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IS there an easy way to swap an AiMesh node and Router?

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jay613

Occasional Visitor
I keep expanding my AiMesh network with cheap Asus routers from Ebay. I love this! But along the way I've acquired nodes that are faster than my router. I should use the most powerful one as the router. But I've made a lot of configurations .... I've named all the clients, I've given DHCP assignments to the devices worthy of those (eg printer, cameras), customized DNS, created some parental controls, and more. If I just re-configure the most powerful node as my router and vice versa, I will lose all that configuration won't I? Is there an easy way to do what I want, to swap router and node and retain all the customizations I've created?
 
I keep expanding my AiMesh network with cheap Asus routers from Ebay. I love this! But along the way I've acquired nodes that are faster than my router. I should use the most powerful one as the router. But I've made a lot of configurations .... I've named all the clients, I've given DHCP assignments to the devices worthy of those (eg printer, cameras), customized DNS, created some parental controls, and more. If I just re-configure the most powerful node as my router and vice versa, I will lose all that configuration won't I? Is there an easy way to do what I want, to swap router and node and retain all the customizations I've created?

Conventional wisdom says you must reset and then configure the new router/root node from scratch.

OE
 
How many do you have exactly? :)

With more than three routers (at least two in AiMesh mode), the following suggestions may help?

Use the most powerful router for your ISP speeds, scripts used, etc., without using its Wi-Fi.

Set up the next second most powerful router as the AiMesh 'master'. Connect the rest of the AiMesh 'nodes' to it.

Add nodes until your Wi-Fi network implodes, then remove the last one. :D
 
@OzarkEdge I think you are probably right in that I'd have to start from scratch, though I do not agree that any kind of wisdom would dictate that. I would think "wisdom" would allow any node to become the router just by physically connecting it that way. They all clone the same config and all behave in the way they should given their topography. That's what my wisdom would say. I know that's idealistic.

@L&LD your strategy is technically sound but unrealistic. 1) Unless you have more than enough routers to totally saturate every corner of your house, I don't think sacrificing one entirely to routing is necessary. 2) It works if you buy all your routers at once based on a plan to use your scheme. In fact, I keep adding nodes, and each one I add tends to be the most powerful, because you know, they keep getting more powerful and I can always buy a two-year-old node for much less than $100. So I'll never achieve that ideal state you describe. But at some point my latest purchase is *so much* more powerful than my original router that I really want to swap them ... it's just too much work!
 
It is realistic. The 'router' doesn't need to be the best at anything but, routing. The AiMesh nodes only need to be good at Wi-Fi.

Unless your network demands and/or ISP speeds increase so much each time you get new hardware, you have effectively separated them.

The 'wisdom' that seek isn't available anywhere, except by the stipulations I've outlined above which you don't seem to agree with. :)
 
@OzarkEdge I think you are probably right in that I'd have to start from scratch, though I do not agree that any kind of wisdom would dictate that. I would think "wisdom" would allow any node to become the router just by physically connecting it that way. They all clone the same config and all behave in the way they should given their topography. That's what my wisdom would say. I know that's idealistic.

I understand what you mean. But I think you confuse wisdom (the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment) with want and desire.

OE
 

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