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Forum Discussion
Disable 5GHz
Hi, I an Orbi Tri-Band Mesh WiFi System 3 Gbps model # RBR50V2. One band is 2.4 GHz and the other two bands are 5GHz. I can’t set-up a Netatmo Smart Video Doorbell with my iPhone. The doorbell is ...
vajim wrote:I had the same problem a few years back with a weather station
you must force your phone to 2.4
These issues were caused by dumb discovery/installation Apps requiring the phone on a 2.4 GHz "network" which did not allowed to continue otherwise. The Netatmo Security App does not have such a requirement.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with your advise vajim
When you think about on how virtually all[*1] these discovery processes work, you will see that a factory default or reset IoJ will put up some hidden SSID (open, secured with some shared security, or with security key related or derived from to the BSSID AKA. radio MAC), and the App will put the previous active SSID (including the security key on Android, on iOS the user has to enter it because it's not readable by an App AFAIK) is pushed to the IoJ wireless client, so it will hopefully be able to connect to the normal SSID. At no point (!!!) having the mobile mobile phone connected by 2.4 GHz radio is required. This strange idea comes from the time where people had different SSIDs and security configs for the different radio bands - that's why some crappy Apps check if-connected-by-2.4GHz-go-ahead-else stop code in place. These App designers wanted to avoid that wrong SSID and security (from the 5 GHz radio config) is pushed to the device. This problem does not exist on a Mesh system with single SSID and security setting over all APs. Some slightly enhanced apps allowed to continue regardless, other Apps silently avoided to push the what-they-thought-is-5GHz-config-data to the IoJ.
[*1] Some more advanced IoJ use Bluetooth, some even NFC, for discovery and config programming - this makes the device resp. the radio interfaces on the board (much) more expensive.
schumaku wrote:At no point (!!!) having the mobile mobile phone connected by 2.4 GHz radio is required. This strange idea comes from the time where people had different SSIDs and security configs for the different radio bands - that's why some crappy Apps check if-connected-by-2.4GHz-go-ahead-else stop code in place. .
I find these two statements inconsistent.
My experience with at least two smart plugs is exactly that: the setup app "stops code in place". What then can the user do?
In both instances, I forced the phone to the 2.4 connection, did the setup, and went on my way.
- The complete explanation proofs that AT NO STAGE OF THE PROCESS the radio used for the network connection has any relevance. It's about ignorant App design - not about using whatever band for the network connection.
Complain to the makers of this IoJ, leave negative feedback on their products and Apps- and refer to posts like mine above.
Note: Virtually no wireless client, including mobile phones have a control for using a 2.4 GHz connection. The suggestion is complete obscure and does not reflect networking reality of the year 2021. Well, it was wrong years ago when the junk was designed and implemented. Its due to the fact that this IoT mfrs don't allow there sofware to work on phones that are dual band. There stuck on 2.4Ghz only on there code and mfrs don't take into consideration that 2.4 and 5Ghz are on the same network. If the Mfrs of the software allowed for both bands to be used, this would not be an issue.
We both know that there aren't any serious ones:
- Making the 5 GHz invisible [hide], forget and reconfig the wireless on the mobile, quickly try to IoJ config paired with hope & pray the mobile device does not quickly roam to the hidden SSID,
- wrapping the router in tin foil (a little bit difficult on a Mesh system),
- simply make distance form the Mesh location to hope the mobile device can see the Mesh only on 2.4 GHz (not that easy if you have an AC connected IoJ where you might have to press a button, too; or
- the engineer's solution temporally connect a crappy old router with the 2.4 GHz configured to the same SSID, security key/passphrase, and security setting instead of the Mesh system (yes, this is the only one which isn't a hack), and
- last but not least try to convince Netgear for adding this ill-fated split garbage (which Netgear prayed to be the standard for almost two decades - disallowing the same SSID for much to long...).
If the consumers don't complain the it IoJ makers NOW, this "disable 5 GHz", "split SSID", "connect mobile on the 2.4 GHz"... nonsene will continue for years.
