Orbi LBR20 can't disable 5GHz

Try this. Turn OFF the RBS. Then the power output of the 5Ghz radio to 25%. Be sure that 20/40 MHz Coexistence enabled. Under Advanced Tab/Advanced Settings/Wireless Settings. Then connect your mobile device at a distance from the RBR to ensure the mobile phone keeps connected to the 2.4Ghz radio. After you get the IoT device connected, re-configure the system back to where it was. 

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tvarberg wrote:

The purpose is only to turn it off temporary to link an ITO device.

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IoT gizmos can be a challenge because they often lack any method to enter WiFi credentials directly into the device (no keyboard, no camera to show a QR code, no Ethernet jack to connect to a wired network).  These devices almost always create their own temporary WiFi access point (a few use Bluetooth).  The smartphone app connects to that temporary access point and communicates the WiFi credentials to the device.

The vast majority of devices "just connect".  Some users are alarmed when they read the prominent notice, "MUST have 2.4G WiFi" and incorrectly assume that they must disable any other WiFi (such as 5G) before attempting to set up the device.  Simply going ahead with the setup usually gets the device connected.

These IoT devices almost always have the least expensive WiFi radio chips, which support only 2.4G WiFi.  They cannot detect or connect to 5G WiFi.  (Just as they cannot detect AM radio, ham radio, or television.)  The presence of 5G WiFi has no relevance to the device itself.

There are some devices that have poorly written apps.  (We cannot know the "internals" of their apps, but....)  What appears to happen is:

• The app detects that the smartphone is connected to WiFi at 5G and refuses to proceed.  If the app would just convey the WiFi credentials, the device could scan for, detect, and connect to the 2.4G WiFi network.
• The app tries to be "too helpful" and tells the IoT device not only the WiFi credentials, but also the hardware MAC address of the WiFi access point.  Since the smartphone is connected at 5G, the MAC address of its access point is not relevant to the IoT device.  But, if the device attempts to connect to that specific MAC address it will fail, because its 2.4G WiFi chip cannot find it.

So what does a customer do when the wonderful IoT gizmo will not connect?  There appear to be a limited number of options:

• Send it back and purchase one that has few complaints about, "cannot connect."  That is often not practical.
• Get the smartphone connected to a 2.4G WiFi channel for the setup. (After the gizmo is connected, it will no longer matter that the phone is connected at 5G and the gizmo at 2.4G.)  There are a variety of ways to accomplish this:
• The original Orbi 802.11ac product line, which includes the RBR20, has an option to not broadcast the 5G SSID.  This is found on the Orbi web interface, Advanced Tab, Advanced Settings, WiFi Settings:
  

  Uncheck this box.  Click "Apply" at the top of the screen.  The Orbi WiFi will restart.  On the smartphone, "Forget" the Orbi WiFi.  Search for WiFi again and connect to the Orbi.  This will be at 2.4G because the phone will not see a 5G WiFi signal that it recognizes.  Perform the setup.  After everything is working, go back to check the box and "Apply."
  Alas, Netgear removed this option from newer Orbi systems.  You are fortunate to have an "old model."

• As FURRYe38 indicated, another method is to carry the smartphone far enough from the Orbi that the 5G signal is not attractive.  Reduce the Transmit power to the lowest possible (25%).  Carry the phone FAR from the closest access point, "forget" and search.  The phone may connect at 2.4G.  Perform the setup and then restore Transmit power to the desired level.  This method may prove unwieldy if the IoT Gizmo has to be physically fixed in place before setup.
• Some users deliberately keep an old WiFi router on hand which has an option to specifically disable 5G WiFi (or never supported 5G WiFi in the first place.)  They turn off their home WiFi, connect up the old router with exactly the same WiFi credentials as their Orbi, perform the setup, and they restore the Orbi WiFi.
• Some users create a WiFi Hot Spot on one cell phone, using exactly the same WiFi credentials as their Orbi, temporarily power off the Orbi system, connect the smartphone used for setup to the Hot Spot. Do the setup. Then shut down the Hot Spot and power up the Orbi again.

All of this would not be necessary if these products were designed correctly.  I would write a SCATHING REVIEW and complain bitterly.