Smart Hub 2 - wifi devices frequently can't comminicate with each other

[beta91]

I've had identical working setup previously with sky router, BT smart hub 1.  Rather disappointed with Smart Hub 2, you can't give the 2.4 / 5Ghz different SSID like with Smart Hub 1.  Well I can live without 2.4Ghz.

Worse though is one wifi device can't connect to other wifi devices (sometimes), when it works it works.  But go to bed, get Ipad out and it can't reach my Win 10 PC.

Some time ago I did wireshark capture, and could see the ipad sending ARP request, PC responding but no 2 way communication.  The PC had an ARP entry for the ipad. 

Same issue with Android phone sometimes it can reach the other 2 wifi devices, but usually not.

I'm using "Fing" on the handheld devices to scan my home network, and it can ping devices.  Great app.

All Wifi devices can reach Internet and Ethernet wired devices 100% of the time.

Surprised I couldn't find others reporting similar problems.

[licquorice]

Probably because nobody else is having problems.

Why do you need to turn off 2.4Ghz WiFi just because it has the same SSID as 5Ghz?

[beta91]

The PC has media on it, some with high bitrate they can only be streamed with 5Ghz.  The PC wifi adapter is configured to prefer 5Ghz, but sometimes it would drop to 2.4Ghz and stay there.  That's why I split the bands on the other routers.

I forgot to add I have FTTP (GPON), and that doesn't work on the smart hub 1.

[Crimliar]

If you need your PC to connect only to 5GHz then you can set this in its device properties.  The issue you can fase if you do this though is that if the router uses "high" 5GHz channels, then these can drop if DFS (radar) is detected.

So from the above dialogue you'd follow properties to:

Then configure under the wireless adapter name:

[beta91]

My MediaTek options look a bit different, but it was already set to only 5Ghz.  I've re-enabled the 2.4Ghz on the smart hub 2, lets see if it jumps again.

[Crimliar]

Once 2.4GHz is disabled on the adapter it won't jump, but if do happen to be in an area where DFS (radar) is an issue and you use those channels, you'll potentially lose your connection altogether for up to 10 minutes at a time!

*My 5GHz channels have been set on "auto" for years, this mostly means I've been in those DFS channels, along with a very few other users within range (can sense just under 40 routers here).  In the last few weeks, my router has stopped using those high channels, along with the other 4 or 5 routers that previously used them.  40 routers in that range is not a problem as my router sits at -30dBm and the next closest is -70dBm!