NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Orbi: We really need separate SSID for 2.4 Ghz and 5Ghz or speed is limited to less than 200 Mbps
TLDR: With Orbi, my 5Ghz capable devices are "forced" to connect to 2.4 Ghz most of the time, slowing down speed. Tested against 3 different routers and my 5Ghz capable can connect to 5Ghz network al...
Hey guys, just want to give a quick update.
After testing for a looong time, I still believe that having a separate SSID as an option will be beneficial for some people (like me).
I have tried disabling one satellite and even both satellites and there are STILL times where my MacBooks will connect to 2.4 Ghz. The MacBooks (3 of them) are located in the same place for weeks and they connect to 5Ghz and then switched to 2.4 Ghz automatically. When it does connect to 2.4 Ghz, it will stay connected to that. It will not connect back to 5Ghz and I had to turn off and on the Wifi in order to connect to 5Ghz.
This is where the MacBooks are stationary and happened with 2 satellites, 1 satellites and finally just the main router (no satellites).
When it connect to 2.4 Ghz, the fastest speed I get is 2~ MB/s. If I am connected to 5Ghz, I consistently get 8 MB/s.
Hi,
As it has been stated a few different times already, once the MacBook connects at 2.4Ghz, unless it drops below -75 dBm, it will NOT reconnect (or even attempt) to reconnect at 5Ghz, or even search for a closer/faster satellite for that matter. This is how macOS is currently designed, you can find the full details at: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206207
The bigger question that everyone is trying to help you with, is why is it dropping to 2.4Ghz in the first place. Typically when it is very random like it currently seems to be (after you have reset your Orbi hardware) it could be due to something as silly as a microwave being turned on that is causing the 5Ghz network to not be strong enough for a moment in time and the MacBook is switching to the 2.4ghz band. Then as explained above, the 2.4Ghz network is strong enough that the system will not switch back automaticly becuse it doesn't drop below -75 dBm. So you will have to manaully turn off WiFi, and turn it back on.
I like to use the app, WiFi Explorerm to help me see what is going on within my network. As I do live in a concrete built condo, with lots of neightbors that have lots of different WiFi setups, let alone the wireless devices in my house... :)
Uplink01 wrote:Hi,
As it has been stated a few different times already, once the MacBook connects at 2.4Ghz, unless it drops below -75 dBm, it will NOT reconnect (or even attempt) to reconnect at 5Ghz, or even search for a closer/faster satellite for that matter. This is how macOS is currently designed, you can find the full details at: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206207
The bigger question that everyone is trying to help you with, is why is it dropping to 2.4Ghz in the first place. Typically when it is very random like it currently seems to be (after you have reset your Orbi hardware) it could be due to something as silly as a microwave being turned on that is causing the 5Ghz network to not be strong enough for a moment in time and the MacBook is switching to the 2.4ghz band. Then as explained above, the 2.4Ghz network is strong enough that the system will not switch back automaticly becuse it doesn't drop below -75 dBm. So you will have to manaully turn off WiFi, and turn it back on.
I like to use the app, WiFi Explorerm to help me see what is going on within my network. As I do live in a concrete built condo, with lots of neightbors that have lots of different WiFi setups, let alone the wireless devices in my house... :)Yes, I understand. I read every single post and tried disabling the the satellite. Why is it dropping to 2.4 Ghz? From what I've tested so far, from turning off one satellite to keeping the same MacBook in the same place, I have no clue. One thing for sure is that with my old Time Capsule and other routers that support frequency separation, my MacBooks stay connected to 5 Ghz all the time.
With multiple MacBooks and different routers tested (refer to my previous posts) which have dual SSID, so far only Orbi the one that won't hold to 5Ghz. If Orbi have dual SSID, maybe I can test that.
I also have a 3TB Time Capsule that is currently hardwired in my Orbi as I still use it for my time machine backups on my new 15" MBP Touch Bar.
When I was using my TC as my main router, or even older AirPorts before that, I also had separate SSID's for both 2.4 and 5Ghz, but the setup still wasn't the best solution. Even when I would force my devices to connect to 5Ghz and I did typically have a higher connection speed, as it would connect via AC not N, my actual connection was much weaker overall. If i started moving around with my devices I would basically lose signal all together, and have to manually go and connect to the slower 2.4Ghz network. That is the main reason I truly love having one SSID for everything.
A few things that could be causing it?
- Firmware bug in the Orbi, and they have acknowledge a few of those already that will be hopefully fixed soon...? :P
- Some setting wtihin the Orbi being turned on/off that could be causing the issue...- Orbi hardware issue, it could be possible...
- macOS bug, are you running 10.12.4, all apps fully updated, etc? (Also have you removed all the Preferred Networks, sometimes those all need to be deleted to fix WiFi issues)
- MacBook hardware issue, less likely since it seems to be working with other wireless equipment...- Location of the Orbi and/or Orbi Satellite, the Orbi and the TC are very different hardware, so you might need to move stuff around more to get a better location for your devices to work correctly. The Orbi router, and especially the Orbi Router + Satellite combo should have a much stronger range than much older TC...
- You could try another "mesh" hardware setup? But I will tell you after using Eero for awhile, if you are looking for top speeds, you won't get it with Eero, and from what I understand, most of the others as well, as Orbi truly wins the speed contest due to its dedicated backhaul design. :)
Lastly, all "mesh" hardware are all using one SSID for everything that I am aware of, that is one of the major points of having a mesh network. Typically you get way more coverage, much faster connections on all parts of your network, with a lot less hassle. The ease of not having to change your SSID just because you are moving from room to room, or losing speed (up to 50% in most cases) because you using a repeater to extend your network, etc, are all major benefits to having a mesh hardware setup no matter the brand. But to be fair, I am not 100% sure if any of them support different SSID's for each band.