Orbi RBR20 system not connecting with 2.4GHz devices

[KBean]

I have been trying to get an in home camera system set up and have so far tried 2 different systems.  Neither will connect with the Orbi network I have set up.  I am not tech illiterate, but the solution of going into terminal and creating a 2.4GHz channel feels beyond my comfort zone.  Also, there was an odd issue when I made an attempt to do it using the I am on a Mac & iPhone, which of course seems to complicate all of that (a great video I found was only applicable to windows and an initial attempt immediately ran into a problematic difference that he didn't address in the video). 

It seems that those cameras that are both 2.4Ghz and 5 seems to have trouble with the Orbi system, so I'm not convinced that investing in one of them will improve the situation.

Also the solution to this post "

Re: Best way to add 2.4 gHz ONLY devices to Orbi mesh network?" was confusing to me (so maybe I'm more tech illiterate than I thought).  The previous solutions on these boards seem to be a few years old.

Is there an easier solution now or could someone post a step by step to help those of us less techy? 

Attempts to contact support directly have run into dead ends.

Thanks in advance.

[FURRYe38]

Netgear provides a simple mechanism to accomplish this:
Log into the Orbi web interface (http://orbilogin.net)
Navigate to the Advanced Tab, Advanced Settings, Wireless Settings
Uncheck the box, "Broadcast SSID on 5G"
Click "Apply"
All devices that are currently connected to the Orbi will remain connected.
On the smartphone, go to wireless settings and "forget" the Orbi SSID
Search for available WiFi networks. Select the Orbi WiFi. Enter the password. and connect.
If you are curious about whether the smartphone is actually connected at 2.4G, you have to wait a few minutes, because the "Attached Devices" display takes a while to update.
Open the app and set up the 2.4G device.
Once the device is connected and working as it should, reverse the steps.
Check the "Broadcast" box and click "Apply"
"Forget" the Orbi WiFi. Search. Enter password. Connect.

Be aware that there seems to be a time limit with some iOS or Android devices that will connect to the 2.4Ghz radio for a short period of time before changing automatically to the 5Ghz SSID, even though it's been hidden. The SSID is hidden only, thus the signal is still present. So you might want to also change the power output of the 5Ghz radio to 25%. Then connect your mobile device at a distance from the RBR to ensure the mobile phone keeps connected to the 2.4Ghz radio. After you get the IoT device connected, re-configure the system back to where it was. 

One other idea would be to use your prior 2.4Ghz router to setup the 2.4Ghz devices using same SSID name and passwork. Once it's setup using the old router, Turn OFF the old router and the devices should connect to the new Orbi router system. 

[CrimpOn]

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@KBean wrote:

I have been trying to get an in home camera system set up and have so far tried 2 different systems.

It seems that those cameras that are both 2.4Ghz and 5 seems to have trouble with the Orbi system, so I'm not convinced that investing in one of them will improve the situation.

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It would be really helpful to know which specific cameras you have tried to connect.  I have connected three brands to Orbi with no issues.  My experience has been that the "app" asks for WiFi name and password and then creates a "QR Code" which I point the camera at.

I have had issues with some Internet of Things (IoT) devices, but never cameras.

[KBean]

While this may have been a solution, what ended up happening is my Mac and Iphone both stopped connecting to the Wifi all together once I unchecked the 5G box.  I then was no longer able to login to orbilogin.net no matter what browser I used or how far back I cleared the caches.  So I ended up having to reset my entire network and try rebuilding it fresh, which, for some reason also didn't go well and had to be redone multiple times.

Ultimately, these cameras (one Netvue and one Yi system) should have set up as easily as my Ring doorbell did.  So until there's one out there that does, I'm not even bothering.

Thanks for the attempts to help for those that answered.

[CrimpOn]

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@KBean wrote:

Ultimately, these cameras (one Netvue and one Yi system) should have set up as easily as my Ring doorbell did.  So until there's one out there that does, I'm not even bothering.

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Is this Yi camera similar to the one you want to connect?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBMTBIzR_Io 

[CrimpOn]

and, just to "double check" the WiFi password is not shorter than 8 or longer than 20 characters?

Setting Up Your Camera With YI Home App
1.Install YI Home App and create a YI Home Account
2.Power your camera on and click the icon on theupper right corner in YI HOME app to add your camera
3.Select your Wi-Fi network and enter your Wi-Fi password, then select Connect to Wi-Fi
4.Scan the QR Code shown on the app, then select Next once the QR Code has scanned
5.Select Save, then select Start using to finish pairing
6.If connection failed, please push the Reset button and try again

WiFi Settings
1.YI Home cameras will need to connect to a 2.4GHz band network. 5GHz WiFi band is not supported
2.Turning on the location service on the phone if you encounter Unknown SSID issue
3.Encryption mode must be set to WPA/WPA2 (mixed mode) or WPA2
4.Your Wi-Fi password must be 8-20 characters in length
If you have any other problem, please contact us via support@yitechnology.com.

[FURRYe38]

It's recommended to have a wired PC onnected to the RBR while working with the wifi settings on the RBR. 

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@KBean wrote:

While this may have been a solution, what ended up happening is my Mac and Iphone both stopped connecting to the Wifi all together once I unchecked the 5G box.  I then was no longer able to login to orbilogin.net no matter what browser I used or how far back I cleared the caches.  So I ended up having to reset my entire network and try rebuilding it fresh, which, for some reason also didn't go well and had to be redone multiple times.

Ultimately, these cameras (one Netvue and one Yi system) should have set up as easily as my Ring doorbell did.  So until there's one out there that does, I'm not even bothering.

Thanks for the attempts to help for those that answered.

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[CrimpOn]

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@KBean wrote:

Ultimately, these cameras (one Netvue and one Yi system) should have set up as easily as my Ring doorbell did.  So until there's one out there that does, I'm not even bothering.

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I remain puzzled.  Amazon delivered my Yi 1080p Home Camera today.  Unboxed it.  Loaded the Yi (pronounced "Yee") Android App.  Started App. Plugged in camera.  Followed instructions.  Found the account creation process a bit tedious, but to be expected.  Selected my Orbi WiFi while my phone was connected to the Orbi at 5G.  Showed the QR code to the camera and "done".  Connected.  Streams picture.  As I assumed, cameras do not care what "band" the app is connected to because they get the WiFi SSID and password from the QR code.  The $22 cost created that much enjoyment for me and the camera now goes "into the box of things that work."

So, every camera that I have purchased has connected to my Orbi WiFi by scanning a QR code.  No problem.  Maybe there is a quirk in the iPhone version of the app that causes a hangup somewhere.  (Do I dare ask to borrow the wife's iPhone to test?  Maybe when she's asleep.)