Split ot Not split the Wifi SSID by frequency 2.4 GHz and 5GHz

[krupion]

I have read a lot about various people's experiences here in organising their WiFi signal and I am none the wiser.

As we all know the majority of smart home devices ( cameras, sockets, plugs, sensors, dimmers, bells, etc..) require 2.4GHz and will not work with 5GHz. The consequence is that the 2.4GHz becomes crowded...is that a problem  or not ?

Some give the same SSID name to both frequencies hoping the router will select the "most appropriate" frequency, for some it works for some it does not....is it really a random thing ?

Is there really no rule here ?

So perhaps someone from Talk Talk can answer this simple question : is it or is it not recommended to have separate SSID names for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies on a Sagemcom brand new router ?

Thank you.

[Chris-TalkTalk]

By default the router is set to the same SSID for both bands but we do sometimes advise customer to try separating the bands if experiencing wifi connectivity issues. I personally have the bands separated but I would think that the vast majority of customers don't

Chris

[krupion]

Good morning Chris,

Some good people here helped to the best of their knowledge yet the responsibility ( and accountability) rests with the service provider. Please read my original question carefully, refer it to your technical team and please provide an answer that other users here can refer to in the future. Thank you

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi krupion,

I can see that you've had help with your query but if you still need assistance please let us know 

Chris

[Skynet_TX]

There is info on how to change Wi-Fi channels for the most common TalkTalk routers here : https://community.talktalk.co.uk/t5/Articles/Change-your-wireless-channel/ta-p/2204684

As @martswain mentioned, the Sagemcom does have a feature called 'Wi-Fi Optimisation', this means it can change the Wi-Fi channel itself, overriding what you have set it to, it can randomly do this after minutes, hours or days !. So if you do find a channel that works better, but then things go bad again, check to see if the router has changed channel to something different to what you set it to. If you do experience this problem then just post back here to ask the staff to disable the 'Wi-Fi Optimisation' on your router, once that is done it will stay on whatever channel you set it to.

[krupion]

Thank you, I learn all the time. You're a good man.

How do I change the channel on say the 2.4 GHz band , just type another number instead of the say 36 

[Skynet_TX]

I see, it would be worth checking a Wi-Fi analyser app then, just to see if your 5GHz band is suffering from interference with other networks.

Generally it is the 2.4GHz band that tends to suffer more with interference, because the range of that signal is so much greater, and so signals from your neighbours can more easily reach your home, but 5GHz can also suffer from interference, so it would be worth a check.

[krupion]

I understand. The issue is that none of my dual band devices say phones and laptops automatically select the 5 GHz …they seem to like the 2.4 one even if closer to the router. The upshot is that I see 44 devices connected to the 2.4 band and none or one or two only on the other band and that only after forcing them to connect to it…

[Skynet_TX]

... and just to clarify, you having a lot of your own devices is not generally what is meant by Wi-Fi congestion. Your router will be broadcasting your 2.4GHz and 5GHz network signals on two specific channels. If there are other routers within range of you (e.g. your neighbours) that are also broadcasting on those same, or similar, channels, then that is what is usually meant by Wi-Fi congestion, e.g. your router having to fight with a neighbours router over signal strength on the same channel.

This is where a Wi-Fi analyser app can help, as it will show you all of the Wi-Fi networks in your area, and show you what channel they are using, so you can try to ensure your router is using channels that have the least overlap with other Wi-Fi networks being broadcast by your neighbours.

[Skynet_TX]

The issue with that is if you force your dual band devices to forget the 2.4GHz band then those devices may only be able to connect to your Wi-Fi when you are close to the router, and they may not be able to connect when you are further away. If a device is dual band and is able to see a good quality 2.4 & 5 signal then it will usually connect to 5 by default, it would only be connecting to 2.4 because the 5GHz signal was not strong enough to give it a good connection.

I tend to use this as a Wi-Fi analyser on an android phone : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyzer&hl=en

[krupion]

Thank you.

I understand. 

Seems the only way is to go round the house and have an inventory of which devices are dual band and which are not and force the dual band ones to forget the 2.4GHz to avoid congestion....possibly sacrificing range. ( conclusion reached after also reading martswain above)

[krupion]

Thank you.

How does one know if one has "band steering" as a router setting please ?

Can you recommend a good wifi analyser app please ?

and many thanks again

[martswain]

There is no correct answer to your question.

You have to accept that a lot of devices are single band.

Personally, I have split my SSIDs so I can see if my dual-band devices get a good connection on the faster 5 Ghz band and then make them "forget" the other band so the stay on 5 Ghz.

If you have "band steering" as a router setting, that can help force 5 GHz devices to that band if the SSIDs are not individually named.

One of the more important things to do if you have close neighbours is to download a WiFi analyser app to a smartphone and check for WiFi congestion , just take a wander around your home and see the "environment" near your fixed devices and if necessary change the WiFi channels to minimise interference.

The Sagemcom router has a feature called "WiFi Optimisation" which analyses the local WiFi environment and automatically selects the supposed best channel, however this can override settings even if you select manual in the router control panel.

If it doesn't work well for you, the feature can be disabled by a staff member if you request it, unfortunately it cannot be done by the customer.

[Skynet_TX]

Hi @krupion,

Personally I would only recommend splitting the SSID's if you have a specific good reason to. If you have a lot of devices that can only connect to 2.4GHz then splitting SSID is not going to make any difference to that, they can still only connect to the 2.4GHz network band. Leaving the SSID on both 2.4 & 5 the same gives you the simplest setup, i.e. if you have a laptop / phone that supports both 2.4GHz & 5GHz then all you need to do it connect it to the one single SSID, and your device will then be able to connect to whichever network band is best, 5 GHz give a faster connection, but the range of 5GHz is much shorter, so you would likely find the device would connect to 5GHz if it was fairly close to the router, but would then seamlessly switch to 2.4GHz as it got more distant from the router.