Setting your Wireless Router (AirPort Express) to only use the 5GHz Band

[Keyboard Magic]

Please note that this is how I figured out how to disable the 2.4GHz channel on the AirPort Express. Please Proceed At Your Own Risk:

Setting your Wireless Router (AirPort Express) to only use the 5GHz Band with the AirPort Utility App

Connect to the router via the AirPort Utility
You will see the router at the bottom of the page
Select it and a dialog box opens.
You’ll probably have to log in at this point if you’ve password protected your Router
Select Edit at the top right of this box
The next window opens, you see on the left side:

Base Station
Network
Etc
Look at the bottom right for Advanced
Select Advanced.

Next window you see the following on the left:
DHCP and NAT etc. Look for WiFi Settings
Select WiFi Settings.


This next window you see, in my case,
5GHz Name
Country
Radio Mode
Radio Channel
Select Radio Channel

Now you’ll see:

Automatic Channel and underneath 5GHz. On the right side is the slider switch, in my case showing green which means it’s enabled.

Underneath this group is the Automatic Channel for 2.4GHz
This is the one you want:


If the right side slider switch is on, showing green, the 2.4GHz channel is operating. If you only want to use the 5GHz channel, slide this switch to the left.

I hope this helps anyone who is interested?

From my limited knowledge this completely disables the 2.4GHz channel so that you are operating only on the 5GHz band. The more learned here may chime in if I'm out in left field with this one and please feel free to correct if I've lead anyone astray. This method did work for me, in the way I described it.

[walterw]

what does this do for you?

and will various iphones still work? (for players wanting to tweak their own monitor mixes)

[dpdan]

thanks for doing this KM,
my settings can be seen in the screenshots of the iPad.

Now I know why I have such great, trustworthy, reliable results with the Airport Express,
it does what it needs to all by itself, I like that, I could care less what band it is using as long as it works.

I need to mic up instruments and get monitors mixed, who has time to be bothered with non-working ethernet crap

NOT ME 

[dpdan]

Hi Walter,

what does this do for you?

and will various iphones still work? (for players wanting to tweak their own monitor mixes)

If you use an Apple Airport Express or Apple Airport Extreme wireless Wi-Fi router for your Mackie, the Airport Utility App allows
you to choose what band the router will use,... 2.4 Ghz. or 5GHz.
You can turn off each band so that it does not get used automatically if you are in a crowded WiFi area.
Personally, I have the router set to automatically use either band, whichever has the clearest signal.

As long as your musicians have their iPhones and iPads already connected to the router with the password,
these "Ghz" settings won't matter to them.

[Wynnd]

Or you can set up both bands and not allow your ipad's to have the password for 2.4 Ghz.  That works too. (While leaving the lower band available in case you have ios devices that can't do 5 Ghz or need a longer reach that the lower band can provide.) 

Thanks for the walkthrough, but I still have one ios device that can't do 5 Ghz.  The others are setup for only the 5Ghz band. 

[fiddledan]

So does anyone who uses an airport express experience loss of connection? It sounds like it's worth getting one instead of my standard 2.4 router. Thanks Dan

[Sir Krang]

So does anyone who uses an airport express experience loss of connection? It sounds like it's worth getting one instead of my standard 2.4 router. Thanks Dan

All the time. Some gigs worse than others. But still happens without fail every gig.

Not really a problem most of the time though coz is usually only takes seconds to reconnect.

(Four iOS devices exhibit similar airport express WiFi disconnects. iPhone 6, iPhone 4, iPad mini, and iPad Air 2)

[Wynnd]

I'm getting it more now than before, but it doesn't happen much to me.  (And never for more than a few seconds.)  Maybe happens a couple of times over a 4 hour show.  I just notice the reconnect happening.  It also happens some on my docked ipad.  I'm betting it's a quirk of the mixer itself.  If I get through my Senior's variety show with no problems, then it isn't a problem for me.  There is more mixer action there than any other show I do.  (Lots of mic changes and I don't want the performers muting the mics.) I did one show like this last October.  Used the mute groups and view groups intensely. 

[Keyboard Magic]

what does this do for you?

and will various iphones still work? (for players wanting to tweak their own monitor mixes)

Hi Walter,

I was having issues with my Shure digital wireless mic dropping out all the time. It's on 2.4GHz. As soon as I reconfigured my airport, no more drop outs. And I guess the bonus is, no interference with a 100 parents trying to leech off the school's wireless during concerts with their smart phones. I may be wrong, but it's worked a treat every time so far.

I'm not sure if I can still connect with my iPhone 4S since I've reconfigured the airport. Haven't tried it. But my iPod touch connects on the 5GHz band. I use it for walk-in music with AirPlay.

[Keyboard Magic]

thanks for doing this KM,
my settings can be seen in the screenshots of the iPad.

Now I know why I have such great, trustworthy, reliable results with the Airport Express,
it does what it needs to all by itself, I like that, I could care less what band it is using as long as it works.

I need to mic up instruments and get monitors mixed, who has time to be bothered with non-working ethernet crap

NOT ME 

You're very welcome! It was good practice for me to run through it too! I love your screen shots. I didn't even think to post some. Thanks 

And a big thank you to all those who contributed to this post as well! Very nice! 100 x  This is such a great forum! 

[Wynnd]

Iphone 4S can't do 5 Ghz.  (I've got one.)  Sorry.

[Keyboard Magic]

Iphone 4S can't do 5 Ghz.  (I've got one.)  Sorry.

I guess that's not a big surprise. My iPod Touch fills the bill for AirPlay. It does work on 5GHz thank goodness. But thanks for the info just the same. 

[frankiebass1]

The issue isn't with your airport express, its going to be with all the other 2.4G wifi in the location you're setting up in.  I'm constantly amazed with the amount of wifi signal seen at venues.  Take that and then couple it with what we're bringing in and then put a couple of them on the same channel and watch things get interesting.  When and where possible, I like to run on the highest 5G channel I can.  That keeps me and my mix away from most everything else in the room.  Being able to kill the 2.4 on my express would help with wireless mic and instrument issues.that pop up from time to time.  Thanks for showing us how.

[stevegarris]

So does anyone who uses an airport express experience loss of connection? It sounds like it's worth getting one instead of my standard 2.4 router. Thanks Dan

Very rarely, to no disconnect at all. If it does drop out, it's just for a few seconds. Mine has worked flawlessly for 2 years now.