Orbi RBK50 connect to 2.4GHz devices

[kbf1]

I was all set to get the Orbi RBK50 2 piece mesh for my home. Can I connect with devices that are only 2.4GHz ? I have armacost Wi-Fi LED Lighting Controllers and Ring doorbell 2 with other devices. From another recent review... The problem is that the Orbi has 2.4 gHz and 5.0 gHz bands simultaneously set up in the mesh system. And the Ring Doorbell 2 and my security cameras only work on 2.4 gHz. The solutions provided to me were to set up my Fios in bridge mode and disable DHCP, or look into the Nighhawk Netgear router which has a dedicated 2.4 gHz. Beware if you have devices that only work on 2.4 gHz. Thanks for your insight.

[FURRYe38 · Accepted solution]

IF your having problems connecting 2.4Ghz devices to the Orbi you can temporarily disable the 5Ghz SSID broadcast while you get your 2.4Ghz devices connected to the RBR. Then re-enable the 5Ghz SSID afterwards. 

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/v2-5-0-38-undoes-SSD-split-is-there-a-fix/m-p/1816546/highligh...

[FURRYe38 · Accepted solution]

IF your having problems connecting 2.4Ghz devices to the Orbi you can temporarily disable the 5Ghz SSID broadcast while you get your 2.4Ghz devices connected to the RBR. Then re-enable the 5Ghz SSID afterwards. 

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/v2-5-0-38-undoes-SSD-split-is-there-a-fix/m-p/1816546/highligh...

[CrimpOn]

@FURRYe38is correct.  Devices which contain only a 2.4G WiFi radio cannot detect or connect to a 5G WiFi channel.  It is impossible.  What seems to happen is that manufacturers of some of these 2.4G devices program their smartphone apps to attempt to connect to the same WiFi MAC as the smartphone is connect to.  (which is impossible).  The software hangs.

There are several threads explaining how to connect Ring products to Orbi.  As @FURRYe38 points out, temporarily not broadcasting the Orbi 5G SSID and restarting the smartphone will make the smartphone connect to the Orbi at 2.4G and the software app will function.  Once the Ring device has connected correctly to the Orbi at 2.4G, then the 5G SSID can be broadcast again and "all is well."

[michaelkenward]

---

@kbf1 wrote:

I have armacost Wi-Fi LED Lighting Controllers and Ring doorbell 2 with other devices.

---

Have you encountered problems setting up armacost kit? Or seen reports of real grief on that front? It does not seem to have come up here before.

As a search will show, many IoT devices have been through this, and, as @CrimpOn and @FURRYe38 say, there are straightforward ways of dealing with them. No need to disinter old hardware or faff around with modems.

With luck, the makers of these IoT toys will mend their setup routines to take account of the tact that the world is going Mesh.

[kbf1]

I will go ahead with the purchase and try this as follows:

I can confirm that this method does work with one additional step: V38 FW loaded.

@michaelkenward wrote:

• Turn off 5 GHz SSID broadcast. You must wait for about 1-1.5 minutes for the change to take effect. 
• Pick up phone/pad.
• Go to wifi settings and tell it to forget the connection to the Orbi's SSID
• Turn OFF WiFi radio on the phone or pad for 5 seconds. Then turn the wifi radio back on.
• Tell phone to connect to the Orbi (it will see and use the 2.4 GHz SSID)
• Set up IoT thing
• Turn on 5 GHz SSID broadcast
• The next time your mobile phone connects to the Orbi it should find, and use, 5 GHz.

[FURRYe38]

Hope you enjoy.