SSID not being broadcast from all Nodes on BT10s?

[sjw]

I have two BT10s - one is upstairs in the office and the other in the living room. Running wired backhaul and the latest 3.0.0.6.102_39106 firmware.
I have the 'main' network set up OK and have added a second IoT one for all smart plugs etc. I've struggled badly with the IoT devices failing to connect/disconnecting and initially thought it was because the SSID was hidden. I've unhidden it and have started to look a bit deeper.
I can now see that every device on IoT SSID is connecting to the upstairs node, in the office - even the many devices that are in the living room. Scanning for the IoT SSID from a laptop is only 1-2 bars and very weak.
I have both nodes ticked in the SSID AiMesh tab. I deselected it from broadcasting from the office SSID and every device disconnected and didn't reconnect. Ticking it again and they reconnected. I've unticked, restarted and re-ticked the living room node in the AiMesh tab but it hasn't forced anything.
I've installed an App on my phone and wandered around between the nodes with the main SSID connected and the IoT one afterwards. I can see the phone changing nodes when moving and connected to the main SSID - but it doesn't happen when connected to the IoT one.
Any idea why the second node isn't broadcasting both SSIDs?

 

[jksmurf]

Couple of quick questions to narrow it down, although I am not as familiar with Smart Home Master as GNP. IIRC SHM propagates up to 3 Guest Networks to nodes but there’s potentially a limit on interfaces per band.

• Are you using the main subnet in your IoT network?
• How many SSIDs do you have total just Main (combined? using Smart Connect) and IoT?

I’m not 100% clear what you are checking / unchecking in the “SSID AiMesh tab”

Do you mean Network, Guest Network. IoT Network, RH Panel, AIMesh drop down, check box for AIMesh nodes for that VLAN (IoT Network”). If yes, and no messages there, then yes, that should work.

Offizieller Support | ASUS Deutschland

Das ASUS Support Center hilft Ihnen Treiber, Handbücher und Firmware-Versionen herunter zu laden. Hier finden Sie auch FAQs und Troubleshooting Hilfen

www.asus.com

 

[sjw]

Hi, thanks for the reply. To (hopefully) answer the questions...
No, I'm not using the same subnet for the IoT network. It's VLAN 52 and devices are getting a 192.168.52.x IP address.
I only have the default SSID and the one I created, based on selecting the IoT 'template'. For the SSID AiMesh tab', I mean, where you select the network from the 'Network' option on the left and then Advanced Settings, there is an option called AiMesh that then lists the nodes that should broadcast the SSID - both are ticked.
So, I only have the main network (2.4, 5 & 6GHz) set to WiFi 7 etc. - and the 'Guest/IoT' network - only broadcasting 2.4GHz, set to WPA2-Personal.
Something seems 'corrupt' and I feel a Factory Reset coming on. Which is a shame because I've spent a good bit of time with IP reservations etc. - even uploading images of devices etc. for easier device recognition ...

 

[jksmurf]

Thank you for the detailed and full reply.

Yeah it sounds like you’ve pretty much done everything right here, unless someone else has ideas, I’m puzzled. The fact main is broadcasting to the node suggests it’s working just not with IoT.

Before you reset everything maybe just try to hard (WPS) reset, then re-add the ONE node as an AIMesh node. My understanding is these ZenWifi pairs come pre-paired and the nodes are already set up to go, but if you add node 3 you have to use AiMesh add node anyway.

So hard reset the problem child, go through the process of adding via your main unit, the node as an AIMesh unit, the main wil push all its settings across. You may or will need to check that AIMesh drop-down to see if it’s ticked. It may not be until you do that manually, just the once.

Worth a try? Less work than setting up everything.

Just a note on IoT devices though, they are normally pretty dumb and if they do not have in-device RSSI thresholds you can set (my Shelly’s do), if the RSSI they get is good enough for the preprogrammed units Wi-Fi stack, they will just stick to the first even weak Wi-Fi signal like a limpet. The reason I mention this is because in my experience the main wakes up and broadcasts first, slightly ahead of the node. You could try to reboot just the main and see if the devices migrate?

It’s a reach though as you’ve tested your phone vs node IoT Wi-Fi IIRC, so the node IoT just didn’t seem to have got through, for some reason. Double check the AIMesh tab, management, (not network tab) to see if both radios are enabled on the node.