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Wireless Printing
I have my internet service with xfinity using the FXI modem/router with the gigabit plan. I am having problems with whole home coverage thus am considering the Orbi 860 or above. However, before i sp...
A separate IoT WiFi network is not a requirement. As the screen shot in message 8 above illustrates, the Orbi 860 product supports WPA2 authentication on the primary and guest WiFi networks, as does every other Orbi router I have found. (As does every Xfinity WiFi router as the screen shot in message 16 shows.)
For the vast majority of us, WPA3 authentication is a distraction with no practical value. 99.9% of the devices we already own are not compatible with WPA3, so making WPA3 the only authentication protocol would immediately block them all from connecting. Thus, newer systems now support either only WPA2 or a combination WPA2/WPA3. This allows that one new device to be "more secure" (HA) when it could just as easily connect with WPA2 and be done with it.
CrimpOn,
Does your reply mean that everything would then have to be on the the 2.4gh band?
All Orbi WiFi routers contain radio chips and antennas that support 2.4G WiFi, 5G WiFi (and some 6G WiFi) at the same time.
Devices that contain only a 2.4G radio chip are obviously limited to the 2.4G band because that is the only band they can detect. Devices which support both 2.4G and 5G will pick which band gives them the best connection. i.e., when close to the WiFi access point, they will pick a 5G connection. If the 5G signal is too weak, they will pick the 2.4G signal. They cannot pick a 6G signal because they cannot detect it. Devices which support all three bands do the same: they pick the best connection.
Most Orbi WiFi routers do not support WPA3 (because it was not popular when the radio chip sets in those products were developed.
If the choice of WPA2 and WPA3 Personal is chosen, then devices which are capable of WPA3 can authenticate using WPA3 and devices which are capable of only WPA2 can authenticate using WPA2.
Thus this printer which has only a 2.4G radio and is capable of only WPA2 will be just fine. At the same time, every other device will be able to connect using whatever speed and protocol they support.
One last question CrimpOn,
The xfinity xfi I am currently on offers the combination WPA2-WPA3 security protocol but my printer still will not recognize the combination and come online. So since they don't make a WPA3 printer do I need to look for one which will support the combination WPA2-WPA3 security protocol?
Exactly which printer is this? (brand/model)?
It should connect to any WiFi router on the market. (Xfinity, Netgear, etc. etc.)
I see the Drop Down menu on the Xfinity Xfi that clearly shows "WPA2" (not a combination WPA2/WPA3)
https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/xfi-advanced-settings
CrimpOn,
I know this gets very confusing. I am currently on the xfi-xb7. i tried to upgrade to the latest xfi-xb8 and the symtoms/options are different. I am seeing the same thing you posted on mine but i think once you choose one it greys out and you do not see the other options,
I forget all the iterations i went through but i started with the xfi-xb7 the said ok i will now upgrade to the xfi-xb8 to get wifi 6 and ran into the same situation as the following:
You can't change the 6ghz band on XB8 to anything. It is set to WPA3-Personal and that is the only choice you have. That is what brings certain devices down as the Xfinity Gateway will decide this is a good candidate for 6Ghz and change your device to WPA3-Personal. If you have your Network set to WPA2 your connection will drop as the network can only handle one protocol and you will get a protocol mismatch between the WPA2 network and the WPA3 connecting device. That is what is happening to me and I have no control over it. If you could change the 6GHZ band to WPA2 the problem should be solved. I have to use WPA2, and I assume most people do, due to wireless printer, cameras, doorbell and other WPA2 only devices. Maybe WPA3 is stronger security but WPA2 has been the standard for a long time and until you can have a mix of protocols or when all devices are WPA3 using WPA2 and having a network that will function is the only sensible option to me.
I then reverted back to the xfi-xb7 and had an xfinity technician come out and we ended up deleting the network, creating a new one and making both the 2.4 and 5 Ghz bands both WPA2 in order to both print and keep my network up.
That is what I remember....Thanks..