AiMesh in AP only mode Wireless SSD drops Internet AC5300 AC68U

[follower]

I mean everyone else is trying to explain this but I guess I'll try too.

You are correct that you cannot build an AiMesh with another brand of ROUTER. The OP is not doing that.

They are using their own PFSENSE router, standalone. Then SEPARATELY they have two asus devices running in AIMESH AP MODE.

A fully supported version of Aimesh, and it is not "fake".

A mesh system is first and foremost a wifi AP system only. The fact that the "main" node CAN act as a router is above and beyond that. It is not REQUIRED to.

Even if you consider all 3 devices to be "ROUTERS" they are still not attempting to join their PFSENSE to the AIMESH. Only two of the devices are being put into AIMESH and they are both ASUS.

"I have been using my GT-AC5300 as a hone router for two years. Great product. Then I wanted some tech fun, so I spun up a pfsense router and turned the AC5300 into AP only. Worked great for one month. Then I picked up an AC68U amd added it to the aimesh as an AP node upstairs to improve coverage . Linked through Ethernet. Worked great for a week."

pfsense: Main.
AC5300: Node.
AC68U: Node.

 

[follower]

Not sure what you are asking. This is the setup as simply as I can diagram
View attachment 52358

That's what I was talking about. But other people said it's not. Read my replies and just do what I said.

 

[K-teach]

Um, I find your instructions a bit unclear. I have broken my aimesh. Created two, separate APs. The AC5300 (Main floor) and the AC68U (Second floor). I will monitor to see how the clients respond. The documentation seems to imply I can run the AC5300 as the main, controling aimesh "router", even in just AP mode and have it manage the secondary or "node" router AC68U, also in aimesh mode. I will say, it looked like that was working. Single interface. Aimesh indicated a main and node. Displayed the clients for each. Benchmarking was great. On paper, a perfect home setup. However, clients after a few hours just lost Internet. They were connected to wifi, but no actual Internet. Wired always worked, but wifi crapped out.

 

[Tech9]

pfsense: Main.
AC5300: Node.
AC68U: Node.

pfSense - router
AC5300 - AiMesh "router" in AP Mode
AC68U - AiMesh node to AC5300 "parent"

As explained multiple times - pfSense device is NOT part of AiMesh.

 

[OzarkEdge]

The documentation seems to imply I can run the AC5300 as the main, controling aimesh "router", even in just AP mode and have it manage the secondary or "node" router AC68U, also in aimesh mode. I will say, it looked like that was working. Single interface. Aimesh indicated a main and node. Displayed the clients for each. Benchmarking was great. On paper, a perfect home setup. However, clients after a few hours just lost Internet. They were connected to wifi, but no actual Internet. Wired always worked, but wifi crapped out.

AiMesh in AP Mode... should work. I'd want to test your application of it but without the switch... connect the AC68U WAN to the AC5300 LAN. If that works, then maybe the switch is causing some issue... or something else is in play.

OE

 

[K-teach]

Right. the pfsense was not part of aimesh at all. I did not expect it to be. Thank you again for all this help. I have broken the mesh, and created two APs. However, as one person recommended I have used the same SSIDs on both APS. I am a bit nervous about that, but I have set it up that way. I will report how it works out. I am now nervous my trusty AC5300 has problems. Oh well, hardware does not last forever!

 

[K-teach]

AiMesh in AP Mode... should work. I'd want to test your application of it but without the switch... connect the AC68U WAN to the AC5300 LAN. If that works, then maybe the switch is causing some issue... or something else is in play.

OE

Oh ... great advice. What I read indicated I could use Ethernet backhaul through a switch. However, maybe there is a problem there. I will run my current two APs for a couple of days and see if the family complains. Then try the direct run. That said .... I would need to pull a new cable through the walls. Still, I could try.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Oh ... great advice. What I read indicated I could use Ethernet backhaul through a switch. However, maybe there is a problem there. I will run my current two APs for a couple of days and see if the family complains. Then try the direct run. That said .... I would need to pull a new cable through the walls. Still, I could try.

Feel free to test a temporary arrangement... no need to pull a cable yet!

Not sure if you've seen this FAQ... or if it applies, but here you go... I'm going to bed!

[AiMesh] How to set up ASUS AiMesh or ZenWiFi Mesh Ethernet backhaul under different conditions ? (Advanced setup with network switch) | Official Support | ASUS Global

OE

 

[K-teach]

Feel free to test a temporary arrangement... no need to pull a cable yet!

Not sure if you've seen this FAQ... or if it applies, but here you go... I'm going to bed!

[AiMesh] How to set up ASUS AiMesh or ZenWiFi Mesh Ethernet backhaul under different conditions ? (Advanced setup with network switch) | Official Support | ASUS Global

OE

Cool. I need to go away for a few days. So I will leave these two, independent APs running. Then see how it went a few days from now. Thanks again. I really appreciate the advice.

 

[drinkingbird]

Oh ... great advice. What I read indicated I could use Ethernet backhaul through a switch. However, maybe there is a problem there. I will run my current two APs for a couple of days and see if the family complains. Then try the direct run. That said .... I would need to pull a new cable through the walls. Still, I could try.

Aimesh relies on VLANs being passed, but if it set up ok then the switch should be fine. Many modern unmanaged switches will pass VLAN tags as long as they support jumbo frames. But it would be a good test without it. Honestly though the best way to narrow it down is to see if devices that are on the 5300 are having issues, if so I'd suspect it as the culprit. Now that you've broken them apart should be easier to tell.

Actually now that I think of it, I don't think AP mode needs any VLANs passed at all. So it should not be related to the switch, but it is one thing you can try eliminating temporarily. Does your pfsense have a spare port that you can bridge in and plug the 5300 directly into that?

 

[drinkingbird]

Right. the pfsense was not part of aimesh at all. I did not expect it to be. Thank you again for all this help. I have broken the mesh, and created two APs. However, as one person recommended I have used the same SSIDs on both APS. I am a bit nervous about that, but I have set it up that way. I will report how it works out. I am now nervous my trusty AC5300 has problems. Oh well, hardware does not last forever!

Don't be nervous, you were running two APs with the same SSID before (that's all Aimesh is), and you still are now. The difference is you can down run them on different channels which is better than sharing one.

 

[drinkingbird]

"I have been using my GT-AC5300 as a hone router for two years. Great product. Then I wanted some tech fun, so I spun up a pfsense router and turned the AC5300 into AP only. Worked great for one month. Then I picked up an AC68U amd added it to the aimesh as an AP node upstairs to improve coverage . Linked through Ethernet. Worked great for a week."

pfsense: Main.
AC5300: Node.
AC68U: Node.

Can't make it any more clear for you so will give up.

 

[K-teach]

Can't make it any more clear for you so will give up.

Sorry to frustrate you. I do appreciate the discussion. With these APs now separate I will monitor or go through the logs when I get back. Hopefully that will help me understand. Thank you for all the advice. I hope the conversation helps others too. Take care.

 

[drinkingbird]

Sorry to frustrate you. I do appreciate the discussion. With these APs now separate I will monitor or go through the logs when I get back. Hopefully that will help me understand. Thank you for all the advice. I hope the conversation helps others too. Take care.

That reply wasn't to you. The other person quoted you but I was quoting them, gets confusing. You're fine, not frustrated with you, you're trying peoples' suggestions.

 

[follower]

pfSense - router
AC5300 - AiMesh "router" in AP Mode
AC68U - AiMesh node to AC5300 "parent"

As explained multiple times - pfSense device is NOT part of AiMesh.

His topology is different. His topology is wrong. He's using 2 routers on the same network. That's why it makes his issue.

 

[drinkingbird]

His topology is different. His topology is wrong. He's using 2 routers on the same network. That's why it makes his issue.

Just stop. He has one router and one router only.

The other two are access points. No routing enabled.

 

[K-teach]

Hello. Back from a trip. The family reports better wifi in terms of stability. They do need to "turn off/on" the wifi on their phones when they go upstairs, but when they do, they get great connection and throughput. This does seem more stable then the aimesh setup, so I will continue to run two APs. Also, just to back up or support what drinkingbird said, I only have ONE router. That is the pfsense. The other two devices (ac5300 and AC68U) are in AP ONLY mode. No routing. Thanks for everyone's help here. If anything changes, I will drop in again. Take care.

 

[Tech9]

Two APs only you can run with the same settings on the same channels. This may help the clients a bit.

 

[drinkingbird]

Two APs only you can run with the same settings on the same channels. This may help the clients a bit.

Now you're just running Aimesh again

 

[drinkingbird]

Hello. Back from a trip. The family reports better wifi in terms of stability. They do need to "turn off/on" the wifi on their phones when they go upstairs, but when they do, they get great connection and throughput. This does seem more stable then the aimesh setup, so I will continue to run two APs. Also, just to back up or support what drinkingbird said, I only have ONE router. That is the pfsense. The other two devices (ac5300 and AC68U) are in AP ONLY mode. No routing. Thanks for everyone's help here. If anything changes, I will drop in again. Take care.

Something is definitely off if they have to bounce their wifi when going upstairs, I suspect they are not letting go of the other AP (common for Apple phones and even some android now). So turn on roaming assistant, set it to something fairly aggressive, try -60 on both APs.