2.4ghz wifi not working when part of a mesh (BE550 / BE230)
Some details of the setup:
I've got a BE550 acting as Router and main mesh controller. I've got 4 BE230's acting as satelites. 3 Satelites have wired backhaul, one is wireless.
Details of the problem
The office satelite is too far away physically to have a wireless backhaul to the house and relies on wired backhaul. This access point refuses to broadcast on 2.4ghz and only broadcasts on 5.0ghz. The remaining access points broadcast on 2.4 and 5.0 with their respective hidden channels.
When does this problem happen?
This problem only occurs when the office satelite is moved outside of range of the rest of the network. If this satelite is within the house, it'll broadcast on 2.4ghz and 5.0ghz but the moment it is located further away it stops broadcasting on 2.4ghz.
What testing have I done?
I have turned 5.0ghz off on all satelites. All devices in my house remain on 2.4ghz. Office AP's wifi stops.
I have tested different AP's in the office / office AP in the house. All AP's show the same behaviour of zero 2.4ghz being broadcasted whilst away from the rest of the network.
I have placed the office AP on a portable 240v battery pack and walked from my house to the office. Once I get too far away 2.4ghz stops.
I have tested multiple power supplies to demonstrate power is not an issue.
I have walked to the end of my garden, same behaviour.
I have walked down my road, same behaviour.
I have tried with smart connect enabled and disabled
I have tried with 2.4ghz as an open network.
I have tried with all networks having different SSIDs
Interesting things....
I have tested by moving one of my satelites onto my driveway and the moment the device is fully powered up the other satelite starts broadcasting 2.4ghz along with 5.0ghz.
Final note
I have a Cisco AP in my office at the moment providing me with 2.4ghz for my IOT things. I have tested with and without this AP running. Before moving to the Archer setup I have been running Orbi's for many years without this problem. They've had many issues around backhaul but that's another matter, the 2.4ghz has never been a problem.
Oh and one more thing, why oh why are the satelites all broadcasting on the same channel with no ability to change them? What sort of design choice is that?
Well I'm not getting very far with support. They have told me that these devices *should* not behave this way which I totally agree with. I've provided detailed walk throughs of what testing I've done and somehow it's still going back to them asking me to check the bssid whilst in my office of my 2.4ghz connection. I can't check this as it's not broadcasting.
To anyone reading this, have I made myself clear? Is there anything you've not understood from my explanation? Maybe I'm not explaining myself fully and need to clear something up
My most recent reply to them included this screenshot and my explanation:
As you see looking at the above table there are:
2 “ccnetiot” access points - both Cisco.
1 “ccnetl” - 2.4ghz from BE550
1 “ccnet6” - 6ghz TP link from BE550
2 “ccnet7” - 5ghz and 6ghz TP link from BE550
This leaves 9 remaining “ccnet” networks
4 on 2.4ghz, 5 on 5.0ghz
There should be 5 on 2.4 and 5 on 5.0ghz but these do not show.
Moving the office AP onto my driveway so it has line of sight to the house an additional BSSID shows for the office AP.
