Why your smart TV ends up on the wrong Wi-Fi network
In case you didn’t know, most modern Wi-Fi routers and smart TVs are “dual-band”, which means they can use two different frequency bands when sending or receiving data.
The first is 2.4Ghz, which is great for penetrating through walls and other objects, or maintaining a good connection at longer distances, but it’s pretty bandwidth-limited. The second is the 5Ghz channel, which has oodles of bandwidth but is easily blocked, and doesn’t have much range.
The problems this creates for streaming
In most cases, either your router or TV will switch to 2.4Ghz if it decides that connection is more stable. The problem is that the 2.4Ghz band is much more susceptible to radio interference, and because the bandwidth is constrained under the best of circumstances, streaming high-quality 4K content becomes a challenge. The end result is worse picture quality and annoying interruptions
How it affects smart features and updates
We don’t just use our smart TVs to watch streaming content. People use them to browse the web, and use various apps for productivity and entertainment. So, having a slow connection can affect literally anything you do on your TV.
Whether it’s an app that displays a cloud image slideshow or just the various system and app updates your TV needs at times, you may experience slowdowns, time-outs, or download failures.
How to lock your TV to the right band
Ensuring that your TV only uses one specific band can be complicated, depending on what hardware you’re using. If you have a Wi-Fi router that presents both networks using separate SSIDs, it’s as simple as giving them different names and ensuring your TV only knows the password for the 5Ghz network.
More modern Wi-Fi systems don’t work this way, however. For example, I use a TP-Link Deco mesh system which doesn’t present itself as separate networks on different bands. There’s one network, and the various mesh units seamlessly handle bands and which device connects to which part of the mesh, with a backhaul system between the pods themselves.
Here, I have to go into the mesh router’s app, identify my TV or other device on the network, and then manually force it to use one band or the other.
Your TV itself may also give you the option to only use a specific Wi-Fi band, but that should be a last resort if the option exists at all on your unit.
Network-side fixes that keep your TV on 5GHz
There’s very little point in locking your TV to the faster 5Ghz band if it really doesn’t have enough signal strength to operate correctly. In which case, locking it will result in things getting worse, not better.
Since we generally put our TVs in a fixed spot, there are a few ways you can ensure better speeds:
- Move your router closer to the TV, or move obstructions out of the way.
- Increase the transmission power of your router in its settings.
- Upgrade to a mesh network system and position the nodes optimally.
The other alternative is to use a wired Ethernet connection. Since TVs are typically stuck in one place, it makes sense to simply install an Ethernet cable that runs from your TV’s Ethernet port to one of the ports on your router.
It might take some time to do, and can involve getting up into your roof or drilling through walls, depending on how much you want to hide it.
You might also want to consider using a powerline Ethernet adapter to transmit network data directly from your router to your smart TV. I did this for years, and it worked a treat, but it does require a fairly modern house with good wiring.
Currently, I use a hybrid approach. Each of my mesh units has a pair of Ethernet ports, so I simply place one right next to my TVs, and run an Ethernet cable between them. This means the TV is only relying on the powerful wireless backhaul of the mesh network, and not standard last-mile Wi-Fi.
If 2.4Ghz is your only option because your TV supports nothing else, you can still make the best of it by changing to a less congested channel within that band using your router settings, and increasing transmission power works here as well. There are many ways to get your smart TV a better, more reliable connection without compromising on performance or image quality. You just have to be willing to try a few things. Also, you can always buy something like an Apple TV instead!
Source: Sydney Butler howtogeek.com
