Splitting 2.4ghz and 5ghz networks

[mushtafa]

What's the pros and cons of splitting the two networks?

I have complained to Plusnut about my WiFi range and signal dropping out. They've told me to split the networks with different SSID names.

Now I understand that 5ghz gives the speed, and 2.4ghz gives the range. So for example moving upstairs (where the signal is crap) my phone won't than switch over to the 2.4ghz automatically. It'll struggle on the 5ghz network before disconnecting and using the 4G.

Surely doing this won't improve the user experience?

Your thoughts?

 

[PiKe]

You give them different SSID's, you then only connect to the 2.4ghz network on your phone.

 

[Avalon]

Is the phone apple based by any chance? They have a nasty habit of clinging onto whatever they are connected to for grim death irrespective. Split the SSID's and use the 2.4 only for your phone, either way it's not plus net's issue.

 

[mushtafa]

My partners is Apple, I've got the P20 Pro. We both have troubles when upstairs.

Now at the moment I have 9 devices on the 2.4 network. These are smart hubs, smart bulbs, and the Harmony hub.

Adding 2 smartphones and a tablet to this network, wouldn't this make the network too busy?

I'm thinking about just buying a decent wireless router

 

[Armageus]

I have complained to Plusnut about my WiFi range and signal dropping out.

Why have you complained to Plusnet? It's not their fault that the walls of your house are constructed with something that blocks wifi, or that you've put your router in a poor location, or any other number of variables.

As others have said, start by just trying to use only 2.4Ghz - it penetrates obstructions slightly better and generally reaches further.

Depending on where your router is, you could look at moving it more centrally within your house.

Depending on the construction/size of your house, you may need to look at having a couple of standalone wifi access points (e.g. Ubiquiti), or a "whole house" wifi mesh system.

 

[mushtafa]

Why have you complained to Plusnet?

Because I live in a small 2 up 2 down house, and have had constant problems since using this router compared with the old Sky one we had. I also experience problems while in the same room as the router

 

[bremen1874]

Was the previous Sky router dual band or 2.4GHz only?

If the house is a ‘2 up 2 down’ then it could be an older style building with solid internal walls rather than the wood and plasterboard you tend to get nowadays.

Splitting the networks would at least allow you to tell if it is a problem with the 5GHz signal getting blocked.

The Plusnet hub is nothing special, but shouldn’t be terrible.

 

[MissChief]

Why have you complained to Plusnet? It's not their fault that the walls of your house are constructed with something that blocks wifi, or that you've put your router in a poor location, or any other number of variables.

As others have said, start by just trying to use only 2.4Ghz - it penetrates obstructions slightly better and generally reaches further.

Depending on where your router is, you could look at moving it more centrally within your house.

Depending on the construction/size of your house, you may need to look at having a couple of standalone wifi access points (e.g. Ubiquiti), or a "whole house" wifi mesh system.

Armageus you’re hilarious! If WiFi doesn’t reach all parts of someone’s house customers believe it is always the router or providers fault and no amount of ‘WiFi isn’t guaranteed to reach all parts of your property and were only responsible for your connection and speed to the router’ rarely works with most of my customers tbh.

 

[Avalon]

Armageus you’re hilarious! If WiFi doesn’t reach all parts of someone’s house customers believe it is always the router or providers fault and no amount of ‘WiFi isn’t guaranteed to reach all parts of your property and were only responsible for your connection and speed to the router’ rarely works with most of my customers tbh.

Ah... the good old days of speaking to end users, I remember the ‘joy’ that brought to my life.

Sadly it’s not just the customers who can be so illogical, someone who ran a team in a national call centre for a telecoms company returned a laptop because they had to charge it by plugging it in and they were told it would be wireless. They walk amongst us.

 

[Broken Hope]

Decent router would be your best bet, ISP ones are all crap. I run all my devices on my Asus 86U on 5GHz only and my house has brick walls throughout. Actually still get a signal half way down the street.

My router isn’t particularly well placed either.

 

[mushtafa]

The old Sky hub was 2.4 only. Perhaps that explains it. My 2 up, 2 down is 7 years old, so plasterboard everywhere!