Should iPhone 5 auto switch from 5gHz to 2.4gHz when out of 5gHz range?

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May 6, 2015
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I recently upgraded from an iPhone 3GS to an iPhone 5S, and also got an iPad mini. I was dismayed that the new phone and iPad frequently dropped WiFi in my bedroom, 2 rooms away from the router, and switched to cellular data. My budget Windows 8 laptop and old iPhone 3 operated with a strong signal in the same location. I've figured out that the new devices were dropping the shorter-range 5gHz signal, while the older devices, which don't use 5gHz, were chugging along fine on the longer-range 2.4gHz. (I confirmed by looking at the router settings/connections that the new devices were connecting (or trying to connect) via 5gHz while in the bedroom.) I've solved the problem by giving the 5gHz band a different SSID, and manually choosing the 2.4gHz or 5gHz network according to my location within the house. Here's my question: since the 2.4gHz and 5gHz bands were originally configured with the same SSID and security settings (as commonly recommended), shouldn't the iPhone5 and iPad have switched to 2.4gHz when out of 5gHz range, rather than to cellular? Is this flaw endemic to iOS, or are my devices faulty? Due to the complaints I see on various forums about iOS 8+ dropping WiFi, I'm inclined to think the problem is not just with my device. Is there any way to manually "choose" the 2.4gHz band on the phone if the SSIDs/security settings are the same as 5gHz? Is Apple aware of this problem and addressing it? p.s my phone runs iOS 8.3 and is up-to-date.
 

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