NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Solved
Combine 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands under a single SSID
Just installed a new R7800. I am surprised to discover that it creates separate WiFi networks, one in the 2.4GHz band, the other in the 5GHz band. My previous wireless access point combined both bands under one SSID, and automatically selected the optimum frequency depending on the connected device and the signal strength. There seems to be no way of combining the two bands this way on the R7800.
Or am I missing something?
The R7800 doesn't support Smart Connect.
You can give same name SSIDs across each radio, however the router isn't capable of handling auto connections and handshaking behaviors like Smart Connect does so It's recommended to keep each radio as separate SSIDs for best operation and performances.
kevanpwrote:Just installed a new R7800. I am surprised to discover that it creates separate WiFi networks, one in the 2.4GHz band, the other in the 5GHz band. My previous wireless access point combined both bands under one SSID, and automatically selected the optimum frequency depending on the connected device and the signal strength. There seems to be no way of combining the two bands this way on the R7800.
Or am I missing something?
10 Replies
> Just installed a new R7800. [...]
Firmware version?
> [...] There seems to be no way of combining the two bands this way on
> the R7800.
Have you tried configuring both radios with the same credentials
(SSID and passphrase)?
Some router models (and/or firmware versions) may have a "Smart
Connect" option to simplify this, but it may not be needed.
> Or am I missing something?
Only the obvious? It should be an easy experiment to run.Does the Genie UI prohibit manually configuring the same wireless network name on all wireless interfaces?
Not sure the R7800 has already got what Netgear does designate as Smart Connect - a related community thread is not very promising.
You can set the SSID to anything (so you can name both bands to the same name if you want). When that happens, it is up to the connecting client to decide which band to use. Often times that will (or should) be 5GHz.
So it is you choice. However, one caveat is that some 5GHz devices may connect to 2.4GHz (I had a laptop that would connect 5Ghz, but after a couple of hours it would switch to 2.4Ghz). That was so annoying that I switched back to the "-5G" suffix on the 5GHz band, and the problem laptop now stays connected always to 5G. Go figure.
The R7800 doesn't support Smart Connect.
You can give same name SSIDs across each radio, however the router isn't capable of handling auto connections and handshaking behaviors like Smart Connect does so It's recommended to keep each radio as separate SSIDs for best operation and performances.
kevanpwrote:Just installed a new R7800. I am surprised to discover that it creates separate WiFi networks, one in the 2.4GHz band, the other in the 5GHz band. My previous wireless access point combined both bands under one SSID, and automatically selected the optimum frequency depending on the connected device and the signal strength. There seems to be no way of combining the two bands this way on the R7800.
Or am I missing something?
- Modern client Wi-Fi STA can perfectly handle and use the best possible AP and radio - even if there are many AP and many different channels are on air - and all are using the same name. We see that some Wi-Fi STA fall back to 2.4 GHz while not used heavily, go re-join 5 GHz when throughout is needed. Everything works pretty much transparent.
Has Netgear ever told us what this Smart Connect feature does exactly? All we have are some ideas from business AP environments where we know that these try to keep off old tech clients off from some radios to allow the matching technology work better together on another radio for example. So e mentioned it's Broadcom technology - however the R9000 does not have anything (no SoC, no radios) from Broadcom - but we have Smart Control available on the R9000.Hi schumaku
I don't think I'm in the right paygrade to understand what you are saying. What is an STA?
Thanks all the same
AT some pointm if you want something that has Smart Connect, you could get an AP or Router with this feature and use it as your main AP connected to the R7800 if you want. I've done this with mine. Turned off the radios on the R7800 and used an AP device with Smart Connect. Works well and a good alternative.
Yes Smart Connect is a Broadcom based feature. Other router Mfrs including NG use this in there dual and tri band router products. IT's it's own separate feature that works with other Mfr chip sets besides Broadcom.
Some basic info:
http://blog.dlink.com/what-is-smart-connect-technology/
STA=Clients i.e. mobile phones and wifi devices.
