Sunshine wrote

  @fnrinmuscle 

 

Hi, thank you very much for the feedback.

Are you using the official firmware right now? If so, please try to factory reset the MR200 to see if you will see the 5G settings.

How to factory reset the device: with the device powered on, press and hold the reset button until the power LED start flashing.

 

Note: Please also check if Smart Connect function is enabled, if so, the 2.4G and 5G WiFi will be combined into one WiFi network.

I just tested it with the official firmware under point 5 and pressed the reset button. In Web GUI (192.168.1.1) I had to set up the WiFi password again.

WiFi 5 Ghz is generally available in Web GUI, but cannot be found by other devices, it is gone. I tried several times and also restarted the router and also reset to factory settings in Web GUI. Smart Connect function is also disabled. According to this experience, it looks like upgrading to the LTE band selection firmware will cause WiFi 5 Ghz to stop working.

Sunshine wrote

  @fnrinmuscle 

 

In addition, for manual LTE band selection feature, please try this beta firmware to see if it will affect the 5G WiFi or not:

https://static.tp-link.com/beta/2021/202106/20210628/LTE_GATEWAY(EU)v3_1.19.0_0.9.1_[210628-rel38839]_up_boot_2021-06-28_09.49.04.zip

This beta firmware shows WiFi 5 Ghz in Web GUI, but cannot be detected by other devices. Smart Connect is disabled. I also did a factory reset with this beta firmware and still Wifi 5 Ghz is not found. Additionally I have found differences to this beta firmware than the firmware under point 1 (see first post).

The manual LTE band selection is made so that it is no longer possible to immediately select the LTE band number. It must first be searched and then is displayed which LTE bands is generally available. The biggest disadvantage of this method is that through the search it takes significantly longer, because if I know which LTE band number for my network provider is there I could with the LTE band selection method under point 1, select it immediately and could connect it immediately and does not have to start a search.

This method I find better and faster. Can you maybe add this method as a third method? This is how i imagine it. 

- Automatic search

- Manual search

- Customized (here it is possible to see all LTE band number and the user can connect it manually immediately)

Sunshine wrote

  @fnrinmuscle 

 

Hi, thank you very much for the feedback, currently, the band selection feature is like the new beta firmware I sent you, same for other models, and we will record your suggestion and let related engineer know about it.

Thanks for the answer. I have another feedback, I find it very outdated that TP-Link still makes this concept of firmware instead of making a unified OS firmware. It would be good if TP-Link creates a unified OS for all current TP-Link routers if not possible for future TP-Link or Deco routers, so it is possible for the user to download 1 universal firmware. Something like what Apple is doing. I also have a suggestion how the name could be called PearlOS.

Sunshine wrote

  @fnrinmuscle 

 

In addition, regarding the 5GHz WiF issue, could you please try to change the 5G channel from Auto to channel 36 or 40? then check if it can be seen by 5G client devices.

By the way, may I know where you are located? and is your 5G client device able to see other 5G WiFi?

This was also just tested in Channel 36 or 40. No effect. The 5G client devices can't find 5G Wifi, it's gone. I have tested with an iPhone 13, PS5, Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro, Windows PC, MacBook (M1 chip) and many more 5G client devices. It was tested in an apartment and the 5G client devices are only a maximum of 10 meters away. Is it possible that it is not a software problem but a hardware problem? Maybe the chip for 5G Wifi is broken? How do I know that the chip for 5G Wifi is not broken?

My guess is that by installing LTE band selection firmware see point 1 in the first post that the 5G Wifi was disabled. By installing an official firmware and resetting to factory settings, 5G Wifi was not restored, because I suspect that the factory reset is not a full reset (not similar to iPhone in DFU mode).