Connecting 2.4ghz RBK753 - Nanoleaf Shapes

(If you had bought  the $19.99 light bulb, I'd have one from Amazon, I'd have one from Amazon in two days......)

This may be the single biggest issue on the forum for the past six years.  Internet of Things (IoT) devices are engineered with the cheapest WiFi chip possible: one that is capable of 2.4G 802.11/b/g/n.  It has no capability for 5G.  Just like a cordless phone cannot display television picture, these chips cannot detect nor connect to 5G WiFi.  For them, it simply does not exist.  Saying "MUST have 2.4G WiFi" is absolutely correct.  This is like a Ford owners manual saying, "Must have gasoline" or a flashlight saying, "requires 2 C cell batteries."  If you are the only person in the whole world who has a WiFi system without 2.4G, then it cannot work.

The issue is that some smartphone apps are poorly written. Rather than simply inform the IoT device, "Connect to this WiFi SSID with this password",  they assume that there is a problem when there is no problem.

95% of the time, my IoT devices connect if I simply tell them, "Continue".  Every time they complain, "MUST have 2.4G WiFi", I just tell them "go on".  And.... they connect.

I do  notice that Amazon reviews of Nanoleaf Shapes are a bit harsh.  "Cannot connect...." and so on. So, maybe they are one of the companies who bought "a solution" that was not all that great.

There are several work-arounds for this problem.  They all essentially boil down to this premise:

• The product will work fine once it has been connected to WiFi the first time.
• Thus the goal is to convey the WiFi SSID/password to the device.
• Once the device has connected the first time, it will connect from then on.
• Some people keep an old WiFi router in a drawer (closet?) that can be hauled out and set up to broadcast the WiFi SSID only on 2.4G.  i.e. power off the house WiFi. Set up this old router. Do the setup. Then put that old router back in the box.
• Some people create a WiFi Hot Spot on a smartphone that is 2.4G (the default for my Sony Xperia).  Give it exactly the same WiFi SSID/password as the house WiFi. Power off the house WiFi.  Do the setup and then shut down the Hot Spot.
• Some people turn the Transmit powerof 5G WiFi down to 25% and attempt to get their smartphone far enough away from the WiFi access point that it connects at 2.4G.

Personally, I would rather send the damn thing back and buy something else.