ASUS TUF-BE6500 AiMesh Issues on Latest Firmware

[Jakub053]

Issue​

Preamble; the issue at hand​

As an AiMesh node, the TUF-BE6500's ethernet ports stop functioning when connected to the mesh network over the WAN ethernet port.

State of Functionality on 3.0.0.6.102_57063​

Here is what it can do properly:

• Be an AiMesh router.
• Be an AiMesh node only through ethernet.
• Have functioning Wi-Fi in all firmware versions and under every relevant operation mode.

Here is what it cannot do:

• Connect to a network running AiMesh over Wi-Fi.
  • It would outright fail just after the half-way point of joining the mesh.
• Have functional ethernet ports when connected to AiMesh network over the WAN ethernet port.
  • Essentially, trying to connect any devices over ethernet, using any of the three rear ports, fails to assign any one of them an IP that lasts.
  • An IP would be assigned to a device before completely disconnecting it and pretending like it was never even there.
  • This would happen over the span of a few seconds after connecting a device to any of the ports

State of Functionality on 3.0.0.6.102_55645 (one version downgrade)​

• Can now be a part of an AiMesh network wirelessly.
• Still works an an AiMesh router.
• Wi-Fi still works.
• Still can join a mesh network using the WAN port.
• Now has mostly-functional ethernet ports.
  • After a 'cold' start, the node's ethernet ports do not function (other than the WAN port).
  • A single reboot usually gets the ports working again, detecting devices and assigning IPs.

Postamble​

The newest version of the firmware for the TUF-BE6500 as of this moment is the 3.0.0.6.102_57063, found for me on the ASUS UK site here.
This version comes with a warning about the architectural upgrades done to AiMesh.

*Please be advised that due to an architecture upgrade in AiMesh, we highly discourage downgrading to earlier firmware versions as it may result in connectivity problems. If you experience any difficulties, we suggest resetting the AiMesh router to its default settings and re-establishing the mesh connection.​

I don't know if anyone else has the same issues as me, but any advice would be highly welcome.
As of this moment, my network appears to be running well, but this has caused distrust towards any newer releases of the firmware.

---

My Home Network Composition​

1. Main Router - RT-BE88U running the latest firmware 3.0.0.6.102_38151. No issues so far other than it taking forever to get assigned an IP from my Virgin Media Super Hub, but I managed to get one assigned by setting the DHCP query frequency to "Continuous Mode".
2. Supplementary Router - TUF-AX5400 (Wired network connection) running the latest firmware 3.0.0.4.388_24206. No issues here at all.
3. Supplementary Router - TUF-BE6500 (Wired network connection) running a slightly older firmware version 3.0.0.6.102_55645. Sometimes the ethernet ports behave weirdly, but this was outlined earlier.

They are put in various places in the house, main router on the first floor, the AX5400 on the ground floor, and the BE6500 in the garage.
I am planning on replacing the AX5400 with a RT-BE92U, just waiting for shipping.
I need these because the walls in this house are really thick, and made of concrete, making it impossible to sometimes get a connection if I were to have just one router.

 

[tommyjli]

I have exactly the same issue with Ethernet port oddities in the most recent firmware (not working), I can also attest to slightly odd but working Ethernet (LAN) ports in previous. Reported to Asus but they aren't able to replicate.

My main router is a BE96U in AP mode, aimesh nodes wired backhaul (works great at 2.5G)

The pitfall to my problem is that I'm unable to downgrade. Were you able to?

I've replaced it with an AX82U which is working perfectly in its place.

 

[Jakub053]

I have exactly the same issue with Ethernet port oddities in the most recent firmware (not working), I can also attest to slightly odd but working Ethernet (LAN) ports in previous. Reported to Asus but they aren't able to replicate.

My main router is a BE96U in AP mode, aimesh nodes wired backhaul (works great at 2.5G)

The pitfall to my problem is that I'm unable to downgrade. Were you able to?

I've replaced it with an AX82U which is working perfectly in its place.

I don't know anything about the BE96U, although I have seen a few forum posts floating around mentioning it.
AiMesh tends to be the most reliable in wired mode, although I haven't exclusively enabled ethernet backhaul mode.
Be sure to switch all nodes relying on ethernet backhaul to prefer it over wireless, since I woke up one morning to find all the nodes disconnected as a result of them deciding to try out 5GHz backhaul, when the reason I'm using ethernet it because that is not possible.

Anyway, yes I was able to downgrade to a previous version, but not through the GUI, at least not entirely.

There are two methods (apparently), but I used method 1 since I didn't know how to access recovery mode.
The standard way of upgrading firmware through the GUI will straight-up refuse to work with an older version.

Method 1 (SSH + USB) TUF-BE6500:​

Perform this at your own risk.
I used this youtube video as a guide

, although it is a little bit outdated as SCP is no longer includes in AsusWRT, and mtd-write2 is now just mtd-write.
The problematic router should be put into AiMesh Router mode, so that you can access USB control facilities.

1. Enable FTP/Samba login for at least one user with R/W access to some folder.
2. Using the WinSCP program (or any other method of putting files on the the network share), put the firmware file into any of the folders that you have access to on the USB.
3. Enable SSH access to your router. If you use port 22 then you don't need anything extra to ssh. If you set any other port value, you will need the '-p' flag.
4. SSH onto the router with

   ssh username@192.168.X.Y

   1. Or use this with a port number other than 22

      ssh username@192.168.X.Y -p portNumber

5. Change to the directory with the file e.g.

   cd /tmp/mnt/MyUSBStick/MyFolder/

6. Once in the right directory just do

   mtd-write TUF-BE6500_XXX.trx linux && reboot

7. The router should reboot if the flash is successful. You will see some weird things happening on the gui page of the router, ignore those as we are not finished.
8. SSH into the router again and perform the following

   nvram_erase && reboot

9. Now you wait for the router to reboot and you should be starting from fresh on the downgraded version.

Method 2 (Recovery Mode) TUF-BE6500:​

Look at this forum post, it recommends against using method 1 (although this poster claims to do it all the time).
I did not know about this method when I was downgrading at the time, so I used method 1.
You on the other hand might feel safer to just use method 2.

In short, the post says that you can use the recovery tool to flash the firmware.
The recovery tool will not work if the router is not in recovery mode, which is what I did not know how to access, nevertheless it will allow you to downgrade your firmware.
This is done with the following:

You have to put the router into recovery mode. This is done by pulling the power plug and while holding the reset button with a toothpick and plugging the power back in the light will blink slowly when in recovery mode.
-skeal

Then use the recovery tool on your system to flash the firmware.

 

[Jakub053]

I have exactly the same issue with Ethernet port oddities in the most recent firmware (not working), I can also attest to slightly odd but working Ethernet (LAN) ports in previous. Reported to Asus but they aren't able to replicate.

My main router is a BE96U in AP mode, aimesh nodes wired backhaul (works great at 2.5G)

The pitfall to my problem is that I'm unable to downgrade. Were you able to?

I've replaced it with an AX82U which is working perfectly in its place.

I was also wondering what happened to your post as I received an email notification, yet came to find nothing on this page.
Looks like all it needed was some moderator approval, which Is what my main reply is waiting for rn.

 

[tommyjli]

Thank you for this, I had to use a slightly different syntax in ssh for downgrade

mtd-write -i TUFxxx.trx -d linux reboot