NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Using devices that require 2.4ghz on Orbi
I'm considering buying a device (AmbientWeather Weather Station) that says that it only works on the 2.4ghz wifi and if you have a dual band router, you need to turn off the 5ghz radio. I already hav...
ncrich wrote:
I installed an Orbi to replace my daughter's netgear router (6320 I think). Her other devices like sonos, nest camera, etc worked fine but could not connect filimin lamp since it will only work on 2.4 GHz and cannot connect to 5 GHz Orbi ...
A 2.4 GHz only device does not care about the 5 GHz network, regardless if it's the same or a different SSID.
The previous poster Ambient Weather WS-2902A Smart WiFi Weather Station as well as the Filimin lights work on 2.4 GHz only. These devices have no problems if there are 5 GHz, 60 GHz, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, or whatever in the air.
ncrich wrote:
...due to sharing same SSID between both bands. After reading this post we reduced the 5 GHz transmit power level to 25% and the filimin connected with no problems.
Again, no!
Some smart-a** IoT installation programs do ugly things - that's the problem. If whatever installer App does check if the mobile is connected to a 5 GHz or a 2.4 GHz and does error-out if the client is associated to a 5 GHz network it's not a router problem: Not a problem if the same SSID on all radios. Not an Orbi problem. Not any other WiFi router problem. Not any wireless access point. Not even the IoT device problem - which can perfectly communicate with the Orbi 2.4 GHz once configured, even if it is implemented in an earlier 802.11 standard.There is absolutely nothing wrong with using the same SSID to connect to the same network. Regardless how many wireless access points and radios are in the game - it is the same L2 network.
The issue is the device you are connecting to the weather station with needs to be connected to the wifi via 2.4ghz or it can't give the settings to the weather station. If you turn off the 5ghz or just connect to the 2.4ghz then it will work.
jbahlman wrote:
The issue is the device you are connecting to the weather station with needs to be connected to the wifi via 2.4ghz or it can't give the settings to the weather station. If you turn off the 5ghz or just connect to the 2.4ghz then it will work.
The weather station does give a s**t about the AP 5 GHz - it does operate on 2.4 GHz ONLY. As such it can only work with the 2.4 GHz radio. So why bother switching off 5 GHz please? The answer is because some ***** discovery Apps. Not because of the same SSID on all Orbi radios. Complain to the markers of these toys.
schumaku wrote:
The answer is because some ***** discovery Apps. Not because of the same SSID on all Orbi radios. Complain to the markers of these toys.Dead right there.
It seems that too many of these devices come with installation and control apps that can't get their act together when faced with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wifi.
The hardware works at 2.4 GHz and is blissfully ignorant about even the possibility of 5 GHz. Unfortunately, the installation apps are on devices that do know about 5 GHz. The apps should still be able to get the hardware to connect even when they are on a 5 GHz connection, but that seems to be beyond the wit of the app writers.
Turning off the 5 GHz has nothing to do with communication between trhe hardware and the wifi. It is all about the connection between the setup app and the wifi.
The bit of problem that is unique to Orbi is that it is not as easy to disable 5 GHz as it is on other routers.
Also disabling the 5Ghz radio seems to be hiding the fact the this seems to place blame on the MESH router Mfr rather then having the device Mfr take resposibillity for there product and handling of it to ensure there product works on ALL wifi routers, regardless of MESH or NOT. Think router Mfr should push back on device Mfrs more and stop passing the buck. Stop blaming the router mfr for the device mfr bad development and handing of there products.
