Question about 160mhz Ai Mesh backhaul

[Heisenberger]

Hi all, am very new to networking (especially wifi 6 and mesh systems), so apologies if this question has been asked many times before.

Currently i am running a 2x AX56U setup running in ai mesh. These 2 units are placed rather far apart (over 40 feet) due to factors i cannot control, and i am unable to wire-backhaul both of them. For context, my ISP speed is rated at 500mbps, but my mesh node is able to deliver a maximum of around half at 250mbps.

I was thinking of upgrading one of the routers to a triband router (thinking bout the XT8) as a primary node for its dedicated 5ghz backhaul, and more importantly to utilize its 160mhz channel. However, I have concerns as to whether my AX56U node is able to utilize and receive the 160mhz channel as a wireless backhaul? Or will it be limited to 80mhz only due to hardware limitations of the router?

Finally, I'm wondering if this new setup would even improve my node speeds, as perhaps the entire system would be bottlenecked by the wireless backhaul and distance between the nodes in the first place thanks all in advance for your help

 

[Hydroxpert]

Hi all, am very new to networking (especially wifi 6 and mesh systems), so apologies if this question has been asked many times before.

Currently i am running a 2x AX56U setup running in ai mesh. These 2 units are placed rather far apart (over 40 feet) due to factors i cannot control, and i am unable to wire-backhaul both of them. For context, my ISP speed is rated at 500mbps, but my mesh node is able to deliver a maximum of around half at 250mbps.

I was thinking of upgrading one of the routers to a triband router (thinking bout the XT8) as a primary node for its dedicated 5ghz backhaul, and more importantly to utilize its 160mhz channel. However, I have concerns as to whether my AX56U node is able to utilize and receive the 160mhz channel as a wireless backhaul? Or will it be limited to 80mhz only due to hardware limitations of the router?

Finally, I'm wondering if this new setup would even improve my node speeds, as perhaps the entire system would be bottlenecked by the wireless backhaul and distance between the nodes in the first place thanks all in advance for your help

The AX56U only supports 80mhz, so it will not be able to connect to your XT8 at 160mhz.

I would suggest selling off the AX56Us and getting an XT8 pair if you'd like to stick to Asus. They should work well in your setup. They will connect to each other at 160mhz, assuming your area has no radar/airports/etc. Your client devices will connect to the XT8s at 80mhz.

If you have the budget, you could also try the Netgear Orbi RBK853. I've tried that before, and it works well.