I have installed a Netgear WiFi extender at my home using mywifiext.net URL. I tried connecting to its network and it works fine. But when I tried connecting to the 5GHz WiFi band, it does not work. Why is my extender not detecting the 5 GHz band from the router? I need help. Are you facing a similar problem? If yes is the reply to the query, then this is the right guide that you need. Here you will find the best solution for this problem. Go on reading ahead.
Extender Can’t Detect 5 GHz WiFi Network: Resolved
Before moving to the troubleshooting part, you should check if the device that you are using to connect to the extender’s network supports a 5Gz wireless network or not.
Apart from this, make sure that the internet connection and power supply to the extender are stable. Fix any loose cables and connections and if the issue exists even after all this, you should give a shot at the hacks given ahead:
Place the Extender Closer to Router
An improper location of the Netgear extender can be a reason why you are getting this issue. As the frequency increases, the wireless network range reduces. Hence, bring the extender closer to the host router so that it is easy for the extender to receive 5 GHz signals from it.
But avoid placing the devices very close also that the signals begin clashing.
Check Router’s Settings
Maybe the 5GHz WiFi band on the router itself is disabled or is not working fine. You should access the host router’s settings by logging in to it to check if 5 GHz WiFi is working fine and is enabled or not. Make the necessary amendments and then see if the issue has been fixed or not.
Assign Different SSIDs for Both Wireless Bands
There is a possibility that both these wireless bands have the same SSID on the router. Hence you are not able to differentiate between both networks. Go ahead and assign different SSIDs for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless bands. Once this is done you should be able to identify which network to be connected to.
Change WiFi Channel on Router
If the issue persists, then change the WiFi channel on the router. A 5GHz wireless band uses 23 channels and hence there are lesser chances of overcrowding. But despite this, you may face issues. Changing the WiFi channel on the router can help. You need to log into your router and reach its settings. Here you can change the WiFi channel easily. For instance, if the router channel is set to Auto or a channel between 52-64 is selected, then change the channel to 36-48.
Reboot the Extender
After changing the WiFi channel on the main router, reboot your Netgear WiFi extender to make the changes effective. Power it off and power it on after waiting for a certain amount of time. Once the extender is booted up completely, you should try to connect to a 5 GHz network using your extender’s WiFi.
Reset the Extender
Is the issue still the same? Looks like while setting up the extender, you did not select the option of extending both wireless bands. Or there is some other reason that can only be fixed by resetting the Netgear extender to the factory settings.
Want to know how to reset Netgear extender? This can be done by simply pressing the Reset button located on it. Once the extender is reset and the factory settings are restored on it, you should set it up once again.
But while you are setting it up, ensure that you are choosing both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless bands to extend.
NOTE: If you are using the WPS method for setup, you should repeat the setup process to extend both WiFi bands.
The Closing Thought
After resetting and reconfiguring your Netgear wireless range extender, it should be able to detect the 5 GHz wireless band from the main router without any trouble. Well, this brings an end to the helpful troubleshooting article with the hope that the information provided here has been fruitful in resolving the issue under discussion.