XT8 Hardwired Backhaul issues

[epete]

I had an RT-AC5300 and two RT-AC68U's (as AiMesh Nodes (hardwired). I have just purchased 4 of the XT8's to replace my old system as I was getting many dropouts on my Google Nest Hubs. Anyway, I set up the 4 AiMesh routers/Nodes in one room, then hardwired them all together in the same room to validate the wired backhaul was working. Then I went to place my nodes in the same places I had my old routers. I think, for the first hour they were all shoeing wired backhaul, then two dropped out and were connected wirelessly. The Port Status shows the WAN Port from the routers home page shows as "Connected" but It seems the option for Backhaul Connection Priority does not have a wired option. How do I get the wired option to work again? Please also note that there is a switch between the XT8 "Router" and the XT8 Nodes. I don't know if that has any impact. My old AiMesh system worked that way so I don't think it should be the cause. Any idea's for troubleshooting?

Thanks

 

[OzarkEdge]

I had an RT-AC5300 and two RT-AC68U's (as AiMesh Nodes (hardwired). I have just purchased 4 of the XT8's to replace my old system as I was getting many dropouts on my Google Nest Hubs. Anyway, I set up the 4 AiMesh routers/Nodes in one room, then hardwired them all together in the same room to validate the wired backhaul was working. Then I went to place my nodes in the same places I had my old routers. I think, for the first hour they were all shoeing wired backhaul, then two dropped out and were connected wirelessly. The Port Status shows the WAN Port from the routers home page shows as "Connected" but It seems the option for Backhaul Connection Priority does not have a wired option. How do I get the wired option to work again? Please also note that there is a switch between the XT8 "Router" and the XT8 Nodes. I don't know if that has any impact. My old AiMesh system worked that way so I don't think it should be the cause. Any idea's for troubleshooting?

Thanks

If AiMesh detects a wired backhaul, it will offer Connection Priority 'WAN first'. If you are not seeing this, then maybe the switch is interfering.

If you enable Ethernet Backhaul Mode to disable all wireless backhauls, Connection Priority will be fixed to 'WAN only'. But first you need all backhauls wired and working.

OE

 

[epete]

OK, it seems to be intermittent for some reason. One AP is now showing Uplink Type as Ethernet so something strange is going on

 

[OzarkEdge]

OK, it seems to be intermittent for some reason. One AP is now showing Uplink Type as Ethernet so something strange is going on

Check cabling/connectors; then troubleshoot potential switch interference with AiMesh, particularly for managed switches.

Also, with both wired and wireless backhauls enabled (Ethernet Backhaul Mode disabled), AiMesh is deciding the connection priority according to setting and however it determines 'best' connection... so a node could be waffling back and forth between wired and wireless backhaul... if so, you need to stop that by fixing the wired backhauls and disabling the wireless backhauls (Ethernet Backhaul Mode enabled).

OE

 

[epete]

Switches are not managed, but I can play with removing switches to see if the problem goes away. Cables have been in my walls for a while now and were working on my old system, but I can also re-crimp connectors if needed.

 

[carchayser]

Try to check your switch first. Use some patch cables from the switch to nodes first. If they show ethernet backhaul then your problem might be the cables embedded in the walls. You might need to recrimp or worse, run new cabling.

 

[epete]

I will be troubleshooting this weekend. Am hoping it does not come to running new cables.

 

[epete]

I was able to connect all XT8's together without switches and then connected the XT8's to downstream switches for other hard-wired devices on my network. I am now seeing Ethernet backhaul to all nodes so the switches must have been the problem. For now, I am satisfied and one day will try and determine the full root cause. Maybe it is only one of my switches or maybe they all have some issue.

 

[kildare]

Unmanaged switches are ok but they should support also IGMP Snooping. Only few are compatible.

 

[carchayser]

I was able to connect all XT8's together without switches and then connected the XT8's to downstream switches for other hard-wired devices on my network. I am now seeing Ethernet backhaul to all nodes so the switches must have been the problem. For now, I am satisfied and one day will try and determine the full root cause. Maybe it is only one of my switches or maybe they all have some issue.

This just means that ethernet backhaul for your mesh routers are working properly. However, you were not able to troubleshoot if the root problem are your switches or your embedded cables. If you have patch cables lying around, that would be the best way to test. By my experience, unless you have a rodent problem, re-crimping usually does the trick.

 

[peter500]

Unmanaged switches are ok but they should support also IGMP Snooping. Only few are compatible.

I'm having good luck with an XD4/Mini three-unit setup where one of the nodes connects through two switches -- the XD4 Router unit LAN port is patched to a Netgear managed switch, a cheap Netgear GS205 unmanaged siwtch is patched to that, and the Node is connected to that unmanaged switch. (My other Node is patched to the managed switch, and also seems to consistently use Ethernet for backhaul.)

 

[epete]

This just means that ethernet backhaul for your mesh routers are working properly. However, you were not able to troubleshoot if the root problem are your switches or your embedded cables. If you have patch cables lying around, that would be the best way to test. By my experience, unless you have a rodent problem, re-crimping usually does the trick.

That is correct, at some point I should connect two XT8's in one room with a known good ethernet cable then swap in my various switches to validate they were the sole problem.