This topic

BT Hub 2 - use of 5 GHz or 2.4GHz

rob_ashcroft — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 10:11:02 GMT

I have full fibre 900 Halo 3+

Using the speed test on the MyBT app my download speeds usually meets the BT minimum of 700 Mb to the hub. But when I test using Ookla speed test app the download speed to my phone is only about 150Mb, and to my desktop about 200Mb. Yesterday I went into the hub settings and noticed all devices were on 2.4 GHz connections. I switched off 2.4GHz and switched on 5GHz and restarted the hub. My download to phone is now 400Mb and to the desktop it's about 500Mb.

So the drop-off between the hub and the desktop is about 200Mb, which I presume is just the loss between the hub and the desktop. Whatever, 500Mb is still a very significant improvement. But the default for a new hub seems to be to connect at 2.4GHz. Is that because some users have older houses with range difficulties? I have a modern house and don't have that problem. I also now have a BT wifi extender disc which also helps.

Has anyone else switched to 5GHz?

Re: BT Hub 2 - use of 5 GHz or 2.4GHz

imjolly — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 10:16:30 GMT

normally both 2.4 and 5ghz are switch ON and your device no the hub makes the choice which network to join this should help

https://community.bt.com/t5/Home-setup-Wi-Fi-network/BT-full-fiber-poor-wifi/m-p/2243105

Re: BT Hub 2 - use of 5 GHz or 2.4GHz

Colin_London — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 10:21:35 GMT

It’s annoying - 2.4GHz signals propagate better so some devices will prefer to connect to them despite the lower speeds. Some days they will connect to 5 GHz automatically, others they seem to prefer 2.4 GHz. There is no way to bias this decision to prefer 5GHz connections despite the lower signal strength.

However I have some devices which only use 2.4 GHz so I cannot just switch it off.

The solution I have used is to wire key devices to the hub or Wi-Fi disc. This negates this negotiation process and ensures I get maximum speed. Alternatively if you have a windows device you can delve into the network adapters advanced settings and turn off 2.4 GHz so it always connects using 5 GHz.

This wasn’t such a problem with previous hubs where you could give the two bands different SSIDs.

Re: BT Hub 2 - use of 5 GHz or 2.4GHz

licquorice — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 10:32:05 GMT

Devices choose which signal to use, not the hub.

Re: BT Hub 2 - use of 5 GHz or 2.4GHz

rob_ashcroft — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 10:46:07 GMT

But if you switch off 2.4 in the hub settings you are forcing all devices to use 5ghz. That works so long as you don't have some devices that only work on 2.4, which I don't.

Re: BT Hub 2 - use of 5 GHz or 2.4GHz

licquorice — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 11:37:49 GMT

Exactly

Re: BT Hub 2 - use of 5 GHz or 2.4GHz

rob_ashcroft — Sun, 04 Feb 2024 10:52:25 GMT

I managed to get around the problem of not being able to connect 2.4 GHz devices when the router has only 5GHz activated. I have BT Hybrid Connect and as it connects to the EE service for my mobile account devices such as old Kindle e-readers which only connect at 2.4GHz can now connect and access the web while the rest of the house goes via the BT Hub at 5GHz. The Hybrid connection is pretty slow and only 4G but it is fine for Kindles.

Re: BT Hub 2 - use of 5 GHz or 2.4GHz

Leeparsons — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 21:17:44 GMT

Well today i was fed up with my series x flipping from 5ghz to 2.4 mainly. So i change the setting on the router, to false it to 5ghz.

Then i get my father kick off, as hes samsung a14 wont except 5ghz. Its actually not supported. Even thou it can transmit at that frequency. So your statement isnt true.

Re: BT Hub 2 - use of 5 GHz or 2.4GHz

ozsat — Sun, 21 Apr 2024 06:13:51 GMT

On the older BT hubs you could give the two bands different ids which was useful.

But with the 'Smart' hub you can not.,

Re: BT Hub 2 - use of 5 GHz or 2.4GHz

Leeparsons — Sun, 21 Apr 2024 10:01:02 GMT

Well not on the newer hub anyway, which is what the post referring to in this question.

Re: BT Hub 2 - use of 5 GHz or 2.4GHz

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Apr 2024 11:26:03 GMT

@Leeparsonswrote:
So your statement isnt true.

What statement by who "isn't true"?

Re: BT Hub 2 - use of 5 GHz or 2.4GHz

gg30340 — Sun, 21 Apr 2024 11:39:09 GMT

@Leeparsons wrote:

Well today i was fed up with my series x flipping from 5ghz to 2.4 mainly. So i change the setting on the router, to false it to 5ghz.

Then i get my father kick off, as hes samsung a14 wont except 5ghz. Its actually not supported. Even thou it can transmit at that frequency. So your statement isnt true.

The Samsung S14 does use both 2.4GHz and 5 GHz according to the Samsung stats for that device.

Samsung Galaxy A14 5G | View Specs & Camera | Samsung UK

If your father's is not able to use both there must be a problem with the device.

When you scan for networks when the 2.4GHz on the hub is turned off does his phone see the BT Hubs SSid (name) ?

Re: BT Hub 2 - use of 5 GHz or 2.4GHz

Leeparsons — Sun, 21 Apr 2024 13:18:27 GMT

Its A12. My bad. Its not my phone

Re: BT Hub 2 - use of 5 GHz or 2.4GHz

Leeparsons — Sun, 21 Apr 2024 13:38:04 GMT

So how do disc work exactly then? Are they tied to specific hardware mac address