I’m trying to add a Sonof SNZB-01P switch to my smart home system, which is Amazon Echo powered. But when I try to add the switch, it keeps wanting to connect to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network. My home, however, has strong 5GHz coverage with my Google WiFi mesh system. I’ve tried unplugging all but one access point and moving closer to the edge of the Wi-Fi range to force a 2.4GHz connection, but no luck. The setup just keeps scanning for devices and doesn’t find any. I also have the same issue with two air conditioners—they try to connect to Wi-Fi instead of the hub. Any advice? I’m a tech enthusiast but not an expert! This is kind of frustrating.
It sounds like a common issue. A lot of older or cheaper devices can only connect to 2.4GHz and don’t work well with networks that have both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands under the same SSID. A simple fix could be turning off the 5GHz network temporarily, so only the 2.4GHz is active. After that, try connecting your switch and then re-enable the 5GHz network. This is similar to the problem I faced with a newer printer.
@Harry
Unfortunately, Google WiFi doesn’t allow me to turn off the 5GHz network, and my iPhone doesn’t have an option to force a 2.4GHz connection. It’s a bit annoying.
TIFF said:
@Harry
Unfortunately, Google WiFi doesn’t allow me to turn off the 5GHz network, and my iPhone doesn’t have an option to force a 2.4GHz connection. It’s a bit annoying.
That’s a bummer. Here’s a trick you could try: turn off your mesh network, then create a hotspot on your iPhone with the same SSID and password as your home network. Connect the Sonoff switch to your iPhone’s hotspot to configure it. After that, turn off the hotspot and turn your mesh network back on. It might help to have another phone or tablet for setup.
@Harry
Turns out it’s a waste of time anyway! https://forum.ewelink.cc/t/snzb-01p-does-not-work-as-advertiesed/19425
I’m sure you’ve already tried this, but just in case, check this link about setting up smart devices on Google Nest WiFi: https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Nest-Wifi/Setting-up-smart-devices-and-accessing-2-4ghz-via-mesh/m-p/241711
@TIFF
One suggestion was to use an older Android phone or tablet that only supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. You could use it to set up the Sonoff switch. Do you have anything like that you could use or borrow?
@TIFF
Wait a second! Isn’t the Sonoff a ZigBee device? Are you sure your Amazon Echo has ZigBee support? Wi-Fi should actually be irrelevant for ZigBee devices.
Lane said:
@TIFF
Wait a second! Isn’t the Sonoff a ZigBee device? Are you sure your Amazon Echo has ZigBee support? Wi-Fi should actually be irrelevant for ZigBee devices.
It should work, but it turns out it’s a waste of time anyway. https://forum.ewelink.cc/t/snzb-01p-does-not-work-as-advertiesed/19425
I’ve had to do this before. I take the device to a different spot, set up my phone’s tethering with the same credentials as my home Wi-Fi network, and finish the setup. After that, I just turn off the tethering and bring everything back home.
@Tariq
But doesn’t your phone and device need to connect to the same Wi-Fi for this to work? How can the phone connect to its own hotspot?
TIFF said:
@Tariq
But doesn’t your phone and device need to connect to the same Wi-Fi for this to work? How can the phone connect to its own hotspot?
It doesn’t—this works when you bring the device back home after finishing the setup.
Does Google WiFi have an option for a separate IoT or guest network that might help?
ELIZABETH said:
Does Google WiFi have an option for a separate IoT or guest network that might help?
Google WiFi doesn’t have the option to disable 5GHz, and my iPhone doesn’t allow me to switch to just 2.4GHz.