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Nighthawk mesh MR60 - devices that require 2.4 GHz connection
Please be patient and descriptive in your replies, I pick things up pretty quickly but am far from a network engineer. I upgraded my entire network when the pandemic lockdown started due to my en...
Thank you so much worked for me...I turned off my 2 satellites and went into my garage. I connected all my smart outlets in there.
MarcHChampagne wrote:The devices would not reconnect (they use an app, "Smart Life," to connect and program). I found out, through another inquiry with their support team, that they only work on 2.4 GHz band and I should connect to that band with my iPhone for a successful setup. Any other suggestions they had were not available to me with the Netgear routers (for example, setting up two separate named networks, one for 2.4, one for 5 GHz)
Go back to the IoT "Smart Life" support and explain them on how decent wireless systems are working - feel free to send them a link or this information - and ask when this simple fix will be made vailable to the App:
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There is _no_ technical need to connect to the 2.4 GHz radio - the only purpose _was_ for legacy routers where different network names are used for connecting to th every same network, so the App will pick the correct SSID (network name) to be configured to the IoT.
What really happens? The factory reset IoT are putting up a typically hidden set-up SSID on air, the App will fetch the current WiFi SSID (probably also the security key), briefly disconnect from the WiFi network, search for the manufacturer specific SSID on air and connect insecure or with a predefined password, then push the WiFi SSID (along with the wireless security key or passphrase) to the IoT.
At no point it's required to have the mobile on the 2.4 GHz network - especially not on modern Mesh systems using a single SSID. It does not matter if the mobile with the App is connected to a 2.4 GHz, a 5 GHz, a 60 GHz network, or the new WiFi 6E 6 GHz band the latest wireless systems can use - permitting all wireless SSID and security are set the same.
All they have to do is remove the stupid check for a 2.4 GHz connection, or allow to skip this check (instead of a dead end!) in their stupid discovery and configuration Apps.
For reason, no mobile device wireless client does allow a control which band should be used - because ONE SSID defines the connection to ONE network.
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retromad love the proposal wrapping (shielding) the device - cool workaround!
Agreed that the applications/connecting devices should not be dumb, however, If netgear is not going to let us have seperate sids, what would be nice is if they allowed us to choose what devices get what frequencies (filter via mac address). I have a house full of google home devices that cannot seem to understand that devices on a 2.4 network are on the same network as the 5 devices (I know google dumb). I would like to be able to just specifiy all Ghome devices as 2.4. I have them setup with reserved IP, how hard would it be to add a network frequency to this setting?
Aside from all this, we should be able to setup sids with frequencies, it is really dumb on netgears part that we cannot as the hardware in these units can do it. I should be able to setup a 2.4 and 5 ghz sid without putting foil on my router... :)
Any luck on your end resolving this problem?
I've had Amazon Echos go in and out of working or working oddly, I've had smart switches and plugs stop working, I had a devil of a time getting the garage door connected, and all around this 2.4Ghz/5.0Ghz issue. And then to face hostility when looking for answers, because the devices and apps are the problem? I'm with you, how hard could it be to just allow a setting for the "dumb" smart devices, so that everything plays nice?
So this issue and a host of google smart device issues has led me to believe that there is a deeper issue with how the nighthawk mesh devices bond the 2.4 and 5ghz channels. Keep in mind these channels are all on the same sid. Additionally I believe the connected device limit listed on the Nighthawks (30 devices I think) is probably an best case scenario number.
My results with the nighthawk MR60 system is that devices on the same sid occassionally could not "see" each other unless they were also on the same frequency (e.g. 2.4 or 5). My home has approximately 25 devices (rgb bulbs, thermostats, dimmers) and it seemed like the MR60 struggled to keep all of them happy/connected in a 2000 sq foot house with normal (not concrete or metal) walls.
Given the wifi/IOT devices out there right now usually have junky antennas and poor support for anything out of the ordinary when it comes to wifi. I guess this was to be expected.
The solution (and you are probably not going to like it..) was to return my MR60 and purchase an orbi mesh system (still netgear made). Once I installed the orbi all my connected devices on both 2.4 and 5ghz could talk to each other.
retromad wrote:My results with the nighthawk MR60 system is that devices on the same sid occassionally could not "see" each other unless they were also on the same frequency (e.g. 2.4 or 5).
Unanswered if this applies to the 2.4 or 5 GHz radio on the same device .... or if you try to state this applies "system wide" to router and all satellites. That would be very unlikely, because of the network frames travel all together over the wireless backhaul.
This might be a bug or unexpected limitation on the MR60/MS60 - all radio bands configured to the same SSID connect to the very same L2 network, the same broadcast domain.