@bacalfa wrote:
I plan to buy an Orbi system and install Ring security devices. I've read many comments on here and elsewhere of people having issues related to 2.4 GHz vs. 5 GHz devices, while others reported no issues at all. I understand that Orbi has a single SSID and it decides which band to assign to a connected device. Some devices (like the ones by Ring) can only connect to 2.4 GHz, for example. Ideally, I'd like to keep that band dedicated to such devices, and prevent other devices from congesting this band. Does it make sense to have such concern? Is it possible and desirable to forbid certain devices to ever be connected to a given band?
Not exactly. The Orbi access point and the device announce their capabilities to each other and the device decides which frequency to use. (not the Orbi). There is an 802.3 standard for "band steering" where the Orbi delays accepting a connection on one channel in hopes that the device will select the other one. But, the device connects.
Devices that support only 2.4G can only connect to a 2.4G access point. They simply cannot detect the other band.
Some devices can be instructed which band to use (but, I believe very few).
The bottom line is that Orbi is not designed to force devices to one band or another. Other brands offer that feature, but not Orbi. So, you may find it desirable, but it is not possible.
