Can't connect android phone to 2.4Ghz frequency(only 5.0Ghz)

[deansorbi]

Ok, so I have 4 'yi cameras and I need to re-set them up again now that I have orbi and only ONE ssid.  My old network had network24 and network50 so I could see both and connect to either (which was nice).  NOW, my phone only connects to the 5Ghz AND to setup yi cameras, you must be in their app on your phone AND connected to 2.4GHZ while doing setup only.

How to force an android phone to 2.4GHz network?  or do I have to return the orbi mesh network stuff as it just took all my 2.4Ghz devices out?

thanks,

Dean

[JoeCymru · Accepted solution]

I have many 2.4GHz devices. Some in place before Orbi, many put in place after Orbi. All your 2.4GHz devices will work with Orbi. The only exceptions in set up could be devices that also work as their own hot spots. These can be problematic sometimes. No one is going to put a product on the market that will kill the use of 2.4GHz devices. Most devices that need the longer range are 2.4GHz.

Devices set up differently, but the warning on set ups that your phone must be on 2.4GHz for the set up to work, is more for the last stage when you tell your device which network to attach to.

The easiet way in changing your wifi system over to Orbi, is to leave your SSID the same as it was on your old system if it was dual band and used a combined SSID. However if you had your device set up to a particular 2.4GHz system like on an extender, yes you need to set them to connect to Orbi single SSID.

The first try is to just plunge ahead. Not knowing the make of your cameras or other devices, I am assuming they are direct hook up to your wifi and not a hub. In some cases the first contact through the app for set up is directly from device to phone app. On my Android phone connected to my Orbi network I have never had an issue, since the app finds this. Then the app asks you for the network. You give it the Orbi network and it will find the 2.4GHz band.

You may have other issues depending on on your environment, or whatever. But the 2.4GHz hook up for most 2.4GHz devices does not require that your phone actually be hooked only to the 2.4GHz network with Orbi, regardless of what the instructions say. If you can get through the device set up routine to the part where it asks you to tell the device what network to hook up to you should be good.

[FURRYe38]

Try setting the power output of the 5Ghz radio from 100% to 25%. Take the phone to the farthest distance from the base router and see if it will connect to the 2.4Ghz radio. Turn off the satellites temporarily while you try this. 

Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz and any unused channel on 5Ghz.

What WPA security modes are you using? Try WPA then try WPA2 and AES only.

Try disabling the following and see:
MIMO, Daisy Chain, Fast Roaming, IPv6 and Set 20/40Mhz Coexistence to 40Mhz only. Save settings and reboot the router and satellite(s).

Again this is another mfr whos not fully supporting having the mobile setup device be connected to 5Ghz while there devices are on 2.4Ghz. MESH systems are on the same network so the data can flow between both radios. Mfr are not allowing this for some reason. Mfr should be testing there stuff out with MESH systems. 

You can try this, if you have your old router, turn off the Orib, Use the old router to set up the devices using the same SSID and PW as the Orbi uses. IF you can get them set up on the old router this way, then turn off the old router and power on the Orbi. Device should connect. 

[JoeCymru · Accepted solution]

I have many 2.4GHz devices. Some in place before Orbi, many put in place after Orbi. All your 2.4GHz devices will work with Orbi. The only exceptions in set up could be devices that also work as their own hot spots. These can be problematic sometimes. No one is going to put a product on the market that will kill the use of 2.4GHz devices. Most devices that need the longer range are 2.4GHz.

Devices set up differently, but the warning on set ups that your phone must be on 2.4GHz for the set up to work, is more for the last stage when you tell your device which network to attach to.

The easiet way in changing your wifi system over to Orbi, is to leave your SSID the same as it was on your old system if it was dual band and used a combined SSID. However if you had your device set up to a particular 2.4GHz system like on an extender, yes you need to set them to connect to Orbi single SSID.

The first try is to just plunge ahead. Not knowing the make of your cameras or other devices, I am assuming they are direct hook up to your wifi and not a hub. In some cases the first contact through the app for set up is directly from device to phone app. On my Android phone connected to my Orbi network I have never had an issue, since the app finds this. Then the app asks you for the network. You give it the Orbi network and it will find the 2.4GHz band.

You may have other issues depending on on your environment, or whatever. But the 2.4GHz hook up for most 2.4GHz devices does not require that your phone actually be hooked only to the 2.4GHz network with Orbi, regardless of what the instructions say. If you can get through the device set up routine to the part where it asks you to tell the device what network to hook up to you should be good.

[CrimpOn]

I believe Yi is the brand of camera, as in: https://www.yitechnology.com/

My hunch is that Joe is correct.  The major factor is how many devices you have already reconfigured from the old router network24 & network50 to the new Orbi SSID.  If you haven't changed any devices yet, the easiest thing to do is reset the Orbi SSID to "network24" with the same password.  The cameras will connect to the Orbi. Your app will continue to control them.  (You still have to reconfigure all of the 5G devices, but they may be less trouble than the cameras.)

On the other hand, if you have already transitioned a lot of devices to a new SSID and don't want them affected by your attempts to get the cameras working, the first thing I would try is reset one camera back to factory settings and use the Yi smartphone app with the phone close to the camera.  If the Yi camera sets up its own temporary SSID, the phone app will probably find it and let you set it up.  I would for certain try that first before messing with Orbi settings.

[deansorbi]

awesome! thanks.  yeah, my phone connecting to 5.0GHz and showing the QR code to the Yi Camera worked without my phone having to connect to 2.4Ghz......I think the instructions assumed 2 different SSID's which I used to do in my house as sometimes one of them would seem to be flaky so I would downgrade/upgrade to the other and it would start working again.