5 ghz not appearing on Airport Express

The 5 GHz band has limited range. Where is the AirPort Express located in relation to both the Smart TV & Fire TV? Which exact model of the AirPort Express do you have? Is there any other routers (wireless or not) in your current network configuration?

Does your 5 GHz network use a network name that has spaces or special characters in it? Is your network hidden?

Sorry, I added my last two questions at the last moment. Is the network using a network name with spaces and/or is it hidden?

Ok, thanks for the info.

Could the antennae on the tv and fire stick be inferior to my phone?

Possibly. A desktop or laptop would have the "best" built-in antenna. All other wireless clients would be technically "inferior" to these.

Another thing to take into consideration, and that is the Express base station's antenna design is the "weakest" of the Apple routers. Both the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule offer a much more effective antenna design. In this case, your old router may have performed better than your current Express base station.

I should be using DHCP + NAT right?

If your Express is the only router in your network configuration, then yes, Router Mode should be set to: DHCP and NAT.

Could there be a setting in the config that could be doing something?

Not really. If other devices are connecting just fine, then we would have to look at those that are not. Otherwise, no device would be able to connect to the 5 GHz network.

We know that all of the Amazon Fire TV devices support both 2.4 & 5 GHz wireless networks, but only the more expensive models support 802.11ac (which runs on 5 GHz only. Your Express does not support this radio mode anyway.)

Just weird that I am literally in the same room and one device has full signal and the other has nothing.

Unless there was something amiss with the device or its exact placement that "has nothing."

I would start with placement. Objects, like cabinets, walls, etc. can impede a wireless signal. Again, the higher the signal's frequency, the more difficult time it has penetrating through these objects. That's why 5 GHz is really only useable for streaming when the wireless access point and the client are in the same room.

So, for example, if your Fire TV is connected to the back of your HDTV, and in turn, that HDTV is in a metal or wood cabinet in another room from the base station ... the Fire TV may not "see" the 5 GHz network. Both the Wi-Fi transmitting radio & the client's receiving antenna are in play to send/receive a useable signal. The options would be to either move the wireless access point AND/OR client or increase the capability of transmitting AND/OR receiving devices.

Wireless can be very strange.. one device works and another doesn't.

Let me recommend you take the Express down to the lowest common denominator..

Set wireless name to Express and Express5 in the wireless options.

I would tend to use 2.4ghz as it tends to be more compatible and channels are easier.

Turn off all security.. and use fixed channels.. 11, 9, 6 for 2.4ghz in that order.

And for 5ghz use a high and low channel.. 149 or 153 then 36 or whatever up to 48.

This takes away as many of the variables as possible.. if you cannot connect to the wireless.. check on another wireless router the firestick is not faulty.

If there is a firmware update for the firestick stick apply it.. but you will need help with another router to do it.

No luck it can actually be incompatible.. and you will need to bypass the problem by buying another cheap wireless router as a WAP for the firestick to use.

... and that would leave that something is amiss with your TV's wireless capability.

I'm glad you got it worked out ...