Airport time capsule separate 2.4 and 5.0 Network

The AirPort Time Capsule is already creating two separate WiFi networks using 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, but both networks by default use the same wireless network name and password. This can fool some older WiFi devices not using up to date WiFi technology.

Older WiFi devices can also have difficulty connecting to a network that uses special characters in the name, like an apostrophe, dollar sign, asterisk, etc. or a network that has too many characters......more than 26 for example, so you would not want to have a wireless network named BT0524 Bright Red Apple Wireless Network.

In addition, some WiFi devices do not like wireless network names with one or more blank spaces in the name.

AirPort Utility provides you with the option to assign a different name to the 5 GHz network, so the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks will each have a separate name. This might help some WiFi devices that cannot connect to a dual band network that uses the same name for both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.

Open AirPort Utility on your Mac (Finder > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility)

Click on the Time Capsule icon to select it

Click Edit in the smaller window that appears

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 at the lower right off the window and give the Time Capsule a minute to restart with the new settings

This will automatically add "5 GHz" to the name of the network, so your 2.4 GHz network will be the normal name of the WiFi network and the 5 GHz network will use the same name with "5 GHz" added to the name. The same password is used for both networks.

Aim your weather station at the normal name for the network, which is 2.4 GHz. For a faster connection, aim other WiFi devices at the 5 GHz network if they are located in relatively close proximity to the Time Capsule.

Just to add to Bob's comment I would also make sure the names are short, no spaces and pure alphanumerics. This is somewhat extreme but often see devices having issues with Apple's naming.

It is also dead easy to grab a decent older router second hand and plug it into the TC by ethernet. Configure it in WAP mode or use WAN Bypass (look it up) for just 2.4ghz IoT which the airport handles somewhat less well. A $10 old router known to have good 2.4ghz.. there are several versions with HP (meaning High Penetration??) or MIMO or high range.. can work so much better.

I do not recommend making advanced changes using AirPort Utility for iOS, so things would be much easier on a Mac including troubleshooting if the issues persist.

The iPhone would have automatically connected to the 2.4 GHz network since it "remembered" that network and that name did not change.

If you want the iPhone to connect to the newly named 5 GHz network.......

Make sure that the iPhone is in the same room or close proximity to the Time Capsule

Go the Home Screen on the iPhone

Tap on Settings

Tap on WiFi

If the name of the 5 GHz network does not appear under Networks......tap Other and type in the exact name of the 5 GHz network.

I tried this on an iPhone and had no issues connecting to the separately named 5 GHz network. When I selected the 5 GHz network to join, I had to enter the wireless network password again to complete the connection.

Edit to post above......

There is no box to check in AirPort Utility for iOS for 5 GHz Name, so you have to type in the full name that you want to use. It must be different from the 2.4 GHz network. AirPort Utility for the Mac is dfferent than AirPort Utility for iOS.

When you make the changes using AirPort Utility for iOS, you have to enter Done several times, then a window will appear asking if you want to Update with the new settings.

You have to tap Update and let the Time Capsule restart for the changes to be in effect. If you did not tap Update, or it did not appear, then the changes that you made were not saved and the Time Capsule reverted to its previous settings.