Technology should be simple. It is rarely easy and that isn’t a surprise. But when you hand the controls over to the technology, you’d assume it would make the smartest decisions, right?
I could be talking about using a chatbot or LLM to answer questions. Sometimes they get it right and sometimes they get it wrong. I could also be talking about needing to connect multiple hubs just to connect one smart home device to another. There are easier ways around this, but certain devices make it more difficult than others. But what I’m really referring to is ensuring your smart TV is streaming as optimally as it possibly can. Sometimes, your router is actually working against you to prevent that.
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Band-steering and what it means for your traffic
Your settings could be incorrect
You may not realize it, but your Wi-Fi has multiple bands that devices can join. If you have 5GHz Wi-Fi, there’s a 5G band and a 2.4GHz one. If you split your Wi-Fi bands, you can have full control over what joins which band. You can also do this by going into your router’s advanced settings and assigning different devices to different bands.
When you connect a device to your internet, you’re connecting it to one of the bands that your router uses. Your Wi-Fi may have a few different options, the most common being 5G and 2.4G. Many devices, especially smart home ones, will only connect to a 2.4G band while phones, computers, tablets, and TVs are better on a 5 GHz band. This is because they need faster connecting speeds for quicker data processing.
Another way to divvy up the traffic between all your devices is to get a separate router. You can have a separate router for all of your Internet of Things (IoT) devices, which includes your smart home ones. This can keep all of them running together on one section without causing you to split your Wi-Fi.
You generally want to avoid having all your devices on one band, as they can clog it up. So your router may have a setting known as band steering, which automatically diverts the device to one band as soon as it connects. Band steering aims to push the device to the fastest band possible for the device, helping avoid buffering and a lag in performance.
Band steering, for the most part, is a smart option to utilize, as it eliminates your need to constantly interfere with exactly where a device ends up in terms of its band. You don’t have to log into your router and move items from band to band. If you split your Wi-Fi, you’ll have different band options in the Wi-Fi networks available to choose from for connection.
Your TV might not be getting the most out of the 5G
You may need to step in if you notice a drop in performance
Amir Bohlooli / MUO
With band steering, your router is going to want to push your devices to the strongest possible connection. For smart TVs and streaming devices, that’s almost always going to be 5G if your router has that option.
However, this might not be as favorable for your performance as you hope. Your TV could be far away from your router, in which case the 5G signal is weak and not providing you with the optimal speed that will cause it to perform at its fastest. This would show up in streaming services struggling to load quickly and the shows and movies that you’re watching to buffer for a while.
Band steering forcing it to the 5G will inevitably be a negative for your streaming. Now, if you have a router close to the TV, it pushing it to the 5G is beneficial. You’ll get the fastest streaming your router can provide. This goes for smart TVs, streaming devices, laptops, tablets, phones, and anything else you’re using to stream content on.
The 5G may also be unstable, causing the router to steer your device back to the 2.4G band. This might work fine enough, but it won’t be as fast as you might like and, if you have many devices on the 2.4G band, it can slow down the entire process.
What you can do on your end
You can make the choice, rather than the router
Credit: Chris Hachey / MakeUseOf
You can first check whether band steering is an option for your router. You’ll need to log into your router’s app or web interface. You’ll find band steering typically in the Advanced Settings under the names Band Steering, Band Preference, or Smart Connect.
From there, you need to ensure that both bands use the same SSID (network name) and password, so the router can easily pick the band. You can select for it to prioritize 5G, so the devices that can join the 5G band will be pushed onto it.
Many routers come with the setting enabled, but some require you to turn it on. It may take some trial and error before you understand whether your devices are better off on one band versus the other. For example, you may need to try your smart TV on the 5G band first to see how the connection is before you settle for the 2.4G one if it’s poor. Band steering might not be right for you in this scenario.
Opting for a more stable connection is smarter, even if the speeds are slower. If you find that band steering is causing your devices to switch networks frequently, potentially causing disruptions in the connection, you can also disable the setting.
Band steering is there to help you find a better connection
Your Wi-Fi router could be helping your devices connect to your network with the help of band steering. Band steering gives your devices the simplest shot at joining the fastest bands they can. It automatically pushes the devices to the fastest network they can join. But there are times when this might not be the right move for your home. It’s worth looking into your router’s settings and seeing whether band steering works well in your home.
It’s smart to take note of which band your devices are on because it can help you understand how well each is working. You will also know whether it needs to switch connections or if band steering is working properly. If it is, you won’t need to interfere with your devices and can trust the router to do its duty.
