NEW XE75 / AXE5300 system.. why isn't 6GHz band part of the mesh system?
The TL;DR problem: Why does the 6GHz channel create a separate Wi-Fi Network (SSID) that I have to connect to, isolated from my main 5GHz/2.4GHz network? This strips you of the entire point of having a mesh system, which is that it determines and transmits the best signal to you based on where in the house you are. The 6GHz band should be one of 3 bands included under the same SSID and the mesh system should determine which access point and band best suits my device at any given moment.
The backstory:
So I just bought the brand new (as of April 2022) tri-band XE75 system (AXE5300 at Costco). The XE75 and AXE5300 are identical, but XE75 comes with 2 devices and AXE5300 comes from Costco with 3. It is TP-link's 1st WiFi 6E capable router. It looks and functions very similarly to the x68 that came before it. It has a 2.4GHz channel, a 5GHz channel, and the brand new 6GHz channel (the x68 had a 2nd 5GHz channel for dedicated backhaul instead of a 6GHz one). The XE75/AXE5300 allows you to decide if you want to keep the 6GHz channel as a dedicated backhaul channel (keeps the signal between mesh devices strong) or use it as a 3rd band for your devices that function with WiFi 6E (like the Samsung Galaxy S21 that I have and newer devices).
HOWEVER.. when you select the option to use the 6GHz band as part of your Wi-Fi network for Wi-Fi 6E capable devices (I know there are few), it forces you to create a separate Network Name (SSID) that you have to connect to separate from your main wireless network.
-This means that the entire point of a mesh system now disappears as the router will no longer determine for me if I will have faster streaming speeds using the 5 or 2.4 GHz bands because I'm too far from (or have too many obstructions of) the 6GHz signal. It will just keep me on 6GHz until I'm out of range of the signal then would potentially connect me to the other main Wi-Fi network. That generally doesn't happen, so instead, I sit with 2-3 bars of wifi signal and a mesh system that is unable to adapt.
-Another problem that this creates is you are then unable to Chromecast to other devices on your network since you're on a different network.
--Another problem I realized today is that when I leave the house and return, my phone reconnects to my non-6GHz SSID (probably because 5GHz/2.4GHz signal is stronger at range) instead of the 6GHz SSID since I had logged into both (it has happened 3/3 times since installation). The solution I created was turning off the auto-reconnect feature of my non-6GHz SSID in my phone's Wi-Fi settings.. but yet another reason why having all one SSID would be best.
At the end of the day, it is a poor implementation of Wi-Fi 6E. I don't know if they just didn't have time before release to fine-tune the system that decides when 6GHz should take over vs other bands.. but I would at least like to know that this is being worked on and will be brought to the device in a future firmware update. If not, I may just return this system before my 3-month window with Costco runs out.
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@DecoUserTL I currently have my SSIDs set the same and changed the security on the 2.4&5 to "WPA2/WPA3 Personal". No issues roaming with my laptop and phone. I see them move between bands just like expected.
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Hi there,
I'm running firmware 1.1.1 Build 20230327 Rel. 63527 (Latest Release as of this post) and using version 3.6.27 of the Apple IOS version of the Deco Configuration Software. I also have the same issue where I have set a different SSID for the 6GHz network. When I try to make it the same as my 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks I get the "This network name already exists" message. Surely tp-link must have an option to get the all networks to work on the same SSID. If google can do it so should tp-link. Utterly useless to me otherwise if all my devices cant see each other. Very disappointed.
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I fully support the comments of Tplinkuser. I also purchased XE75 for the 6E and to replace Amazon EERO PRO 6E and was disapointed that it creates a seperate network due mostly to the inability for the Mesh (Amazon did not even release yet their WPA3) to automatically connect devices to their proper WPA encryption and offer the full capability of the Mesh that we basically paid for. I feel this encryption issue will become a mess with Wi-Fi7 coming, and feel manufacturors will have no choice but quickly find a solution that adresses this issue.
Our smartphones have wifi 6E and some to be released in 2024 will even have wifi 7.
I think its getting urgent otherwise the marketing on which the products are sold on becomes untrue.
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On Android I can set the name and password the same as the Main 2.4/5ghz network.
Now I will note that it's pretty much pointless because these units are HORRIBLE at broadcasting beacons correctly on 6ghz.
I tried to work with a support engineer who did nothing but blame my devices when its clear that both Android and Windows (Intel AX210) devices have trouble “discovering” the 6 Ghz SSID because the network is only intermittently broadcast. Now WHEN and IF my devices are able to finally connect they can't roam because they often cannot see the other Deco APs because of the same intermittent SSID broadcasting.
If you watch the SSID beacons, on 2.4/5Ghz you will see the Main/Guest/IoT SSIDs broadcast consistently but you will also notice the backhaul hidden SSID be intermittently broadcast, and that's fine, the backhaul is not constantly need to get new connections all the time, once the units are connected they are good.
But if you watch the 6Ghz you will see that the Main SSID is only intermittently broadcast at the same time the backhaul SSID (not hidden in 6ghz) is broadcast.
This causes issues for devices initially connecting and roaming because they do not see the AP to be able to connect, and with roaming its still in the end up to the Client to roam, the Deco APs can only suggest it, but if the client doesn't see the SSID from the next AP it can't go anywhere.
This makes 6Ghz either with the same name or a different name practically useless for more users.
Also note for user setting the same name for 6 Ghz and 2.4 / 5Ghz, make sure 2.4 / 5Ghz is set for at least WPA2/WPA3 or, WPA3 only if all your devices support WPA3
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@DecoUserTL how do i connect the Archer AXE75 with Deco X68 ?
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