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Forum Discussion
ORBI
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ALLOW SPLIT SSID !!! Many people are asking for the option and I have equipment that does not work with band steering
15 Replies
Netgear I am sending my Orbi back. The latest firmware disabled the only way to split SSID. You should listen to your customers and give them the choice otherwise you lose money it's that simple....bye !!
Agree, if I wasn't able to split these out with the workaround I would be sending the device back.
At least provide a way to exclude dedicated MACs from band-steering, like Ring devices or any ohter one, that might encounter issues with band-steering.
- Why is such basic functionality (split SSID for 2.4Ghz and 5 Ghz) missing from such a “premium” product? It’s reason enough for me to return this product. SAD!
I wholeheartedly agree that this should be built-in functionality.
There is a way to do this that still works, but it requires enabling Telnet using the debug page. This post provides the details:
How to set a separate SSID for the 5 GHz network on your Orbi
Couldn’t agree more, it’s almost too obvious! Who ever runs thier Dev team needs to really have a long hard think about themselves!
Yes please. I can not configure IoT power socket switches, which can only use 2GHz APs, when my phone locks into the Orbi 5GHz signal. I need either to be able to disable the 5GHz band AP else be able to configure the 2GHz and 5GHz APs with different SSIDs so that I can steer my phone to the 2GHz band. Right now I get around this by using a different antique phone that only has 2GHz, but needing a sifferent phone to configure the IoT devices is a PITA.
You can try to set the 5Ghz power output on the Orbi from 100% to 25%, then move the mobile setup device far away from the Orbi router as possible, Turn off the satellites temporarilily as well while you attempt to get the mobile setup device to connect to the 2.4Ghz radio.
FYI, the Mfr of these IoT devices need to proper develop and test there products on routers systems that support a single SSID name and PW and MESH systems. The Mfr is not ensuring that there setup software can allow for a mobile setup device to be connected to a 5Ghz wifi source while the mfr IoT device is connected to the 2.4Ghz wifi source. This is the responsibility of the IoT Mfr to effect this and ensure there devices are working correctly on MESH wifi systems that use Smart Connect. There setup software should be able to handle having a mobile setup device on a 5Ghz wifi and there IoT device on 2.4Ghz and get them connected since the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz wifi are on the same network. The handling of the setup software needs to be reviewed by the IoT Mfr.
argold wrote:
Yes please. I can not configure IoT power socket switches, which can only use 2GHz APs, when my phone locks into the Orbi 5GHz signal. I need either to be able to disable the 5GHz band AP else be able to configure the 2GHz and 5GHz APs with different SSIDs so that I can steer my phone to the 2GHz band. Right now I get around this by using a different antique phone that only has 2GHz, but needing a sifferent phone to configure the IoT devices is a PITA.
Thanks for the suggestion but if Netgear requires that we must to resort to kludges then mine of using a geriatric 2GHz only phone is working well enough.
argold wrote:
Yes please. I can not configure IoT power socket switches, which can only use 2GHz APs, when my phone locks into the Orbi 5GHz signal. I need either to be able to disable the 5GHz band AP else be able to configure the 2GHz and 5GHz APs with different SSIDs so that I can steer my phone to the 2GHz band. Right now I get around this by using a different antique phone that only has 2GHz, but needing a sifferent phone to configure the IoT devices is a PITA.
You can temporarly disable the 5 GHz band until you do the activation of your IoT devices then when ready return the 5 GHz back as follows:
- Switch off the satellites if you don't want to do the same procedure on router and all satellites
- Enable telnet on the router.
- Telnet to router and enter the following command:
- > ip link set down dev ath1 (ath1 is what you should get from the command > config get wl5g_NORMAL_AP)
- Now the 5 GHz will be down
- When you're ready, return the 5 GHz back with the following command:
- > ip link set up dev ath1
Thank you for that suggestion.
I just cancelled my order when I learned this was not possible.
Damn, wish I had known this before ordering. Back mine goes :( Bad choice netgear.
Might be a little premature. For example, I have at least 4-5 brands of smart plugs that all said, "MUST have 2.4G", and I installed ALL of them using my Sony Xperia connected to the Orbi 5G signal. I did not find mention of any specific brand of IoT device in the discussion. Kind of hard to help without information.
However, if a critical criteria is to be able to have the 2.4G and 5G WiFi have different names, then Orbi is not the product to get. Pick something else and live with whatever issues it has. Life is too short to own something that a person hates.
