Google Wifi and Nest Wifi don't have a feature to enable separate network names for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Some smart home devices are only capable of using the 2.4 GHz band and will not be available for setup if the phone or tablet you're using for setup connects to the 5 GHz band. Here are some potential solutions:
- You may be able to tell your Android phone, if you have one, to only connect on the 2.4 GHz band temporarily in your phone's Wifi settings, then you may be able to setup the device. Refer to the manufacturer's support information to see if your phone has this feature.
- You mentioned this workaround might not be so viable for you, however the waves of the 2.4 GHz band can travel a greater distance than those of the 5 GHz band. Put your phone or tablet into airplane mode first (that step is usually key), then move farther away from your router and points. Turn airplane mode off, and your phone or tablet may connect to the 2.4 GHz band, allowing you to continue the setup of your smart device.
- Use the Wifi hotspot feature on your phone or tablet. Refer to the manufacturer's support information to see if your device has this feature. This typically works because the Wifi hotspot uses the 2.4 GHz band, not the 5 GHz band. Note you will need 2 devices to set this up.
- Turn off your Wifi routers and points.
- Turn on the Wifi hotspot feature on a phone or tablet. Make sure to name the Wifi network the same as your normal network name, and use the same password you use on your normal Wifi network. If you're not sure how to do this, refer to the manufacturer's support website.
- Connect a second phone or tablet to that Wifi hotspot.
- You can then use that second phone or tablet to setup your device and connect it to the Wifi hotspot on the first phone or tablet.
- Once setup, turn off the Wifi hotspot, turn your routers and points back on and your smart device should connect to your Wifi network.
- Temporarily invest in a cheap router (or borrow one from a friend or family member) that does have a feature to enable separate network names for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Turn off your existing router and points and make the network name and password of the temporary router the same as your existing router, then proceed to setup your smart device with the temporary router. Once finished, power off the temporary router and turn your existing router and points back on.
Hopefully one of these solutions helps!
