2x GT-AX11000 with an Ethernet backhaul

[MRizkBV]

I live in a two story house and I have always suffered dealing with different routers to cover my house, or to have seamless roaming without devices (mobile phones) dropping calls when moving between rooms, etc. I have tried the Orbi RBR50 and it was not so bad but also isn't great either. This year my ISP upgraded me to Orbi RBR750 and it has been a nightmare. The thing kept rebooting every few days to hours. I complained to my ISP and they came and replaced the units which solved issue for around 2 months but we are back at it again.

I was looking to move to Asus as it seems they allow different models to do AiMesh which will really help with upgrades in the future. Since I only have WiFi 6 devices and no intention to get a 6E device beside maybe a phone this year (which won't need more than WiFi 6 speeds anyways), I thought the best two options for me would be Asus XT8 or GT-AX11000. I have been reading about both models for the past 4 days and I am thinking of going for 2x GT-AX11000 and setting one up as an AiMesh node with an Ethernet backhaul so I wanted to know if that would work as I expect it to, and it would support seamless roaming.

I have really reached a point where all I ask for is a router that doesn't drop traffic or reboot. It is as if the more we advance the worse routers become and somehow they get more expensive too.

 

[OzarkEdge]

I live in a two story house and I have always suffered dealing with different routers to cover my house, or to have seamless roaming without devices (mobile phones) dropping calls when moving between rooms, etc. I have tried the Orbi RBR50 and it was not so bad but also isn't great either. This year my ISP upgraded me to Orbi RBR750 and it has been a nightmare. The thing kept rebooting every few days to hours. I complained to my ISP and they came and replaced the units which solved issue for around 2 months but we are back at it again.

I was looking to move to Asus as it seems they allow different models to do AiMesh which will really help with upgrades in the future. Since I only have WiFi 6 devices and no intention to get a 6E device beside maybe a phone this year (which won't need more than WiFi 6 speeds anyways), I thought the best two options for me would be Asus XT8 or GT-AX11000. I have been reading about both models for the past 4 days and I am thinking of going for 2x GT-AX11000 and setting one up as an AiMesh node with an Ethernet backhaul so I wanted to know if that would work as I expect it to, and it would support seamless roaming.

I have really reached a point where all I ask for is a router that doesn't drop traffic or reboot. It is as if the more we advance the worse routers become and somehow they get more expensive too.

How many sf is each level? Where will the router be located? If you purchase two, leave one in the box until you know you need more WiFi coverage.

I don't like telling people what to buy, so I'll just suggest that the AX86U is often recommended here.

Running ax in the 5.0 band is a marginal proposition. Be prepared to limit it to 80MHz bandwidth and non-DFS channels.

OE

 

[MRizkBV]

How many sf is each level? Where will the router be located? If you purchase two, leave one in the box until you know you need more WiFi coverage.

I don't like telling people what to buy, so I'll just suggest that the AX86U is often recommended here.

Running ax in the 5.0 band is a marginal proposition. Be prepared to limit it to 80MHz bandwidth and non-DFS channels.

OE

Right now I have the Orbi router in the first floor right in the center, with the satellite unit right above it in the second floor. I plan to do the same with the GT-AX11000 as that is where I got Ethernet cables running (inside the wall).

Edit: I just checked the AX86U. It seems to be just like the AX11000 except it lacks the Tri-band part. I am considering the AX11000 due to it being Tri-band as it means if I ever want to go Mesh or get XT8 later on if I move somewhere else I would easily be able to setup AiMesh over WiFi and not lose much performance, if at all.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Right now I have the Orbi router in the first floor right in the center, with the satellite unit right above it in the second floor. I plan to do the same with the GT-AX11000 as that is where I got Ethernet cables running (inside the wall).

Too close. APs stacked on top of each other 10-15 feet apart will interfere with each other, in my experience. My neighbor did similar with 3 wireless Orbis on 3 levels and you could watch their signals jumping up and down on a WiFi analyzer app. We switched one OFF and moved one to the opposite end of the house and the signals settled down to stable.

Edit: I just checked the AX86U. It seems to be just like the AX11000 except it lacks the Tri-band part. I am considering the AX11000 due to it being Tri-band as it means if I ever want to go Mesh or get XT8 later on if I move somewhere else I would easily be able to setup AiMesh over WiFi and not lose much performance, if at all.

Hopefully some AX11000 owners here will offer some insight.

If wired, then dual band is enough, imo. As I see it, tri-band is for a dedicated wireless backhaul. And squeezing it into the 5.0 band that can barely fit AX at 80MHz much less at 160MHz defeats the goal of having an AX 160MHz backhaul.

OE

 

[MRizkBV]

Too close. APs stacked on top of each other 10-15 feet apart will interfere with each other, in my experience. My neighbor did similar with 3 wireless Orbis on 3 levels and you could watch their signals jumping up and down on a WiFi analyzer app. We switched one OFF and moved one to the opposite end of the house and the signals settled down to stable.



Hopefully some AX11000 owners here will offer some insight.

If wired, then dual band is enough, imo. As I see it, tri-band is for a dedicated wireless backhaul. And squeezing it into the 5.0 band that can barely fit AX at 80MHz much less at 160MHz defeats the goal of having an AX 160MHz backhaul.

OE

I get what you mean regarding interference. Originally, the RBR50 I had them far from each other. Basically it was the router connected to a switch and the switch connects to the Satellite unit, all over ethernet. This wasn't an issue for them but it is an issue for the RBR750. It makes them not communicate together at all leading to no roaming whatsoever which is why I had to move it and remove the switch.

I believe Asus does not mind having a switch in between so if I sense interference I could maybe move them a little further, but anyways, I agree. I will try one unit first then decide if I should add a second. I really appreciate it! <3

 

[L&LD]

AiMesh Ideal Placement

 

[MRizkBV]

AiMesh Ideal Placement

That makes sense and I will try my best to do it this way. Appreciate it <3