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R8500 - Set up same SSID in 2,4Ghz and 5Ghz band
Hello everybody. I'm going to buy the new R8500, but before I wan't to know if now is possible to set up the same SSID in the 2,4Ghz and 5Ghz Band. I remember that in the past it was not possible...
Yes you can set up all three radios to use the same SSID and passphrase. That's how I have mine configured. It's called "Load Balancing" in the router's manual. Alternatively, you can bind the pair of 5Ghz radios to a single 5Ghz SSID in what Netgear calls "Smart Connect", leaving you with the 2.4Ghz radio for legacy devices and the combined 5Ghz radios for the newer tech.
No this router does not do band selection between 2.4 ghz and 5.0 ghz. Asus has that feature on their 5300. Setting one ssid for all three radios is a sloppy way to achieve the same results but does not achieve true band selection. Netgear has chosen to include this feature, and the asus inclusion of this feature has caused more problems than it solves.
You know NightOwl326, I can't recall where I got it in my head that one SSID for all three radios was an option. Maybe it's because I used to do drugs? Don't get me wrong, I still do drugs, but I used to too...
Sorry to Jav for misleading you about the three-radios-one-SSID thing. I read the manual cover to cover and can't find any reference to it. Regardless, I changed my settings to a 2.4Ghz SSID and a paired 5Ghz SSID. Plopped my older laptops and phones on the 2.4Ghz band as they aren't equipped for 802.11ac. Streaming devices and new phones are on the 5Ghz. Done and done.
-Mike