[Beta-release] AiMesh Phase2 beta test for RT-AC68U and first beta for BlueCave

[hotsauce2007]

Maybe you have not noticed, but the topic only applies to RT-AC68U and BlueCave.

I got it now, where is the original thread for the ac86u?

 

[Flying Dutchman]

Running this Phase2 beta firmware for some weeks now. Except from the guest network, this firmware runs great for my purpose. (the Engenius is switched off since I use this firmware).
@arthurlien , any idea when I can upgrade to the non-beta variant of Phase2?
Your reply is highly appreciated.

 

[BradsterACT]

Been happily running this beta for several weeks on 2 RT-AC68U (beta2 firmware)

Changed ai mesh router to DSL-AC68U, factory reset RT-AC68U and tried to pair..would not pair.
It would count to 50 slow then quickly to 100 and fail.
Downgraded RT-AC68U to latest stock firmware and it paired right away.

Not sure if its the DSL-AC68U or the beta for RT-AC68U but they wont pair together unless on latest STOCK firmware.

 

[Grisu]

did you try with latest DSL-21128 and RT-21152?
DSL: http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/wireless/DSL-AC68U/FW_DSL_AC68U_300438421128.zip
RT: http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/wireless/RT-AC1900U/FW_RT_AC1900U_300438421152.ZIP

DSL-type can only be used as parent-router, not possible to be set as Aimesh-node!

 

[BradsterACT]

Currently Running these versions and they are paired fine.


RT-AC68U Current Version : 3.0.0.4.384_21140-ge07a2dd
(Showing as latest version on Asus Australia) wasnt aware of 21152 or seen changelog.

DSL-AC68U Current Version : 9.0.0.4.384_21126-fix01
Same as 21128 per Jack at Asus

 

[Peter van Aken]

@Wilson_Deng

I have been running Aimesh since the start and it runs great.
During the initial setup I noticed that the fine tuning of the roaming assistant DB values is critical for a smooth experience.

I tweaked my DB settings based on the input my wifisnooper software gave me.
But it is my assumption that many of your users will not have the experience or interest to go through this lengthy process.

Therefore the only improvement I could suggest is that there is a setup mode in the router that would allow you to select one device that you walk around the house and based on the output your modem would decide on the best DB settings.

 

[Neil62]

Hello ASUS,

Where is and or is the development work (if any), for the following going to be completed (or not):

1. Guest Accounts on Nodes
2. Being able to manually or schedule reboot of Nodes
3. Identifying interface connection by band on Nodes (web GUI)
4. Fixing of the unstable client list (web GUI)
5. Led indicator on the Nodes if they have gone off line
6. Fixing of the Missing band registration/s on main AiMesh router of Nodes (Wireless Log)
7. RA (Roaming assistant) at least in my environment is still very flaky at best. I have turned it off.

I am willing to test any beta if any is available for my routers. My AiMesh setup is in my signature.

 

[WillyTP]

I queue myself to Neil62 questions.
Moreover, in my setup, PPTP VPN connection is ultra slow, don't know why.

 

[JohnD5000]

@Wilson_Deng

I have been running Aimesh since the start and it runs great.
During the initial setup I noticed that the fine tuning of the roaming assistant DB values is critical for a smooth experience.

I tweaked my DB settings based on the input my wifisnooper software gave me.
But it is my assumption that many of your users will not have the experience or interest to go through this lengthy process.

Therefore the only improvement I could suggest is that there is a setup mode in the router that would allow you to select one device that you walk around the house and based on the output your modem would decide on the best DB settings.

Can you explain how to do this process? Is there a document or write up somewhere?

Thanks

 

[Squall Leonhart]

snipped

just a heads up Wilson, the Bios and Firmware filter on Asus's product download pages has had broken templates for a couple of weeks.

looks like

Where it should look more like

This is causing an issue for all bios / firmware pages for various asus products.

 

[OMNI619]

Report it to Asus they can fix their f....up

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920AZ using Tapatalk

 

[Squall Leonhart]

Report it to Asus they can fix their f....up

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920AZ using Tapatalk

Wilson is from asus.....

 

[JohnD5000]

So there has not been an update in phase 2 beta since initial release almost 2 1/2 months ago. Since then, 3.0.0.4.384.21140 has been released. Is 3.0.0.4.384.21140 more advanced than phase 2 beta? Should we switch to 3.0.0.4.384.21140 or stick with phase 2 beta?

 

[OMNI619]

Ok then Mrs Wilson needs to fix and as well release firmware update for the ASUS TM AC1900 from T-Mobile because T-Mobile suck thanks

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920AZ using Tapatalk

 

[Peter van Aken]

Can you explain how to do this process? Is there a document or write up somewhere?

Thanks

1) Install a network stumbler in order to see your signal strenght.

2) Review the signal strength of both your routers on serveral spots in your house by walking around (write the data down)

3) Than tweak your broadcasting strength in your modem to make sure there is a reasonable gap in signal strength on the desired hand over points in you house (Wireless >> Profesional >> Tx power adjustment / make sure you adjust the 2.5 and the 5Ghz channel !). This is important as you need a reasonable difference in signal strength at the hand over sport in order to make a Mesh network work. Your bigest challenge is to adjust the transmission power in order to make sure that the area your modes are covering are overlapping but not so much that the handover space is as big as your house resulting in no handover at all. This is important as wifi is a two way street. Your modem can be broadcasting until the end of your street, your ipad is whispering back and therefore you still have a bad connection. So in a mesh network it is quality over signal strength.

4) Review the signal strength of both your routers to make sure there is a reasonable difference in DB at the desired hand over spots (at least 5 DB difference is my advice)

5) At the hand over spot lowest signal strenght you can now set your Roaming assistant to roam at a value at the lowest signal strenght (Wireless >> Profesional >> Roaming assistant / make sure you adjust the 2.5 and the 5Ghz channel !)

6) Make one more walk with your network stumbler to check if the handover is done correctly at the desired spots in your house

7) Continue tweaking (it took me about 6 runs to get it spot on) by looking at your modems log and network stumbler results while walking around the house.

 

[JohnD5000]

1) Install a network stumbler in order to see your signal strenght.

2) Review the signal strength of both your routers on serveral spots in your house by walking around (write the data down)

3) Than tweak your broadcasting strength in your modem to make sure there is a reasonable gap in signal strength on the desired hand over points in you house (Wireless >> Profesional >> Tx power adjustment / make sure you adjust the 2.5 and the 5Ghz channel !). This is important as you need a reasonable difference in signal strength at the hand over sport in order to make a Mesh network work. Your bigest challenge is to adjust the transmission power in order to make sure that the area your modes are covering are overlapping but not so much that the handover space is as big as your house resulting in no handover at all. This is important as wifi is a two way street. Your modem can be broadcasting until the end of your street, your ipad is whispering back and therefore you still have a bad connection. So in a mesh network it is quality over signal strength.

4) Review the signal strength of both your routers to make sure there is a reasonable difference in DB at the desired hand over spots (at least 5 DB difference is my advice)

5) At the hand over spot lowest signal strenght you can now set your Roaming assistant to roam at a value at the lowest signal strenght (Wireless >> Profesional >> Roaming assistant / make sure you adjust the 2.5 and the 5Ghz channel !)

6) Make one more walk with your network stumbler to check if the handover is done correctly at the desired spots in your house

7) Continue tweaking (it took me about 6 runs to get it spot on) by looking at your modems log and network stumbler results while walking around the house.

Thanks for the reply:

#3) I have a RT-AC86U as my modem and 2 RT-AC68U as the nodes. I can not check the 68Us since they are nodes, but the 86U does not have a (Wireless >> Profesional >> Tx power adjustment) feature under either the 2.4 or 5 channels. I am running firmware 21140 on the 86U and the phase 2 beta on the 68Us.

Thanks

 

[Peter van Aken]

Thanks for the reply:

#3) I have a RT-AC86U as my modem and 2 RT-AC68U as the nodes. I can not check the 68Us since they are nodes, but the 86U does not have a (Wireless >> Profesional >> Tx power adjustment) feature under either the 2.4 or 5 channels. I am running firmware 21140 on the 86U and the phase 2 beta on the 68Us.

Thanks

It seems that this option is not available on your modem, so i guess you can skip that step and continue to #4.

 

[JohnD5000]

It seems that this option is not available on your modem, so i guess you can skip that step and continue to #4.

OK Thanks. Could you explain step 5;

5) At the hand over spot lowest signal strenght you can now set your Roaming assistant to roam at a value at the lowest signal strenght (Wireless >> Profesional >> Roaming assistant / make sure you adjust the 2.5 and the 5Ghz channel !)

in more detail? Maybe give your numbers that you used and how you adjusted them.

 

[Peter van Aken]

OK Thanks. Could you explain step 5;

5) At the hand over spot lowest signal strenght you can now set your Roaming assistant to roam at a value at the lowest signal strenght (Wireless >> Profesional >> Roaming assistant / make sure you adjust the 2.5 and the 5Ghz channel !)

in more detail? Maybe give your numbers that you used and how you adjusted them.

Will try to elaborate a bit but it all comes down to trial and error and your unique location specifics to get it right.

So my network is the network named "network5ghz_optout". One node is located in the basement and the other in the attic.

The nodes are connected via UTP. This is essential as extending the signal based on a wifi connection between nodes will not allow you to create a "hand over gap". A hand over gap is a spot where there is a reasonable difference in signal strength between your nodes. If choose to use wifi to connect the nodes you will need a decent signal between the nodes in order to have smooth experience. But if you have a decent signal at the location of the second note that kinda makes the whole Aimesh experience useless as the space between the 2 nodes as equal coverage from both nodes.

Also do note that the lower your signal value the better the signal (e.g. a -68 is a stronger signal than -76 signal)

So in my house, at spot no 1 (living room) you see that the signal strength is of my basement node is -68 and my attic node is -76

At sport n0 2 (first floor / handover location) you notice that my basement node is now broadcasting at -74 and the attic node is broadcasting at -62. Hence I want my device to switch from the basement node to the attic node.

In order to force this switch between nodes I have set my handover value at -68.

At first I had this value at -70 but I noticed a handover value of -68 resulted in a more smooth experience.

 

[JohnD5000]

Will try to elaborate a bit but it all comes down to trial and error and your unique location specifics to get it right.

So my network is the network named "network5ghz_optout". One node is located in the basement and the other in the attic.

The nodes are connected via UTP. This is essential as extending the signal based on a wifi connection between nodes will not allow you to create a "hand over gap". A hand over gap is a spot where there is a reasonable difference in signal strength between your nodes. If choose to use wifi to connect the nodes you will need a decent signal between the nodes in order to have smooth experience. But if you have a decent signal at the location of the second note that kinda makes the whole Aimesh experience useless as the space between the 2 nodes as equal coverage from both nodes.

Also do note that the lower your signal value the better the signal (e.g. a -68 is a stronger signal than -76 signal)

So in my house, at spot no 1 (living room) you see that the signal strength is of my basement node is -68 and my attic node is -76
View attachment 13892

At sport n0 2 (first floor / handover location) you notice that my basement node is now broadcasting at -74 and the attic node is broadcasting at -62. Hence I want my device to switch from the basement node to the attic node.

View attachment 13893

In order to force this switch between nodes I have set my handover value at -68.

View attachment 13894

At first I had this value at -70 but I noticed a handover value of -68 resulted in a more smooth experience.

Thanks for explaining this. My two nodes are connected wirelessly, not by cable. So, I guess I cannot use this method.