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Re: How t o distinguish 5G and 2G channels on Orbi?

rickbo
Aspirant

How t o distinguish 5G and 2G channels on Orbi?

Hi there. I just installed the system and it seeems to be working normally. I see only one WIFI network name however and can't distinguish 5G and 2G channels. This is important to me since I have some devices that run 2G only (security cameras). Any ideas? Thanks.

Rick

Model: RBK53|Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi System
Message 1 of 11

Accepted Solutions
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: How t o distinguish 5G and 2G channels on Orbi?

Another easy way to help your 2.4Ghz only devcies to connnect or setup with Orbi, you can uncheck the "Enable 5G SSID broadcast" check box temporarily, then save settings. This keeps any 5Ghz supporting devcie from connecting to the 5Ghz radio. Then you should be able to use the setup mobile device to get your 2.4Ghz device connected to Orbi. When your done, you can check the "Enable 5G SSID broadcast" check box to re-enable the 5Ghz SSID for you other devices. 


@rickbo wrote:

Thanks very much. For set-up, my security cameras require that my phone (app) be connected to the same 2.4G network as the camera. So I need to force my phone to 2.4. With previous routers it was simple since there were distinct SSIDs. Wish me luck.


 

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Message 11 of 11

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CrimpOn
Guru

Re: How t o distinguish 5G and 2G channels on Orbi?

Devices that have no 5G radio cannot detect 5G signals.  For them, 5G does not exist.

When these cameras are told to connect to the Orbi WiFi name (SSID) using the password, they will connect to the 2.4G channel because that is the only channel they can find.

Message 2 of 11
Fl1ntstone
Apprentice

Re: How t o distinguish 5G and 2G channels on Orbi?

Hi,

 

There is an unofficial way to split the 5GHZ and 2.4 GHZ SSIDs:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/How-to-set-a-separate-SSID-for-the-5-GHz-network-on-your-Orbi/...

 

CheerZ and goodluck 🙂

Message 3 of 11
schumaku
Guru

Re: How t o distinguish 5G and 2G channels on Orbi?

@rickbo Unless there is a problem with e.g. the discovery of the camera on the 2.4 GHz WLAN you can safely leave things as is.

Message 4 of 11

Re: How t o distinguish 5G and 2G channels on Orbi?

Some IoT stuff comes with software that is so badly designed that people have to resort to various tricks to configure it on a MESH network. The problem is down to the IoT clowns who do not understand MESH wifi.

 

Here is a recent post that offers one way around this incompetence:

 

Configuring IOT devices - NETGEAR Communities

 

Not sure that I buy the basic premise about needing a phone to be connected to the 2.4GHZ band, but it works for some people.

Message 5 of 11
rickbo
Aspirant

Re: How t o distinguish 5G and 2G channels on Orbi?

Thanks very much - super helpful and I will give this a try. The point about the phone needing to connect to 2.4 is this: for set-up, my security cameras require that my phone (app) be connected to the same 2.4G network as the camera. So I need to force my phone to 2.4. With previous routers it was simple since there were distinct SSIDs. Wish me luck.

Message 6 of 11
rickbo
Aspirant

Re: How t o distinguish 5G and 2G channels on Orbi?

Thanks very much.  My security cameras require that my phone (app) be connected to the same 2.4G network as the camera. So I need to force my phone to 2.4. With previous routers it was simple since there were distinct SSIDs. Wish me luck.

Message 7 of 11
rickbo
Aspirant

Re: How t o distinguish 5G and 2G channels on Orbi?

Thanks very much - super helpful and I will give this a try. For set-up, my security cameras require that my phone (app) be connected to the same 2.4G network as the camera. So I need to force my phone to 2.4. With previous routers it was simple since there were distinct SSIDs. Wish me luck.

Message 8 of 11
rickbo
Aspirant

Re: How t o distinguish 5G and 2G channels on Orbi?

Thanks very much. For set-up, my security cameras require that my phone (app) be connected to the same 2.4G network as the camera. So I need to force my phone to 2.4. With previous routers it was simple since there were distinct SSIDs. Wish me luck.

Message 9 of 11
schumaku
Guru

Re: How t o distinguish 5G and 2G channels on Orbi?

Complain to the security camera maker - all the 5 GHz, 2.4 GHz, and LAN ports connect to the very same layer 2 network - everything is fully transparent, including IP broadcast, multicast, ... This is definitively neither a problem Netgear or your phone maker has to resolve. Why on earth should a wireless client need options to connect to 2.4 GHz only? There is no reason for this...

 

Some crappy consumer routers (inlcuding some older Netgear units) have problems with certain protocols passing to all the interfaces [e.g. some kind of Multicast traffic] properly. That's why some IoT makers state it has to be on the same 2.4 GHz network.

Message 10 of 11
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: How t o distinguish 5G and 2G channels on Orbi?

Another easy way to help your 2.4Ghz only devcies to connnect or setup with Orbi, you can uncheck the "Enable 5G SSID broadcast" check box temporarily, then save settings. This keeps any 5Ghz supporting devcie from connecting to the 5Ghz radio. Then you should be able to use the setup mobile device to get your 2.4Ghz device connected to Orbi. When your done, you can check the "Enable 5G SSID broadcast" check box to re-enable the 5Ghz SSID for you other devices. 


@rickbo wrote:

Thanks very much. For set-up, my security cameras require that my phone (app) be connected to the same 2.4G network as the camera. So I need to force my phone to 2.4. With previous routers it was simple since there were distinct SSIDs. Wish me luck.


 

Message 11 of 11
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