BT Hub 2 - use of 5 GHz or 2.4GHz

[rob_ashcroft]

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?

[imjolly]

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

[Colin_London · Accepted solution]

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.

[licquorice]

Devices choose which signal to use, not the hub.

[rob_ashcroft]

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. 

[licquorice]

Exactly

[rob_ashcroft]

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.

[Leeparsons]

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.

[ozsat]

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

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

[Leeparsons]

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