@Brandon99 

I have the exact same issue only difference is I have v1 instead of v2 c2300. Wondering if there is a fix or patch and do I just disable smart connect?

Same here on my Archer C6 V2.0 updated to latest firmware. If enabled SMARTCONNECT the 5G connection disappear and work only 2.4.

@Gimmy077 

See my answer to you in https://community.tp-link.com/us/home/forum/topic/195526 please. It details how to check what is connected to what band.

Oddly enough, your screen capture shows that the 5Ghz SSID is being used, not the 2.4Ghz SSID.

@IrvSp SSID = is customizable as you know, I wrote 5G thinking it was 5G instead every connection I make, tried many times always arrives on 2.4 NEVER on 5G. For example, if from my desktop windows 10 now as WIFI connections displays only 1 SSID available, if I try to connect it always connects in 2.4, if I use the TP-LINK WIRELESS CONFIGURATION UTILITY application it displays 2 SSIDs with the same name a 5g and 2.4. If I try to connect directly to 5G and then I go to find what I am actually connected with I see 2.4 and not 5 ... then the 5G connection is as if it were not there and ONLY 2.4 works. Look, I assure you that I have done a thousand different tests and ONLY if I disable SMART CONNECT I return to a normal situation. To tell the truth, the Smart Connect functionality in all sincerity does not interest me, I was just curious ... I do not have all this WIFI traffic ... the fact is that by now I have also configured Chromecast with this SSID that if I deactivate Smart Connect I have to redo everything from the beginning. However in all honesty I do not understand where the problem lies, also because I do not think that if Smart Connect had to choose the best connection having a 5g available it cannot automatically select EVERY TIME A 2.4 is absurd.

@Gimmy077 

Answered in the other thread, like to keep this in one place if possible.

Need the MAKE AND MODEL of the NETWORK WIRELESS ADAPTER. Some are limited to 300Mbps connect if it is an N Speed adapter. Some are even 150Mbps.

If you want a device to ALWAYS connect to a 5Ghz band via Smart Connect, you need an AC Speed device and they are best suited for 5Ghz. Suspect the 802.11 speed determination in the router will be the main decision point what band it will connect to. Even then, some routers (I think most TP-Link ones use this) use 'Load Leveling' in that they will keep the number of devices on each band fairly even, and that could force a device capabile of using the 5Ghz band onto the 2.4Ghz band.

@puttskii 

Did anything resolve this issue for you? I am having the same problem on my Archer C2300. 

@hshipper 

No not really, Bandaid instead, I have multipe APs so I just turned off 2.4 on c2300 and  used only 5 ghz since I want things like streaming and cell on 5 , that's the only way it worked, but not a smart connect true fix.

The explanation from tp-link " the devices connecting should be ac 5ghz if not they drop back to 2.4 because 2.4 would be less crowded and appear more attractive ." memh,  Not their exact words but you get the meaning. 

@Carl im having the same problem with archer C7 AC1750. 

Apparent,

If i disable smart connect and set my wifi channel to say 44 on 5ghz. My repeater Re305 is able to connect. 

If i turn the 5Ghz channel to auto, the repeat is not not able to connect to the router.

Seems like Channel set to Auto is the problem here.

Kindly provide with a fix for this.

Thanks.

@Frost 

Are you using the OneMesh service between Archer A7 and RE305 or just Smart Connect?  Also what firmware are you on.  I see you are regestered in Ireland so what is the hardware version of your Archer A7 as there are regional differences in not only hardware but also firmware we would need as many details as possible when we submit this as a bug report to our engineering team.  

in short we need the following:

Hardware version including if its a EU/US/ETC versiom

Currenty Firmware build number

Are you using OneMesh 

any error message you get when set to Smart Connect/Auto 

does this only happen when you turn on smart connect or does it also happen on seperate SSIDs with Auto selected on 5GHz