XT8 - Node not automatically updating

[LapinFou]

Hi folks,

This is my first post on this great forum. Off course, I tried the search function before posting my question.

I bought few months ago a Asus XT8 combo (2 stations) in order to replace my old 2.4GHz AP.
I'm really happy about them. On the WiFi 6 laptop of one of my child, the download speed jumped from about 12-15MB/s to a very impressive 80-85MB/s (this is very close of the 100MB/s of a 1Gb wired network).
My house is quite old and was not "RJ45 compliant".
I've done my best to bring at least one Ethernet socket on each floor.

Here are some information about my current setup:

• In order to filter the ads, I'm using PiHole with a RPI3.
• The DHCP of my ISP router is disabled (static IP: 192.168.1.1).
• The PiHole (static IP: 192.168.1.2) is used as DHCP & DNS servers (DHCP IP range is 192.168.1.[100-150]).
• Both XT8 are connected through a 1Gb RJ45 wires.
• XT8 is configured in "AirMesh AP mode" with 1 node (I want only 1 sub-network with 1 DHCP server).
• The XT8 router is configured as below.
  Static IP: 192.168.1.5
  Gateway: 192.168.1.1
  DNS: 192.168.1.1
  Thus, the XT8 router traffic is not going through the PiHole DNS server.
• I created a special dnsmasq rule on the RPI3 where PiHole is running for the XT8 node:
  1- XT8 node will always get the same IP (out of the normal DHCP range).
  2- The DNS is forced to 192.168.1.1 (thus the PiHole DNS server is bypassed).
  Thus, the node is configured as below:
  DHCP IP (with MAC address reservation): 192.168.1.6
  Gateway: 192.168.1.1
  DNS: 192.168.1.1
• Backhaul is configured in "1G only" mode.
• Smart Connect is configured in "Tri-Band" mode in order to use the 5G-2 band.

Last information which could be important to debug my problem is the wire topology.
Simplify View:

ISP ROUTER═╦═>PiHole
           ╚═>SWITCH═╦═>XT8 Node
                     ╚═>SWITCH══>XT8 Router

Full View: (number between the brackets is the port where the device is plugged)

(WAN)╗ISP ROUTER
  (1)╠═>PiHole
  (2)╚═>(1)╗SWITCH
        (2)╠═>SmartTV
        (3)╠═>PS3
        (4)╠═>Multimedia device
        (5)╠═>TV Setupbox
        (6)╠═>(WAN)╗XT8 Node
           ║    (1)╠═>Nothing
           ║    (2)╠═>Nothing
           ║    (3)╚═>Nothing
        (7)╠═>Nothing
        (8)╚═>(1)╗SWITCH
              (2)╠═>iMac
              (3)╠═>Printer
              (4)╠═>(WAN)╗XT8 router
                 ║    (1)╠═>PC2
                 ║    (2)╠═>Nothing
                 ║    (3)╚═>Nothing
              (5)╠═>iMac
              (6)╠═>Printer
              (7)╠═>PC1
              (8)╚═>(1)╗SWITCH
                    (2)╠═>Synology NAS1
                    (3)╠═>Synology NAS2
                    (4)╠═>Nothing
                    (5)╚═>PC3

I know it is not ideal, but it is the only way for me (otherwise I need to make some holes everywhere in my house).
Note1: All connections speed are at 1GB.
Note2: All switches are Netgear ProSafe GS105 or GS108 (unmanaged).

Sorry for this long introduction, but I tried to be exhaustive (I hate when people are complaining about somehting not working without giving any details about their setup ).

Here is my tiny (but annoying) issue:
When a new firmware is available, I click on the update button from the GUI (the problem is the same from the Android app).
The XT8 router always upgrade without any problem, but the XT8 node will never be update. The node will always be stuck with the previous firmware.
Each time a new firmware comes out, I need to download the firmware then manually update the node...
Is it a common issue? Or is it because my environment is "special"?

Any help would be very welcome.

Thanks for your time,
Seb

 

[tcn]

Hi Lapinfou,

Unfortunately, I am not posting to answer your issue but rather to ask you if you have found the root cause of it because since day 1 I am having the very same issue.

This said, we are probably doing the same thing which leads to this. We are both in AP mode and we are both connected the units through Ethernet; one difference is that I am connected through the 2.5Gbps.

Maybe this is a setup issue? I have verified that the node’s default route is fine and that it does have access to the net. I also have my doubts as of if this node is actually getting clients but this is another story. My other WIFI access points are reported as RJ45 connected while thay are connected through WIFI in bridge mode……

tcn

 

[LapinFou]

Hi tcn,

I still don't have a solution, however not being alone tend to proof that this issue is more firmware related than hardware.
Maybe I will try to fill-up a ticket to the ASUS support.
Anyway is more an annoyance than a true blocking bug.