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Forum Discussion
WI FI frequency
HI could some help i am trying to set up my home with wi fi switches and they only work on the 2.3GHz how fo i split the SSID so i can pick this because they dont work on 5GHz Thanks advance for...
Sonoff 3 gang switch, looks a good bit of kit if i can get it working,
At what point in the setup did it fail?
I'd also like to know which specific "Smart Life" app you are using. I purchased a Teckin outdoor smart plug that had me install Smart Life, version 3.13.6 by Tuya, Inc. If I recall correctly (it has been months), this might have been the app that kept warning me "Only support 2.4G", and I just kept pressing "Continue". It is now outside controlling my Christmas lights. I did the setup on my Sony smartphone, which was connected to my Orbi at 5G.
The Amazon web page offers some advice:
"WiFi name should only contain letters and numbers. NO special symbol allowed (Like a dash.)"
and
" Any question you are welcome reach us via: 【kkcool-001@outlook.com】, We will solve it immediately until you are 100% satisfied. "
I wasn't interested in a $60 3-Gang switch, so I purchased a regular Sonof Smart Plug for $15.95 Will arrive on Friday and I'll see what it takes to get it connected. (Buying random devices is a rather bizzare hobby, but I tell the wife, "It's cheaper than playing golf.")
Just to update you i have not been able to get mine to connect, have decided to order another switch to see if it is faulty , i nay end up with two i can not connect but will keep .you posted.
I feel obligated to report on my adventure. I was not willing to spend $60 on a 3-gang switch, so I purchased one Sonoff smart switch from Amazon. It arrived today, and I connected it to the Orbi. It was an hour-long adventure in frustration that was eventually successful.
What worked in the end was disabling the "Broadcast SSID" on the 5G network. Telling my smartphone to "forget" the Orbi, then having the smartphone search for available WiFi, join the Orbi at 2.4G and then proceed to the device setup.
The reason it took (literally) an hour, was that my smartphone seemed to connect at 2.4G and then automatically revert back to 5G. Same thing happened to a Samsung tablet. The eWeLink setup then failed over and over again. I was very angry, and saying very bad words (that the kids are not supposed to hear).
I noticed that the Sonoff app (eWeLink) has an option, under all of the prominent options, to connect to a network that has both 2.4G and 5G with the same SSID (Called "Compatible Pairing Mode"). It involves doinr something the little product guide never mentioned. After holding the power button for 5 seconds to put the switch into pairing mode, I needed to hold the buttom for 5 more seconds to put it into Compatibility Pairing Mode. The help screen implied that it would "work automatically." I tried five times and failed each time. (More bad words.) Eventually, I looked at the Orbi "Attached Devices" screen and saw that my phone was again connected at 2.4G. Fired up the eWeLink app, went through the setup process, and it connected! I can now turn the switch on and off, even though my phone is once again connected at 5G.
So, (a) yes, the mechanism of turning off 5G SSID broadcast did enable me to get this device connected. (b) The Sonoff claimed to be able to connect to WiFi networks like Orbi which offer both 2.4G and 5G with the same SSID, but I was unable to make it work. and
(c) I plan to stick with brands that "just work", such as Belkin, Eufy, and TP-Link. Life is too short to fight a $16 smart switch.