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Forum Discussion
CKnightX
Sep 14, 2026Aspirant
Two SSIDs
I have an RS280, and even with smart connect on without separating the 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz broadcasts, with no guest network on, I constantly have two copies of my SSID. They are both showing Wi-Fi 7. Whenever I try to connect to the other, I have to re-enter the password. I can't see any differences between them, although I often lose connectivity when moving from one area to another. The wifi symbol shows without the 7, and I have to turn my phone's wifi off and on again to actually get any connectivity. I am not sure if the last part is related or not as there is no way to tell the difference between the two SSIDs.
My question is, why do I constantly have two exact copy SSIDs, and is there a way of having it return to only one, so there is less network confusion?
2 Replies
- FrumpyGrandpaApprentice
What tools are available to study the WiFi signals?, such as
- WiFi Info View (from Nirsoft. Free for Windows at https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wifi_information_view.html)
- WiFi Analyzer apps for Android (there are many)
Such tools will display the address of the radio chip broadcasting each signal and other characteristics
- FURRYe38Guru - Experienced User
Brand and model# phone do you have?
Is the phone the only device showing this? Do other devices show this?
Does these two appear in a wifi scanning application?
What firmware version is loaded on the router?
What happens if you disable Smart Connect? Does each frequency appear differently?
What channels are you using? Try 1 and 40 or 11 and 48.
Try a factory reset and setup from scratch with a ethernet connected PC and web browser? Press the reset button in back for 15 seconds then release.
https://kb.netgear.com/22697/How-do-I-install-my-NETGEAR-router-using-the-router-web-interface