Solved My 5GHZ wifi network is no longer appearing on 4 computers and Smart TV

I have been using 5ghz wireless for years. All my computers have been using it, and streaming to my smart TV. Yesterday the TV reported "no wireless connection. " However, I was able to connect to the router's 2.4 ghz network. Checking my computers, (4) all no longer show my 5 ghz wireless network. I unplugged to reset the router, but no go, 5 ghz has disappeared from all the machines and the TV. This cannot be a problem with the machines. Is it possible for a router to lose 5 ghz without affecting the 2.4 ghz?

CalypsoArt said:

Is it possible for a router to lose 5 ghz without affecting the 2.4 ghz?

Click to expand...

Yes.
Routers have separate on/off settings for their 2.4GHz & 5GHz [5.0/5.8GHz] networks.

If you want to double-check what WiFi networks [of all bands] a computer's WiFi adapter can detect as you are checking & adjusting the router's settings, you can use
NirSoft WiFiInfoView

Best of luck,
Denis

Try3 said:

Yes.
Routers have separate on/off settings for their 2.4GHz & 5GHz [5.0/5.8GHz] networks.

- But nobody except you should have been able to use the router's password-protected [Admin] setup facilities to turn off the 5GHz band network.​

- If you have never changed that router Admin password from the default set up by its maker then you might well have been hacked.​

- You should change that Admin password without delay. And write it down because resetting the whole router is the only way of coping with a forgotten password.​

If you want to double-check what WiFi networks [of all bands] a computer's WiFi adapter can detect as you are checking & adjusting the router's settings, you can use
NirSoft WiFiInfoView

Best of luck,
Denis

Click to expand...

This is not always true. Some routers now use a single wifi ssid that connects automatically to 2.4 or 5GHZ depending on signal strength.

I had a router which used to have separate settings but ISP (largest UK ISP} did a firmware update and you could no longer tell which band you were connected to without looking more closely at the signals.

There were many complaints as people kept getting connected to 2.4 GHZ and suffered reduced speeds.

The ISP claimed the change was made to make life easier for customers as they did not need to know about bands any more.

Of course, once firmware was updated, you could not reverse it.

Fortunately, in my case, I had the previous generation router which had separate settings and I went back to using that router.

So it is possible the OP is connecting to 5 GHZ without realising it as router no longer shows a separate wifi ssid.

On my older router, you could select to have separate wifi ssids or a common SSID and fortunately the option was never removed. However, it did reset to default of common SSID on one occasion (I suspect there was a firmware update and it just reset default setting i.e. sloppy update).

Of course, this all this may not apply to OP, but worth checking.

If you want to verify for sure what band you are connected to, go into settings and view the hardware properties. That will show you details such as the WiFi protocol in use, the link speed, and what network band is in use (2.4Ghz, 5Ghz, or 6Ghz).

CalypsoArt said:

Is it possible for a router to lose 5 ghz without affecting the 2.4 ghz

Click to expand...

Yes, it is possible. As others have stated, the circuitry and settings of the router control the band you can connect to. It's not common, but the circuitry controlling one band or the other can fail. Also, other networks close by can interfere as can other electronic devices in your home. Try changing the channel within the router settings to see if it makes a difference.

Replaced the modem and router with Motorola MG7700 combo unit. I now have 5ghz and 2.4 ghz working. I will add, the old system ran really hot! I wondered if what seemed to me to be excessive heat eventually became to much for the unit? At any rate, the old equipment was circa 2014. So I expect the new to be a good update.

Thanks to all.