How to get 5Ghz priority through Access Point on dual-band router?

[buektomi]

Hello everyone!

I'm a Windows 7 user. I have got an Archer C7 type Dual-Band Router and I would like to make 5G as priority over 2.4 G. Thing is, 2.4 G suffers from packet loss for like two weeks. Before that, my computer was always connecting to 5G and packet loss was not an issue at all. Now - for some reason - it automatically connects to the one with better radio signal - which eventually, 9 times out of 10, is the 2.4 G network. I would either like to find a solution to fix the packet loss on 2.4 G or set it back to 5G as default.

Now, I have read articles where it says it's pretty simple and it can be done in command prompt via removing the profile identified with 2.4 G. However, I'm not connected to the router directly but through a Unifi Access Point that is cabled to the router. This AP has one name, thus one profile and best of my knowledge it cannot be separated so there's no way to identify whether it's 2.4 G or 5G. They both share the same profile name since it is one. So I could remove both or none, in which case the issue remains.

I'm also using TP-Link Wireless Network Configuration Utility that should help me to manually choose between networks. There I see the AP's profile name twice. Once in 2.4 G and once in 5G. Whenever I switch to 5G, it automatically drops me back to 2.4 G. No matter if there's a tick in "automatic connect" or not. Funny thing is, when I disable it, it sets back the tick as well right after a moment. Running it as a system admin makes no difference either.

I have also opened the AP's software, found such settings like "Block 2.4 G on XY device". So I blocked 2.4 G to my computer while believing it might be transmitted to 5G leaving no other options. Instead, it did not connect to any network at the end. Which I don't understand at all... : /
I tried many things, I did speedtest, ping test, config router, config AP, none helped. I wonder if the ISP could help therefore I'm asking you guys.

Any help would be highly appreciated!

 

[bill001g]

There is not really a easy way to make it select one band over the other when the SSID is the same. It will always pick what it thinks is the strongest signals which is very different from which signal has the best quality.

You should be able to define different SSID for the 2.4g and 5g radios. You can even define different ones on the main router and the AP. You then are in full control over what your device will use. It will not try to use a different SSID than you told it to..

 

[buektomi]

There is not really a easy way to make it select one band over the other when the SSID is the same. It will always pick what it thinks is the strongest signals which is very different from which signal has the best quality.

You should be able to define different SSID for the 2.4g and 5g radios. You can even define different ones on the main router and the AP. You then are in full control over what your device will use. It will not try to use a different SSID than you told it to..

Thing is, I cannot just configure the router since there are other devices connecting to it, some prefer 2.4G some get along better with 5G. So I cannot restrict it to either. Even if I could that would not do much for me since I'm getting the signals directly via the AP's profile, that has only one SSID, supported by the dual bands of the router, so it rather depends on the AP than the router.

Although, I was trying to find a way in the AP settings yet found nothing similar to what I was looking for... I may be trying to set a different profile from scratch concentrating on only 5G and see what happens...

Funny thing is, devices such as phones automatically connect to 5G, they find quality a better choice over signal strength, it seems Windows is the only silly that goes for signals.

 

[buektomi]

There is not really a easy way to make it select one band over the other when the SSID is the same. It will always pick what it thinks is the strongest signals which is very different from which signal has the best quality.

You should be able to define different SSID for the 2.4g and 5g radios. You can even define different ones on the main router and the AP. You then are in full control over what your device will use. It will not try to use a different SSID than you told it to..

What I mean is, basically, there are different SSID profiles separated for the 2.4g and for 5g radios on the router. But signals coming through the AP defeats the point since it's got one profile name thus both radio signals are being received under the same label. : //

 

[nigelivey]

On advanced setting for your wireless NIC you should be able to set a proffered band. This won't help much if you have poor signal on 5Ghz though.

 

[buektomi]

On advanced setting for your wireless NIC you should be able to set a proffered band. This won't help much if you have poor signal on 5Ghz though.

I could and I tried but it doesn't matter since everything depends on the AP.

 

[nigelivey]

What do you mean depends on the AP??

 

[buektomi]

What do you mean depends on the AP??

I mean I configured the router to limit signals whether to 2.4G or 5G but the Access Point kind of ignored it and continued to send signals from both. So I'm trying to find a configuration on the AP itself, not much success so far.

 

[nigelivey]

So you have a router and an access point??

 

[buektomi]

So you have a router and an access point??

Yes, the Access Point is connected to the router but I'm directly getting the signals from the AP, not from the router. That would be straight useless from such a distance. Therefore the AP comes along, but it kind of defeats the point of the dual bands. There are different SSIDs for either 2.4 and 5G bands on the router but the they appear the same through the AP since it displays the AP's profile name. I found no way to differentiate it in the AP settings so far. Also, it's not a simple thing to even connect to the AP.

 

[nigelivey]

You are using the unifi software for the AP?

 

[buektomi]

You are using the unifi software for the AP?

Yes I do. Are there any alternatives?