Advice Needed for Isolating My Network Setup From Landlord's Network

[GovtCheese]

Does this mean that RT-AC86U reaching End Of Life?

My understanding was that the AC firmware was only updated for security patches at this point. To be clear, I don't work for ASUS nor have privvy to their equipment. RT-AC86U isn't EOL'd to my knowledge, but if AC firmware isn't getting the new AiMesh features, it's definitely been deprecated for usage as the master node. Let's be realistic -- AC (5)-> AX (6)-> AXE (6E)-> BE (7). RT-AC86U was released Aug 2017.

 

[Tech9]

Oh, and the AX firmware is 388

Not for this specific MediaTek based AX router. It may not get 388 firmware.

Happy to be wrong.

Feel happy.

 

[GovtCheese]

Not for this specific MediaTek based AX router. It may not get 388 firmware.

View attachment 54549



Feel happy.

Good catch on his RT-AX53U firmware version being a match with the RT-AC86U's; I was unaware that AX routers *didn't* have 388, but I was only looking at current ones.

 

[GovtCheese]

<https://dongknows.com/tips-and-rules-on-picking-the-best-asus-aimesh-combo/>

From the article:

In an AiMesh system, the primary router is the device that decides the features of your network. Consequently, keep the following in mind for the hardware for this role:

• It should be one of the highest Wi-Fi tiers, measured in the number of streams (4×4, 3×3, 2×2, etc.).
• It’s the one with the most bands. So, pick the Tri-band instead of the dual-band if you have both.
• Use the latest router with the most feature. So pick the Wi-Fi 6 router if you also have Wi-Fi 5 broadcasters.
• Use the Wi-Fi settings at the primary router applicable to the satellite. For example:
  • Avoid the 160MHz or UNII-4 if any of the satellites only supports 80MHz or doesn’t support this portion of the 5GHz band.
  • When mixing a router of a newer Wi-Fi standard (such as Wi-Fi 6) with satellites of an older standard (such as Wi-Fi 5), use the latest hardware in compatibility mode. (Mixing Wi-Fi standards are always problematic, especially with wireless backhauling.)

 

[Tech9]

From the article:

Both you and Don't Know are very happy men.

Between the two routers above RT-AC86U has to be main (Broadcom ARMv8 1.8GHz CPU + AES, 512MB RAM, Asuswrt-Merlin support, 3x3 + 4x4 radio) with RT-AX53U as node or AP (MediaTek ARMv7 0.88GHz, 256MB RAM, Asuswrt only, 2x2 + 2x2 radio). RT-AC86U has more firmware features in firmware, stock Asuswrt. It was a top choice gaming router at release. RT-AX53U was one of the cheapest Asus routers at release.

So you are going to hurt your network with the slow router with less features just because it has the cheapest AX radio on it?

Please, don't copy/paste Don't Know here. Let's keep SNB Forums clean.