 

The disabling of the 5Ghz SSID broadcast is only a short term solution for getting 2.4Ghz IoTs connected...Possible that the Mac still has some cached wifi information is maybe using the 2.4Ghz SSID name and password and trying to apply it to the 5Ghz signal and is getting connected, even though the SSID name is hidden. 

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Anjadekar wrote:

I did do that, as mentioned in the OP. Interestingly, I have noticed that after deleting the network information on the Mac it initially connects over the 2.4GHz network and then switches back to the 5GHz one after a few minutes.

 

Also, I am curious as to why the 5GHz network on channel 36, as seen on the WiFi explorer app, is being broadcast at all.

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Just to be clear: the 5GHz network on channel 36 shows as "Unknown" rather than showing an SSID, correct?  Disabling SSID broadcast does not turn off the radio.  All devices that were already connected at 5G will remain connected.

This is indeed a mystery.  At first glance, this appears to be impossible.  WiFi device looks at the list of available access points (which can be quite a few in many locations, both 2.4G and 5G).  Looking down the list, it finds one that the device has stored logon credentials for and does a connection.  Once the connection is made, what could possibly get the device to change to an access point that is has no record of and has no SSID? 

Orbi is supposed to be compliant with the latest 802.11 standards in which the device and access points exchange information about their capabilities prior to connection.  Perhaps the Orbi remembers that the device says, "I can do both 2.4G and 5G channels", and after accepting the password at 2.4G (which is the same password for 5G) sends the device a message saying, "I think you would be happier connecting to this other access point."  There is certainly a mechanism to tell devices about other access points, which (I believe) is involved in "Fast Roaming".

Guess it's time to experiment and see if I can duplicate this phenomenon.

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Anjadekar wrote:
I have noticed that after deleting the network information on the Mac it initially connects over the 2.4GHz network and then switches back to the 5GHz one after a few minutes.

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My experiment confirms your observation.  When I "forgot" the Orbi SSID and quickly searched and reconnected, it did so at 5G.  So, I was more deliberate.  I "forgot" the Orbi SSID and restarted the phone.  It was sitting in my hand with no WiFi enabled, yet the Orbi Attached Devices claimed it was connected at 5G for about 5 minutes.  Hmmm.  Orbi seems to have a "timer" of sorts and does not drop a device from Attached Devices immediately.  Sure enough, eventually the phone dropped off.

Entered my phone passcode, went to WiFi settings, connected to Orbi and the phone connected at 2.4G (both the phone and the Orbi report 2.4G).  Sat watching for a while, and "Shazam", the phone is now connected at 5G.

So, there appears to be a window of time during which a device will remain connected at 2.4G before switching.  My guess is that only newer devices that are programmed to "roam" will have whatever software feature it is that enables this behavior.  Of course, these are exactly the devices one would be using to set up IoT gizmos.

With my colossal level of ignoance and self-confidence I have been assuring people that using the "Broadcast SSID" tactic will enable them to easily set up IoT devices on the Orbi (when the app software is too stupid to work properly on mesh WiFi systems).  I guess that advice now has to include, "Don't dilly dally.  You've got 2-3 minutes to work with."