Short answer: Many smart home devices can only use the 2.4 GHz band, and setup can fail when your router combines all bands under one network name. Temporarily hide the 5 GHz band (eero has a button for this), or move your phone farther from the router so it switches to 2.4 GHz, then run setup again. Splitting the bands into separate names permanently works too, but Apple warns it can make other devices connect less reliably.

If a smart plug, camera or bulb won’t finish setup, the likely reason is the Wi-Fi band. Many smart home devices only work on 2.4 GHz, while your phone, which runs the setup app, is probably on 5 GHz. Get the phone onto 2.4 GHz for a few minutes, by pausing the 5 GHz band or moving farther from the router, then run setup again.

This is a how-to guide based on the router makers’ own support documentation. We have not tested these steps on every router, and menu names change between app versions.

Why do smart home devices need 2.4 GHz?

Wi-Fi uses three bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and, on newer routers, 6 GHz. Many smart home devices have a radio for 2.4 GHz only. Google’s support page says some smart home devices “can only use the 2.4 Ghz band and do not support 5 and 6 Ghz,” and eero says many smart home and IoT devices require 2.4 GHz. (IoT stands for Internet of Things, the umbrella term for connected household devices.)

The 2.4 GHz band also reaches farther. TP-Link’s Kasa support notes that it “typically provides a longer range than the 5 GHz band,” which suits devices placed in garages, porches and far corners. Our Wi-Fi bands guide explains the trade-offs.

Why does setup fail on a modern router?

Most current routers broadcast one network name (SSID) for all bands and decide which band each device uses. This is called band steering. Netgear and TP-Link call their version Smart Connect, and eero and Google work this way by default. Our band steering explainer covers how it works and when to turn it off.

For everyday use that is helpful. Setup is where it can go wrong, because your phone may sit on 5 GHz while the device can only use 2.4 GHz. Google says you “may need to connect your phone to the 2.4 GHz band manually” to set up a 2.4 GHz-only device.

The fix is to get the phone, and so the device, onto 2.4 GHz for the length of the setup.

How do I connect a 2.4 GHz device on my router?

eero

Eero has a built-in option for exactly this:

1. Open the eero app and tap Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap Troubleshooting.
3. Tap My device won’t connect, then My device is 2.4 GHz only.
4. Tap Pause 5 GHz and 6 GHz.
5. Run the device’s setup while the pause is on.

The bands turn back on by themselves. Eero’s two support articles give different durations: one says the pause lasts “for up to 10 minutes,” the other says 30 minutes. Start setup right away to be safe. Eero says devices that connect during the pause stay connected after the bands return, and that there is no way to permanently split eero’s bands into separate names.

Google Nest Wifi and Google Wifi

Google’s system uses one network name, and its help page doesn’t describe a way to switch off 5 GHz. It suggests two approaches:

• Use your phone’s own settings to pick the 2.4 GHz band, if your phone allows it. Check the phone’s manual.
• Otherwise, “move farther away from your router and point until your phone moves to the 2.4 GHz band,” then continue setup. This works because 2.4 GHz reaches farther than 5 GHz.

Netgear

Netgear says Smart Connect “combines your NETGEAR router’s WiFi bands into a single WiFi network name,” and that it “might or might not be disabled by default” depending on the model. Turning it off gives each band its own name, such as NETGEARWIFI for 2.4 GHz and NETGEARWIFI-5G for 5 GHz. To turn it off, sign in at routerlogin.net, open the Wireless page (some models use Settings, Setup, Wireless Setup), clear Enable Smart Connect, and click Apply.

TP-Link

TP-Link says that with Smart Connect on, “both bands share the same network name (SSID) and password,” and suggests turning it off for devices that struggle with that. In the web interface it is under Advanced, Wireless, Wireless Settings. In the Tether app it is under More, Wi-Fi Settings, 2.4GHz & 5GHz.

Should I keep the bands split permanently?

Usually not. The advice differs between manufacturers, and the difference matters:

• TP-Link’s Kasa support recommends using “a different network name (SSID) for the 5 GHz band than for the 2.4 GHz band” when setting up its devices.
• Apple recommends one name for all bands and warns: “If you give your 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz bands different names, devices might not connect reliably to your network.”

A temporary fix, like eero’s pause or Google’s move-farther-away approach, avoids the conflict. If your router only offers a permanent split, here is one approach to test. It is our suggestion, not a manufacturer instruction: keep your original network name on the 2.4 GHz band and give 5 GHz a new name. Devices already set up on 2.4 GHz should keep connecting, and you can move phones and laptops to the 5 GHz name.

Be aware that if you later turn Smart Connect back on and the network name changes, devices set up on the old name may need setting up again.

What else can stop a smart device from connecting?

If the band isn’t the problem, check these:

• The password. Re-type it carefully; setup apps rarely show which character is wrong.
• Distance. Do setup near where the device will live, and make sure the signal is reasonable there.
• Security settings. Some older devices don’t support WPA3. Kasa’s support suggests WPA2 with AES. A WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode lets both old and new devices connect; see WPA2 vs. WPA3.
• Channel settings. Kasa’s support suggests a 2.4 GHz channel of 1, 6 or 11 and a 20 MHz channel width. Apple also recommends 20 MHz for 2.4 GHz, saying it “helps to avoid performance and reliability issues.”
• The phone. Kasa’s support suggests trying a different phone, and making the phone forget any saved network profile before reconnecting.

Where should smart devices live once they’re connected?

Consider a guest or IoT network. Separating smart devices from your laptops and phones is what the NSA recommends, and it works the same way for 2.4 GHz-only devices, as long as that network includes 2.4 GHz. Our guide to putting smart home devices on a guest network covers the setup and what can break. For Matter and Thread devices, which can connect differently, see Matter and Thread, explained.

Fact-check notes

Bottom line

A smart device that won’t connect usually needs 2.4 GHz while your phone is on 5 GHz. Use a temporary fix first: eero’s pause button, or moving farther from a Google router. On Netgear and TP-Link, turning off Smart Connect works but changes your network permanently, so weigh it against Apple’s advice to keep one name. Once the device is connected, a guest or IoT network is a good place for it.

Short answer: Yes for devices that only need the internet, such as cameras that work through a cloud app, smart plugs and TVs. A guest network keeps them from reaching your laptops and phones, which is what the NSA and FBI recommend. Devices you control directly from your phone, cast to, or print to may stop working there, so move one device first and test it.

For most smart home devices, yes. Cameras, plugs, TVs and speakers that only need an internet connection are better off on a guest network, where they can’t reach your laptops and phones. The trade-off is that the same separation can break features that need your phone and the device on one network. Move one device, test it, then move the rest.

Smart home devices are often called IoT devices, short for Internet of Things. They vary widely in how well they are secured and how long they are updated, and they usually sit on the same network as the computers that hold your email, banking and files. Separating the two groups is called network segmentation.

What do security agencies recommend?

Two US agencies give the same advice.

The National Security Agency (NSA), in home network guidance published in February 2023, says: “your wireless network should be segmented between your primary Wi-Fi, guest Wi-Fi, and IoT network. This segmentation keeps less secure devices from directly communicating with your more secure devices.”

The FBI’s Portland field office, in a public notice dated December 3, 2019, said: “Your fridge and your laptop should not be on the same network. Keep your most private, sensitive data on a separate system from your other IoT devices.”

Neither agency says smart devices are unsafe to own. The point is containment. If a device is compromised, it should not have a direct route to the machines that matter most.

How does a guest network separate devices?

A guest network is a second Wi-Fi network from the same router, with its own name and password. Devices on it get internet access but are walled off from your main network. How strict the wall is depends on the brand.

Settings and wording differ on other brands, and some routers have an option that lets guest devices see the main network. If yours has one, leave it off. That option removes the protection you are setting the network up for.

What can break when smart devices are on a guest network?

The wall works in both directions. Your phone on the main network may not be able to find a device on the guest network. Whether that matters depends on how the device is controlled.

The examples are typical patterns, not guarantees for any model. We have not tested devices for this guide, so check with one device before moving everything.

Google’s approach reduces the problem. Its guest network lets you select shared devices, described as “a Google streaming device, smart TV, wireless speaker, or printer,” that guests can still use.

Setup is the other snag. Many devices are set up by a phone app that expects the phone and device on the same Wi-Fi. If setup fails, join your phone to the guest network for the setup, then switch the phone back.

Which devices should go where?

This table is our application of the NSA and FBI principle to common devices. It is a starting point, not a rule from either agency.

Should visitors and smart devices share one guest network?

Ideally not. The NSA guidance names three networks: primary, guest and IoT. A visitor’s laptop and your cameras have no more reason to share a network than your own laptop does.

Many home routers offer only two: main and guest. In that case, putting smart devices on the guest network and giving visitors that password is still a clear improvement over a single network. On a system that isolates guest devices from each other, as eero does, the two groups can’t reach one another anyway.

If your router has a separate IoT network or supports VLANs (virtual networks that divide one router into several isolated ones), use that for smart devices and keep the guest network for people.

How do I set it up?

1. Turn on the guest network in your router’s app or admin page. On eero it is under Settings, then “Guest wifi network.” On Deco it is under More, then Guest Network. On Google’s systems it is in the Google Home app’s Wi-Fi settings.
2. Give it a different password from your main network. Eero and Google both say to do this. Use a long one; the NSA guidance recommends at least 20 characters for Wi-Fi passphrases.
3. Check the security mode. Use WPA3 or a WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode where the guest network offers it. Our WPA2 vs. WPA3 guide explains the options. Avoid an open guest network with no password.
4. Make sure 2.4 GHz is available on it. Many smart devices connect only on 2.4 GHz. Deco lets you choose which bands the guest network uses. See our guide to the Wi-Fi bands.
5. Move one device and test it. Remove it from the main network in its app, set it up again on the guest network, then check every feature you use, from both home and away.
6. Move the rest, leaving on the main network anything that failed the test and matters to you.
7. Leave any “access local network” option off.

Is a guest network enough on its own?

No. It limits where a compromised device can reach. It does not stop the device from being compromised, and it does not protect what the device itself sees or records.

The FBI notice lists the other steps: change default passwords, use a strong and unique password for each device, review what the companion app collects, and turn on automatic updates. Its advice on default passwords is blunt: if you can’t find out how to change one, consider a different product.

For the router’s own settings, work through our router hardening checklist. For how smart home devices connect in the first place, see Matter and Thread, explained.

Fact-check notes

Bottom line

Put smart home devices that only need the internet on a guest or IoT network, and keep computers, phones and storage on the main one. That is the separation the NSA and FBI describe. Expect a few features, mainly casting and local control, to need a workaround, and test with one device before you move the rest. Then finish the job with unique passwords and automatic updates.

Short answer: Matter is a shared language that lets smart-home devices work with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and SmartThings. Thread is a low-power wireless network many Matter devices use, and it needs a Thread border router, which is built into some speakers, displays, and streaming boxes. You do not need a new WiFi router for either.

Matter makes it easier to buy smart-home gear that works with the assistant you already use. Thread helps battery-powered devices stay connected without draining their batteries. Neither one changes what you need from your WiFi, but a stable network still matters.

What is Matter?

Matter is a smart-home standard from the Connectivity Standards Alliance. A device that supports Matter can be set up with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, or Samsung SmartThings. You can often use more than one at the same time. The goal is simple: buy a plug, bulb, or sensor once, and not worry about which brand’s app ecosystem it belongs to.

What is Thread?

Thread is a low-power wireless network for small devices. Thread devices talk to each other and form their own mesh, which helps sensors and locks reach a hub without relying on your WiFi. A Thread network needs at least one border router to connect it to your home network.

What do you need to get started?

1. A hub or controller such as a smart speaker, display, or hub that supports Matter.
2. A Thread border router, only if you buy Thread devices. Many speakers and streaming boxes already include one.
3. A healthy WiFi network. Matter devices on WiFi still use your router, and many smart devices only work on the 2.4 GHz band.

Does Matter change how you should set up your router?

A little. Our advice:

• Put smart-home devices on a guest network if your router lets Matter hubs still reach them. Not all setups support this, so test one device first.
• Keep your router firmware current. See our router hardening checklist.
• If devices drop off in far rooms, the fix is usually coverage. Our mesh vs. single router guide explains when to add nodes.

What should you buy first?

Start with something you will use every day: a smart plug or a few bulbs. Check the box for the Matter logo, set it up with your hub, and live with it for a week before buying more. Buy battery-powered sensors and locks only after you have confirmed a Thread border router in your home.