Network - Wireless & Wired Connections

[rocbarbarosa]

Hello,

I've added a new secondary router to the home network with the intention of moving all my Internet of Things (IoT) behind that router. The new router is connected to the primary router (the one connected directly to the isp via a cable modem) by an ethernet cable. The new secondary router is on a different subnet (192.168.x.z) than the primary router (192.168.y.z). The secondary router has wifi configured w/ SSID name that is different from the primary router. The SSID name is set to be broadcast and not hidden.

I am unable to connect my roku express to the new wireless network on the secondary router. When I scan for networks during the "setup a connection process", the SSID name from the new secondary router is not seen. I can see the SSID from the original network on the primary router along with about a dozen networks from my neighbors' routers.

For whatever reason the roku express is stuck on wanting to only connect to wifi networks with subnet 192.168.y.z. So any ideas of why the roku express doesn't see the new SSID on the new router / subnet 192.168.x.z?

I have gone through the "reset connection" process several times. When trying to setup a new connection, I do the "rescan" for SSIDs option several times. I have even tried entering the new network name manually as if it were a private non-broadcasted SSID.

It is not a signal strength issue as the new router is only three feet from the roku express.

Also all of our other devices (linux and windows computers, android phones and tablet, and an xfinity flex streaming device) can see and connect to the new router via the new wifi network fine from anywhere in the house.

Thank you,

Roc

[renojim]

Is that "new" router running OpenWRT or DD-WRT by any chance?  There's plenty of posts about Rokus not being able to see an SSID, so the subnet may not have anything to do with it.

[makaiguy]

Another possibility is that the subnet router is not configured to use the 2.4 GHz band. Roku Express has a single band wifi radio that supports 2.4 GHz only, not 5.0.

[atc98092]

The subnet will not have anything to do with it. The Roku doesn't see the subnet until it's connected to the access point. If it can't see the SSID, check what @makaiguy said, that the 2.4 GHz radio is enabled and broadcasting. The Express does not support 5 GHz WiFi. 

[rocbarbarosa]

@renojim said - Is that "new" router running OpenWRT or DD-WRT by any chance?

Yes, the router is running openwrt. Are the posts you mention about rokus not seeing ssids on the roku site? I did try searching the site for my issue before posting, but perhaps I didn't format my search parameters correctly.

Thanks for the tip

[rocbarbarosa]

@renojim said - Is that "new" router running OpenWRT or DD-WRT by any chance?

Yes, the router is running openwrt. Are the posts you mention about rokus not seeing ssids on the roku site? I did try searching the site for my issue before posting, but perhaps I didn't format my search parameters correctly.

Thanks for the tip

[rocbarbarosa]

about the suggestions for checking the 2.4GHz band -  Yes, I am aware of that. And the secondary router's wireless networks are configured properly on both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. I use separate SSID names for the two bands on that router to make it easier to differentiate between them.

I should have been more precise in my orig post. Although I did say my other devices could connect wirelessly to the new router, I neglected to mention that the SSID in question is for the 2.4GHz band on the secondary router and those other devices can see and connect on the 2.4 GHz SSID. In hindsight, it is obvious I should have included that info.

But thanks anyway to you and @atc98092  for the suggestion.

Roc

[rocbarbarosa]

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@rocbarbarosa wrote:

@renojimsaid - Is that "new" router running OpenWRT or DD-WRT by any chance?

Yes, the router is running openwrt.

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Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. Searched specifically on "openwrt" and found links to the solution at https://community.roku.com/t5/Network-Wireless-Wired-Connections/Roku-3810-Stick-no-longer-sees-my-n...

And thanks @wingnut0320  for the solution of,   "messing around with the settings of the bgn radio is what fixed it. If you edit your SSID and go into "Advanced Settings", then uncheck the box for "Allow legacy 802.11b rates". Mine started working immediately after making that change."

That fixed it for me too. N.B. on my main wireless setting config page, I have the choice of "Legacy" or "N" for the wireless protocol setting and it is set to "Legacy" since I have older laptops with b/g protocol wireless chips that sometimes connect to the router. And that "Legacy" setting doesn't impede the roku express. I find that interesting. I'll assume the laptops must be connecting via the "g" protocol. I don't have any strictly 802.11b protocol devices with which to experiment.

FYI, the router is a linksys wrt-1900acs v1 running the latest (as of 12/14/2020) openwrt v19.07.4

Roc

[rocbarbarosa]

@renojimsaid - Is that "new" router running OpenWRT or DD-WRT by any chance?

Yes, the router is running openwrt.