Why won't my LG ThinQ appliance join my 5 GHz Wi-Fi?

The short answer

Not offered. Plenty of smart-home kit is deliberately built for the slower, longer-range band only. It isn't broken and it isn't out of date — it just cannot see a 5 GHz-only name.

What's happening underneath

2.4 GHz only on most models. It will not see a Wi-Fi name that is 5 GHz only, and setup fails silently if your phone is on the 5 GHz half of a split network.

Source: Manufacturer documentation

Try these, in this order

• • Use one Wi-Fi name for both bands and try setup again.
• • Keep your phone within a metre of the appliance during setup.
• • Turn off 'client isolation' while pairing.
• • Check the signal where the gadget actually lives, not where you're standing.
• • Move the router off the floor and out of any cupboard before buying anything.
• • Put the gadget and your phone on the same Wi-Fi name.
• • Restart the gadget before the router — it is quicker and it fixes more.

Setting it up again properly

• • Stand next to your router while you set it up, then move the gadget to where it lives.
• • Put your phone on the 2.4 GHz network name for the setup, or use one name for both bands so the phone can follow.
• • If your router splits bands into two names, turn the 5 GHz one off for five minutes rather than fighting it.
• • Turn mobile data off on your phone during setup — some apps quietly use it and never find the gadget.

When it's worth spending money

Only if the kitchen has genuinely weak signal for phones too.