Does a separate 2.4GHz IoT SSID improve the speed of my main network?

Zyxel_Bella

Many smart home appliances and IoT devices (such as smart plugs, security cameras, robotic vacuums, and light bulbs) utilize older, low-cost Wi-Fi chips that are built purely for the 2.4 GHz band. 

Wi-Fi is a shared medium—meaning only one device can talk to an AP on a given channel at any microsecond. IoT devices impact:

• Legacy Overhead: Older 2.4 GHz IoT devices transmit data slowly using legacy protocols (like 802.11b/g/n). When they talk, they consume a disproportionate amount of "airtime" compared to modern 5 GHz or 6 GHz clients.
• Protecting High-Speed Bands: By keeping your IoT devices sequestered on the 2.4 GHz band, you completely free up your 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands for ultra-fast, modern clients (WiFi 6, 6E, and WiFi 7 devices). Your fast devices will no longer have to wait for slow smart plugs to finish transmitting their data.

Thus, configure a bulletproof IoT network will help improve main network environment, navigate to your AP configuration and apply these settings to your dedicated IoT SSID:

• Frequency Band: Set to 2.4 GHz only.
• Band Mode / Channel Width: Set to 20 MHz.
• Security Mode: Set to WPA2-Personal (WPA2-PSK). Many legacy IoT devices cannot negotiate modern WPA3-only or WPA3-Transition handshakes.
• 802.11k/v/r (Assisted Roaming): Disable this feature. Legacy IoT devices do not understand roaming standards and will drop connections when receiving roaming frames.