Asus RT-AC87 Repeater mode

[gombosc]

Hello,
Is it possible to activate on the next firmware the Repeater mode for AC87U?

 

[RMerlin]

Hello,
Is it possible to activate on the next firmware the Repeater mode for AC87U?

No, it's not implemented due to the Quantenna architecture.

 

[gombosc]

is there any chacnce to be implemente din the future? this is the main reason for what i bought this router and i will like to know if i should bringit back and change it for AC68

 

[RMerlin]

is there any chacnce to be implemente din the future? this is the main reason for what i bought this router and i will like to know if i should bringit back and change it for AC68

Only Asus would know. Best answer I can give you is the one I gave - it's currently not possible due to the Quantenna architecture.

 

[VANT]

great......
It seems that the 87u is a big disappointment. Worse performance than 68U/P , continuing problems and unpleasant surprises like this.
For now only look rescues 87U

btw. next example: disabling 5GHz radio not turning off quantena subsystem, and still is on and hot....
teaming port not working etc.

 

[highwire]

The 2.4GHz radio is still Broadcom-based on the RT-AC87U no? It could mean (in theory) repeater mode could be added by ASUS to only the 2.4GHz band. I could live with that limitation. I suspect ASUS has bigger fish to fry.

 

[RMerlin]

great......
It seems that the 87u is a big disappointment. Worse performance than 68U/P , continuing problems and unpleasant surprises like this.
For now only look rescues 87U

btw. next example: disabling 5GHz radio not turning off quantena subsystem, and still is on and hot....

From an architecture point of view, being able to completely shut down the hardware tied to the Quantenna would be very complex, and not worth the trouble. The Quantenna CPU takes also nearly two minutes to fully boot. Would you really want to see people complain that it takes 2 minutes every time they turned their 5 GHz back on?

I don't see either why someone would buy a 300$ router, and only use the 2.4 GHz part of it that is totally identical to the 200$ model. This would be a waste of engineering time (and would have also further increased the cost of the router, as you'd have to implement additional hardware to control the power supply to that second CPU).

 

[RMerlin]

The 2.4GHz radio is still Broadcom-based on the RT-AC87U no? It could mean (in theory) repeater mode could be added by ASUS to only the 2.4GHz band. I could live with that limitation. I suspect ASUS has bigger fish to fry.

And would open the door to people still complaining because it would only be half-working. And you can't really advertise a product as offering "partial repeater support" - how would a buyer be able to understand what that means?

Repeater mode is not listed on the list of features for the RT-AC87U. If you bought one expecting to use it as a repeater, then it's not Asus's fault if you didn't check the list of supported features before buying it. Repeater mode isn't something inherent to routers, only a portion of routers on the market actually support such a mode.

 

[highwire]

If you bought one expecting to use it as a repeater,

I didn't, no. And if I did and found it had no support, then I'd return it for a refund and move on to something else. I never asked for repeater support or anything else from you or ASUS - I was just thinking out loud.

 

[VANT]

@RMerlin
I use the schedule for both radios.
But at the moment, the main difference compared to previous models is not available/not working (MU-MIMO and teaming ports)

However, we must have hope asus not have missed the capabilities of this model.

 

[dividebyzer0]

bit of an obvious question, but, how come DD-WRT can do repeater mode and asus/merlin can't?
I bought one thinking it could. In fact a few product descriptions stated it had a repeater mode.
Im not trying to have a dig, im sure there is probably a technical reason, and possibly some lost throughput/hack on DD-WRT's part.

Still i find it's an interesting question.

 

[L&LD]

bit of an obvious question, but, how come DD-WRT can do repeater mode and asus/merlin can't?

Mostly because RMerlin doesn't want to concentrate his efforts on adding features.

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/asuswrt-merlin-custom-firmware-for-asus-routers.7846/

The primary goals of this project are to fix bugs, add a few basic features and tweaks to the original firmware. This firmware will try to remain as close as possible to the original firmware. If you are looking for a slew of advanced features, then this project is not for you. Look at TomatoUSB or DD-WRT, two excellent products that might suit your needs better.

If however you prefer something as close as possible to the manufacturer's firmware, then this is for you

 

[ColinTaylor]

I bought one thinking it could. In fact a few product descriptions stated it had a repeater mode.

My RT-N66U has repeater mode. But then it's not a Quantenna device so that might be the reason.

 

[dividebyzer0]

I understand your point LLD.
I may buy a RT-N66U then, it currently costs more that what I paid for the 87U by €40. Thats a real shame seeings as it is inferior hardware ( or superior given that it does support repeater mode!)
I find DDWRT has soem very sketchy 5ghz speeds and ac wont turn on properly, I would love to go back to MerlinWRT

RMerlin, if i made a donation to your cause would you add repeater mode? (if you dont ask...you dont get)

Thanks

 

[RMerlin]

RMerlin, if i made a donation to your cause would you add repeater mode? (if you dont ask...you dont get)

No. If Asus's engineers can't do it, then I don't have the expertise to add it either.

 

[L&LD]

I understand your point LLD.
I may buy a RT-N66U then, it currently costs more that what I paid for the 87U by €40. Thats a real shame seeings as it is inferior hardware ( or superior given that it does support repeater mode!)
I find DDWRT has soem very sketchy 5ghz speeds and ac wont turn on properly, I would love to go back to MerlinWRT

Thanks

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/is-the-rt-ac68u-a-good-replacement-for-a-rt-n66u.30303/#post-237039

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/rt...57-firmware-max-throughput.30776/#post-242771


I would not recommend going for an older generation hardware.

Particularly if it is more expensive and less capable (even if you don't seem to need (today) the missing features).

Repeater mode is not a feature. It is a call for arms to re-arrange your network (wiring/location/etc.) as needed so that the performance degradation that a repeater has will get you is avoided at all costs.