droping from 5g to 2.5g on router

[bill1]

how do i alter my router to 2.5 g

[schnapps]

Hi @bill1 

1. Connect your Hub to your laptop or computer using an Ethernet cable or you should be able also to do it from wifi on the same Router Network.
2. Open your web browser and enter "192.168.0.1” in the address bar.
3. Select Maintenance and enter “admin” and “nowtv” as the username and password.
4. Select Wireless and then 2.4 GHz Wireless Settings. 
5. Scroll down to “Wireless Access Point” and uncheck Synchronise 2.4GHz and 5GHz Settings.
6. In the ‘Name (SSID)’ box, Change the network name to distinguish it from the current network (e.g. add “_2.4G” to the current name). Select Apply.
7. Check the network name has been updated, and then select 5GHz Wireless Settings.
8. To be able to see easily which network is which on your devices, change the ‘Name (SSID)’ here too (e.g. add “_5G” to the current name). Select Apply.
9. That’s it. Select Logout at the top of the screen to exit.

[Jayach]

If you wish to be able to select the band you connect to, you will need to split them.

Split your Wi-Fi bands

Got a NOW Broadband Hub Two? Splitting the bands on your Hub to create 2 different Wi-Fi networks can help to improve the speed to your devices. Here’s how to do it:

1. Connect your Hub to your laptop or computer using an Ethernet cable.
2. Open your web browser and enter "192.168.0.1” in the address bar.
3. Select Maintenance and enter “admin” and “nowtv” as the username and password.
4. Select Wireless and then 2.4 GHz Wireless Settings. 
5. Scroll down to “Wireless Access Point” and uncheck Synchronise 2.4GHz and 5GHz Settings.
6. In the ‘Name (SSID)’ box, Change the network name to distinguish it from the current network (e.g. add “_2.4G” to the current name). Select Apply.
7. Check the network name has been updated, and then select 5GHz Wireless Settings.
8. To be able to see easily which network is which on your devices, change the ‘Name (SSID)’ here too (e.g. add “_5G” to the current name). Select Apply.
9. That’s it. Select Logout at the top of the screen to exit.

Keep in mind, You need a NOW Broadband Hub Two to split your Wi-Fi bands. You can't do this with the older-style NOW Hub.

From: Fix slow broadband (nowtv.com)

Edit: @schnapps beat me to it.

[RoyB]

@Jayach 

If you do the splitting as you describe, do all your devices on WiFi, which have been set up with an SSID different from either of the two new ones, automatically move to one of the new SSIDs, or do they all fall off your network, or what?

[Jayach]

There is no way they can automatically connect to the new SSID(s). You will need to connect them individually.

Personally I would just change the 2.4Ghz SSID and leave the 5Ghz as as it was, then those devices that can use 5Ghz will not need reconnecting.

[RoyB]

@Jayach 

I thought as much. So anyone taking the advice to split the bands, as described by Now, will find themselves with no working WiFi devices?

Funny nobody has ever reported this, as far as I know.

I suppose another strategy might be to change the 5GHz SSID, and leave the 2.4GHz as it was, especially for those cases where people are advised to do this for range purposes, and not the speed purposes that Now propose it for.

Then, everything will still be working, at least out to the maximum range the router can achieve, and the user can then optimise speed at his/her leisure, by teaching individual devices the 5GHz SSID, and seeing if they can cotton on to it.

BT won’t let me split the bands on my BT Hub; they decided not to, and aren’t fans of it. Apparently, it doesn’t sit well with the mesh approach they would prefer you take if you want more range and less speed drop-off.

But they still let you turn off one or other band, which is a relief as my 2.4Ghz-only Teckin smart plugs aren’t smart enough not to try to connect to the 5GHz band. Or the Hub isn’t smart enough not to offer them 5GHz, which comes to the same thing.