Echo & Alexa Forums

General Category => Echo Technical Support => Topic started by: RolandM on October 30, 2016, 10:08:48 am

Title: WiFi Network Selection
Post by: RolandM on October 30, 2016, 10:08:48 am

I have two WiFi networks at home, one fast, the other slow. I have my Echo connected to the fast network, but once in a while it switches to the slow. Is it possible to exclude the slow network from Echo's choices?

Title: Re: WiFi Network Selection
Post by: mike27oct on October 30, 2016, 02:46:44 pm

Explain more details about the configuration of your two networks and how one is fast and one is slow.

Title: Re: WiFi Network Selection
Post by: RolandM on October 31, 2016, 05:54:16 pm

There are two speeds on my router; one 5mghz the other about 2.4. Thanks for any help.

Title: Re: WiFi Network Selection
Post by: DParker on October 31, 2016, 07:44:19 pm

Quote from: RolandM on October 31, 2016, 05:54:16 pm

There are two speeds on my router; one 5mghz the other about 2.4. Thanks for any help.

Those aren't "speeds"....they're radio frequency ranges.  Now, using one or the other can result in faster or slower speeds due to the lesser bandwidth or overcrowding of the 2.4 GHz range, or because of range/interference issues arising from use of the 5 GHz range...but the numbers themselves aren't "speed" selectors.

Title: Re: WiFi Network Selection
Post by: mike27oct on October 31, 2016, 08:19:41 pm

To continue from Parker's comment.  I use the 5G frequency band exclusively when I need speed for video streaming and uploading and downloading files, etc.; eapecially on my phone and tablets.

I use the 2.4G band for devices that need range over speed; like all my Echo devices use the 2.4G band, because they are audio-only devices and audio streaming (unlike video) requires lots less speed (bandwidth)  than video streaming does. 

Title: Re: WiFi Network Selection
Post by: RolandM on November 02, 2016, 06:32:13 pm

Thanks, Mike.

Is there any way to make sure that my Echo will always connect to the same network? I find that the 5ghz provides steadier streaming radio.

Title: Re: WiFi Network Selection
Post by: mike27oct on November 03, 2016, 02:02:39 am

Yes, go into to app settings for wifi connections and tell Echo to "forget" the one you do not want to connect to; i.e. only have the 5G signal selected.  (Of course, both 2.4 and 5G need to be two distinct SSIDs and not one merged one.)

I can't imagine why the 2.4 is not a good signal as good as 5G,  you most likely are on a crowded 2.4G signal.  If you know how to change the channel of your router, do that and see if things improve before doing above..