5GHz AW2 WiFi?

[exxxviii]

Same SSID is broken because devices attach based on signal strength and not real bandwidth...

You can do all that or just disable 2.4ghz. In my super noisy subdivision 2.4 is basically useless no matter now close you are to the AP.

Based on your posts from last year, you may be suffering from a fringe scenario or individual equipment issue. Your band-latching problem is not normative. It is possible that someone in a high density area surrounded on 6 sides by access points on adjacent frequencies could have a lot of noise. But, the protocol is designed for this and I would allow it to work first before overriding things.

 

[JT2002TJ]

Based on your posts from last year, you may be suffering from a fringe scenario or individual equipment issue. Your band-latching problem is not normative. It is possible that someone in a high density area surrounded on 6 sides by access points on adjacent frequencies could have a lot of noise. But, the protocol is designed for this and I would allow it to work first before overriding things.

I'm not sure as to which point you are discussing. But all my apple devices would hang onto the 2.4 while I have a strong 5 all over my house as well. It is because 2.4 has a strongER signal. My situation is not unique, it is how apple devices work, they have no idea of bandwidth once connected, it seeks the strongest signal strength.

Since I have the watch, I block the MAC addresses of my 5 ghz products on the same SSID dual signal. Problem solved, the 5 ghz devices will attempt to connect to the 2.4 frequency because it is stronger, but once it gets denied service, it jumps onto the 5 ghz frequency.

 

[exxxviii]

I'm not sure as to which point you are discussing. But all my apple devices would hang onto the 2.4 while I have a strong 5 all over my house as well. It is because 2.4 has a strongER signal. My situation is not unique, it is how apple devices work, they have no idea of bandwidth once connected, it seeks the strongest signal strength.

Apple is weak in WiFi networking, but they have made significant progress. In my home, our Apple devices will happily switch between access points and bands depending on need and location. Band-latching symptoms can be driven by equipment problems, configuration problems, or just unique environmental situations.

Since I have the watch, I block the MAC addresses of my 5 ghz products on the same SSID dual signal. Problem solved, the 5 ghz devices will attempt to connect to the 2.4 frequency because it is stronger, but once it gets denied service, it jumps onto the 5 ghz frequency.

This is a very clever technique to force devices to 5GHz while also enabling 2.4GHz. Not all routers and access points support this. (And I would not recommend it for folks unless they are certain that it is their only option and they know that they have strong 5GHz in every room of their house.)

 

[JT2002TJ]

Apple is weak in WiFi networking, but they have made significant progress. In my home, our Apple devices will happily switch between access points and bands depending on need and location. Band-latching symptoms can be driven by equipment problems, configuration problems, or just unique environmental situations.

Here is the question though... How does one know if they are on 2.4 or 5 ghz frequencies with the same SSID? The only way is if you have different names (i.e. add 5ghz to the name for that frequency), or you are constantly doing bandwidth meter tests... Apple may be able to freely switch between frequencies with the same SSID (but I would like to see proof of this, because I doubt it), but when you give them different names, my experience is it would cling onto the 2.4 named network even thought the 5 was just as strong (sometimes stronger).

I do not think it is equipment problems/configuration problems, or environmental situations, I think it is plan and simple... Apple devices seek the strongest signal first, regardless of speed, if you turn on wifi assist, it will fall back on LTE if it is faster, but it will still latch onto the initial wifi connection, and hold onto it as long as possible.

 

[exxxviii]

Here is the question though... How does one know if they are on 2.4 or 5 ghz frequencies with the same SSID?

The quick answer is that we should not have to know, or even care. It is like asking a question about CPU affinity on a multi-processor platform... how would we know which CPU is handling a task? 20 years ago, that was a relevant question for Unix and Microsoft platforms. Today, it is irrelevant.

I did an anecdotal test last year in a thread we were in, and I could easily see my devices move around. So, in my N of 1, I could clearly see that the Apple clients were working exactly as they should.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/wifi-2-4ghz-vs-5ghz-watch.1921282/page-3#post-21992425

But I also know that this behavior is true in other networks and through working with other networking professionals.

 

[JT2002TJ]

The quick answer is that we should not have to know, or even care. It is like asking a question about CPU affinity on a multi-processor platform... how would we know which CPU is handling a task? 20 years ago, that was a relevant question for Unix and Microsoft platforms. Today, it is irrelevant.

I did an anecdotal test last year in a thread we were in, and I could easily see my devices move around. So, in my N of 1, I could clearly see that the Apple clients were working exactly as they should.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/wifi-2-4ghz-vs-5ghz-watch.1921282/page-3#post-21992425

But I also know that this behavior is true in other networks and through working with other networking professionals.

Got you. I get 4x the speed with on 5ghz (Fios 80 MB up and down), it drops down to 20 MB with on 2.4 ghz. Granted I am in the Long Island NY area with a 70' x 100' lot, so there are a LOT of 2.4 ghz networks around me, so this can slow down my 2.4 ghz speed. But for me, my apple devices seek signal strength over speed.

 

[tivoboy]

The advantage of having 5 GHz on the watch is really more about the phone than it is the watch. I don't like the fact that I have to force my iPhone to stay on 2.4 GHz network's at home and at work just so the watch can maintain a connection to those access points since it cannot connect to 5 GHz network.

 

[JT2002TJ]

The advantage of having 5 GHz on the watch is really more about the phone than it is the watch. I don't like the fact that I have to force my iPhone to stay on 2.4 GHz network's at home and at work just so the watch can maintain a connection to those access points since it cannot connect to 5 GHz network.

My solution (others do it too), would work well for you at home, until the next watch gets 5ghz...

 

[tivoboy]

My solution (others do it too), would work well for you at home, until the next watch gets 5ghz...

It's odd because that is exactly the way I have my network set up, without the MAC address blocking for the phones, and the phone will connect to the 5 GHz network but if that is the case the watch will not connect to the 2.4 GHz network

 

[exxxviii]

It's odd because that is exactly the way I have my network set up, without the MAC address blocking for the phones, and the phone will connect to the 5 GHz network but if that is the case the watch will not connect to the 2.4 GHz network

You have something else going on with your network... If you have the same SSID and passwords for both bands, the phone and watch should both connect. Do you have just one router or multiple routers/APs?

 

[tivoboy]

You have something else going on with your network... If you have the same SSID and passwords for both bands, the phone and watch should both connect. Do you have just one router or multiple routers/APs?

Just the APExtreme with both networks, same SSID and both networks active. If the phone is on the 5ghz, the watch doesn't connect to the 2.4ghz version (again, I don't force the phone not to connect to one of the other - well now I don't have it connected to the 5ghz as the watch won't connect to that network)

This has been reported since the wifi network access was enabled, the phone and watch have to be on the same network/channel, etc., not just the same SSID in order for it to appear for the watch that that network is available to connect to.

 

[exxxviii]

This has been reported since the wifi network access was enabled, the phone and watch have to be on the same network/channel, etc., not just the same SSID in order for it to appear for the watch that that network is available to connect to.

I have no idea. This is not how I have seen multiple watches work on multiple networks. I just did a curiosity test with mine... I walked over to my router, confirmed the phone was on 5GHz, turned off BT, and the watch stayed perfectly happily connected to 2.4 and could connect to my phone.

 

[CobraPA]

Just the APExtreme with both networks, same SSID and both networks active. If the phone is on the 5ghz, the watch doesn't connect to the 2.4ghz version (again, I don't force the phone not to connect to one of the other - well now I don't have it connected to the 5ghz as the watch won't connect to that network)

This has been reported since the wifi network access was enabled, the phone and watch have to be on the same network/channel, etc., not just the same SSID in order for it to appear for the watch that that network is available to connect to.

Are you on recent watchOS or an older version? Current iOS?

This is not the behavior, generally, on current versions here. The phone needs to be able to attach to the 2.4Ghz net, and in early versions of watchOS, pairing the watch with the phone on 2.4 would guarantee it could attach to wifi. After that, assuming your 2.4 and 5 can route to each other, the phone could switch to 5 and the watch would stay connected.

In recent iOS, watchOS, I have not needed to even force the phone on to 2.4. The watch just seems to pick up 2.4 networks from the phone. I have always run separate SSIDs here, mostly for ease of diagnosis on the device end.

The bigger question is probably 'what are you trying to do with the watch over wifi?' Some things work and some do not, depending on which connection is available to the watch (watch has wifi & bluetooth with iPhone in range, watch has wifi only with iPhone on local net, watch has wifi only without iPhone on local net.)

I have no idea. This is not how I have seen multiple watches work on multiple networks. I just did a curiosity test with mine... I walked over to my router, confirmed the phone was on 5GHz, turned off BT, and the watch stayed perfectly happily connected to 2.4 and could connect to my phone.

What was your test for the watch being connected to your phone, in this case? (How did you verify 'connection'?)

 

[JT2002TJ]

What was your test for the watch being connected to your phone, in this case? (How did you verify 'connection'?)

They said they turned bluetooth off on their phone, so if they didn't see the red not connected notification, it was connected to the phone via network.

I got the watch on day 1, I always was able to connect to the phone on different SSIDs as long as they were behind the same network. The only issue I have had, was ensuring the phone/ipad were always favoring 5 ghz, to do this I had to block the MAC address on the 2.4 ghz access points.