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Nighthawk X6 R8000 not assigning 5GHZ To Attached Devices
I have setup my router to use smart connect and dynamic QOS. I am using smart connect as I would only like one SSID. The firmware is V1.0.4.28_10.1.54.
when I look at the list of attached devices none of them are reported to be using the 5ghz channels.
Re: Nighthawk X6 R8000 not assigning 5GHZ To Attached Devices
@duckulaj wrote: I was under the impression that the two 5Ghz channels are 'bonded' together, thus the router will choose which of those two channels the device will use.
I'm trying to avoid multiple SSID's but ensure each device uses the most performant channel
Ahh, NOW I understand all your confusion,
Netgear in its INFINITE wisdom changed how Smart Connect works in the .28 firmware. It now bonds ALL 3 radio's. Before this release ONLY the 2 5Ghz radio's were bonded with Smart Connect.
I suspect problems might have crept in if you had Smart Connect on when you had upgraded to .28. Many people did read the READ.ME (https://kb.netgear.com/000060364/R8000-Firmware-Version-1-0-4-28) and were not aware of that. Don't know what would happen if they didn't know it. Quite possible the problem is that once that happened the only SSID that was going out was the 2.4Ghz ID and the devices could all see that and connected and wound up on the 2.4Ghz. Only speculation on my part.
However, NO, they are NOT bonded. You need to identify both 5Ghz radio's with Unique SSID's to use it (passwords CAN be the same though). 5-2Ghz is the higher speed band channels, 5-1Ghz is the lower speed band. Putting a lower speed device on a higher speed band can slow that band down.
Re: Nighthawk X6 R8000 not assigning 5GHZ To Attached Devices
Greetings,
SMART Connect is not perfect and behavior such as this is one of the "complaints" if you can call it that regading how SMART Connect manages devices. It doesn't neccessarily put your higher bandwidth (more capable) devices on the boardcast you might like.
You however have said none of your devices are connecting to a 5Ghz broadcast, which if capable, should no tbe happening.
What bandwidth (speed) are you suscribing to?
Have you made any other changes to the wireless broadcasts or elsewhere besides SMART Connect and QoS?
Suggest you disable QoS, and restart the router. While its restarting, "forget" or delete the wireless profile your affected device uses to connect to the router. Now reconnect. Then check to see what radio (broadcast) your device has assocoiated with. Again, it has to 5Ghz capable to connect.
Re: Nighthawk X6 R8000 not assigning 5GHZ To Attached Devices
I have disabled Dynamic QoS and kept smart connect enabled and rebooted the router. I am now seeing a couple of devices using 5Ghz. I have a few port forwarding rules setup but apart from that no more modifications.
Is there a way to pin a device to 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz and take automatic assignment away from the router ?
Re: Nighthawk X6 R8000 not assigning 5GHZ To Attached Devices
@duckulaj wrote: I have disabled Dynamic QoS and kept smart connect enabled and rebooted the router. I am now seeing a couple of devices using 5Ghz. I have a few port forwarding rules setup but apart from that no more modifications.
Is there a way to pin a device to 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz and take automatic assignment away from the router ?
Thanks for your help
Of course, and it is done at the DEVICE... Assign each SSID a unique name and then on the device CONNECT to that one. Works like a charm.
Two things though, at least on the R8000 (I have one). I do NOT trust ACCESS list... and it does have some 'bugs' when using the Browser Genie. I can NOT edit names and I, like many others do not always see all the connected devices on the list.
As for SMART CONNECT, I had to disable it. It doesn't alway work like you think it willl/should. First it isn't 'dynamic' in that it moves devices to different bands based on loads. It seemed to be more of a 'load leveling' method vs. 'SSID needed'. You can tell what SSID you were connected to on the device IF it shows the CHANNEL it is on. Each of the 3 radios on the R8000 work at a different channel.
I have a MIX of 802.11 speeds. I had expected all AC devices to be on the highest channel. I have a few N speeds and only 1 or 2 G speed devices. Problems started when devices started to connect under Smart Connect. It load leveled... first 3 on got assigned to one of the 3 radio's it seemed. Continued like that. With phones going off-line when leaving the house or TV's turned off they disconnected. Each time they'd be on a different band when reconnecting. Just didn't work well for me so I turned it off.
Re: Nighthawk X6 R8000 not assigning 5GHZ To Attached Devices
@duckulaj wrote: Is there a way to pin a device to 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz and take automatic assignment away from the router ?
Thanks for your help
Like @IrvSp states, this isn't possible unless you disable SMART Connect. We understand you don't want this. I'm not using this feature either for this very reason. I personally don't see any magic using SMART Connect. With 3 broadcasts, you pick the radio you want the device to associate with once. "Set and Forget".
I've now disabled SMART connect, set the 2.4Gh channel SSID to VM121030 and the two 5Ghz channels to VM121030-5G.
Seems to be working better and more as expected.
Thanks for the advice
If you set both 5G radios to "VM121030-5G" you can't tell which one you are connecting to. Change the 2nd to "VM121030-5G-2", that way you will know that this is the higher channels band.
Re: Nighthawk X6 R8000 not assigning 5GHZ To Attached Devices
I was under the impression that the two 5Ghz channels are 'bonded' together, thus the router will choose which of those two channels the device will use.
I'm trying to avoid multiple SSID's but ensure each device uses the most performant channel
Re: Nighthawk X6 R8000 not assigning 5GHZ To Attached Devices
@duckulaj wrote: I was under the impression that the two 5Ghz channels are 'bonded' together, thus the router will choose which of those two channels the device will use.
I'm trying to avoid multiple SSID's but ensure each device uses the most performant channel
Ahh, NOW I understand all your confusion,
Netgear in its INFINITE wisdom changed how Smart Connect works in the .28 firmware. It now bonds ALL 3 radio's. Before this release ONLY the 2 5Ghz radio's were bonded with Smart Connect.
I suspect problems might have crept in if you had Smart Connect on when you had upgraded to .28. Many people did read the READ.ME (https://kb.netgear.com/000060364/R8000-Firmware-Version-1-0-4-28) and were not aware of that. Don't know what would happen if they didn't know it. Quite possible the problem is that once that happened the only SSID that was going out was the 2.4Ghz ID and the devices could all see that and connected and wound up on the 2.4Ghz. Only speculation on my part.
However, NO, they are NOT bonded. You need to identify both 5Ghz radio's with Unique SSID's to use it (passwords CAN be the same though). 5-2Ghz is the higher speed band channels, 5-1Ghz is the lower speed band. Putting a lower speed device on a higher speed band can slow that band down.
