New ZenWifi XT8 user with issues

[AlexXT8]

Hi all. I'm new to home networking and everything, just moved into a house. My ISP provides a modem/router that I'm stuck with. It sits in the basement, right next to the outlets for all the Cat6 cables I have running through the house, but where wifi is completely blocked off. I have therefore plopped an Asus ZenWifi XT8 in my living room, connected it to the modem via Ethernet, and placed the other antenna on the top floor. Things seemed fine at first. I have 1 Gbps fiber and I'm getting over anywhere from 200 to 700 Mbps down in wifi depending on where I am in the house, which worked well enough for me. Then the issues began:

1. I connected a NAS to the network (Synology DS420+) and quickly realized that if I connect it via ethernet to the ISP router, anything on the wifi network can't see it. I do some research and put the mesh in AP mode. This allows my wired and wireless devices to communicate, but from then on the network starts disconnecting at random intervals for random durations. The problem isn't the NAS because this happens even when I disconnect it. The problem disappears if I put the mesh back in router mode. Has anyone encountered this? I'd really like to be able to use AP mode reliably.
2. Another weird thing is that when connected to the main antenna (the one that is connected to the modem via ethernet), both my laptop (Asus G14) and my iPhone XR report download speeds around 700 Mbps. However, when connected to the satellite on the top floor, the speed drops. Now, a speed drop is expected due to the wireless backhaul, but why is it that my iPhone still gets 500 Mbps down, while my G14 only achieves 300 Mbps tops? (with no network-intensive tasks running, of course)
3. I'm going to list it here but I don't think the XT8 is the issue: when transferring large files from the laptop to the NAS, the network drive randomly becomes unavailable to Windows Explorer. It doesn't completely drop off the network since I can still access the control interface through a browser and I can still stream stuff from the NAS on my other devices. Still, if anyone has thoughts I'm a taker.

For context (and because I've just read the thread about how my €600 wifi system might actually be a "POS", which is scaring me a bit), I'm running the latest firmware available to me (3.0.0.4.386_43181). I'm open to downgrading if necessary.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[OzarkEdge]

Hi all. I'm new to home networking and everything, just moved into a house. My ISP provides a modem/router that I'm stuck with. It sits in the basement, right next to the outlets for all the Cat6 cables I have running through the house, but where wifi is completely blocked off. I have therefore plopped an Asus ZenWifi XT8 in my living room, connected it to the modem via Ethernet, and placed the other antenna on the top floor. Things seemed fine at first. I have 1 Gbps fiber and I'm getting over anywhere from 200 to 700 Mbps down in wifi depending on where I am in the house, which worked well enough for me. Then the issues began:

1. I connected a NAS to the network (Synology DS420+) and quickly realized that if I connect it via ethernet to the ISP router, anything on the wifi network can't see it. I do some research and put the mesh in AP mode. This allows my wired and wireless devices to communicate, but from then on the network starts disconnecting at random intervals for random durations. The problem isn't the NAS because this happens even when I disconnect it. The problem disappears if I put the mesh back in router mode. Has anyone encountered this? I'd really like to be able to use AP mode reliably.
2. Another weird thing is that when connected to the main antenna (the one that is connected to the modem via ethernet), both my laptop (Asus G14) and my iPhone XR report download speeds around 700 Mbps. However, when connected to the satellite on the top floor, the speed drops. Now, a speed drop is expected due to the wireless backhaul, but why is it that my iPhone still gets 500 Mbps down, while my G14 only achieves 300 Mbps tops? (with no network-intensive tasks running, of course)
3. I'm going to list it here but I don't think the XT8 is the issue: when transferring large files from the laptop to the NAS, the network drive randomly becomes unavailable to Windows Explorer. It doesn't completely drop off the network since I can still access the control interface through a browser and I can still stream stuff from the NAS on my other devices. Still, if anyone has thoughts I'm a taker.

For context (and because I've just read the thread about how my €600 wifi system might actually be a "POS", which is scaring me a bit), I'm running the latest firmware available to me (3.0.0.4.386_43181). I'm open to downgrading if necessary.

Many thanks in advance!

Did you install the latest firmware on both nodes, reset both nodes to factory defaults, wire and configure only one in AP Mode, adding the second to it as a wireless AiMesh node, in that order?

If your ISP router and/or neighbors are broadcasting other WiFi, did you configure the wired AiMesh AP node channels and bandwidths to not overlap those other WiFi signals to avoid interference/slowdowns?

Also determine your wireless clients' connection link rates to know if one client is connecting better than the others due to its own WiFi adaper capabilities (when all are connected to the same AiMesh node WLAN signal).

OE

 

[L&LD]

Welcome to the forums @AlexXT8.

Fully Reset / Best Practice Setup / More

The link above may help get you to a stable network.

Terms like 'main antennae' and 'other antennae' are very confusing to me. Are these the main router and an AP?

 

[AlexXT8]

Sorry yeah, it was a 2-item package with identical devices. What I call the "main antenna" is the one that's acting as router and connected via ethernet to the ISP modem. The "other antenna" is the one connected through the wireless backhaul to the "main antenna". So pretty much what you said.

I'll try using the proper procedure and report back.
edit: sorry: how do I reset the AP node to factory default? Do I just repeat steps 1 through 13 in this post?

 

[L&LD]

See the recommended procedure for your specific routers in the link below.

[Wireless] ASUS router Hard Factory Reset | Official Support | ASUS Global

 

[AlexXT8]

Ok so to clarify:

1. I flash the latest firmware (done)
2. Reset both devices to factory default using the above link
3. Set up just one of them in AP mode
4. Add the other as AiMesh
5. Cross fingers

Do I have it right?

 

[jpthsd]

Ok so to clarify:

1. I flash the latest firmware (done)
2. Reset both devices to factory default using the above link
3. Set up just one of them in AP mode
4. Add the other as AiMesh
5. Cross fingers

Do I have it right?

Did your ISP run the wire hook up to your Modem/Router a coax (chance it is DOCSIS router coax cable ingress) or an ethernet cable to the router modem? if it is an ethernet, you just need to connect it directly to the WAN of the XT8 unit.

if it is ethernet and hook up to your XT8 WAN port, Set up the first one as AiMesh router , configure everything you needed such firewall (by default on, disable WAN access,,etc) ,,then verify the 1st unit being as Wifi & AiMesh router and test with your wifi mobile device and wired laptop/computer to make sure everything works.

Then start up the 2nd unit and add it as AiMesh node (if you'd like to to AiMesh) via Wireless backhaul or wire backhaul your choice. Or maybe you prefer to configure the 2nd unit as AP..up to you!

And yes, if it is Docsis modem and being a router from your ISP , you probably need to configure both XT8 to be AP!

I heard the latest fw of XT8 fairly good and stable!

 

[SoFluffy]

I heard the latest fw of XT8 fairly good and stable!

Not sure where you heard that - definitely not here. If you do have issues, revert back to 42095 as the current "golden" build for ZenWifi XT8.