WI FI frequency

I feel obligated to report on my adventure.  I was not willing to spend $60 on a 3-gang switch, so I purchased one Sonoff smart switch from Amazon.  It arrived today, and I connected it to the Orbi.  It was an hour-long adventure in frustration that was eventually successful.

What worked in the end was disabling the "Broadcast SSID" on the 5G network. Telling my smartphone to "forget" the Orbi, then having the smartphone search for available WiFi, join the Orbi at 2.4G and then proceed to the device setup.

The reason it took (literally) an hour, was that my smartphone seemed to connect at 2.4G and then automatically revert back to 5G.  Same thing happened to a Samsung tablet.  The eWeLink setup then failed over and over again. I was very angry, and saying very bad words (that the kids are not supposed to hear).

I noticed that the Sonoff app (eWeLink) has an option, under all of the prominent options, to connect to a network that has both 2.4G and 5G with the same SSID (Called "Compatible Pairing Mode").  It involves doinr something the little product guide never mentioned.  After holding the power button for 5 seconds to put the switch into pairing mode, I needed to hold the buttom for 5 more seconds to put it into Compatibility Pairing Mode.  The help screen implied that it would "work automatically."  I tried five times and failed each time.  (More bad words.)  Eventually, I looked at the Orbi "Attached Devices" screen and saw that my phone was again connected at 2.4G.  Fired up the eWeLink app, went through the setup process, and it connected!  I can now turn the switch on and off, even though my phone is once again connected at 5G.

So, (a) yes, the mechanism of turning off 5G SSID broadcast did enable me to get this device connected.  (b) The Sonoff claimed to be able to connect to WiFi networks like Orbi which offer both 2.4G and 5G with the same SSID, but I was unable to make it work.  and

(c) I plan to stick with brands that "just work", such as Belkin, Eufy, and TP-Link.  Life is too short to fight a $16 smart switch.

Thanks for the update its nice to know an not struggleing on my own haha 

i have purchased a letelite bulb that also says 2.4 only and it worked straight away i dont get it 

i will keep trying and lt you know how i get on when the other one comes 

The situation is pretty well-known now.  For the most part, companies who decide to manufacture Internet of Things (IoT) devices buy the networking component "off the shelf". The WiFi chip and software come as a package.  Some of these packages are programmed intelligently to handle modern mesh networks.  Basically, the tiny device creates a web site with a catchy name (usually their company name plus some random stuff).  Their smartphone app connects to this web site and communicates the WiFi name (SSID) and password.  Then, the device searches for a WiFi network with the SSID and connects.  "Done."

The "stupid" software is just botched in one way or another.  Perhaps it recognizes that the phone is attached to a 5G WiFi network and simply refuses to proceed.  "I won't, and you can't make me.  So there!"  Perhaps the app may tell the IoT device the specific MAC address of the 5G network, which of course the device cannot see because it has only a 2.4G radio.

What I found with the Sonoff plug was the software is "stupid".  It just keeps saying "2.4G.  2.4G" over and over.  The technique of temporarily stopping the Orbi 5G SSID broadcast (on the Advanced WiFi menu), having m phone disconnect from WiFi, then search for and connect again did the trick.  But, I had to verify that my phone was actually connected at 2.4G.  Several times, my phone (and my tablet) "forgot" the Orbi WiFi, but then connected at 5G anyway.  It was at the point when I was holding the Sunoff plug over the trash can that I glanced at the Attached Devices display and saw my phone was connected at 2.4G for sure.

People on the forum want consumes to complain to the manufacturer to get their firmware fixed.  I think this is naive.  There are no programmers at the company.  They just bought a solution and are busy manufacturing thousands of products.  Maybe when they find a new combination 2.4G/5G "off the shelf" solution, they will get new software.  Meanwhile, I do not plan to buy any more Sunoff.

Hope your adventure goes well.

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CrimpOn wrote:

People on the forum want consumes to complain to the manufacturer to get their firmware fixed. 

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Which manufacturer do you have in mind? The IoT company or Netgear?

Sorry to be imprecise.  I think people thought it through, they would want the IoT manfacturer to "shape up".  I cannot believe this strange behavior is restricted to Netgear Orbi routers.  There are other mesh systems which do not allow splitting 2.4G and 5G SSID's.

I also realize that frustrated people focus their anger on whatever is close at hand, in this case Netgear.  "I bought this (so it cannot be MY fault), and YOU will  not let it work!!!"   It does not escape my attention that the bulk of the devices "having problems" to not appear to be from manufacturers like Belkin, Wyze, TP-Link, etc.  The flood of "dirt cheap" products from Amazon that appear identical except for the packaging has caused this.

I am relieved that (so far) getting devices to work has not required telnetting into the router and splitting WiFi SSID's.  And, my memory is not great, but I believe that the option to "Disable SSID Broadcast" may not have been present on earlier firmware, so this fascination with splitting SSID's gained a foothold where there was no other method.

HI All Just an update from me i have now had IT person to split the 5 and 2.4 on my router i now have two log ins , i have still not manged to get the Sonoff switch to work i can only prosume its faulty but all my bulbs are now working great.