weird 2.4 issue on a 86u router

[bitsbytes]

i'm trying to run an aimesh of two 86u's and one 68u. so i setup my old and trusty 86u as a main and the two other routers as nodes. everything goes well,the mesh is working for a while but then all devices connected on the 2.4 band on the node 86u are disconnected. when i try to connect them again i sometimes get a wrong password or they connect but with 26mbps speed and run very slow. i tried disabling all the known options that cause problems some time(beamforming,Airtime Fairness,Multi-User MIMO) but the problem is still there. after a reset everything runs well again for a random period of time before the problems starts again. i then tired using the 86u as an access point with different ssid's running on sepetrate channles but i still get the same problems. i though my second 86u which was a replacment of a faulty one is faulty as well but switching the old 86u with the new one gave me the same results, now the new one is working fine as a router and the old one is having problems as a aimesh node or an access point.

meanwhile my 68u is running fine whether as a mesh node or an access point. i'm running a wired backhaul with the 2.4 band running on 20Mhz of course. i tried factory reseting everything,clearing nvram, tried different combination of firmwares old and new official and custom. i also tried runing one 86u(tried both of them) with the 68u both in mesh and access point mode and it ran well. it's just those 2 86u's that won't play well together. i'm not running any scrips(don't know how actually) and not doing anything out of the ordinary. i'm out of ideas here and i appreciate any help.

 

[OzarkEdge]

i'm trying to run an aimesh of two 86u's and one 68u. so i setup my old and trusty 86u as a main and the two other routers as nodes. everything goes well,the mesh is working for a while but then all devices connected on the 2.4 band on the node 86u are disconnected. when i try to connect them again i sometimes get a wrong password or they connect but with 26mbps speed and run very slow. i tried disabling all the known options that cause problems some time(beamforming,Airtime Fairness,Multi-User MIMO) but the problem is still there. after a reset everything runs well again for a random period of time before the problems starts again. i then tired using the 86u as an access point with different ssid's running on sepetrate channles but i still get the same problems. i though my second 86u which was a replacment of a faulty one is faulty as well but switching the old 86u with the new one gave me the same results, now the new one is working fine as a router and the old one is having problems as a aimesh node or an access point.

meanwhile my 68u is running fine whether as a mesh node or an access point. i'm running a wired backhaul with the 2.4 band running on 20Mhz of course. i tried factory reseting everything,clearing nvram, tried different combination of firmwares old and new official and custom. i also tried runing one 86u(tried both of them) with the 68u both in mesh and access point mode and it ran well. it's just those 2 86u's that won't play well together. i'm not running any scrips(don't know how actually) and not doing anything out of the ordinary. i'm out of ideas here and i appreciate any help.

What firmware are you using?

Are you using any AiProtection features?

Are you using separate SSIDs and fixed WiFi settings (not Auto)?

I would try a 2x86U 45717 AiMesh with separate SSIDs and wireless backhaul and no AiP features enabled. If that fails, then maybe it's still a hardware defect with an 86U.

I don't think it's any of the WiFi settings... "beamforming, Airtime Fairness, Multi-User MIMO"... they would affect individual clients... not likely all clients on 2.4 GHz.

OE

 

[bitsbytes]

What firmware are you using?

i tried using FW 81049,45717 and merlin's 384.13

Are you using any AiProtection features?

i tried with it and without it.

Are you using separate SSIDs and fixed WiFi settings

i'm always using separate ssids whether on mesh or access point.

then maybe it's still a hardware defect with an 86U

it can't be in this case cause all the 86us work flawlessly when they are set as a the main router at least that's what i think.

I would try a 2x86U 45717 AiMesh with separate SSIDs and wireless backhaul and no AiP features enabled

i tried 45717. i'll give wireless backhaul a try but i don't think the signal will help.

 

[Grisu]

maybe they are too close together and then interfere or other problems clients jumping too often.

 

[VANT]

For AIMesh Router use 81049 fw, for node use 81039 fw.
I have same issue with 2.4GHz and that setup work ok

 

[bitsbytes]

maybe they are too close together and then interfere or other problems clients jumping too often.

I can't use wireless backhaul because they are very far from each other. I don't think it's a distance problem.

For AIMesh Router use 81049 fw, for node use 81039 fw.
I have same issue with 2.4GHz and that setup work ok

at this point I'm willing to try anything. I'll try that now.

 

[CaptainSTX]

If none of the above work try Merlin's 14 alpha. This version seems to have mitigated the issues I had with my AC86 but I have never used a mesh setup so I don't know if it will solve your particular issues.

 

[OzarkEdge]

i tried 45717. i'll give wireless backhaul a try but i don't think the signal will help.

I suggested trying a 2x86U 45717 AiMesh with separate SSIDs and wireless backhaul and no AiP features enabled because I know it is stable... if yours has issues, then I would suspect 86U hardware.

This scenario removes these items from the equation:
o Vant's 86U-68U issue with recent firmware
o Your backhaul cable (even though this seems to work ok)
o AiProtection and memory consumption messing with other processes like securing IP addresses and client authentication
o Auto WiFi settings causing excessive channel changing

Not very scientific, I know.

OE

 

[Val D.]

if yours has issues, then I would suspect 86U hardware.

Unlikely in this case, because both routers work as expected in router mode. Something around software messes up.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Unlikely in this case, because both routers work as expected in router mode. Something around software messes up.

Reasonable assumption, but the OP's observations may not be conclusive in the presence of other factors such as AiP ON or OFF?... Auto WiFi settings ON or OFF?... for a given firmware.

OE

 

[Val D.]

AiP ON or OFF?... Auto WiFi settings ON or OFF?

Both quite buggy indeed, even with no AiMesh involved.

 

[bitsbytes]

status update, i'm currently running on 16 hours on FW 45717 on the 86us and AIP off without adding the 68u and the problem didn't show up(i'm %100 sure i tried this setup before). i never got to 16 hours before. i'll add the 68U, any recommended firmware for it?

oh and thank you all for your time and advice.

 

[OzarkEdge]

status update, i'm currently running on 16 hours on FW 45717 on the 86us and AIP off without adding the 68u and the problem didn't show up(i'm %100 sure i tried this setup before). i never got to 16 hours before. i'll add the 68U, any recommended firmware for it?

oh and thank you all for your time and advice.

I'd favor 45717, but I have not used it on a 68U.

OE

 

[bitsbytes]

I'm extremely embarrassed to say that the whole problem was caused by a tplink repeater connected to the 2.4 band that I completely forgot about . it worked ok when connecting to the 68u but caused the 86u's 2.4 band to bug out. I thought the repeater was one of the security cameras cause that's what the router was showing in the gui.

edit: it really was the repeater, if anyone was having the same problem please check if you are using a repeater. it's not the firmwares or AIP or the mesh. I'm currently running the latest official firmware with everything turned on and it's stable.