AiMesh node from LAN port?

[JGN0123]

I have a 68U, with dead WAN port, currently setting up as an AP connecting to the main router thru its LAN port (LAN to LAN) and it's been working great for years. With the latest Merlin firmware, I set it up as an AiMesh node and it works but Ethernet back-haul via its LAN port does not work. Is there a way to map a LAN port to WAN? In AP mode, all ports is bridged to VLAN1 and no VLAN2. In AiMesh Node mode, Port 0 is mapped to VLAN2. I have tried the below in a /jffs/scripts/init-start but it didn't seem to change anything.

robocfg vlan 1 ports "0 1 2 3 5t"
robocfg vlan 2 ports "4 5t"

After reboot, robocfg show is still showing this

   1: vlan1: 1 2 3 4 5t
   2: vlan2: 0 5t
  56: vlan56: 0t 1 3t 5t 8u
  57: vlan57: 0t 1t 4 7 8u
  58: vlan58: 0t 1 2 5
  59: vlan59: 2 4t 5
  60: vlan60: 0
  61: vlan61: 2 4t 7
  62: vlan62: 0t

Thanks!

 

[JGN0123]

After a few reboot, it looks promising but plugging in the node's port 4, AiMesh does not switch to wire backhaul even when setting Ethernet as Connection Priority. "robocfg show" shows this now.

Switch: enabled
Port 0:   DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: off mac: 00:00:00:00:00:00
Port 1:   DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: off mac: 00:00:00:00:00:00
Port 2:   DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: off mac: 00:00:00:00:00:00
Port 3:   DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: off mac: 00:00:00:00:00:00
Port 4: 1000FD enabled stp: none vlan: 2 jumbo: off mac: 40:8d:5c:xx:xx:0f
Port 5: 1000FD enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: off mac: 40:8d:5c:xx:xx:0f
Port 7:   DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: off mac: 00:00:00:00:00:00
Port 8:   DOWN enabled stp: none vlan: 1 jumbo: off mac: 00:00:00:00:00:00
VLANs: BCM5301x enabled mac_check mac_hash
   1: vlan1: 0 1 2 3 5t
   2: vlan2: 4 5t
  56: vlan56: 0t 3 5t 8u
  57: vlan57: 0t 2t 4 5 8u
  58: vlan58: 1t 7
  59: vlan59: 0 2 3 4 5 8u
  60: vlan60: 0t 2 5t 7 8u
  61: vlan61: 0 1t 3 7
  62: vlan62: 0 1 2 3t 4 5 7

Noticed that WAN (vlan2) and LAN (vlan1) still have the same MAC. That might be the problem.

 

[Lacrocious]

I have a 68U, with dead WAN port, currently setting up as an AP connecting to the main router thru its LAN port (LAN to LAN) and it's been working great for years. With the latest Merlin firmware, I set it up as an AiMesh node and it works but Ethernet back-haul via its LAN port does not work. Is there a way to map a LAN port to WAN? ....

Great question. I have one in the same situation. Tried in August, but wired backhaul didn’t work and wireless backhaul didn’t have a good signal. Waiting to see what others suggest and for some time to dig deeper myself.
- L

 

[JGN0123]

Great question. I have one in the same situation. Tried in August, but wired backhaul didn’t work and wireless backhaul didn’t have a good signal. Waiting to see what others suggest and for some time to dig deeper myself.
- L

Just ordered the WAN port transformer DIP to replace the burnt one. Meanwhile, I went back and set it up as an AP for now.

 

[Lacrocious]

I popped mine open and have no obvious part has given up the electronic ghost. I know we had a lightning strike when it went dead, along with a switch that died at the same time. It was worth a try.
- L

 

[JGN0123]

Yes, lightning strike fried my WAN port. I am guessing the HN18101CG DIP was burned. Just ordered 1 for $2.75 from ebay.

 

[Lacrocious]

JGN0123 - How did your chip swap go?

I actually have my router with the blown WAN port actively participating in my AIMesh!!! I ended up googling a bit about blown WAN ports and ran into some posts about people using the Dual WAN option to get past this issue, but not as a node in a AIMesh - only as a primary router (nobody mentioned Mesh in those conversations). I don't know of any way to configure those settings for a AIMesh node. Finally, the out-side the box option hit me.

I took my broken router and configured it as my primary router, setup the DUAL WAN with LAN 1 configured as the Primary WAN port and connected it to my cable modem. It picked up and operated just fine. A day or so of testing and all my clients seem to work just fine, all picked up and connected without any reconfiguration of Wireless settings and all seemed good. I then reset my old Primary router and made it an AIMesh node. Plugged the WAN port into the new primary router's LAN port and I now have a wired AIMesh node!

This is working great. Now I have to tune the location of the second node and run a network cable to it, depending on location, but all is working.

If your chip fix doesn't do it, or you don't want to bother with it - rearrange your routers and use Dual WAN to make your broken router your Primary router for your mesh.
- L

 

[TNCS]

I don't get it... The whole idea of 'Wifi mesh' is to interconnect 'wirelessly' without cable. Preferably with 3 as minimum unit, so if one fails it would still work as mesh Wifi can switch interlink among themselves, as oppose to old method only specific (generally 1) defined wireless uplink as primary. If you are using cable as backhaul, simply set the 2nd device as AP mode...

 

[Lacrocious]

Not a mesh expert here, but my take on it is if you do a wired backhaul, you eliminate that wireless traffic from your environment, eliminating congestion and collisions. In my case, where my primary router is located and where i want the second router causes the second router to not get a great wireless signal back to the primary. I can easily route cat-5 through the basement so I have a high speed connection between routers.

In this case, the mesh part should make switching between routers more seamless than just using an access point.
- L

 

[TNCS]

Yeah, that no longer a "wifi mesh"by the Asus AiMesh. The whole idea of mesh Wifi is to connect wireless and take the old 1-to-1 or 1-to-many ad-hoc restriction away and simply for the users... If you using cable, it no longer the 'wifi mesh' the general retail consumer tend to perceive. As a mesh networking, that can be quite easily achieved with proper config and equipment, but it isn't the 'Asus AiMesh' that you're thinking.

You can read here and here for more insight.

 

[Grisu]

my take on it is if you do a wired backhaul, you eliminate that wireless traffic from your environment, eliminating congestion and collisions.

Thats correct, Aimesh is not for WiFi mesh only!
It is to have better steering of clients and easier setup and administration.
LAN backhaul will be much better than via WiFi, but Aimesh will use what it gets for backhaul connection, if there is a LAN it will use it otherwise trying WiFi.

 

[TNCS]

Thats correct, Aimesh is not for WiFi mesh only!
It is to have better steering of clients and easier setup and administration.
LAN backhaul will be much better than via WiFi, but Aimesh will use what it gets for backhaul connection, if there is a LAN it will use it otherwise trying WiFi.

Yeah, I'm not so convinced especially after reading this article of How-to from Asus except, it a wifi mesh. Particularly the instruction quote "so careful placement is important", sound everything like a wifi mesh. And if it band steering, beam foaming and/or fast romaing nothing current 802.11x technology doesn't cover. Sure there's many vendor specific optimizations such as Ruckus BeamFlex (beamforming), Ubiquiti Zero Handoff, but still within the normal Wifi spec. Unless all this is another vendor confusing marketing campaign, in which quite annoying at very least.

What I can gather from Asus, AiMesh is a wifi mesh that simply the admin/config process... Maybe some Asus tweak to further enhance the handshake (handoff) between the routers/AP. But nothing old setup of Router+AP combo with correct Wifi config can't do.

 

[Grisu]

It nowhere says how to do the backhaul (Wifi or LAN), they only say it makes easier to expand Wifi to everywhere in the house w/o dead spots.
At the same time its a LAN-mesh too, as you can use all LAN-ports on the nodes too like in AP or repeater mode.
One advatage, if LAN-backhaul goes down it will automatically switch over to WiFi-backhaul (if possible and connection to any other mesh-device strong enough).

 

[Smokindog]

If you have a wired backhaul available just use AP mode and dump AiMesh. For ME PERSONALLY, I find more disadvantage than advantage using AiMesh that are well documented in many threads (fixed radio channels, lack of node control, ...).

I can't recall if AP mode requires an active WAN port but if it does just disable DHCP and other "router functions" and use a LAN port. That's how I've used other equipment that doesn't have AP mode in the past. Easy Peasy!

I run all my nodes in AP mode (except the main of course) using wired backhaul.

 

[Lacrocious]

...
I run all my nodes in AP mode (except the main of course) using wired backhaul.

Do you use the same SID for your main router and your AP's? Do you roam between them or disconnect reconnect if you want to switch? I assume you choose different channels to minimize interference. Anything else you do special in your configurations?

I'm hoping for a relatively seamless transition, if possible - less for me than the rest of the family.

Thank you,
- L

 

[Smokindog]

Do you use the same SID for your main router and your AP's? Do you roam between them or disconnect reconnect if you want to switch? I assume you choose different channels to minimize interference. Anything else you do special in your configurations?

I'm hoping for a relatively seamless transition, if possible - less for me than the rest of the family.

Thank you,
- L

Yes, same SSID (all APs/all frequencies, e.g. ONE SSID FOR ALL), ... Typically different channels. Roaming is mostly a client controlled activity and I'm typically stationary or stationary enough to remain within the access point I'm connected to. However if I do walk room to room it will reconnect. Not sure I'd rely on it for WiFi phone calls without causing a hiccup but that's not really in my use case list (and I'd guess not in 99% of home use cases).

 

[TNCS]

It nowhere says how to do the backhaul (Wifi or LAN), they only say it makes easier to expand Wifi to everywhere in the house w/o dead spots.
At the same time its a LAN-mesh too, as you can use all LAN-ports on the nodes too like in AP or repeater mode.
One advatage, if LAN-backhaul goes down it will automatically switch over to WiFi-backhaul (if possible and connection to any other mesh-device strong enough).

That because the AiMesh from Asus is only wireless mesh, that what I'm being try to say the whole time. To do a mesh topology on equipment via Ethernet is a totally different entity. The complexity of configuration is something this class of equipment is generally catered for.

Do you use the same SID for your main router and your AP's? Do you roam between them or disconnect reconnect if you want to switch? I assume you choose different channels to minimize interference. Anything else you do special in your configurations?

I'm hoping for a relatively seamless transition, if possible - less for me than the rest of the family.

Thank you,
- L

As Smokindog said, at AP mode , ALL SSID / encryption type / password must be all the same. And as you indicate, channel must be different among the APs and in roaming, CH1/6/11 is even more highly recommend then ever.

Yes, same SSID (all APs/all frequencies, e.g. ONE SSID FOR ALL), ... Typically different channels. Roaming is mostly a client controlled activity and I'm typically stationary or stationary enough to remain within the access point I'm connected to. However if I do walk room to room it will reconnect. Not sure I'd rely on it for WiFi phone calls without causing a hiccup but that's not really in my use case list (and I'd guess not in 99% of home use cases).

It up to the client to disconnect weak signal and look for stronger signals broadcast, but up to the APs how seamless the roaming is.

 

[Lacrocious]

Yes, same SSID (all APs/all frequencies, e.g. ONE SSID FOR ALL), ... Typically different channels. Roaming is mostly a client controlled activity and I'm typically stationary or stationary enough to remain within the access point I'm connected to. However if I do walk room to room it will reconnect. Not sure I'd rely on it for WiFi phone calls without causing a hiccup but that's not really in my use case list (and I'd guess not in 99% of home use cases).

Thanks! I'll look into giving that a try. We have a similar usage. A hitch while walking wouldn't be an issue.
- L

 

[Lacrocious]

That because the AiMesh from Asus is only wireless mesh, that what I'm being try to say the whole time. To do a mesh topology on equipment via Ethernet is a totally different entity. The complexity of configuration is something this class of equipment is generally catered for.

I'm not doubting you but Asus does promote wrote backhaul: https://www.asus.com/us/support/FAQ/1035140/
AP may work better and I'll try it in the near future to see if it works better. Thanks for the info.
- L

 

[Grisu]

Asus is correct, they DO support backhaul via WiFi OR LAN and child-node will use what it gets (wired usually will be prefered over wireless) and you can set prefered WiFi or LAN backhaul.