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Forum Discussion
How do I distinguish the 2.4GHZ on ORBI RBR750 firmware V4.6.9.11_2.3.5
Hello. Does anyone have CURRENT info/scripts that will allow me to separate/distinguish the 2.4GHZ from the 5GHZ on the ORBI RBR750 router? I am trying to connect Defender cameras, which require th...
It would be a big help if you could post a link to these Defender cameras.
Most cameras that I have connected get set up by creating a QR code on the smartphone app and pointing the camera at the QR code. When I use a "QR reader app" to look at the same QR code, all it contains is the SSID and password of the WiFi system. Absolutely nothing about 2.4G or 5G.
I have connected at least four brands of WiFi cameras without doing anything to the Orbi. It would also be helpful if you can provide a link to the setup instructions and indicate "where it fails". (what step in the process)
Thanks
Guard | How To Connect Your Defender Guard Camera. | VIDEO – Defender Cameras
The first link is to the cameras, the second is to the setup video.
During setup, after successfully scanning the QR code, the app creates a device hotspot, then goes into 'Detecting network security config', then says 'Unable to detect network security config. Please confirm your phone and device are connected to the same network'. My phone had still gone to the 5ghz, I assumed.
In that video, it says right at the start that you must have your phone connected to the 2.4ghz channel. I did not watch it before purchasing; previously I had setup Arlo 2.4ghz cameras just fine on my Orbi. I found the info about not working on 5ghz by going through the comments on the Defender cameras and problems other people had with getting to 2.4ghz. I did try one's suggestion of taking the camera and phone out to the shop to my Orbi satellite, which is using 2.4ghz (according to Netgear device info). Didn't work.
Thanks for the links. An interesting connection method. On page 9 of the printed instructions,
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0115/0110/9314/files/IP4MCB1-UserManual-v2_WEB.pdf?v=1605717085
it is clear that their "WiFi Range Test" is intended to verify 2.4G signal strength at the proposed camera location. (This step is absent from the setup video.)
Step 6 on page 10 may hold the key. Can you open a QR Code scanner app and display what the information the QR code contains? (I have three different QR code scanners on my Android phone. All work about the same. Point at code. Read results.)
My suspicion is that the camera temporarily creates a WiFi hot spot and the smartphone app reads the SSID to look for from the QR code.
Another tactic that people have found to work in these situations is to turn off their home WiFi system and temporarily substitute a 2.4G WiFi channel with exactly the same WiFi credentials (SSID/password) as their home system. Some people have the old router that the Orbi replaced sitting in a box somewhere. [I have three previous routers.] My smartphone can create a WiFi Hot Spot that happens to be on 2.4G. I create a Hot Spot with credentials that match the Orbi and use a second smart device (tablet, usually. Sometimes an old phone.) to do the setup. After the IoT device is working correctly, power everything off, restart the home WiFi system, and "voila" all is good.)
Really interested to know what information is in the QR code sticker that is on the camera.
If there is more than one camera, are the QR codes identical, or different?
p.s. I much prefer Ethernet connected cameras, but running cable to camera locations is often impractical.
Thanks for all the info, but I have run out of time 😞
I did try lowering the percentage/power, as had been suggested, to try to access the 2.4 ghz. But still couldn't access it.
Yes, the Defender setup does create a temporary hotspot upon reading the QR code; I believe they are same across my 2 cameras. But my network didn't appear; couldn't enter its password.
For now, I went back to my router from my ISP ( A GigaSpire), and named the two networks differently for 5/2.4, with same password. Trying 2 different non-Netgear extenders, one set to be explicitly only 2.4ghz that both my phone and camera can connect to - they don't have the range of the Orbi satellites but I might be forced to this method.
Not sure I could complete setup like this and then go back to Orbis, as you suggest, but will try again after I return.
While the Defender setup is clearly 'deficient' in not being able to pick out the 2.4ghz from the Orbi router (my Arlo setup had no problem), their cameras can handle temperatures down to -40F, so that is why I chose them.
Did NOT realize compatibility was going to be such a challenge!
I am not happy with Netgear not separating the channels, but I AM impressed with the Netgear community 🙂
KRBMT wrote:
Yes, the Defender setup does create a temporary hotspot upon reading the QR code; I believe they are same across my 2 cameras. But my network didn't appear; couldn't enter its password.🙂
Can you share the contents of the QR codes?
My sense is that like most Internet of Things (IoT) devices that do not have a keyboard to enter parameters with, the camera creates a WiFi access point, the smartphone app connects to it, and communicates the home WiFi credentials (SSID/password) for the camera to search for.
Typical IoT devices name their temporary access points with some obvious name, such as "MYBRAND-123456". The smartphone app goes through the list of available access points searching for one that it recognizes, "Hey. This WiFi is named just like our smart plugs!" The smartphone app connects to that unique SSID and communicates the home WiFi SSID/password.
Cameras have the advantage of being able to take pictures. Almost every camera I have tried uses the smartphone app to create a QR code with the SSID/password and the camera reads this information from the QR code. This Defender camera is the first one I have seen where the smartphone app reads the QR code instead of creating one.