Apple Watch doesn't stay connected to iphone on same WIFI (no BT) - normal behaviour?

[Romf]

Hi all,
I heared before having the watch that basically if the watch and iphone paired are on the same wifi network, almost everything on the watch will work normally. When I went to AS the vendor confirmed that the iphone can be as far as there is wifi range.
Before posting, I checked and confirmed that:
https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/apple-watch-with-iphone-out-of-range/

Also, here:
https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/fix-apple-watch-disconnects-iphone/

If your iPhone and Apple Watch are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (an Apple Watch connection to a known Wi-Fi network is established through the iPhone), they can be as far apart from each other as the Wi-Fi signal will allow.

So, I tried at home on my wifi (airport extreme), turned off the BT on my phone (wifi still ON) and I can do nearly nothing on the watch: SIRI is not working, most apps not working, glances not updating...
I checked and, on my computer, the WIFI is not connected on 5Ghz (read it wouldnt work), from what I remember the Airport Extreme is set up to have 5Ghz and 2.4 depending on devices.

What is wrong with this setup?

 

[Paulando]

Mine is the same - though I have a separate SSID for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks on my Airport Extremes. My iPhone ignores the 2.4GHz and just uses the 5GHz, so there I had a problem.

There's a fix for it though - the Apple Watch still connects to a network even if you forget it on the phone.

So I forgot the 5GHz on my phone, then connected to the 2.4GHz, then tested the watch without Bluetooth (it worked). Then forgot the 2.4GHz on my phone and connected back up to the 5GHz network. I tested it again without Bluetooth and it still worked

 

[CobraPA]

So I forgot the 5GHz on my phone, then connected to the 2.4GHz, then tested the watch without Bluetooth (it worked). Then forgot the 2.4GHz on my phone and connected back up to the 5GHz network. I tested it again without Bluetooth and it still worked

This is the key. The watch needs to pick up the 2.4G wifi when your phone is connected to it. If it does not it only seems to learn the 5G settings and can't use them. Probably a bug that will be fixed (I hope.)

 

[Ryanhdd]

I was able to get my watch to connect to my wifi at home. Though its very very spotty. I do not understand why if the watch does not detect a bluetooth signal, why it does not auto connect to the wifi. I can get it to connect to the wifi when I turn off blue tooth. But if I leave my phone on the counter in the living room and go the bedroom, the watch does not connect to wifi. Its super annoying. Also it looses the connection a lot and makes the watch really pointless to wear if I do not have my phone in my pocket.

 

[Romf]

Thanks for your help.

That was indeed the problem (2.5/5GhZ network).
I choose on the airport utility to create a separate 5Ghz wifi, and I connected the phone to te 2.5Ghz network. After that, even with BT off everything worked as expected.
I then went back to previous settings (only one network name that "chooses" automatically between 2.5 and 5Ghz) and as the watch has been connected to the 2.5Ghz, it now works properly even with BT off.

Kind of shame that it doesn't work straight away, with only Apple devices...

 

[CobraPA]

Nice, that's a good way to do it. I hadn't thought of that. Several people have struggled with having a common name for their 2.4G and 5G networks, because they couldn't force the phone on to the 2.4G network for the watch to learn it's setup.