Kobo Can't Find Wi-fi Network

[tamarissa]

I just bought a new router (Netgear R6120) and I can see and access it from every single device I own except my ereader (Kobo Aura H2O). It doesn't show up as an option to join no matter what I've thought of to do.

I have done all of the following actions, and I still can't see it or get access to it:

• restarted the router
• restarted the ereader
• restarted both at the same time so that neither was connected
• reset (soft reset, not a factory reset) the ereader
• re-scanned for networks on the ereader (so. many. times.)
• add the network manually to the ereader ("unable to join" error message; all info entered was correct)

Since my laptop is sitting right beside my ereader while doing all of this, and my laptop is connected just fine, my ereader certainly isn't out of range of the network.

My network security is WPA2-PSK [AES]. The only thing I can think of is that the ereader can't 'see' this type? But I'm pretty sure my old one was the same... that was connected to my old ISP and I can't go back and check now.

What haven't I thought of to fix the issue?

[stumped]

1. you can temp. turn off the security - make it an open network -see if problem goes away.
i suspect it wont, so..

2:
what wifi channels are in use. may be the router has picked a channel that the kobo cannot or will not use ?

3.
is the new router offering both 2.4 and 5.0 Ghz networks but with the same SSID/password- and is this confusing the Kobo ?

can you separate them at the router - give them different SSID e.g. mynetwork24 and mynetwork50

the reader reset should have cleared out its memory of what/where the network used to be, but sometimes a forced forget, then re-scan can help

[Quoth]

Are the other devices using 2.4GHz?
The router isn't locked to some sort of "turbo use the entire 2.4G band" mode? Such does exist.
I don't think the Kobo can use a 20MHz OFDM channel or use the 5.x GHz band.
If the Kobo is set to North America and some other places it may not use channel 12 & 13.

[tamarissa]

Enabling the 2.4 GHz bandwidth did it... my old router just picked whatever one it needed for the job and I figured I only needed the 5G enabled in this day and age... anyway, I have online syncing access now, thanks so much! It's always the easy ones that stump me

[Quoth]

The 5.x G is really only good in open plan or maybe an apartment with flimsy internal walls with no foil. It's really about x3 poorer in a house. Higher bands are even worse.

[BilboBaggins]

Originally Posted by stumped

1. you can temp. turn off the security - make it an open network -see if problem goes away.
i suspect it wont, so..

2: what wifi channels are in use. may be the router has picked a channel that the kobo cannot or will not use ?

3. is the new router offering both 2.4 and 5.0 Ghz networks but with the same SSID/password- and is this confusing the Kobo ?

can you separate them at the router - give them different SSID e.g. mynetwork24 and mynetwork50

the reader reset should have cleared out its memory of what/where the network used to be, but sometimes a forced forget, then re-scan can help

I have a router with WiFi both 2.4 and 5.0 GHz networkz, using the very same password, and my KOBOs always recognize and use my WiFi network, at 2.4 GHz.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by BilboBaggins

I have a router with WiFi both 2.4 and 5.0 GHz networkz, using the very same password, and my KOBOs always recognize and use my WiFi network, at 2.4 GHz.

Do you have the same SSID and password? For some routers, if you set the SSID for both bands to the same value, connectivity gets interesting.

That is, the following will work for almost all routers:

MYSSID24 password
MYSSID50 password

whereas:

MYSSID password for both 2.4 and 5.0GHz bands gets interesting.

On my current R7000P router, the only way to set both SSIDs/passwords the same is to put the router into a mode where it automagically selects the best band and will change the band depending on connection conditions.

[BilboBaggins]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Do you have the same SSID and password? For some routers, if you set the SSID for both bands to the same value, connectivity gets interesting.

That is, the following will work for almost all routers:

MYSSID24 password
MYSSID50 password

whereas:

MYSSID password for both 2.4 and 5.0GHz bands gets interesting.

On my current R7000P router, the only way to set both SSIDs/passwords the same is to put the router into a mode where it automagically selects the best band and will change the band depending on connection conditions.

Yes, I have the very same SSID for the 2 bands, and it's working fine since years.

[Ripplinger]

My router works the same. If I want to let the router select which band any device connects to, by enabling "Smart Connect," it requires that the SSID, password, and all security options are identical on both 2.4 and 5.0GHz. I could set them up differently including different SSIDs if I disabled the Smart Connect feature, but it's been working perfectly for me for years as well, never any issues with any device connecting. I actually think my phone is the only device that uses 5.0 at this point.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

My router works the same. If I want to let the router select which band any device connects to, by enabling "Smart Connect," it requires that the SSID, password, and all security options are identical on both 2.4 and 5.0GHz. I could set them up differently including different SSIDs if I disabled the Smart Connect feature, but it's been working perfectly for me for years as well, never any issues with any device connecting. I actually think my phone is the only device that uses 5.0 at this point.

Hmmm... another Netgear owner? Try using the same SSID and password without Smart Connect enabled though I seem to remember that trying that on my Netgear popped up an error when I attempted to apply the settings. As I said, the results are interesting if your router will allow it -- I tried it on my last Linksys/Belkin router. Smart Connect works well for me as well though I do have multiple devices that use 5.0.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by BilboBaggins

Yes, I have the very same SSID for the 2 bands, and it's working fine since years.

Does your router have the option to set both bands to the same SSID, security options and password (for me, this uses what Netgear calls Smart Connect to manage the connection)?

[Ripplinger]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Hmmm... another Netgear owner? Try using the same SSID and password without Smart Connect enabled though I seem to remember that trying that on my Netgear popped up an error when I attempted to apply the settings. As I said, the results are interesting if your router will allow it -- I tried it on my last Linksys/Belkin router. Smart Connect works well for me as well though I do have multiple devices that use 5.0.

Yes, I have the Netgear AC1900 Nighthawk R7000. I just tried setting the same name to both bands with Smart Connect disabled and it did let me do it, no error message. But when I connected my phone, it only connected to the 2.4 band. I think you pretty much have to set different names for the 2 bands or that will continue to happen, it will default to the lower band. But the Smart Connect feature works so well there's no reason to for me.

And I noticed my original FireTV Stick actually uses the 5.0GHz band. That was a surprise as old as it is, it's the original one they first came out with.

Edit: I did get an error message when I was playing around more using different names. When I simply checked the box to enable Smart Connect again, it really was more of a warning that it's going to change the 5.0GHz name to the same.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

Yes, I have the Netgear AC1900 Nighthawk R7000.

The AC2300 Nighthawk 7000P here. Nice router though the 5.0GHz coverage could be better but that's in the nature of the beast.

[BilboBaggins]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Does your router have the option to set both bands to the same SSID, security options and password (for me, this uses what Netgear calls Smart Connect to manage the connection)?

Yes, it was set by default (original factory settings) to the same SSID with the same security options and password.
Obviously I can change them, but I have no reason to do this, so I only change sometimes the passwords, for my security reasons.
It's a Fastweb router, model Technicolor TG789vac Xtream_MOS...