Struggling with Asus ZenWiFi BE30000 aka 3 node BQ16 Pro bundle

Stepalex said:

Are either of you using wireless backhaul and/or MLO?

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I'm using MLO for wireless backhaul and have the BQ16 Pro mesh node on my desk wired to my laptop to test the MLO backhaul in isolation with 1Gb Centurylink fiber.
- Macbook Pro M3 Max -> wired -> BG16 mesh node -> MLO backhaul -> BG16 parent AP (across the house/same floor/through 1 wall) - 5ms ping and 1 Gb up/down

Also good results for the iPhone:
- iPhone 16 Pro (no walls)-> 5G ssid -> BG16 mesh node -> MLO backhaul -> BG16 parent AP (across the house/same floor) - 10ms ping and 1 Gb up/down
- iPhone 16 Pro (through 2 walls/closets)-> 5G ssid -> BG16 mesh node -> MLO backhaul -> BG16 parent AP (across the house/same floor) - 10ms ping and 650 Mb up/1 Gb down

The last number (2 walls) is likely attributed to the iPhone having less power to transmit back up to the mesh node, but I really only need max speed at my desk and the house isn't wired.

For those that are on the new BQ16 "pro" FW 3.0.0.6.102_36869, im very interested if the DNS and IOS issue is really finally solved, as @garysteel mentioned have any of you @kraken206 @Stepalex @NovaPrime tested this in AI mesh mode or are you still in AP ?

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A011528 said:

For those that are on the new BQ16 "pro" FW 3.0.0.6.102_36869, im very interested if the DNS and IOS issue is really finally solved, as @garysteel mentioned have any of you @kraken206 @Stepalex @NovaPrime tested this in AI mesh mode or are you still in AP ?

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Good question i fear it may take a couple of weeks of usage of the new firmware in aimesh mode to reveal if apple issue resolved as everything was fine (initially) with my setup with ipads, iPhones and macs roaming the house before i started to see delays , no access to internet.

Currently still in AP mode with no issues.

Will be keeping an out for syre here… be great to manage the system as one but still wondering actually ap mode adds more advantage than aimesh?

A011528 said:

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garysteel said:

but still wondering actually ap mode adds more advantage than aimesh?

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Central management for updates / conf, but its supposed to offer seamless switching between devices, if you move from A to B, while selecting the best band. I can achieve that with AP + same SSID but still face drops and reconnections, apart from that i cant think of much TBH. But id just like the bugs to be fixed so i can choose mesh or AP and then run real world tests and settle on best solution that works.

A011528 said:

For those that are on the new BQ16 "pro" FW 3.0.0.6.102_36869, im very interested if the DNS and IOS issue is really finally solved, as @garysteel mentioned have any of you @kraken206 @Stepalex @NovaPrime tested this in AI mesh mode or are you still in AP ?

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I am in ai mesh mode with mlo enabled for wireless backhaul. I was also able to turn on dns over tls finally and so far 24 hours later no issues on my apple devices or other devices. One other thing to note the web ui is a lot faster now to use as well. So I think asus might have finally squashed the dns bugs.

NovaPrime said:

I am in ai mesh mode with mlo enabled for wireless backhaul. I was also able to turn on dns over tls finally and so far 24 hours later no issues on my apple devices or other devices. One other thing to note the web ui is a lot faster now to use as well. So I think asus might have finally squashed the dns bugs.

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Sounds promising, thx you

Stepalex said:

@kraken206 @NovaPrime Thanks guys.

Based on my own experience and posts above I think 3 main issues have plagued this router so far, whether some of them are symptoms of the same underlying issue I don't know:

1. DNS issues
2. Apple devices disconnects
3. Wireless backhaul and/or MLO issues

1-2 seem to be resolved, this gives me hope for my 4x BQ16s, fingers crossed Asus releases a firmware for the non-Pro version soon.

Are either of you using wireless backhaul and/or MLO?

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I hate to add to the confusion...

I have a very mixed network: TP-Link Deco BE95, GT-BE98 Pro, BQ16 Pro, and a few other AX(E) nodes for lack of a better term. Our single WiFi 7 client is my OnePlus Open (on Android 15 November update if that matters).

Using my phone around the house I see it disconnecting from the BE95, GT-BE98 Pro, and just this morning RT-AX5400. (It shows this with a small pop-up in the middle bottom of the screen notifying me that it "switched to mobile network"). I have not 100% concluded that this is what is happening but is what I suspect based on location at the time of a drop, and me making a mental note that very likely I just dropped connection to said node.

I can say that even though I do not trust the list of routers and linked clients on the App to be accurate, that up until this last firmware the BQ16 Pro did not seem to be connecting to any clients (AiMesh node to GT-BE98 Pro in AP mode with AiMesh), and the RT-AX86U in my parents' room seems to have no clients as well. I took my phone with WiFi scanner to their room and realized it was not broadcasting 5 GHz, rebooted it after which it did, at least for that short time I was there.

Up until yesterday I was seriously looking at a Netgear Orbi 970 (yes they sell single unit as router which is what I was considering). It would replace my RP-AX58. But overall network performance seems improved from the update. I hope the same with all of you too...

Sorry guys, but the new firmware does not fix the iPhone disconnecting issues. BQ16 Pro setup as router and 2 nodes, I just had my first disconnection after reverting from APs yesterday.