112

Separate SSIDs for 2.4 and 5.0 band

I work for an integration company and have installed eeros in at least 15 houses, but it seems I have to pull at least half of them.  Savant Pro handheld remotes require a stand alone 2.4 SSID.  When the SSID is a 2.4 and 5.0 mixed band, the remotes fall offline regularly.  Since most of my clients are Savant users, they cannot be eero users until this feature is added.

 

Thanks for the time.

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  • Hi folks -- thanks for your posts here. Almost all of these cases sound like an issue with how a client is making decisions about joining a WiFi network. If you split the SSID then you'll likely have a poor experience with the most bandwidth intensive and mobile clients in your home -- like phones, laptops, and tablets.

    We have a number of tools at our disposal to look into the issue. What would be helpful is the client MAC address, network name, and exact time there is an issue. We can then pull up the logs and see if there's some other interoperability problem lurking under the surface that we can fix.

    Like 1
    • And one quick note, at least when it comes to Savant, I have the pro remote at home and its never had any issues. So again, with more details and the community's help, we should be able to resolve this.

      Like
      • dpark
      • dpark
      • 5 yrs ago
      • 1
      • Reported - view

      weaves There are other reasons to separate these. The best reviewed baby monitor on Amazon (Infant Optics SXR-8) communicates on the 2.4GHz band (but not WiFi), as do many other baby monitors. Being unable to force phones and other devices onto 5GHz means that they clobber the monitor signal and vice versa. My wife and I regularly disable WiFi on our phones at home because it causes the monitor to cut out. Our Roku regularly ceases streaming smoothly when the baby camera and monitor are turned on.

      It might be the case that this is really a client issue and my phone and the Roku and every other device should notice that the 2.4GHz band is noisy/crowded and choose 5GHz, but they consistently don’t. I’m typing this from a vacation rental with a separate 5GHz SSID and it’s amazing that I can do this, over WiFi, while also listening to the monitor and both just work. This is enough of a quality of life issue that I’m contemplating replacing the Eeros with something else when I get home.

      I’d be willing to run cabling to my eeros if that were a requirement for separate SSIDs (in the case this caused mesh problems). It’d be a lot easier to run cable to the 3 Eeros than to every other device (especially since some, like the phones, cannot be wired). 

      Like 1
      • wifi_user
      • wifi_user
      • 4 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      weaves agree with your assessment that most of these issues are related to poor client network discovery / selection implementations. There are a number of ways for an AP to do band steering, or client steering, or whatever you want to call it, to allow the AP to help bad client algos not mandate a bad Wi-Fi experience. Based on your marketing I thought that was what your product was about. Did I misunderstand what your secret sauce is? 

      Like
      • DenverOps
      • DenverOps
      • 4 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      weaves I agree, one thing I like about Eero is one SSID for both.  Using bandwidth steering pushes my devices to the correct band.  

      Like
    • weaves 
      Split - or the option to split - SSIDs is essential.
      One very simple example: many IoT devices are only running on 2.4 GHz, are requiring a device for its setup (think iPhone or iPad) and you HAVE to be on a 2.4 GHZ network in order to perform and complete setup.

      The crux is that when using the same SSID for both networks, there is NO WAY to tell from the iOS device what network you are connected to. So sure, one can say that it is an Apple issue, but EVERY WiFi product out there (and to be honest; most every WiFi AccessPoint or Router works just as well as eero when it comes to RF performance - at a far lower cost) will allow for a unique SSID for each network.

      As an integrator, I sadly cannot recommend a product that does not offer simple and basic features to my clients. In today's case we will have to simple shut down the 5 GHz network in order to connect the IoT devices, but will discuss with them other options.

      Like 9
    • weaves 

      This thread is over a year old and still no resolution.  I have a bunch of IoT devices that are now junk.  

      I don't understand why you can't comprehend this problem.   Nearly all cameras, plugs, etc. are 2.4ghz devices and you MUST connect your phone to the same band in order to set them up.

      Can I send you the bill for all my pile of now worthless devices?  

      Like 9
      • PBnBacon
      • PBnBacon
      • 3 yrs ago
      • 5
      • Reported - view

      weaves What would be helpful is a simple switch to say "Use 2.4 only for this device" instead of making us telephone support like it's 1983!

      Like 5
    • southbayandroid I don’t know when it was added but you can pause the 5GHz network for 15 min now. This is specifically so you can setup 2.4GHz only devices.

      https://support.eero.com/hc/en-us/articles/360049983772-How-Do-I-Temporarily-Hide-the-5GHz-Band-on-My-eero-Network-

      Like
      • adrockwe
      • adrockwe
      • 1 yr ago
      • 1
      • Reported - view

      QuarterSwede Yeah, thats been in place for the better part of a year now - but its still not as good as being able to disable 5G long-term, unfortunately.

      Like 1
    • QuarterSwede this method "works," except every time the power flickers I have to pause the 5 ghz network and reset EACH individual 2.4 ghz only smart gadget (plug, lights, switches..) so it connects properly. it's super freaking tedious.

      this system is only good for newbie users with no smart home gadgets and a weird layout to their house. so my parents in their weird old house with walls filled with metal.

      at this point I feel like the eero people on here are trolling us. It's like a builder permanently installed baby gates all over your house and you complain that don't have babies and the gates keep getting stuck and hitting you in the nuts and the builder just keeps repeating at you what a great safety feature they are.

      Like 2
    • southbayandroid 

      I have the same issue and can not believe 2023 eero still can’t figure out how to give us the users the ability to toggle between 2GHZ  and 5GHZ 

      I recently tried T-Mobile new Home WiFi and it’s router has that capability and just like that my issue has finally been resolved and I’m selling my eero routers now! 
       

      Good luck hopefully someone from eero can help y’all out

      Like 1
  • Hi RubyDanger

    Welcome to the eero community! Thanks for reaching out and for this feature request.

    At this time, we don't plan to support the ability to use separate SSIDs. The main reason for this is how our mesh works, which allows your traffic to efficiently travel across your network via both bands. For more, I've included this blurb from a recent eero blog post:

    eero’s recently released TrueMesh™ technology is our latest and most advanced WiFi software to date. This technology ensures every eero connects wirelessly to every other eero in range, on both the 2.4 GHz (long range, lower throughput) and 5 GHz (shorter range, higher throughput) WiFi bands. This creates a dense network of connections and many possible paths for traffic to flow. It ensures wireless interference from the neighbor’s baby monitor, heavy gaming traffic in the family room, or someone closing a metal door in the kitchen doesn’t bring your network to a crawl.

    With regards to Savant, we don't have any known issues. There are various devices that use just the 2.4 or 5 GHz channel, and they have no issue working on eero. However, we'd definitely want to take a look into the reported issue to make sure there isn't anything else going on. A member of our team will be following up for more details via email. 

    Thanks again!

    Like
  • Jeff C. 

    Like
  • I never really needed assistance. There is not a "problem". I was asking if there were any plans to allow us to split the ssids per band. Savant pro host remotes do not function well on the 5.0 band so we have to create a 2.4 ssid just for them. The issue is definitely on Savants side. 

    I do think it's a terrible idea to not let us split the band though. It is not easy explaining to an average client why sometimes they get speeds of 300Mps and sometimes only 60Mps in the same spot. 

    I understand if it interferes with the mesh network you have that let's them work together but if we have them all hard wired, that shouldn't be an issue and we should have that ability. 

    Like 5
      • DonZ527
      • DonZ527
      • 4 yrs ago
      • 4
      • Reported - view

      Regnad Agree - just make it an advanced option 

      Like 4
  • Thanks for following up, Regnad .

    The other key part to having both the 2.4 and 5 GHz on the same SSID is the benefit of roaming. When moving throughout the home, such as on mobile device, you wouldn't be able to have a smooth handoff if the device could no longer reach the 5 GHz band. 

    With regards to: 

    I do think it's a terrible idea to not let us split the band though. It is not easy explaining to an average client why sometimes they get speeds of 300Mps and sometimes only 60Mps in the same spot. 

    When using eero, you shouldn't be seeing such a huge range of speeds from a single location. Is there a specific device where you've seen this with? 

    Like
  • You should ask Savant to adress this.  A device shouldn't care about the band it is using.

    Like
  • Tesla (Model S and X) are only 2.4ghz vehicles, and I have never seen them go offline, even though the rest of my devices are all both 2.4 and 5.0.  I do have an extra eero in the garage just so both Tesla's can maintain a full internet connection at all times.  Just wanted to share as eero can handle devices that support both and those that can only support one without issues and at the same time.

    Like 3
    • zubinanary not a matter of connecting or maintaining connectivity for 2.4 GHz. 
      It is when the device you are to use ONLY supports 2.4 GHZ and you need to use (common) a smartphone for the setup. That smartphone needs often to be on the same 2.$ GHz network (as it relays the WiFi info to the new device) and if using Eero with same SSID for both frequencies as well as an iOS device, there is just no "easy" way to proceed with setup. Once set up though, the device, just like the Teslas, work great with ony 2.$ GHz and will not even know there is a 5 GHz network available.

      Like 2
  • This would be a great feature. My New tablet has a firmware bug which causes it to drop from 2.4 wifi but is fine on 5. Would be nice to pick the dedicated 5 channel and not worry about disconnection issues

    Like 1
  • Hi  Guy

    Thanks for chiming in. Have you contacted eero support yet? We'd be happy to take a look, as your device should still be able to connect even if it could only use the 2.4 Ghz channel.

    Feel free to give us a call at 1-877-659-2347 or email us at support@eero.com .

    Like
  • Jeff Hi Jeff, I didn't call as it isn't an Eero issue. This is a Wi-Fi chipset issue that I had before buying eero. I just know I need to force the tablet to stay on 5ghz for a stable connection. 

    Like
  • Guy

    Thanks for clarifying. Since eero is a mesh system, it isn't possible for us to separate the 2.4 and 5 Ghz band and for that reason, it isn't a feature we plan to implement.

    Would you mind letting me know which tablet it is? Maybe we have some workarounds to provide based on customers with a similar issue in the past.

    Like
  • I understand you guys are trying to help but I was under the impression that this was simply where we posted features we would like to see implemented. Contrary to what you guys have replied, there are indeed some devices out there that have problems with certain bands, whether it be a driver or chipset issue, these devices do exist. 

    Personally on my home network, I also like to be the one that decides what band I will be on. Too many times has my device decided the band for me. I do understand this is not a feature you plan on implementing, even for those of us that do not utilize the mesh aspect of the waps. You can't blame us for being disappointed in this is all I'm getting at. 

    Like 1
  • Regnad —

    Yes, that is definitely what this space is for, however, we want to be transparent with features we won't be able to implement.

    As a mesh network, eero uses both the 2.4 and 5 Ghz channels to efficiently pass your data througout the network with our TrueMesh, as well as allow your devices to have smooth handoffs when roaming throughout your home. In a scenario where you have separate SSIDs for your devices, you wouldn't be able to easily roam without having to manually switch the network or have all your devices connected to a single network.

    If there are any specific devices that are not working with eero, please let our team know. We can test these devices, and if they indeed do not work, we will add them to a list of devices that are incompatible with eero. 

    Thanks again!

    Like
    • Jeff C. 

      The Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker, WIFI 2nd Gen, 900 Watts is having trouble connecting to the Eero network.  Their tech support says I need to force a 2.4Ghz connection, which I'm gathering from this thread is not possible.  I'll continue trouble-shooting with them, but wanted to make you aware.

       

      Thanks,

      Steve

      Like 1
      • spolidm
      • spolidm
      • 5 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      tigerbike13 

      Jeff C.

      I am having this exact same issue with my Anova Sous Vide Cooker.  Looking for the ability to force a connection by device.  Until then, do you have another solution to make this work?

       

      Thanks,

      Mike

      Like
    • spolidm 

      Anova works.  Here are the instructions from their tech:

      Oh Eero. Meshed networks are actually compatible with our cooker. All you need to do is disable the rest of your access point then connect your cooker to the primary unit that is connected with your modem. You can re-enable the other access points once the setup is complete.

      Like
    • Jeff C. Hi Jeff, being able to create a secondary or guest network in 2.4 would be really helpful with all of the devices that have a problem connecting to a hybrid AP. Many low-cost security cameras and lights or connected devices in general, even expensive ones, are using low-cost WiFi chips that can't figure out the hybrid AP. For this reason they do not connect and require a separate 2.4 AP which I usually use my phone for. The issue is that once connected I can no longer control them without turning on my phone hotspot and they're not a part of my home network which I would prefer.

      There should be some way of telling Eero via SSID name to connect to 2.4 . exclusively. Maybe a hidden SSID could be implemented that would allow direct access to 2.4. Is this something that could be done considering it would only require a software change. This problem will continue to grow until the cheap Wi-Fi parts catch up with hybrid AP tech for use by manufacturers..

      Like 1
  •  Jeff C. It's the Tab S2 from Samsung 8 inch. So far eero has kept it on 5ghz but if it switches, it will cause me to lose data on several games that I play on it.

    Linksys said the same thing about the velop. But the Web ui let's you change the name and I had no issues with that system. May be going back to it due to this issue. DDNS is also a must. So is a Web ui

    Like 1
  • Can we add a 2.4ghz extender so that we can log onto that unit and "avoid" the mesh for the Savant and other finicky units??  Will that work? 

    Like
  • IF so, does anyone have a recommendation for the best compatible extender?  Or router in bridge mode?

    Like
  • Hi  nathanbhoffman

    Welcome to the eero community and thanks for chiming in!

    Sorry to hear you are experiencing trouble with your Savant remote. Savant, as well as other 2.4 Ghz devices, should have no issue working on eero and haven't been identified as incompatible.

    If you haven't yet, I would recommend contacting our support team so we can take a look and provide any next steps. Feel free to give us a call at 1-877-659-2347 or email us at support@eero.com . A member of our team will be happy to help!

    Like
  • If you have multiple eeros in your house, it's possible the device is trying to connect to the eero furthest away causing the issue.  Since eero doesn't want to allow us to separate the SSIDs then is there any talk of allowing us to dedicate a stationary device to the closest eero?  Also, when will threading be available? Thanks 

    Like
      • Jeff C.
      • eero Community Manager
      • Jeff_C
      • 5 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      jrayyan03 —

      Thanks for checking in. We have an existing feature request for selecting a specific eero to connect a device to here. As for Thread, we will be sharing more in near future. Stay tuned!

      Like
      • jrayyan03
      • jrayyan03
      • 5 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Jeff C. oh perfect, will that be coming to gen1 and gen2 eeros?  Is there a time line?  Thanks 

      Like
      • Jeff C.
      • eero Community Manager
      • Jeff_C
      • 5 yrs ago
      • Official response
      • Reported - view

      jrayyan03 For selecting a specific eero for a device? That feature is still under consideration. However, if we ever did release that feature, it would be supported for both the 1st and 2nd-generation hardware.

      Like
  • Just installed eero and if I can't separate the Frequencies, I'll likely bring it back. My issue is undoubtedly an eero issue. I don't think I'm roaming at all. I have two eeros wired (2nd floor south room/2nd floor North room) (2700sq ft home/square shaped) and one connected via wireless (1st floor center of home with open floor plan) and I'm constantly connected to the 2.4. This is an ideal placement configuration as I have no ceiling in my living room and it's mounted high up on the wall so it's basically in the center of two wired eeros (main router and 1 wired eero connected via cat6 about a 50ft homerun tested with a fluke networks nettool series II). I can only connect to the 5 if I'm standing right next to either of the two wired routers and it would require that I disconnect and reconnect to the corresponding network. The eero connected via wireless is giving me worse signal than my old tplink range extender which would cut my speed in half on the 5 and still give me 180-190 down. When connected to either wired eero's on the 5 I get 300 down. 

     

    If it kept me on the "fastest" network instead of the "best signal"; it would be an excellent product, but without proper roaming capabilities, this option is simply for those consumers that don't know or care what speed they're connected at as long as it works. Since I pay for 300D/30U, certain devices only utilizing 60D/30U is unacceptable. 

     

    If you feel I may have purchased a faulty product or if this behavior is not normal then please reply with a solution. I'm well within the grace period to exchange/return the product. 

    Like 1
  • I am also an AV Integrator and have encountered the same "issue" with URC remotes that the Savant gentleman had.  URC only likes 2.4 band.  Wouldn't work with Eero.  I pulled the Eero and installed a Luxul  system that worked beautifully.  It features a mesh network and allow separation of the bands.  Much more expensive though.  Still an Eero fan and will continue to use, but the lack of separating the bands does create problems with some products that may not be sophisticated to handle both.

    Like
    • DHartfelder which precise Luxul, what was the cost & where was it purchased from?

      Like
    • nathanbhoffman We are Luxul dealers, so their products are available from us.  The two products you need are the XWR-3100 ($439), and their XAP-1510 APs ($599/ea)...dave@diamondcase.com

      Like
  • I used DIY WiFi controllers (Sonoff by ITEAD) to make WiFi receptacles to automate 12 lights throughout my home.  I also have Ring video security dev ices and the bHyveOrbi 12 zone sprinkler system controller.  I contacted eero tech support about the ability to either force login at 2.4 or to create another SSID.  Their response as it has been through all of this discussion is that we need to change what we arre doig or the devices we use to use the eero.  I have requested to return my eero devices.  That attitude is NOT acceptable.  I want technology to support what I desire to accomplish.  eero corporately is responding like some left wing government in which they tell us that despite our early adoption of a promising technolo9gy, the now know better than I do what I should do, and when, and ho9w.  I don't need to pay or support that attitude.  eero, you work for your cusotomers and the customer IS right.  I hope you are supplanted by a more enlightened and receptive entrepreneur.

    Like 1
      • Jeff C.
      • eero Community Manager
      • Jeff_C
      • 5 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Gene@Texas —

      Sorry to hear the issue you are experiencing. As our team mentioned, devices that only use the 2.4 GHz radio should be OK to use with eero. If you are experiencing any issues, we do have some troubleshooting steps that we would be happy to work with you on.

      We should be able to resolve the issue, however, if we can't, it will be escalated to our team so they take a look at what is causing the issue.

      Like
      • eoddc5
      • eoddc5
      • 5 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Jeff C. 

      reviving a 4 month old thear

      can you share (here, email, call, whatever) the steps to get 2.4ghz only devices to connect. i havent had any issues with anything on my network until today

      i bought a samsung na36k6550ts cooktop, and it wont connect to my network. it tries to pair through my phone, switching to the device, but my phone network through the eero is on 5ghz (which the cooktop wont pair to)

      i really dont want to have to buy a cheapo router to push 2.4ghz for this one item

       

      thanks  

      Like
  • I spent all day either on the phone or chatting online with tech support.  I have no more time for this. I can tell from this forum that the problem is not mkjy issue but the eero philoshy.l

    Like 1
  • I’m an Eero dealer and until this feature is implimented I will not be using Eero products anymore. We are having too many issues with other products, especially devices running  iOS 11 which favor the 5G band, to keep dealing with it. I love the idea of Eero, but the reality is the product doesn’t suit my needs as a professional installer  

    Like 2
  • I posted about my issue a few months ago and received no response. I've been watching complaint after complaint answered by a generic reply stating "it should work" or "we're not doing that"

     

    I think its safe safe to say their support does not care as long as the majority of consumers purchase their product. 

     

    I believe eero is one of the stronger solutions out there considering their shortcomings can be fixed with simple software updates, (DDNS, assigning a device to a specific eero, ETC) but eventually a product will be implemented likely by another manufacturer with a more robust solution and unfortunately eero will inevitably be left behind due to its lack of attention to consumers complaints/requests. 

     

    On what basis do you grant a simple request to the user community? Do you need several thousand people requesting the same change? Aren't we helping you beat the competition and staying ahead of the game by adhering to these requests? Poor approach guys! 

    Like 2
  • I am actively looking for a replacement for eero.  The don't touch or look under the covers has worked in some fashion for Apple, but I do not support it.  I want an appliance that does what I need, not one that allows a manufacturer to tell me what I need and am allowed to do.  eero is actually already late with the implementation of a third channel for device control traffic, they will also be late with selective use of the channels within a mesh system.  The commerce arena is littered with companies that had a good idea but poor executionl

    Like 1
  • Rather than accomplishing the functionality people are looking for via separate ssids for 2.4 and 5ghz...  How about the ability to force a specific MAC address to only leverage one bandwidth or the other.  Call it a compatibility mode.  I think this could be a win for customers (at least a workaround) and not violate the principle of single SSID.

    Like 4
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