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Smart connect not connecting devices to 5GHz sometimes?

michaelaulia
Guide

Smart connect not connecting devices to 5GHz sometimes?

We get randomly super slow internet on our iPhones (through Wi-Fi), from the usual 90Mbps download to a frustrating 0.1-7Mbps download at times. We thought it's a bug on the iPhone, etc. I then realise that when the slow speed happens, normally the iPhones are connected to the 2.4GHz channel (through DumaOS Device Manager). In fact, all our phones and computers are on the 2.4GHz (except one of the Hue lamps that always stays at 5GHz somehow). 

 

Sometimes the phones do make it to the 5GHz, but most of the time they are on 2.4Ghz. Should I just turn Smart Connect off? Do you guys have these inconsistent behaviours as well? I would have thought Smart Connect should automatically connect 5GHz-capable devices straight to 5GHz?

Model: XR500| Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router
Message 1 of 6
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Smart connect not connecting devices to 5GHz sometimes?

Is Beamforming and MIMO enabled on the router? 

What iOS is loaded on the iPhones? 

What FW version are you using on the XR router? 


@michaelaulia wrote:

We get randomly super slow internet on our iPhones (through Wi-Fi), from the usual 90Mbps download to a frustrating 0.1-7Mbps download at times. We thought it's a bug on the iPhone, etc. I then realise that when the slow speed happens, normally the iPhones are connected to the 2.4GHz channel (through DumaOS Device Manager). In fact, all our phones and computers are on the 2.4GHz (except one of the Hue lamps that always stays at 5GHz somehow). 

 

Sometimes the phones do make it to the 5GHz, but most of the time they are on 2.4Ghz. Should I just turn Smart Connect off? Do you guys have these inconsistent behaviours as well? I would have thought Smart Connect should automatically connect 5GHz-capable devices straight to 5GHz?


 

Message 2 of 6
michaelaulia
Guide

Re: Smart connect not connecting devices to 5GHz sometimes?

Is Beamforming and MIMO enabled on the router? Yes

What iOS is loaded on the iPhones? The latest iOS

What FW version are you using on the XR router? The latest firmware

 

Have also tried turning the Anti Bloat feature off and on (when the phone happened to have a very slow connection), resetting the Network settings on the phones (the last thing to do is to wipe them out and start as a new iPhone).

 

But even my computer is connected on the 2.4GHz by the SmartConnect (although it gets the full speed of 90Mbps, unlike the iPhone X/Xs Max that will get up to 45Mbps at max - and only get the 90Mbps if I forced them to 5Ghz with SmartConnect off).

Message 3 of 6
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Smart connect not connecting devices to 5GHz sometimes?

What channels are you using? Auto? Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz and any unused channel on 5Ghz.
Any Wifi Neighbors near by? If so, how many?

Message 4 of 6
michaelaulia
Guide

Re: Smart connect not connecting devices to 5GHz sometimes?

Yeah, the 2.4GHz was set to Auto and the 5GHz seems to be set to 44. There

What channels are you using? Auto? Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz and any unused channel on 5Ghz. Only see around 8-10 Wi-Fi, not that many as some houses are still being built in this area.

For now, I'm switching the SmartConnect off but might try setting the manual channel next time if I want to try it again

Message 5 of 6
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Smart connect not connecting devices to 5GHz sometimes?

Wifi congestion can be problematic when you have wifi neighbors. 

 

Good Luck. 

Message 6 of 6
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