Mesh Router Systems: Separate Names for 2.4 and 5 ghz bands.

[danweis1]

I’ve called several manufacturers of mesh systems and can’t seem to fine one that has this feature: the ability to have separate names (SSID’s) for the 5ghz and 2.4ghz networks. My network has evolved over several years and several standard routers. A lot of my IOT devices will only connect to the 2.4ghz network and a lot of the older ones refuse to connect to a combined SSID. Therefore I have always had separate names for each network. I’d like to move to a mesh system, but in a single SSID scenario, I’d have to reconfigure 30+ devices and I’m not yet willing to do so. Mostly Wi-Fi cameras. The new Wyze mesh system does have this capability, but it’s very new and there seems to be a lot of bugs in the system. So, does anyone know of a mesh system that has the capability to have separate SSID’s for the 2.4 and 5ghz (and guest network also)? And, at a reasonable price.
Thanks

 

[bbunge]

Asus allows you to assign different SSID's for each band. Or you can use just one with Dual Band SmartConnect and add a guest WIFI for the 2.4 and/or 5 GHz bands that propagates across the router/nodes.

 

[OzarkEdge]

I’ve called several manufacturers of mesh systems and can’t seem to fine one that has this feature: the ability to have separate names (SSID’s) for the 5ghz and 2.4ghz networks. My network has evolved over several years and several standard routers. A lot of my IOT devices will only connect to the 2.4ghz network and a lot of the older ones refuse to connect to a combined SSID. Therefore I have always had separate names for each network. I’d like to move to a mesh system, but in a single SSID scenario, I’d have to reconfigure 30+ devices and I’m not yet willing to do so. Mostly Wi-Fi cameras. The new Wyze mesh system does have this capability, but it’s very new and there seems to be a lot of bugs in the system. So, does anyone know of a mesh system that has the capability to have separate SSID’s for the 2.4 and 5ghz (and guest network also)? And, at a reasonable price.
Thanks

I would not invest in anything Wyze... a few cheap cams is enough of their ecosystem, imo.

ASUS AiMesh allows assigning same or different SSIDs per band. My clients are fine with same SSIDs and no Smart Connect band steering. On another network, I assign different SSIDs so that I can connect a difficult smart TV to the 5.0 band and have it stay there... otherwise, it insists on using the 2.4 band and stuttering in a crowded WiFi environment (even with Smart Connect band steering).

OE

 

[coxhaus]

I have a couple of Wyze cameras working on a VLAN. Wyze does not even know it is on a VLAN. I do not separate 2.4 and 5 GHz but I could. Most clients don't understand whether they are on a VLAN or not.

 

[sfx2000]

’ve called several manufacturers of mesh systems and can’t seem to fine one that has this feature: the ability to have separate names (SSID’s) for the 5ghz and 2.4ghz networks. My network has evolved over several years and several standard routers. A lot of my IOT devices will only connect to the 2.4ghz network and a lot of the older ones refuse to connect to a combined SSID. Therefore I have always had separate names for each network. I’d like to move to a mesh system, but in a single SSID scenario, I’d have to reconfigure 30+ devices and I’m not yet willing to do so.

If you are going Mesh - well, for most of the OEM's, you're going to have to deal with single SSID.

Single SSID means that all AP's are on the same network, so moving from one AP/Radio to another is a lot less overhead.

this is not a bad thing - as all AP's are part of the same extended SSID - so it fools the client stations a bit - there there's the logic of 11k/v/r which can help - except that there are clients that are basically stupid and don't do it right.

In IEEE 802.11 - each SSID presents itself as an independent network - standalone so to speak, so moving from one SSID to another involves quite a bit of overhead, as they need to do not just the WiFi auth handshaking, but also upper layer stuff - DHCP request/response, etc...

And we have the issue of sticky clients...

I know that Asus has AIMesh - which should really be call ASMesh as it's not very smart - we get huge issues that folks respond - well, that's how it works... which gives mesh a bad name... there's not anything Smart (connect) or Intelligent about it.

We got requests for support here - and most folks are like - well, that's how it works (not) and clients are going to client and do what they want in any case. They are much more aware of what the radio conditions are than the AP is...

My advice - don't do mesh if you want more than the canned Private/Guest Network solution - going custom - this path ends in pain, as clients don't give a rats butt what your network plan really is - they just want to connect...

 

[tgl]

AIMesh absolutely has the ability to put different SSID names on the different bands. Whether there are glitches in that ability, I can't say, because I've never used it. I don't think it's the best setup, particularly for the situation you describe. I concur with @bbunge's recommendation that you'd be better off configuring a guest network for the IoT devices, as that gives you some enforceable separation from the rest of your LAN. It does look like you can choose to broadcast the guest SSID on only some bands (again, I've not done that).

If you want more control than what you find in consumer-grade wifi gear such as ASUS, you should be looking at SMB-grade gear. I've been pretty happy with a couple of Zyxel APs, and others around here swear by Omada or Ubiquiti. That stuff isn't that much more expensive, and it has a lot fewer preconceptions about how you should use it.