I've noticed the following from my router hub.
All Windows10 desktops connect at 2.4GHz
android phone 2.4Ghz
Win11 laptop at 5Ghz
iPads and AppleTV at 5GHz
Sonos speakers at 5GHz
Google tells me this:
"Connecting at 2.4 GHz is often preferred for its longer range and
ability to penetrate walls, making it suitable for devices in larger
homes or those further away from the router. While slower than 5 GHz,
2.4 GHz provides a more reliable and consistent connection, especially
in areas with many obstacles".
However, I've read that some routers can't pair devices connected on different GHz frequencies. Are there any well known examples of this incompatibility?
Ed Cryer <ed@somewhere.in.the.uk> wrote:
I've noticed the following from my router hub.
All Windows10 desktops connect at 2.4GHz
android phone 2.4Ghz
Win11 laptop at 5Ghz
iPads and AppleTV at 5GHz
Sonos speakers at 5GHz
Google tells me this:
"Connecting at 2.4 GHz is often preferred for its longer range and
ability to penetrate walls, making it suitable for devices in larger
homes or those further away from the router. While slower than 5 GHz,
2.4 GHz provides a more reliable and consistent connection, especially
in areas with many obstacles".
However, I've read that some routers can't pair devices connected on
different GHz frequencies. Are there any well known examples of this
incompatibility?
2.4 GHz: longer range, slower bandwidth
5 GHz: shorter range, faster bandwidth
Incompatibility is whether your device (e.g., router) supports 5 GHz, or
not. Been a long time since I saw a wifi router that didn't have 5 GHz. Pairing at the router depends on which frequencies the router supports.
You will have to read the manual, or lookup online specs, on your router
to know which freqs it supports. Each freq will have a different SSID,
and can have a different passphrase, so the devices will have to use the
same SSID and passphrase to whichever freq they want to use at the
router to match what the device supports.
Some devices only have 2.4 GHz, so that's all you get for pairing to the router. I have security web cams that only do 2.4 GHz, so they have to
use 2.4 GHz to the wifi router. My Android phone does both 2.4 GHz and
5 GHz, and it easily connects to my wifi router using 5 GHz throughout
my home, so I use 5 GHz for faster bandwidth between phone and router.
Was there an issue with your wifi devices and wifi router?
I've noticed the following from my router hub.consistent connection, especially in areas with many obstacles".
All Windows10 desktops connect at 2.4GHz
android phone 2.4Ghz
Win11 laptop at 5Ghz
iPads and AppleTV at 5GHz
Sonos speakers at 5GHz
Google tells me this:
"Connecting at 2.4 GHz is often preferred for its longer range and ability to penetrate walls, making it suitable for devices in larger homes or those further away from the router. While slower than 5 GHz, 2.4 GHz provides a more reliable and
However, I've read that some routers can't pair devices connected on different GHz frequencies. Are there any well known examples of this incompatibility?
Ed
Ed Cryer <ed@somewhere.in.the.uk> wrote:
However, I've read that some routers can't pair devices connected on
different GHz frequencies. Are there any well known examples of this
incompatibility?
Don't know if it's a well known example, but certainly my router has the different frequencies as different wifi networks which devices can connect
to one or other. Not both. Thus devices can't talk to each other across the networks.
I've occasionally had problems with devices not connecting to the printer
as they're on the other frequency network.
However, I've read that some routers can't pair devices connected on different GHz frequencies. Are there any well known examples of this incompatibility?
On Sat, 10 May 2025 12:59:07 +0100, Ed Cryer wrote:
However, I've read that some routers can't pair devices connected on
different GHz frequencies. Are there any well known examples of this
incompatibility?
It happens, some (older) IoT have problems when connecting to 2.4 GHz
when the SSID for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz is the same. I always use 2 >different SSIDs when I can.
On Sat, 10 May 2025 20:30:13 +0200, "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:
On Sat, 10 May 2025 12:59:07 +0100, Ed Cryer wrote:
However, I've read that some routers can't pair devices connected on
different GHz frequencies. Are there any well known examples of this
incompatibility?
It happens, some (older) IoT have problems when connecting to 2.4 GHz
when the SSID for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz is the same. I always use 2
different SSIDs when I can.
Back when 2.4GHz was the only game in town, I had 4 pairs of Linksys
WRT-54gl WiFi routers scattered around the house. Pairs, because one
device in each pair was configured as an access point and was cabled back-to-back (LAN-to-LAN) with the second device in its pair, and that
second device was configured as a WiFi client. The client in the 4th
pair was connected to the AP in the 3rd pair, the client in the 3rd pair
was connected to the AP in the 2nd pair, the client in the 2nd pair was connected to the AP in the 1st pair, and finally, the client in the 1st
pair was connected to the main router/gateway device. Each of the 4 AP's
had a descriptive SSID name so that I could easily connect to the most appropriate AP, depending upon where I happened to be. Add in a Guest
SSID on each pair, and you have a very busy-looking WiFi environment.
This was before 5GHz, and well before Mesh.
Things got even messier when I added 5GHz to that recipe, but then Mesh
came along and now the entire house, plus the back yard, the garage, and
the front yard, are all covered by what appears to be a single SSID with
a single password, plus a single Guest network with a single password.
From the SSID perspective, I went from 8 SSIDs (2.4GHz only) to 16 SSIDs (2.4GHz & 5GHz), then to 2 SSIDs (one for 2.4GHz/5GHz and one for
Guest), so things are very simple now.
My IoT devices, such as thermostat, doorbell, garage door openers,
sprinkler system, and Trimlight permanent holiday lighting, all connect
only to the 2.4GHz network. They don't even see the 5GHz network with
the same SSID. Other things, like laptops, printers, phones, etc., can connect to whatever suits them. I've noticed that the phones, laptops,
and printers all seem to prefer 5GHz, which is fine with me.
Someone mentioned a case where 2.4GHz devices were unable to see 5GHz
devices that are connected to the same router, which sounds to me like a
bug or a misconfiguration.
I've noticed the following from my router hub.
All Windows10 desktops connect at 2.4GHz
android phone 2.4Ghz
Win11 laptop at 5Ghz
iPads and AppleTV at 5GHz
Sonos speakers at 5GHz
Google tells me this:
"Connecting at 2.4 GHz is often preferred for its longer range and
ability to penetrate walls, making it suitable for devices in larger
homes or those further away from the router. While slower than 5 GHz,
2.4 GHz provides a more reliable and consistent connection, especially
in areas with many obstacles".
However, I've read that some routers can't pair devices connected on >different GHz frequencies. Are there any well known examples of this >incompatibility?
Ed
On Sat, 5/10/2025 9:29 AM, Chris wrote:
Ed Cryer <ed@somewhere.in.the.uk> wrote:
However, I've read that some routers can't pair devices connected on
different GHz frequencies. Are there any well known examples of this
incompatibility?
Don't know if it's a well known example, but certainly my router has the
different frequencies as different wifi networks which devices can connect >> to one or other. Not both. Thus devices can't talk to each other across the >> networks.
I've occasionally had problems with devices not connecting to the printer
as they're on the other frequency network.
This product uses the same SSID for both bands.
Why ? Who knows.
The newer routers supplied by Spectrum can only do 5GHz. I had to buy
a TP-Link extender from Amazon in order to configure my outside smart
bulb. Most smart devices only operate on 2.4 GHz. -- Howard
Ed Cryer <ed@somewhere.in.the.uk> wrote:
However, I've read that some routers can't pair devices connected on different GHz frequencies. Are there any well known examples of this incompatibility?
Don't know if it's a well known example, but certainly my router has the different frequencies as different wifi networks which devices can connect
to one or other. Not both. Thus devices can't talk to each other across the networks.
I've occasionally had problems with devices not connecting to the printer
as they're on the other frequency network.
On Sun, 11 May 2025 07:37:18 -0400, Howard wrote:
Most smart devices only operate on 2.4 GHz.
"progress"
On Sun, 11 May 2025 15:31:43 +0200, "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:
On Sun, 11 May 2025 07:37:18 -0400, Howard wrote:
Most smart devices only operate on 2.4 GHz.
"progress"
Because the manufacturers of these devices use the cheapest
components. (The camera in my wall light next to the front door not
only uses 2.4GHz but requires 5GHz to be turned off while it connects
to the router the first time. After it has connected the 5GHz can be
turned back on. Bonkers.)
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