Has anyone found a hack for the Firestick for 5ghz

bremen1874 · 23 Feb 2020 at 19:33

You have to use the channel their access point is using as you have no control over it. You just have to hope that the connecting device is compatible with the channel they select. It’s not that unusual for devices to only support the lower 5GHz channels.

wigster · 23 Feb 2020 at 19:43

Thanks then a travel router wont work, because thats the problem I'm having the firestick wont work on channel 100. It's been on channel 100 for two days now.

bremen1874 · 23 Feb 2020 at 19:53

It will if the travel router supports channel 100.

The connection from the travel router to the Firestick will be an Ethernet cable (which will require you to buy Amazon's adapter cable).

You must be able to find a wireless router that supports client mode and channel 100. There's always the option of using a router that supports DD-WRT and reflashing it (I'm pretty sure DD-WRT offers client mode as an option).

wigster · 23 Feb 2020 at 19:59

O I think I understand what you are saying now, I better find out if that one supports channel 100.

wigster · 24 Feb 2020 at 08:44

bremen1874 said:
It will if the travel router supports channel 100.

The connection from the travel router to the Firestick will be an Ethernet cable (which will require you to buy Amazon's adapter cable).

You must be able to find a wireless router that supports client mode and channel 100. There's always the option of using a router that supports DD-WRT and reflashing it (I'm pretty sure DD-WRT offers client mode as an option).

Been chatting on the tp-link website through their online chat, I'm told it supports channel 100 in the USA but in the Uk its a DFS channel and when its in DFS channel it may not detect it's signal.

bremen1874 · 25 Feb 2020 at 15:08

FWIW I just checked and my Fire TV (3rd-generation) connects on channel 100 just fine.

Depending on what model of Fire TV/Stick you have at the moment replacing it with a more capable version may be the simplest/cheapest option.

pepp77 · 25 Feb 2020 at 15:41

Not specifically this model but i do something similar in my office for my printer as I wanted it the other side of the room from the ethernet, so I bought one of these - https://www.overclockers.co.uk/tp-link-re300-ac1200-wi-fi-range-extender-nw-21k-tp.html - connected it to the Wifi and then my printer connects to the ethernet port on it. This means my printer thinks it is using ethernet but its connection to the network is wifi. You just need a unit that can connect to 5ghz okay.

Alternative model that definitely has an ethernet port - https://www.overclockers.co.uk/tp-link-re205-ac750-wi-fi-range-extender-nw-210-tp.html

Avalon · 25 Feb 2020 at 15:49

wigster said:
Just one last question you can select 5ghz can you select what channel you can use?

No, the router controls what channels are available, not the device, you know this because your firestick apparently can’t connect to a channel your router is using.

wigster · 25 Feb 2020 at 17:15

bremen1874 said:
FWIW I just checked and my Fire TV (3rd-generation) connects on channel 100 just fine.

Depending on what model of Fire TV/Stick you have at the moment replacing it with a more capable version may be the simplest/cheapest option.

I don't know what version it is, it's the non 4k version and the only one they sell.

pepp77 said:
Not specifically this model but i do something similar in my office for my printer as I wanted it the other side of the room from the ethernet, so I bought one of these - https://www.overclockers.co.uk/tp-link-re300-ac1200-wi-fi-range-extender-nw-21k-tp.html - connected it to the Wifi and then my printer connects to the ethernet port on it. This means my printer thinks it is using ethernet but its connection to the network is wifi. You just need a unit that can connect to 5ghz okay.

Alternative model that definitely has an ethernet port - https://www.overclockers.co.uk/tp-link-re205-ac750-wi-fi-range-extender-nw-210-tp.html

Cheers I just need to know if it can connect with the higher channels.

Avalon said:
No, the router controls what channels are available, not the device, you know this because your firestick apparently can’t connect to a channel your router is using.

I was meaning if you can change the channel on the portable router not the firestick.

wigster · 26 Feb 2020 at 15:19

pepp77 said:
Not specifically this model but i do something similar in my office for my printer as I wanted it the other side of the room from the ethernet, so I bought one of these - https://www.overclockers.co.uk/tp-link-re300-ac1200-wi-fi-range-extender-nw-21k-tp.html - connected it to the Wifi and then my printer connects to the ethernet port on it. This means my printer thinks it is using ethernet but its connection to the network is wifi. You just need a unit that can connect to 5ghz okay.

Alternative model that definitely has an ethernet port - https://www.overclockers.co.uk/tp-link-re205-ac750-wi-fi-range-extender-nw-210-tp.html

I have been in contact and it doesn't support the higher channels, so the Travel Router and this wif extender is a no go. Not sure if I'm going to find anything, there must be as my phone and tablet connects to higher channels.

bremen1874 · 26 Feb 2020 at 15:38

Don't get fixated on the 'travel' part. There's no reason why a standard wireless router couldn't have client mode (also sometimes called Media Bridge).

DD-WRT does support client mode so that'd expand the number of routers you could possibly use.

Client mode is available on an Asus RT-N66U I still use as an AP. It may be there because it's running the Merlin firmware but that's available for many models.

How badly does it work on 2.4GHz? You aren't trying to stream 4K so it should be possible. You may be better off trying to get 2.4GHz working well enough instead of struggling with 5GHz. You could still maybe go down the client mode route but do it on 2.4GHz and hopefully get a better signal than the Firestick manages on its own.

wigster · 26 Feb 2020 at 16:00

bremen1874 said:
Don't get fixated on the 'travel' part. There's no reason why a standard wireless router couldn't have client mode (also sometimes called Media Bridge).

DD-WRT does support client mode so that'd expand the number of routers you could possibly use.

Client mode is available on an Asus RT-N66U I still use as an AP. It may be there because it's running the Merlin firmware but that's available for many models.

How badly does it work on 2.4GHz? You aren't trying to stream 4K so it should be possible. You may be better off trying to get 2.4GHz working well enough instead of struggling with 5GHz. You could still maybe go down the client mode route but do it on 2.4GHz and hopefully get a better signal than the Firestick manages on its own.

Ok thanks, it's to crowded on 2.4ghz sometimes it's ok to watch other times well most times you get buffering, plus there is some kind of interference. When I can pick up 5ghz it's flawless. I'm only watching 1080p.

So getting another router is something I'm going to have to do and that would connect to the higher bands?

wigster · 29 Feb 2020 at 17:39

I think the Netgear EX7000 might be what i'm looking for it's a wifi extender with ethernets ports, but no mention about DFS channels.