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Which ASUS AiMesh router to cover two floors in a house?

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lostje

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Hi, I'm totally new to this forum and I'm impressed by how much information about ASUS routers is here.

My "issue" is that I'd like to improve the WiFi signal in my parent's house. The house has 2 floors + basement and basically, each floor is around 80-90 m2 big. Also, it might be important to mention that the walls are quite thick (I live in Europe).
The current setup is:
  • an ASUS RT-AC59U v2 router on the top floor, next to the ISP modem
  • an Edimax WiFi extender on the middle floor
ASUS router and Edimax extender extend the WiFi wirelessly (no UTP cable as it would be needed to drill a hole in the floor between both floors). The problem with this setup is that the WiFi signal into the basement office, which is on the same side of the house as the router, just two floors below, is quite low and the Edimax extender seems to be very unstable. It has x.x.50.2 IP statically set (could not get the IP via DHCP for some reason) and when I look at the ASUS Router app, the Edimax extender sometimes has .2 IP and after some time .199 or some other address, which is very confusing. Also, it seems to disconnect and reconnect every now and then.

What I'd like to do is to replace the "confusing - faulty" Edimax extender and buy another ASUS router for the middle floor to extend the WiFi via AiMesh to the basement.

I'm wondering whether I should buy another ASUS RT-AC59U v2 router and set it up as an AiMesh node or I should buy a more powerful router.
My budget is around 150 EUR (or $), so I looked at current prices and kinda narrowed it down to RT-AC86U, RT-AX68U, and ROG GT-AC2900. My main priority when buying this additional router is that I'd like it to have the best WiFi coverage it can (for this price range of course). Which of these would you prefer?

I guess if I buy for instance the RT-AX68U, I should put it as the primary AiMesh node instead of AC59U, correct, or it doesn't matter?

Are there any better solutions or router models that I missed? I know the best option would be to get a UTP cable to the router on the middle floor but that's just not the option currently.
 
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Hi, I'm totally new to this forum and I'm impressed by how much information about ASUS routers is here.

My "issue" is that I'd like to improve the WiFi signal in my parent's house. The house has 2 floors + basement and basically, each floor is around 80-90 m2 big. Also, it might be important to mention that the walls are quite thick (I live in Europe).
The current setup is:
  • an ASUS RT-AC59U v2 router on the top floor, next to the ISP modem
  • an Edimax WiFi extender on the middle floor
ASUS router and Edimax extender extend the WiFi wirelessly (no UTP cable as it would be needed to drill a hole in the floor between both floors). The problem with this setup is that the WiFi signal into the basement office, which is on the same side of the house as the router, just two floors below, is quite low and the Edimax extender seems to be very unstable. It has x.x.50.2 IP statically set (could not get the IP via DHCP for some reason) and when I look at the ASUS Router app, the Edimax extender sometimes has .2 IP and after some time .199 or some other address, which is very confusing. Also, it seems to disconnect and reconnect every now and then.

What I'd like to do is to replace the "confusing - faulty" Edimax extender and buy another ASUS router for the middle floor to extend the WiFi via AiMesh to the basement.

I'm wondering whether I should buy another ASUS RT-AC59U v2 router and set it up as an AiMesh node or I should buy a more powerful router.
My budget is around 150 EUR (or $), so I looked at current prices and kinda narrowed it down to RT-AC86U, RT-AX68U, and ROG GT-AC2900. My main priority when buying this additional router is that I'd like it to have the best WiFi coverage it can (for this price range of course).

I guess if I buy for instance the RT-AX68U, I should put it as the primary AiMesh node instead of AC59U, correct, or it doesn't matter?

Are there any better solutions or router models that I missed? I know the best option would be to get a UTP cable to the router on the middle floor but that's just not the option currently.

For AiMesh, use the best spec router as the root node. Given your existing router 5.0 band uses 2 antennas, I would expect the AiMesh wireless backhaul to be limited to 2 streams... more is better/faster.

OE
 
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For AiMesh, use the best spec router as the root node. Given your existing router 5.0 band uses 2 antennas, I would expect the AiMesh wireless backhaul to be limited to 2 streams... more is better/faster.

OE
Thanks for your answer. I found it logical that the root node should be the best router.

Do you have any experience with the router models I mentioned above? Is any of those better than the other?
 
Do you have any experience with the router models I mentioned above? Is any of those better than the other?

The AC86U is a good router until it burns out, which it is/was known to do in about 24 months for some, but not all.

The AX68U is said to be a worthy upgrade.

The AX86U is a good router. I use one on the middle level of 3 1650sqft levels, meshed with a wireless AC86U in a detached garage. See my install notes.

The AX86S is a paired down version of the AX86U. The AX86U Pro coming soon is a souped up version of the AX86U.

I'm not familar with your market and budget (and thick walls), but my preference would be for one good router to serve the whole house to keep it simple and most reliable... so I'd buy up to the AX86U or coming AX86U Pro and then take it from there.

Others here may suggest some current and less expensive options.

Another problem you have is that you are attempting to pioneer and admin a multi-node wireless network in someone else's house... very experimental and at a distance. It would be better if you could replicate what you already know to work from your own experience, like how well WiFi in your regulatory region propagates in your type of building construction.

Me, I would consider models in your budget that best approach the AX86U/Pro specs... perhaps the AX68U. My progression has been AC68U, AC86U, AX86U... which I consider solid mainstream models that have served well and enjoy extended firmware support.

OE
 
My "issue" is that I'd like to improve the WiFi signal in my parent's house. The house has 2 floors + basement and basically, each floor is around 80-90 m2 big. Also, it might be important to mention that the walls are quite thick (I live in Europe).

You may have some more challenges with this house in Europe. Most folks around in North America live in mostly Wi-Fi transparent wooden stick houses and the advice given to you may not apply in your case. I would go with something much simpler than Asus routers + AiMesh. As an example, 3-pack TP-Link Deco M4 works well, it's relatively cheap, has super easy setup and is virtually maintenance free. I have installed one in friend's house and he's very happy with it. It's good for about 200Mbps ISP in wireless configuration. This friend of mine is non-technical person and Deco M4 fit perfectly.
 
IDK what products are available in your area. Maybe something like Powerline with WiFi extenders would work if the wall blocks WiFi. So basically you have a router, and a Powerline extender connected to the router's LAN port, then a few more Powerline extenders throughout the house, and all your devices can be connected to the extenders' LAN ports or WiFi (all of them can use the same SSID). However, you won't be able to tell how well these extenders work until you actually try them because every house's wiring is different.
 
That 'Pro' model probably won't be worth it if it's more money.

 
In your budget range, the RT-AX68U seems like a solid choice for better coverage. Setting it as the primary AiMesh node is a good idea, and it should work well alongside the AC59U. These ASUS routers tend to play nicely together. Actually, I also recently moved to a new house thanks to experts from Mortgage Advice Bristol who really helped me find a perfect home with a mortgage that matched my financial situation. But, I faced a similar Wi-Fi challenge with weak signals in some rooms. So, I decided to go with TP-Link's Deco series, and it made a significant difference. The coverage is fantastic, and I get great speeds even in the furthest corners of the house. So, if you're open to trying another brand, I'd highly recommend giving it a shot if it's available in your area.
 
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Welcome to the forums @Martynnycob.

Note that you're replying to a year old post.
 

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