Can’t connect my phone to 2.4 network for FEIT Smartbulb setup

[FaithBWell]

I just set up my new Orbi 6 mesh WiFi today.  I am in the process of reconfiguring everything--but the FEIT smartbulbs require the device you're using to connect them to also connect to the 2.4 network. I saw the other post about changing the power on the 5ghz network to 25 percent--but my phone is still connecting at 5...  

Has anyone got this to work with the newer Orbi devices?  I'm ready to cry, pack up the router and return it to costco.  I was on hold with the "24X7" Netgear support and it was one of the top 10 most frustrating, unproductive 2 hours of my life.  And all I got from the 'support' was, "you can't do that."  

I think Netgear has removed any of the easy ways to telnet an anything that would be of any good to someone more technical trying to solve a problem.  

[CrimpOn]

The  video for setting up a Feit Smartbulb asks the user to enter the SSID and password of a WiFi network that supports 2.4G connections, which the Orbi does.  It does not say anything about the smartphone being connected to the network at 2.4G.

If the Feit Smartbulb is anything like their other products (I have a Feit outdoor smart plug), the Feit app is connected to a WiFi access point in the bulb itself (at 2.4G).  Once the bulb has learned the SSID/password of the Orbi WiFi network, it should connect to the network itself.

Did this not happen the way the video shows:

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=feit+smartbulb+support#kpvalbx=_3sSOYKz1BZT-9AO... 

[FaithBWell]

That link didn't show a specific video, but I've tried connecting them "new" (after removing them) as well as re-connecting the existing.  I know that there are ways around this--because there's a lot of activity if you search "FEIT" in community here.  I just think because I have the newest (or a much newer version) of ORBI, the old tricks aren't working.  😞  

The sad part is I have a very old android phone--that would only connect to the 2.4, but it was so old the feit app wasn't compatible.  hahaah.  story of my life. I sincerely appreciate your reply, though!  I'm not a networking novice--but I'm also not a genius!  I've been trying with that really cool wifi analyzer tool (farproc) that allows you to see the different bands--i just am getting failures trying to connect to specific macs.  

the user guide for their setup even has the connect to a 2.4 network:

[CrimpOn]

Amazon is bringing me a FEIT Smartbulb tomorrow.  Will be interested to see how it goes.

[FaithBWell]

I got it solved.  what a pain, though.  

I went through the connection, it failed; and then there was at one point a "Switch pairing mode" that was available.  I got the lights to a slow blink; then there was an option to go back to network settings on the phone and connect to ...something related to the bulbs... Like it's own network? ?? and they went right in after that.  I *wish* I had gotten all the screen shots on the phone...  

I then pulled out two newer bulbs, and those connect way faster with less issues.  I bet the ones that amazon will bring you go right in.  the ones I was trying to reconnect were a few years old--which I hadn't thought about in the beginning.  

If anyone does come back with issues, though--I'm writing this here--because I'll try to help.  that was several hours of my life I can't get back, and if I can save anyone else that aggravation...  hahah

[CrimpOn]

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@FaithBWell wrote:

 I bet the ones that amazon will bring you go right in.  the ones I was trying to reconnect were a few years old--which I hadn't thought about in the beginning.  

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Correct. The blinking light is a bit annoying since it is on FULL BRIGHTNESS.  My phone was connected at 5G and the bulb connected to Orbi WiFi right away.  The one thing I found a bit unusual is that the Feit app reports the bulb's IP address as my public IP address, rather than the IP address the bulb got from the DHCP pool.  Seems like the programmers goofed there.  Another odd thing is that the WiFi name is set to match the WiFi SSID that the phone is connected to, rather than being an input field.  I thought it would be a fun test to set up a bulb while the phone was connected to the Guest network, but have the bulb connect to the Orbi primary network.  With the SSID not being an input field, that option is not possible.

I still find the Feit app awkward.  For example, it is possible to set "effects", but there is no button for "no effects." There's a color wheel, but no place on that screen to select white.  Another example, it is not at all obvious how a person edits a bulb (perhaps to assign it a name).  Turns out it is one of those "long press" things.

Was a fun experiment.

[FaithBWell]

Finding the FEIT App "awkward" is the understatement of the year, lol

It actually works better on android than on apple platforms.  

And unfortunately, after the experiment I had yesterday--with the older bulbs and the newer bulbs, there is going to be no one-size-fits-all answer to this dilemma.  Costco is selling those dam bulbs, and they last a LONG time.  I think the keywords are going to be something about the slow blink and alternative setup.  In the future I will likely seek different bulbs--but all the feit bulbs I got at costco when they had a big coupon for them.  

I sincerely appreciate your time and efforts.  You were light years more knowledgeable than the support person I got on the phone--who was reading from a script, didn't think, and basically said, "bye".