PEARL: Setting Up a 2.4GHz Network on a 5GHz Wi-Fi Building (Workarounds & Recommended Settings)
Learn effective strategies for establishing a 2.4GHz network within a building dominated by 5GHz Wi-Fi signals.
Table of Contents
Overview. The PEARL people counter is a 2.4GHz-only Wi-Fi device, by design — 2.4GHz provides longer range and lower power consumption, which suits a battery-powered door mounted counter. This does not mean the PEARL is incompatible with a building that has been upgraded to 5GHz Wi-Fi: the two bands can coexist. This article covers the workarounds for keeping PEARL counters running on a 5GHz network, plus the network settings your IT team should confirm.
Supported Wi-Fi network
- 2.4GHz network
- WPA or WPA2 Personal security
- Open Wi-Fi without a landing or login page
Not supported
- 5GHz wireless network (the PEARL radio cannot connect to it)
- WPA3-only
- WPA2/WPA3 Enterprise
- Open Wi-Fi with a network login page (e.g., hotel/campus guest networks with a captive portal)
Workaround 1: Create a separate 2.4GHz network (recommended)
Most modern routers and access points can broadcast both bands. Have your IT department set up a dedicated 2.4GHz network just for the PEARL counters and other 2.4GHz IoT devices.
Important details:
- Use a different network name (SSID) than the 5GHz network. If both bands share the same SSID, the router may use band steering to push the PEARL toward the 5GHz band and refuse its connection on 2.4GHz, causing intermittent dropouts. Separate SSIDs, always.
- The 2.4GHz network can be hidden. If IT prefers not to broadcast it publicly, a hidden SSID is fine — the PEARL connects to hidden networks without any issue.
- Security must be WPA or WPA2 Personal. WPA3 and WPA2/WPA3 Enterprise are not supported. On campus or enterprise networks (libraries, universities, hotels), this usually means giving the PEARL its own SSID with personal-grade security.
- Avoid captive portals. Open/guest networks that show a login or landing page will block the PEARL — it cannot accept terms or enter credentials on a web page.
- Bandwidth and signal settings (if available on the router/AP): use 20 or 20/40 MHz channel bandwidth rather than 40MHz-only, and a permissive minimum RSSI (around -80 dBm) for the best balance of range and reliability.
Workaround 2: Use a Wi-Fi extender with crossband capability
A crossband extender connects to your router on 5GHz while rebroadcasting 2.4GHz to nearby devices. Place the extender within range of both the router and the PEARL, and connect the PEARL to the extender (not the router).
After the network is ready
If the counters went offline during the Wi-Fi upgrade, they will reconnect automatically once a compatible 2.4GHz network is available. You may need to re-run the Wi-Fi setup in the Storetraffic app to point them at the new network name — see How do I change the WiFi settings on a Pearl device?