Mixing AiMesh models. Is the system limited by the unit with the least functionality?

[SDGTR]

I have an XT8 system with one main XT8 and two others as nodes. I'm considering either adding two XD5 units as nodes or one XT12 as the main router and using my current main XT8 as just another node. What I'm wondering is if by adding a lower-end unit like an XD5 the entire system will drop to the functionality the XD5 is capable of or whether the XT8s will still keep the same functionality and features they have now (dedicated 5G backhaul, etc..).

Same with adding an XT12 as the main router. Will the entire system be limited by the XT8s' features or will I get the full functionality of the XT12?

 

[tgl]

AIUI, the main problem with asymmetrical AIMesh setups is that the AIMesh GUI will only show you control settings for radios that exist on the primary node. So, avoid setups where the remotes have radios that don't exist on the primary: the best-case scenario is those radios do nothing, and the worst-case is they do something you don't want.

I'm not entirely sure about cases where remotes lack radios that exist on the primary, but I suspect that those settings are simply ignored by the remotes.

 

[SDGTR]

AIUI, the main problem with asymmetrical AIMesh setups is that the AIMesh GUI will only show you control settings for radios that exist on the primary node. So, avoid setups where the remotes have radios that don't exist on the primary: the best-case scenario is those radios do nothing, and the worst-case is they do something you don't want.

I'm not entirely sure about cases where remotes lack radios that exist on the primary, but I suspect that those settings are simply ignored by the remotes.

So basically if I use an XT12 as the main and the XT8s as the nodes or an XT8 as the main and XD5s as nodes, I should be OK and still have the settings and features for the higher end units?

 

[tgl]

Not clear which "settings and features" you have in mind. Using an XT12 as primary is not going to give the XT8s abilities they didn't have otherwise.

 

[SDGTR]

Not clear which "settings and features" you have in mind. Using an XT12 as primary is not going to give the XT8s abilities they didn't have otherwise.

Just for one example, the XT8 has a dedicated 5G backhaul. The XD5 does not. If I thrown an XD5 as a node into a system of XT8s will the entire system lose the dedicated 5G backhaul or will that only affect the XD5s?

 

[tgl]

Just for one example, the XT8 has a dedicated 5G backhaul. The XD5 does not. If I thrown an XD5 as a node into a system of XT8s will the entire system lose the dedicated 5G backhaul or will that only affect the XD5s?

I doubt it'd break backhaul from the other XT8 nodes. Whether the system is bright enough to configure the XD5 as "backhaul on your only 5GHz radio" rather than "backhaul on the 5GHz-2 radio you don't have", I dunno --- you'd have to experiment. I would not bet lunch on it working, but maybe it will.