I have a new SimpliSafe security camera and it will only connect with 2.4GHz. How do I change Airport Time Capsule settings?

My Wi-Fi network is Brad's Wi-Fi Network

That would need to change to BradsWiFiNetwork or something similar.

No apostrophe, no dash, no blank spaces. Here, I am assuming that the camera requirements will allow 16 characters or more. If you don't know, shorten the name to BradsWiFi

So if my problem is the apostrophe in Brad's will I need to set up a completely new replacement network or would it be an additional network?

Not just the apostrophe might be a problem, but a dash is a special character as well. A blank space can be a problem too.

So, the name of your 2.4 GHz network would be BradsWiFi and the name of the 5 GHz network would be BradsWiFi5GHz. So, you need to make these changes using AirPort Utility. The downside is that y ou will have to reconnect all your other WiFi devices and enter the password, since your old networks will be gone and replaced by two new networks.

Use the same rules for the network password. No special characters and no blank spaces. 8 minimum up to 16 maximum characters. Characters can be regular letters or numbers or a combination of both. You can use the same password that you used before if it meets these rules.

The above discussion is for WiFi products that use really old WiFi technology. if these steps really will allow the camera to now connect, this tells you a lot about how up to date the WiFi technology in the camera really is......10+ years old.

I just spoke with a SimpliSafe troubleshooter again and he pretty much told me it is not going to work on a dual-band system.

Any router that has been offered in the last 10 years is a dual band product, so the tech is either not informed or you may not really have understood what he was trying to say.

If the tech meant to say that the camera can only connect to a 2.4 GHz band network, then that is the way that your Time Capsule will be set up if you followed the instructions in my previous answers.

You will have two separate networks.....one 2.4 GHz and the other 5 GHz. Two separate networks. You still have dual bands, but each band will use a separate network name.

Previously, before you entered the check mark in the box next to 5 GHz Network Name in AirPort Utility, both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks were using the same name. Any modern WiFi product can connect to this type of network. That's why you had no problems connecting all your other devices before......even when the network name had an apostrophe, a dash and blank spaces.

How do I change Airport Time Capsule settings from 5.0 to 2.4.

There is no change to band required.. All Time Capsules generations apart from the first are transmitting on both bands.

I do strongly suggest the issue is more likely a long name with spaces and illegal characters like apostrophe.

Try resetting the TC to Factory and then give it a wireless name that is short, no spaces and pure alphanumerics. Password same rules but 8-20 characters.

If you still have issues try locking the wireless channel for 2.4ghz.. e.g. channel 8 or 9 can be useful when there is too many wireless devices around you.

If you still have issues post back because it is occasionally impossible to get some devices to connect to the Apple router wireless. This has been ongoing problem with lots of IoT products for ages. You can get around it with replacing the Time Capsule entirely of course which in long term may well be worth it since apple has abandoned this line of products.. or you can add a simple WAP (wireless access point) which can be a very cheap wireless router even second hand used purely for the couple of items that refuse to work with Apple wireless.

Good news, bad news. Good news that the camera worked. Bad news that the camera is using ancient, almost obsolete WiFi technology.

By the way.......you cannot create a 2.4 GHz only network using the Guest Network. The Guest Network is dual-band using the same name for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.

The SimpliFi "tech" told you that "this is not going to work on the dual-band system." So, he was wrong about that. AT least the camera works on a standard dual band system.

It's your call, but frankly I would not have much confidence in the technology or support on this camera.

Finally, you cannot be the only person with an Apple router who has called SimpliSafe for support. Hopefully, you will get a more informed "tech" if you need to call again.

It is unfortunate that the camera will only connect to a 2.4 GHz network, but it is what it is.

What device.......a Mac, an iPhone / iPad, or PC......will you be using to change settings on the Time Capsule?

We ask because the process is different for each of these devices, and we want to provide the correct information for you.

We can tell you how to accomplish the goal of creating a 2.4 GHz only network, if you can let us know what device you will be using for the change in settings.

We can also tell you how to create a separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz network if you want your other devices to use the faster 5 GHz signal.

Things are simpler on a Mac, so that is what we will provide.

On the Mac.......

Open AirPort Utility located as follows: Finder > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility

Click directly on the picture of the Time Capsule and another smaller window will open

Click Edit in the upper right corner of that smaller window

Click the Wireless tab at the top of the next window

Click the Wireless Options button near the bottom of the window

Enter a check mark in the box next to 5 GHz Network Name

Click Save

Click Update to save the new setting

You now have a 2.4 GHz only network and a 5 GHz network only.

Your "old" network name is the 2.4 GHz network only, so you would connect the camera to that network

Your other network is the same network with "5 GHz" added to the name. This is a faster network that will work best when devices are in close proximity to the Time Capsule. To connect devices to this network, you will need to select the network with "5 GHz" added to the name, otherwise devices will connect to the slower 2.4 GHz network.

Can you provide the model number of the SimpliSafe camera.........so we can try to find a setup manual online to learn more about the product?

Or better yet, might you have a link to the setup manual or setup guide that you could post here?

Can you provide the exact name of your 2.4 GHz network?

We ask this because some products have trouble connecting to a network with any type of special characters like an apostrophe, dollar sign, asterisk, etc. So for example if the name of your 2.4 GHz network is something like "1970 Challenger's Apple Network", the camera might not be able to connect because of the apostrophe in the name......while other Apple devices.....and most other products as well......can connect to a network using special characters without any problems.

Another potential issue is that some devices want to see a wireless network name with no more than 10-12 characters and no blank spaces. So, even if you remove the apostrophe from the example above, the name of the network may be too long for the camera requirements and the camera may also be fooled by any blank spaces in the name of the network.

Some devices interpret a blank space as a "-" (dash), which is different than no space at all. So, you may need to try a 2.4 GHz network name like "1970Chall" (without the quotation marks) that has only 9 characters and no blank spaces.

Other WiFi devices might require a WiFi setup known as WiFi Protected Setup or WPS for short. This is common with printers. I don't know about cameras.

The point here is that all your other WiFi devices have had no trouble connecting to your network whether it uses a separate name for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, or whether it uses the same name for both networks, so there is something different about the camera that is creating the connection issue.

Can the SimpliSafe Support folks help out at all here? Ask them what is different about the camera compared to other WiFi devices? We understand that it may only connect to a 2.4 GHz network.......but I have other devices here....garage door opener, a home theater remote control, etc..... with the same 2.4 GHz only requirement that connect to my dual band 2.4 GHz and 5 Ghz network with no problems.

Frankly, this is not an Apple issue, it is a camera issue. We're willing to spend the time and effort on this, but you may not be willing to do things like run a temporary test on your network with no security on the WiFi.......just to see if the camera can connect when no password is required.

Obviously, if the camera won't connect when there is no security and no password, then it will never connect when security is enabled, so we're at the end of the road right there, and you will have to try another brand of camera.