Naming 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz differently

I'm not very educated when it comes to networking and changing router settings so maybe someone can help. My mother has a Cisco E2500 router which has both 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz bands set in missed mode and both bands having the same SSID name... Linksys.

We got her a Tp-Link smart plug for Xmas which only works at 2.4 GHz which we have been unable to connect to her network. The plug itself does work at my house just not at my mom's so thinking it may be trying to connect to her 5 GHz band.

I went into her Linksys web settings and gave her bands different SSID names now named Linksys 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz hoping the smart plug would be able to connect at 2.4.

Here's my issue since naming the SSID's differently I can only connect at 5 GHz not 2.4. I'm beginning to wonder if that's been my issue all along that it was never connecting at 2.4 only at 5 which I never knew since both had the same SSID name.

Need to be able to connect to 2.4 GHz can someone help?

 

Dude I have a TP-Link RE200 Wireless Extender and I have the same issue as you. I even updated its firmware but it sucks. Sometimes devices connect to it and there's no internet. What's worse. I've been having a lot of slowdowns on my main router which is an ASUS RT-AC88U recently and like I couldn't detect my Wireless printer at all. I thought the printer is dying. Then I just thought of turning off that darn wireless extender and everything went back to normal, the speeds are fast like before now and I can easily connect the wireless printer. Heck even my VPN wasn't working properly taking ages to actually detect my connection. Seems like that extender was doing something to the main router or bogging it down. I advice you to try a different wireless extender or better yet, get like a cheap ASUS RT-AC68U router and set it up as an access point where it acts like an extender and it has great range. I don't advice you to updates its firmware though because ASUS' new firmware limits the signal strength to comply with regulations yada yada yada so just use it with the stock firmware, that means, don't get a used one which might have had the firmware upgraded.

 

I usually append _5G on dual band.
Are you using blank space to separate the SSID names? Some firmwares acts strangely when using blank space. Use Underscore every time instead of a blank space.
I think you can try this link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WLAN_channels#5_GHz_(802.11a/h/j/n/ac)
I had strange issue with 5G band not connecting at all, so I changed the channel to 161 and now it works perfectly.

 

Well left my mom's without a resolution. After giving 2.4 & 5 different SSID names and taking the smart switch out of the equation we experimented connecting with our phones/iPad. We found out we still could not connect to 2.4. When we tried to connect to 5 our phones would connect but minutes later disconnect so really weird.

I renamed both SSIDs the same and now our phones connected again although I have no idea which band it was using. I had originally thought her 2.4 band just wasn't working until I remembered she has an Arlo which only connects at 2.4... it works fine.

Guess it's just something about that Tp-Link smart plug not wanting to connect to her network. Vasudev I did put in a blank space but using an underscore didn't enter my mind. I will try that the next time I'm out to my moms.

 

When you have lot of routers use channel 6/11 and see if it helps.

 

She only has one router. Her WiFi is actually strong throughout her house even extending to the basement... the smart switch would be located near her router.