New RT-BE96U Setup

[jughead8]

I recently purchased an RT-BE96U router mainly for the 128 DHCP reservation and am wondering if i am making the right decisions. My home network setup is quite extensive, having a GT-AC5300 as my main router and several routers in different locations in my home as well as around my property of several buildings. I have at the moment approx 85 connecting devices including 8 routers as APs, Yolink Hubs, 10-15 gaming consoles and computers, 15-20 lights, switches and fans, printers, phones, robot vacs and mowers etc. I have reached well past the 64 DHCP reservation of the GT-AC5300 so i decided to somehow increase that with the RT-BE96U. I also have dual WAN with two ISP set as fallback (i think) and 7 LAN (ethernet) connections branching out to some of the other routers and them branching out to a few others. I have tried to make use of the DHCP Reservation capability to help organize and monitor all these devices in sort of categories and such. I am concerned, first of all, that the RT-BE96U only has 4 LAN ports (i think maybe 5) and 1 WAN port so I still would be using the GT-AC5300 in some way (most likely as AP) and with all the LAN (ethernet) cables residing at that router. I am also concerned about how to set this all up (preferably) all in my office (garage). My questions are 1. Can i put the two big routers in my office, probably a few feet apart and have the RT-BE96U as my main router and the GT-AC5300 as another AP? I also utilize Parental Controls for my kids devices and Game Acceleration (limitation lol). 2. Am i gonna have network or wifi interference if they are so close together? 3. Will i lose my second ISP in Dual Wan if the GT-AC5300 is in AP Mode especially if the RT-BE96U becomes the main Router? I have several other questions/concerns with this setup but any suggestions to help get this setup correctly would be greatly appreciated! OR maybe i'm going about this all wrong to start with?!?

 

[jksmurf]

I recently purchased an RT-BE96U router mainly for the 128 DHCP reservation and am wondering if i am making the right decisions.

I’m not sure if you use AsusMerlin FW but it supports the RT-AC5300 and if you used Addon scripts you can increase DHCP Reservations to 250-odd using YazDHP.

My home network setup is quite extensive, having a GT-AC5300 as my main router and several routers in different locations in my home as well as around my property of several buildings. I have at the moment approx 85 connecting devices including 8 routers as APs, Yolink Hubs, 10-15 gaming consoles and computers, 15-20 lights, switches and fans, printers, phones, robot vacs and mowers etc.

ok.

I have reached well past the 64 DHCP reservation of the GT-AC5300 so i decided to somehow increase that with the RT-BE96U.

See YazDHCP comment above. Worth a look, has a nice GUI too.

I also have dual WAN with two ISP set as fallback (i think) and 7 LAN (ethernet) connections branching out to some of the other routers and them branching out to a few others. I have tried to make use of the DHCP Reservation capability to help organize and monitor all these devices in sort of categories and such. I am concerned, first of all, that the RT-BE96U only has 4 LAN ports (i think maybe 5) and 1 WAN port so I still would be using the GT-AC5300 in some way (most likely as AP) and with all the LAN (ethernet) cables residing at that router.

TBH if you run short of ports and do not need VLANs, then I’d recommend you just plug an unmanaged switch into the router and get extra ports that way. Cheap simple cost effective. TP Link have decent ones that allow you to VLAN tags to pass through if that becomes a later issue.

I am also concerned about how to set this all up (preferably) all in my office (garage). My questions are 1. Can i put the two big routers in my office, probably a few feet apart and have the RT-BE96U as my main router and the GT-AC5300 as another AP? I also utilize Parental Controls for my kids devices and Game Acceleration (limitation lol). 2. Am i gonna have network or wifi interference if they are so close together? 3. Will i lose my second ISP in Dual Wan if the GT-AC5300 is in AP Mode especially if the RT-BE96U becomes the main Router? I have several other questions/concerns with this setup but any suggestions to help get this setup correctly would be greatly appreciated! OR maybe i'm going about this all wrong to start with?!?

I’m going to leave Wi-Fi interference to someone who knows more about this.

 

[jughead8]

I’m not sure if you use AsusMerlin FW but it supports the RT-AC5300 and if you used Addon scripts you can increase DHCP Reservations to 250-odd using YazDHP.


ok.

See YazDHCP comment above. Worth a look, has a nice GUI too.

TBH if you run short of ports and do not need VLANs, then I’d recommend you just plug an unmanaged switch into the router and get extra ports that way. Cheap simple cost effective. TP Link have decent ones that allow you to VLAN tags to pass through if that becomes a later issue.

I’m going to leave Wi-Fi interference to someone who knows more about this.

AsusMerlin FW does not support GT-AC5300, only RT-AC5300 to the best of my knowledge. I am not knowledgeable with Vlans, i just know my setup now works great but have exceeded 64 DHCP limitation

 

[jksmurf]

AsusMerlin FW does not support GT-AC5300, only RT-AC5300 to the best of my knowledge.

True, read the "AC5300" model a wee bit too fast on a mobile without lookng closely enough at the GT vs RT, apologies for that.

I am not knowledgeable with Vlans, i just know my setup now works great but have exceeded 64 DHCP limitation

I'm sure if (when) you come to looking at VLANs, you will find a wealth of information here.

At least your new RT-BE96U has Merlin support so you can up the DHCP Assignments even further (and each VLAN has 32 as well) although note that propogation to non 3006 Codebase Nodes is limited to specific number of Wifi interfaces per node). Your RT-BE96U is VLAN Capable, which is really nice although that does not help too much with nodes that are not i.e. if you want VLAN Tagging on Ethernet Devices attached to the Nodes.

 

[jughead8]

True, read the "AC5300" model a wee bit too fast on a mobile without lookng closely enough at the GT vs RT, apologies for that.



I'm sure if (when) you come to looking at VLANs, you will find a wealth of information here.

At least your new RT-BE96U has Merlin support so you can up the DHCP Assignments even further (and each VLAN has 32 as well) although note that propogation to non 3006 Codebase Nodes is limited to specific number of Wifi interfaces per node). Your RT-BE96U is VLAN Capable, which is really nice although that does not help too much with nodes that are not i.e. if you want VLAN Tagging on Ethernet Devices attached to the Nodes.

im afraid Vlan stuff is past my knowledge, im moreso looking for information on setting up both the RT-BE96U and GT-AC5300 together (hopefully in the same room) and still being able to use Dual WAN and the 8 ports in the GT-AC5300 or possibly splitting the two?!? Ill try looking into the VLAN stuff, maybe it will work but i like the simplicity of having all my home network stuff in one place!

 

[degrub]

You will have to turn off the wifi on one of them if you put them that close. They should be located about where the other's signal strength drops down to the -55 to -60dB level for the bands you are using for wireless backhaul. If 5 GHz band is used that probably means no more than 2 walls between, and probably only one unless you can have direct line of sight with no obstructions between them. Otherwise, more reliable option is to use wired backhaul.

 

[jzchen]

I agree you shouldn't have two routers in the same room... That said the question becomes what backhaul (Ethernet or WiFi) if you do move the GT-AC5300 to a different room. I believe that model is EOL so you may want to consider replacing it...

If you pay for unlimited data service on both lines do consider dual WAN with load balancing. The fail over function is automatic and you can likely get improved performance. The con is that AiProtection does not function in this mode...