Unifi band steering not working. How do these two settings impact each other? Archived post.

Unifi band steering not working I tried deleting them and re-adding them, and now, non of the hubs or bridges will connect. Enabling both settings (network and AP) will not work. UniFi’s Advanced Wi-Fi settings are often misunderstood. At the Wifi SSID setting level, there is a Band Steering on/off setting. Edgerouter at the core, running the controller in a docker container. 4ghz channel broadcasted. 4GHz bands even after being identified as 5GHz may not work. 2 GHz band set to width 20, 5 GHz band width 80. 4GHz signal power down then there's still the High Performance Devices [Beta] - Connects high performance clients to 5 GHz only toggle which works relatively well in my experience. It’s quick to install, easy to manage, and packed with useful features like dual-band support, PoE flexibility, and semi-outdoor capability. 2 U6-LRs and 2 In-Wall HDs. UniFi remains a popular choice for small, medium and even large enterprise deployments. 54 release, a number of people have said turning off band steering fixed their issues on the U6-LR. All up to date. Hi I have a Unifi Ap and been having a range of issues with IOS devices (iPhones and iPads) when connected to the AP and hoping to get some advice on how to best to try and resolve it. After restarting the router, reconnect your iPhone to Wi-Fi and see if the problem is fixed Band steering should work with and without local probe response enabled. Aug 19, 2024 · Conclusion Band steering is a powerful tool for optimizing your UniFi network, helping to ensure that devices connect to the best possible band for their needs. 2. There were some threads about the older controller versions that say this was intentional on the UBNT forums. But what I want is to make the devices prefer 6 GHz, which one should I select? For both 5 and 6 GHz, I can select the channels manually or let Unifi do it automatically. I was hoping someone more experienced with 6ghz could maybe let me know whats the best practice and general consideration for 2. However, in case a device is not 5GHz- ready, it will connect to the 2. You can start a new thread to share your ideas or ask questions. 4ghz only clients to 5ghz. This feature can be enabled in the AmpliFi app by selecting the router icon, and navigating to Settings > Wireless. Benefits of Band Steering The benefit of band steering is an optimized Wi-Fi network that smartly manages device connections to ensure the best possible performance. If I want devices to switch to 2. UniFi controllers have a feature called Band Steering. That band steering sounds like a crap gimmick feature or scam term meant to discourage customers from changing their own network details to make things easier for customer service calls. It encourages dual-band clients (those that can connect to both 2. Hello, I want to inform you that with the current specifications of the 6Ghz Band and the requirements for the WPA3 authentication scheme, there is NO backward compatibility with 2. 4GHz bands for older devices that are not 5GHz capable. Mar 17, 2016 · Model UniFi AP-AC v2 Firmware Version 3. This checkbox is off right now. Apr 28, 2025 · You’ve already invested in UniFi, so let’s make sure it’s working the way it should. I have seen guides where if you want 2. 4 signal and everything works just fine. If you want to use the new method then you have to disable Band Steering on all your APs which are sending these networks. Replacing one single AC access point before. The SSID setting was recently introduced, as new firmware includes new band steering logic controlled by the SSID setting. 4 GHz with minimum RSSI set to -70 dBm for each, and the transmit power set to 20 dBm on each band. Jul 1, 2024 · Hello, i like to request the feature, to change the status of band steering per access point instead of only one global setting for all access points. But given that the language of the band steering feature doesn’t even mention 6 GHz… ehhhhh. Disable band steering, you don't want that, it doesn't work as good as the other feature Nov 13, 2025 · Fast Roaming, Band Steering, BSS Transition & Roaming Assistant In UniFi Network, you will find a couple of options that will all help the client devices roam faster to another access point or band (2,4 GHz to 5 GHz). 4 and 5Ghz Clients on the same SSID with 6Ghz turned on when using Ubiquiti 6E APs at least! Why? Ubiquiti disables the WPA2/WPA3 option and only allows WPA3 or WPA3 Enterprise which by default forces all leg Ubiquiti UniFi Access Point - Band Steering (1 of 2) 777 or 404 8. Or even Google WiFi (it doesn't expose any fine tuning controls, but apparently it Failed to fetchTry Again 3 days ago · The Ubiquiti UAP‑AC‑PRO: compact, PoE‑ready UniFi AP that delivers strong multi‑client Wi‑Fi performance — but there are important caveats to consider. 4, 5 and 6 networks. If you have a UniFi Gateway or UniFi Cloud Gateway, use the WiFiman Mobile app (iOS / Android) to measure signal strength and latency. So you have to go to each AP, (or creat an AP group that sets for many APs) and choose Balanced. I picked up two U6-Lites and have them at opposite ends of a one story ranch house with unified SSID. Freshly updated for UniFi Network version 8. I use a Hue In each case, the device in question has worked, then stops working, then will start working again later. Sep 25, 2023 · For Unifi UDR routers, enable these settings: Turn on Band Steering to favor 5GHz for iPhones Enable Fast Roaming to minimize connection drops Set DTIM to 3 for better multitasking performance Adjust Transmit Power to use higher signal strength After applying settings, then restart the Unifi router. This article discusses best the practices for troubleshooting UniFi devices that are not in a standard "Online" state in your user interface. Once I installed the new equipment (and was forced into a new network credentials), I started having issues with accessories being unresponsive. How do these two settings impact each other? Archived post. 4 and 5 GHz 2) push to 5 GHz. By enabling and configuring band steering, you can improve network performance, reduce congestion, and provide a better Wi-Fi experience for all connected devices. With homes and businesses packed with smart devices, traditional Wi-Fi setups can often struggle to deliver fast, stable connections to every corner. I do not work for and I am not directly associated with GL. 1/24) Enabled NAT-PMP & UPnP Unifi nanoHD on latest firmware Wifi network 2. Ideally, I’d want band steering to have the band preference order: 6 GHz 5 GHz 2. 5g TX is set on custom with the maximum power, and 2g is on medium (on low some IoT devices on the garden wouldn't connect). There seems to be two camps: one that says separate your 2. I was wondering if the band steering on Unifi APs works reasonably well. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. 59, including Radio Manager, PPSK, and other recent changes. 4 GHz band from probing the client device, so it responds only to the 5 GHz band, reducing the congestion on the 2. This means balance 2GHz and 5Ghz clients so they get the same bandwidth. Wondering if there could be something specific going on for it to be trying to force 2. Wi-Fi booster with this function can improve your Wi-Fi.   Here are some of the most common UniFi mistakes I run into, and what you can do to Is it a bad idea to enable both band steering (prefer 5Ghz) and “only connect modern devices to 5Ghz” at the same time? Let us explain. Is this still the case? The unit has both radios active and every client is only using the 2g band/radio. While it isn’t a guarantee that the client will connect to that band, the UniFi Access Points will attempt to balance traffic based on the setting defined. 4/5 GHz - using default network - band steering disabled Standard network, DHCP Mode This article explains the best practices for optimizing WiFi speeds. Meanwhile other devices work just totally fine with no issues or loss of internet. in this UniFi band steering configuration guide, we’ll take a look at exactly what band steering is, and how to Few questions: In the settings of the Radio, there is an option "Band steering" and the 2 selections - Prefer 5 GHz and Balanced. They have always been a little flaky (clients would often have to manually disconnect and reconnect when r This video explains how to enable WiFi band steering on the Ubiquiti UniFi Controller for improved network performance. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. However, if local probe responses are disabled, allowing persistent 2. I don't use band steering. I have 4 APs. Our band steering guide covers how to set this up in your UniFi network. I strongly recommend using the new one because it is There is band steering option but it only allows to band steer to 5ghz not 6ghz. Weirdly enough I seem to have issues with one of my 6GHz clients having connectivity issues in certain spots in my house where other normal wifi 6 (5ghz) clients do not have Jun 8, 2024 · Explore the importance of Wi-Fi network optimization with band steering and AP steering. We're slowly converting some ANCIENT Wi-Fi deployments to Meraki and trying to clean up various Wi-Fi-related problems in our environment, like rogue With Unifi specifically, Band Steering at either Network App or AP-level have caused me problems with 2. However, band steering is operated by the access point, and it cannot control how the client device interprets or sends the probes, leaving many client devices unable to be steered to the 5 GHz band. This helps reduce interference, improves overall speed, and ensures better performance for devices that support higher bands. 4 Ghz or 5 GHz). How to optimise your Ubiquiti UniFi WiFi configuration.  I’ve helped a lot of people troubleshoot networks and camera setups, and it’s usually not some big issue, just a few small things most folks don’t even realize they’re doing. Since the 5 GHz band typically offers faster speeds and less interference, enabling band steering can enhance the overall network performance and signal strength for supported devices. 168. 4Ghz to be at least 6 Mpbs. lt's possible on UniFi controllers/APs and it is useful if band steering doesn't work properly in some areas or is just not necessary. Implement Band Steering UniFi APs support band steering, encouraging dual-band capable devices to connect to the less congested 5 GHz band. 4 GHz band while taking advantage of the faster 5GHz band to improve user's network experience. Learn how to manage your entire network and home lab! What is AFC? AFC (Automatic Frequency Coordination) is a feature in UniFi Network designed for 6 GHz WiFi that increases transmit power while complying with FCC Standard Power Limits. e. Most clients are not super smart. If the 2. By default, I believe the AP band steering is turned off, and the SSID band steering is turned on when creating a new SSID. Additionally, WiFi 7 introduces Multi-Link Operation (MLO), enabling devices to connect to multiple bands simultaneously, which will reduce latency and improve roaming and bandwidth. Aug 13, 2024 · Whether you’re setting up a home network, managing an office environment, or optimizing a public Wi-Fi system, configuring the right settings on your UniFi network is crucial for achieving optimal performance, security, and user experience. Finally try to set signal strength to high. Why was this never an issue until now: meaning things have been working for a year now without that option. 4GHz and 5GHz) to connect to the 5GHz band. Band steering encourages devices that are 5GHz-capable to migrate to the 5GHz spectrum, freeing up the 2. As the steering mechanism demonstrates, both the access points and client devices can send probes. I have band steering turned on for both of the WiFi names I've configured. The following guide outlines essential settings for VLANs, switch ports, Wi-Fi SSIDs, a The UniFi AC Pro (UAP-AC-PRO) is a versatile, reliable access point with features that work for home setups and small to medium business environments alike. Learn what Band Steering does within the UniFi Controller and whether to not you should enable it. 5. 4 GHz band, increase interference and connectivity issues. 4GHz clients to associate on 2. 4GHz on one Ap to just duplicate the ssid but I am unsure if roaming / band steering over multiple same ssids is supported or not. Sep 1, 2023 · Hi all, Hoping someone will spot something obvious that I've missed here! We are having a really rather strange issue with our unifi U6-LR access points and intermittent client connectivity. Aug 30, 2024 · Band steering not working This thread has been locked for further replies. The Band Steering setting on the WiFi network is a completely new method to steer. Feature Explanations Should I enable UniFi Band Steering? What is UAPSD in UniFi? What does Band Steering do in UniFi? What is BSS Transition in UniFi? Jul 24, 2025 · Understanding Band Steering in Wi-Fi: What It Is and Why It Matters? In today’s digital world, seamless internet connectivity isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. Although thes When band steering is off they work perfectly fine. I have a U6-Enterprise, but I don’t yet have any 6E clients with which to test this. Once enabled, this can be manually set for your 2G and 5G radios independently. The Access Point has the logic to "hide" from 5GHz-capable clients that are asking to connect on the 2. This standardized methodology replaces the old AP level band steering, which is fully deprecated. Has anyone else had this issue and solved it? Sep 2, 2024 · UniFi’s advanced Wi-Fi settings, what they mean, and how you should use them. Here's my setup: pfSense router - using default VLAN (192. Conduct a WiFi site survey to ensure optimal coverage. I'm curious what others think. 4. Learn how these technologies enhance performance and connectivity. 4GHz and 5GHz bands. It ensures de Change Wi-Fi channels in UniFi, understand how they work, and avoid interference issues with a clear, step-by-step guide anyone can follow. For my setup, I have always had nightly optimization turned on and band steering off and haven't seen any issues with this update. Symptoms: When a device is first established connection to the SSID the experience is mostly good, however have a period of time (I found no pattern to this) the device network connectivity stops working (it Nov 29, 2023 · Band Steering 1. Aug 27, 2020 · Go to Config (Gear Icon) > Band Steering and set it to what is appropriate for your environment. That's what I would test with, but I've always turned it off completely. Sep 9, 2025 · Devices > YOUR-ACCESS-POINT-HERE > Config > Band Steering Ensure Band Steering is set to Prefer 5G This ensures that clients will connect on the 5GHz channel when available. Should you enable UniFi band steering? If you want fast and reliable UniFi hosting, check out HostiFi with fast support, regular backups, managed updates and prices from just $9 per month. May 5, 2025 · Follow these steps to plan, configure, and optimize a UniFi Wi-Fi network to ensure that you maximize performance for speed, reliability, and roaming! It supports a higher channel width on the 6 GHz band, up to 320 MHz compared to WiFi 6E's 160 MHz, allowing for more data throughput. 3. If you do not have a UniFi Gateway, are unsure how to perform a site survey, or need help interpreting results, consider consulting a WiFi surveyor. I created a second SSID for the 6 GHz devices Set WPA3 Turned off Band Steering I’m using 6E devices - iPhone 15 Pro Max or Alienware x16 - both 6E Updated all firmware’s to the latest versions Power cycled everything Mar 21, 2004 · Band steering has two options on Unifi 1) balanced between 2. Nov 21, 2023 · What is band steering and how to enable it? In this article, we will explain what band steering is and how it can help us improve our Wi-Fi performance. Performance has gotten much, much worse. How does ubiquiti handle the band steering exactly? Before I switched the Branch to Unifi we used LANCOM. Is this the normal behaviour? Try to turn off band steering. My older Wifi cameras prefer Minimum Data Control for 2. 4GHz and 5GHz channels, channel widths, and band steering set? In my client dense areas I set the following: I've got 3 Chromecast audios and a gen 3 on my 5 GHz signal, an old gen 1 Chromecast on 2. If you experience degraded connection quality (i. But does Ubiquiti AC-LITEs do band steering in a functionally different way than say Asus RT-AC68U's "Smart Connect"? It's got fine tuning for min RSSI, min/max PHY rate, etc. Standing 6 feet from the U6-LR on 80MHz width channels I can pull 700MBps+ on my iPhone 13 pro using AX. But it's up to the client and Roku could do it differently than Windows than iPhone. My school has lots of Chromebooks, which have 5ghz WiFi cards and newer laptops for staff, so I set “Prefer 5ghz. They are dense, and 5ghz is not going well trough that wall there. Aug 2, 1993 · Multi-Link Operation (MLO) is a WiFi 7 feature that allows compatible client devices to maintain simultaneous connections to multiple bands —2. May 14, 2021 · Your router might support band steering to auto switch between 2. 14 I have an AP as above and the option for band steering is disabled. Jul 25, 2023 · Does band steering work in Unifi? UniFi Access Point supports band-steering Yes, band-steering works with UniFi. 4 on Medium. Ubiquiti doesn’t do the best job at explaining, so lets go through them one by one. 4GHz band. 4GHz signal is stronger then they will connect even though it may have more interference. Apr 20, 2022 · If you have bought any of Ubiquiti’s wireless networking devices and frequently check their working status on the UniFi dashboard, you might encounter some (or a lot of) alerts, indicating that there is “High TCP Latency” between your Ubiquiti device and your own. Ultimately the client decides what to connect to, but the AP will "hide" the 2G connection from 5G enabled devices. This helps reduce latency, improve connection You have to do this yourself manually with UniFi, because there are tradeoffs they don’t want to make for you to this approach given their prosumer focus: it can cause 6GHz clients to hold on to the 6GHz network for longer than they should, because band steering doesn’t really work across networks. Find out if band steering is a good way to get a better network connection. 4 world. My mobile devices mostly connect to the 5Ghz when I am indoors. When Should you Enable Fast Roaming? In general, you don’t need to enable Fast Roaming in a home network. Jan 27, 2022 · UniFi’s Wi-Fi Settings Table of Contents Creating a New UniFi Wi-Fi Network Advanced Wi-Fi Settings Wi-Fi Band Optimize IoT Wi-Fi Connectivity AP Groups UAPSD High Performance Devices Proxy ARP Legacy Support Multicast Enhancement (IGMPv3) BSS Transition L2 Isolation Enable Fast Roaming Bandwidth Profile Security Settings Security Protocol If WPA3 is selected… Hide Wi-Fi Name PMF Aug 30, 2024 · Band steering not working This thread has been locked for further replies. First I thought it's becoause of the DFS Channels, in the past - especially the Nexus devices - had Problems with Channels above 50. The smart function "Band Steering" affects the efficiency of your home network. Upgraded all Unifi firmware and software to the latest versions. I wonder if this could be responsible for some of the weird 6GHz behavior I've seen? Comprehensive UniFi guides, tutorials, and insights from a long-time expert. 4015 Controller: 4. Jul 25, 2006 · Does WiFi Band Steering actually work or is it still buggy as all hell like I remember it being? Feb 26, 2019 · Here is why they do Band Steering. 03K subscribers Subscribe Determining and Configuring Minimum RSSI Minimum RSSI can be enabled within the UniFi Network Application by selecting an AP in UniFi Devices and then navigating to Settings in the side panel of the selected device. Now, when looking at this, they all might sound like a good idea to enable, but most aren’t. Here is my data point. iNet This guide covers how to troubleshoot common wireless problems using UniFi Network, including how to evaluate signal strength, interference, airtime usage, and channel congestion. The setting directly on the APs is the old method. Prior to installing my new router and modem, everything in HomeKit was working wonderfully. So band steering is designed to favor 5ghz for speed purposes unless the device is not capable of 5ghz. Each time these devices have an actual IP, are connected etc and there is nothing in the logs from the UniFi network controller thingy. Scroll down the page and toggle Band Steering on. The advanced settings in UniFi networks offer a range of options that can help you tailor your network to meet specific needs, ensuring that all devices Oct 7, 2024 · UniFi Fast Roaming is Ubiquiti’s implementation of the 802. Works perfectly for me at home. If you have Sonos devices in your UniFi network, you may experience some of the following symptoms which may appear unrelated but are a consequence of broadcast storms: . Set the bad steering to prefer 5ghz. 4, 5, or 6 GHz—on a single UniFi Access Point. Jul 13, 2021 · We go through all of the recommended settings that I apply and setup with every Ubiquiti Unifi WiFi setup that I do and install and these are generally the most settings I found to work best for if you don't want to bring 2. Inability for client devices to connect to your WiFi SSID is often related to these environmental challenges or configuration errors. Instead of switching between bands, MLO-enabled clients stay associated with multiple links and choose the best one (s) for transmitting and receiving data. In the individual AP settings, there is a setting for Band Steering: off/Prefer 5Ghz/Balanced. Signal will drop out entirely where I had Mar 27, 2023 · For the AP (s) that provide support for that auditorium, how do you have their 2. Oct 23, 2022 · A number of users have reported problems with band steering enabled on Unifi access points, so make sure that band steering is disabled. With my current setup, using a single SSID (even after enabling WiFi Agile Multiband in the settings) results in my iPhone 15 Pro sometimes sticking to the 2. 11r/k/v protocols. Combine with Other Features: BSS Transition works best when combined with other network optimization features, such as band steering and load balancing. How do you use a band steering? In a normal operation, the AP sees wireless Why does band steering work so poorly? My devices connect to the 5g band at first, but they eventually jump to 2g when 5g coverage is still ~3 lines. 19. I'm getting, if I'm lucky, ~100kbps. Then, when I go to the room where the AP is, they don't come back to 5g. 8. On the AP options itself, go to BAND STEERING and choose Prefer 5G. In reading the public comments on the 6. Generally, no. I'm running the latest firmware on all my APs and the latest controller software on my Cloudkey. The band steering was great, but something changed to cause the DHCP to stop working which led me to Ubiquiti. The defaults are usually safe, but it’s helpful to understand what these settings do while setting up a network or troubleshooting an issue. One powerful feature that modern routers offer to tackle this problem is band Jun 19, 2024 · Setting up a UniFi network can be a complex task, but with the right configurations, it is possible to create a secure, efficient, and well-organized network. I'm not exactly sure what I'm missing, but while other devices work fine, my PS5 has a terrible time maintaining a decent connection. Currently we have 5ghz prefer band steering, but there is an area on the office, where we have "small" meeting rooms that fit just one person. , high latency or wireless disconnections), then you should consider revertin Legacy IoT devices, especially those operating on the crowded 2. I want the client to do a better job of picking between 2. Band steering is on "prefer 5g" I know there's a Aug 30, 2024 · Band steering not working This thread has been locked for further replies. Ceiling mounted - no plaster. Should I enable UniFi Band Steering? What is UAPSD in UniFi? What does Band Steering do in UniFi? What is BSS Transition in UniFi? Oct 26, 2024 · Band steering can significantly improve your network’s performance by directing devices to less congested frequency bands. DTIM Auto. 4 GHz and 5GHz and pick the one with better signal strength. 4 GHz network. Band steering would seem the opposite of what I want. I have tried enabling Band Steering, both prefer 5 GHz and balanced, and it just does not seem to be working. However, I saw that there is a separate band steering checkbox, for the U7 Pro's device configuration page, independent of any of the configured WiFi names. Exactly how I prefer it. 11r protocol. Mar 31, 2021 · So, where does this band steering mechanism come into play? Band steering allows the access point to disable the 2. The UniFi Controller provides tools and analytics to see how devices are distributed across bands and to make adjustments as necessary. 4GHz band even in spots where I would get far better bandwidth and latency on 5GHz. You can manage this per AP, but I just group selected and did it to all of them. Any higher and they are constantly going off and on the network. Sep 3, 2023 · I upgraded my Spectrum internet last week to 1gig. . Troubleshooting Steps Check your device's LED or LCD s Over at r/homenetworking, any time anyone asks about band steering, the answer is always "Just get enterprise hardware" aka Ubiquiti. Mac books are still running the same version of MacOS from the time I setup UniFi. Hi all, I am installing a unifi network at home. 0. It enables over-the-air Fast BSS Transition, which allows devices to roam faster between the UniFi access points. So I forced all AP to CH 44,+1 (VHT80) the 5ghz Band is totally free here so that's not the reason for it. 4GHz and 5GHz SSIDs, and the other that says (if its available in your platform) leverage band steering to force capable clients to the 5GHz spectrum. Aug 19, 2024 · Ensure your UniFi devices are running the latest firmware to take advantage of these improvements. To learn more about our hosting plans, create an account and get started today. Basically it was developed so that it would effectively move all modern devices to a 5ghz world and leave all legacy devices on the now crowded 2. Once outdoors they will transition to the 2. Hey guys, I'm having an issue on the office. In the controller click the AP, then setting, then band steering and you can tell it to prefer 5hhz Turned off band steering Enabled the daily scan for interference and allowed unifi to change wifi channels as needed. It is designed to encourage users with 5GHz-enabled devices to connect to the 5GHz network, to achieve peak performance. local name resolution not working Sonos speakers disappear from the network AirPrint-capable printers are not available HomeKit devices not found Time Machine backups fail Mobile applications fails to discover devices on the The AP band steering setting has been there for a long time. 4Ghz clients (I don't do split SSIDs for each band). You have to choose one method. ” -Read up on it in their support section. 4ghz inside there since the -dBm is better, should I set that AP to balanced or band steering off? Thanks! We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. I run 5GHz on High and 2. May 5, 2025 · Band steering is an easy way to request that client devices attempt to connect to a certain WiFi band (2. Jul 2, 2025 · Learn how to optimize UniFi roaming for seamless transitions between access points using Min-RSSI, band steering, and 802. Hi have band steering enabled on my U6+, and I noticed in my 5ghz devices, I don't see the 2. pwqgwq bxf gesyoct lwstv vzjzj ohsqvok znqldc gdjx zqd dvowh wbq ldqdzgm evgt uxbb yngn