Orbi: We really need separate SSID for 2.4 Ghz and 5Ghz or speed is limited to less than 200 Mbp

[TheEther]

Indeed, I am mistaken.  Thanks for the correction!

[mostlyfoild]

@TheEther that’s correct, I believe the point of the thread is us saying to Netgear that we would like to access seperate SSIDs on seperate frequencies. There is no way for me to explicitly force my iPhone to connect to the 5G part of a single SSID

[mostlyfoild]

@st_shaw re SONOS as its own mesh, I can only connect the speakers to a wifi network or via Ethernet to a switch, is there another way I’m missing? I’ll try and edit the GUI options though re coexistence.

[peteytesting]

---

@mostlyfoild wrote:
@TheEther that’s correct, I believe the point of the thread is us saying to Netgear that we would like to access seperate SSIDs on seperate frequencies. 

---

but the logic of the way the orbi works with its ap and band steering means that it would degrade its performance if you had separate ssid's and roaming would far less a positive experience 

if you want separate ssid's im not sure orbi is your answer as i cant see netgear changing the the thing that makes orbi what it is and thats automated whole home wifi 

[mostlyfoild]

I’m not sure that I agree. I think it’s a software change which would be easy to implement. I only want to be able to choose a bandwidth in certain instances, I.e. for my iPhone which needs the speed offered by 5G, all the 200 other devices can roam onto whichever bandwidth Orbi puts them on

[peteytesting]

---

@mostlyfoild wrote:
I’m not sure that I agree. I think it’s a software change which would be easy to implement. I only want to be able to choose a bandwidth in certain instances, I.e. for my iPhone which needs the speed offered by 5G, all the 200 other devices can roam onto whichever bandwidth Orbi puts them on

---

the software change would esentially remove the very purpose and design of the orbi compared to any other router and repeater setup 

the issue you cant do it for just some devices as its all or none its that simple 

[st_shaw]

---

@mostlyfoild wrote:
@st_shaw re SONOS as its own mesh, I can only connect the speakers to a wifi network or via Ethernet to a switch, is there another way I’m missing? I’ll try and edit the GUI options though re coexistence.

---

@mostlyfoild To use Sonos mesh you connect one, and only one, speaker, bridge, or boost to a wired port.  Since Orbi uses a 40 MHz width in 2.4 GHz you also need to use Channel 1 on Orbi and channel 11 on Sonos, or vice versa. Lastly, the Sonos units need to be close enough to establish a path from the wired unit to each unit. Sonos will figure out the path, and will hop through intermediate units if required. 

[rhester72]

I do find it interesting that, almost without exception, it's Apple device owners clamoring for split SSIDs for each channel.

Has anyone actually taken this up with Apple, given it appears it's their firmware/chipset that is having difficulty with 5GHz affinity and roaming?

Rodney

[peteytesting]

---

@rhester72 wrote:

I do find it interesting that, almost without exception, it's Apple device owners clamoring for split SSIDs for each channel.

Has anyone actually taken this up with Apple, given it appears it's their firmware/chipset that is having difficulty with 5GHz affinity and roaming?

Rodney

---

lol apple wont comply with anything the rest of the world wants as they are unto themselves , hell look at 2.4 gig you still need to set it to 20mhz for apple devices to work 

apple though where on the same track , eg remove the control from the users hands and make it work better themselves , look at the way roaming works with apple devices , its far better and the main reason is there is no user intervention in that process and they use better but non standard means to achieve it 

so i dont be thinking apple would otw your idea anytime soon 

pete

[Jryan619]

At least you got it from Costco they will take it back

[khad]

1. Enable Telnet on http://192.168.1.1/debug.htm

2. Open Terminal (or whatever your command line app is) and enter:

telnet 192.168.1.1

3. After you're connected enter the following 3 commands, pressing Return after each one:

config set wla_ssid="Whatever You Want to Call Your 5 GHz Network"
config commit
reboot

4. Disable Telnet on http://192.168.1.1/debug.htm

[mgdurand1]

As an example, some device manufacturers are reporting that their devices get "confused" by the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands on the same SSID. Ring, for example, has told me that their video doorbells and cams only run at 2.4, and that there is intermittent performance with the mesh and Orbi-type routers. I have been able to stop the SSIS broadcast for the 5GHz band, and not sure why but my Ring video performance is better. Hope that Netgear does implement separate SSIDs for 2.4 and 5 GHz, but not even sure if that is poiisble.

[Jryan619]

I solved my issues, so I am very happy. Our house is shaped like a giant U, and the places that eat Wifi are the legs of each U, with a thick stone wall on each side to discourage wifi. The cable comes from one end, and than is split and split through the rest of the house. Eventually I will pull it. I tried Velop and Orbi, both powerful and impressive, and for any one else I would endorse. I had to take back, I would have needed 4 or five in a line of sight line and spent $1000. My solution, and it works great, is I bought a 3 pack of google wireless for $259 on sale at frys, and than I bought two new ones out of a three pack off of Craigslist for $100. Now I have 5, two in each straight part of the U, and one on the curve. Everything is line of site and I have full coverage in every corner. All my devices say over 200 from their app , but the one computer hard wired says 370 (we pay for 300) and the computer at the end, which is Ethernet off the LAN of the fifth pod gets avereage 320, and that's an older desk top my mother in law has had for 8 years. I am happy 4kuhd has no problems

[hank_us]

I agree .. I bought this Orbi system to replace my Nighthawk (helluva piece of gear) solely because my modem is on the 3rd floor of my big old house and the first floor coverage is iffy in places. Now that I can't assign different ssids to the two different channels, my Apple TV and other devices on the first floor (which aren't in dead spots) can't be forced to stay on the higher thru put channel. Surely, Netgear can change this in a firmware update ...

[aaz]

---

@rhester72 wrote:

I do find it interesting that, almost without exception, it's Apple device owners clamoring for split SSIDs for each channel.

Has anyone actually taken this up with Apple, given it appears it's their firmware/chipset that is having difficulty with 5GHz affinity and roaming?..

---

Not sure which apple devices are having difficulties, I have iPhones ranging from 5S to 7, two apple TV's, 3 iPads ranging from 4 to Pro and a Macbook Pro connecting, I don't have any issues using the network. They are using the 5Ghz network when possible and dropping back to 2.4 when it becomes iffy. I'd say people complaining are creating their own problems by not using devices as they are supposed to be used and doing custom settings where none are warrented.

[khad]

All I can say is that creating a separate 5GHz network and only connecting to that has been rock solid for me (and my Apple devices). I guess it's possible that there is a problem on Apple's end, but the solution that's been working with 100% reliability for me was entirely in the Orbi itself.

We can point fingers all day long, but that won't fix anything for anyone. I'm a pragmatist in that regard I suppose.

I was about to send my Orbi back until I created the separate 5GHz network. It was dropping out at least once a day if not more. I haven't had a single dropout for months now. YMMV

[mostlyfoild]

completely agree @khad there is zero need for finger pointing, I want to be able to select specific networks for my Sonos, LIFX, etc, this isn't limited to my Apple devices, in fact I've been quite happy with allowing my iphone 8plus to choose the network.

Can you tell me what voodoo magic you used to create a seperate 5Ghz network please? 

[khad]

@mostlyfoild, check out my post #61 above for detailed instructions. It does require the use of the command-line, but it worked perfectly for me.

[aaz]

---

@khad wrote:

@mostlyfoild, check out my post #61 above for detailed instructions. It does require the use of the command-line, but it worked perfectly for me.

---

... until the next update where all hell breaks loose because you made a change that netgear is not expecting anyone to have made.

..Just saying..

[khad]

@aaz,

Anything’s possible. But something tells me you might not understand what those steps above are doing.

The router has to have both a 2.4 GHz network and a 5 GHz network in order to function at both frequencies. And each one has to have an SSID in order to function.

So, under the hood, there are and will always be 2 separate SSIDs unless they completely remove one of the frequencies. There just isn’t a way to change the SSIDs separately in the GUI. All those steps do is set the SSID for the 5 GHz network separately. Worst case scenario they both get set to the same one and you have a completely normal Orbi that functions like every other one does.

Which you can sell if it no longer suits your purposes.

[khad]

And I should mention that people have been setting the SSID for the 5 GHz network separately like that for nearly a year. It's worked across many updates. It's a pretty basic setting.

[Szerby]

I have follwed the telent instructions and commands extacly.  I still do not have seprated ssid's.  I really need this I have a smart home device that only works on 2.4g and I can not configure it when my iphone is on 5g.  

Any ideas.  I am on V2.0.0.56 firmware

[st_shaw]

It really shouldn't matter.  But, just to setup your device, I would try powering off any satellites you have, so the devices all connect to the Orbi router.  If that still doesn't work, you could then try moving your iPhone so far away from Orbi that your iPhone is forced to connect using 2.4G.  Others have said this worked for them.

[khad]

@Szerby,

EDIT: I split my post into a separate thread because I felt it was way too hard for me to find this information when I needed it. Hopefully this will increase visibility of it and maybe even get Netgear to act.

How to set a separate SSID for the 5 GHz network on your Orbi

[Retired_Member]

After reading through this thread, I am starting to wonder if the "combined" 2.4 and 5.0Ghz is causing my problem.  I have a Harmony Remote Hub connected to the network, as well as phone to edit activities on the hub.  Both are on the same network, but the phone is on 5 and the hub is 2.4.  I can't edit because it wants them both on the same network and it is recognizing the 2 bands as different.  I have no way of switching one to get them together.  I have had issues with security cams as well.  I think I'll need to start looking for another whole house solution.