I'm having trouble connecting my iPhone 14 Pro Max to a 2.4GHz WiFi network using a TP Link Deco BE 11000. I've turned off the 5GHz and 6GHz options in my WiFi settings, but my iPhone still won't connect. Here's what I've already tried:
- Disabled the MS Defender VPN
- Turned off iCloud Private Relay
- Disabled Private Wi-Fi Address on my phone
- Created a guest network on 2.4GHz but still no success
- Restarted my router
- Updated my iPhone to the latest iOS 26.1
- Restarted my phone
- Turned off cellular data
- Ran Network Optimization, which failed when I tried with only the 2.4GHz on
I also tried connecting with my wife's iPhone and an older laptop, and they weren't able to connect either, so I don't think the issue is just with my phone.
1 Answer
I noticed that even when you turn off the 5GHz and 6GHz networks on the Deco, they might still be detectable. I recommend creating a separate IoT network through the Deco app. This will give you a dedicated 2.4GHz SSID that should help in connecting your devices. You can find the IoT network option under Home Shield or WiFi settings in the app. Good luck!

That worked, thanks!