[AC3100 main & 3xAC68 nodes] Issues with AiMesh Dropping Connections

[Sammy2]

I am having continuous issues with my AiMesh dropping connections..

My topography
RT-AC3100 main router on xx379 f/w
RT-AC68U node router on xx308
TM-AC68U node router on xx308 x2
for a total of 4 routers.

Most all my connections show to be back to the main router almost all the time but some devices near the nodes show as connected to the nodes. Some of these are wired to the node in "bridge" fashion and some are not.

As an example, I have a TM-AC68U in the Bar area and a RT-AC68U in a bedroom upstairs.

The Asus unit in the bar area drops my Samsung SmartTV all the time via WiFi and drops the Ethernet bridge to my Ceton Echo WMC Extender as well. The TM unit in the upstairs bedroom drops its clients all the time too but seems to be those wired via Ethernet more so than those connected via WiFi.

This is pretty consistant and quite annoying and independent of TM/RT nodes. Also, some clients will show as connected but when you go to use them they are not. These may show as connected in the main list but not show up on the node list. It is impossible to determine what is going on here as it is random and inconsistent. I do not trust the GUI feedback on connectivity.

I went to AiMesh to improve my WiFi and bridges, not create a constant hassle where I have to re-connect a client when I try to use it. This is especially important with Ceton Echos which are very sensitive to signal drops and require a complete boot up to hook back into the WMC ecosystem if you know anything about that..

Has anyone else had this issue? Does the xx624 / xx648 f/w for the AC68U help or is it just that we're all in a massive beta program sold off as a Mesh solution?

About to sell it all and buy Ubiquiti to tell you the truth but any assistance is welcome.

TIA

 

[indark]

I dont use wired backhaul, only wireless.
For the 2 days I tested, I do think 20648 is working out better, but as I posted in other thread, it's pain in the butt to get ac68 to work with ac3100 now.
Have to wait till Asus update he ac3100 firmware.
For now I am back to merlin and use media bridge instead.

Not sure if it helps, but I dont use smart connect feature. I seperate my 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz ssid as I normally would.
That way, I can also manually set the channel for the wifi as well and it seems to work better for me.

 

[Sammy2]

I dont use wired backhaul, only wireless.
For the 2 days I tested, I do think 20648 is working out better, but as I posted in other thread, it's pain in the butt to get ac68 to work with ac3100 now.
Have to wait till Asus update he ac3100 firmware.
For now I am back to merlin and use media bridge instead.

Not sure if it helps, but I dont use smart connect feature. I seperate my 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz ssid as I normally would.
That way, I can also manually set the channel for the wifi as well and it seems to work better for me.

I'm sorry. So much going on about AiMesh and deletions and such I totally forgot about that thread. Maybe I should have [looked at] / [posted in] that thread instead but I don't have anything new to offer right now.

EDIT: BTW, I only use Ethernet Backhaul on one node and that node shows as Wireless in the AiMesh portion of the main router GUI anyhow plus it doesn't seem to grab clients very often. The other two nodes are Wireless but with both wired and wireless clients. Not really sure if Bridge will connect to wireless as that is Repeater mode and I "need" both at the Bar location.

 

[monaro-ds]

20648 is a lot better , but you have to do full reset for everything .... Ethernet Backhaul still jumping to Wireless and going offline...

 

[OzarkEdge]

I am having continuous issues with my AiMesh dropping connections..

My topography
RT-AC3100 main router on xx379 f/w
RT-AC68U node router on xx308
TM-AC68U node router on xx308 x2
for a total of 4 routers.

Most all my connections show to be back to the main router almost all the time but some devices near the nodes show as connected to the nodes. Some of these are wired to the node in "bridge" fashion and some are not.

As an example, I have a TM-AC68U in the Bar area and a RT-AC68U in a bedroom upstairs.

The Asus unit in the bar area drops my Samsung SmartTV all the time via WiFi and drops the Ethernet bridge to my Ceton Echo WMC Extender as well. The TM unit in the upstairs bedroom drops its clients all the time too but seems to be those wired via Ethernet more so than those connected via WiFi.

This is pretty consistant and quite annoying and independent of TM/RT nodes. Also, some clients will show as connected but when you go to use them they are not. These may show as connected in the main list but not show up on the node list. It is impossible to determine what is going on here as it is random and inconsistent. I do not trust the GUI feedback on connectivity.

I went to AiMesh to improve my WiFi and bridges, not create a constant hassle where I have to re-connect a client when I try to use it. This is especially important with Ceton Echos which are very sensitive to signal drops and require a complete boot up to hook back into the WMC ecosystem if you know anything about that..

Has anyone else had this issue? Does the xx624 / xx648 f/w for the AC68U help or is it just that we're all in a massive beta program sold off as a Mesh solution?

About to sell it all and buy Ubiquiti to tell you the truth but any assistance is welcome.

TIA

One 68U covers a large home, more or less. Could you have too many nodes?

OE

 

[Sammy2]

One 68U covers a large home, more or less. Could you have too many nodes?

OE

Now there's something worth considering. My RT-AC68U has been covering the whole house but as the client list grows it was starting to drop clients. I was looking at Ubiquity when the AiMesh thing (along with the TM teaser pricing) came along. I decided to stick with Asus for another round and got an RT-AC3100 Refurb from Newegg for $129 and two nodes for $50 each to add to my trusty $180 AC68U I've had for going on 4 years.

I do have a weak spot in the front of my house which is diagonally across from where the main router is by the cable feed at my office in the back corner of the house but the geographic center of the property as a whole. I have WiFi throughout the whole backyard. In the middle of the house sits a "decorative heating appliance" aka gas fireplace with a double wall metal flue. Pretty sure that's the culprit. The bar area is in this weak corner. The node in this location shows a strong signal but keeps dropping clients. The upstairs bedroom is immediately above this bar area and is where the other node sits. The third node sits upstairs on the same side but in front, not in back, of the house.

The reason I went to AiMesh was to try to get this front corner better. Maybe I need to try a different location of the third node to try to get the signal over to the weak area better. Hmm.

Quite frankly Asus is sorta pissing me off right now though. I bought their stuff now and previously but probably would have gone the Ubiquity route if the TM units didn't make the cost numbers work. Anyhow, it is what it is and I'll try to make the best of it by changing my topography. Thing is AiMesh seems to be in late beta and isn't really ready for prime time. Ubiquity is ready for prime time.

 

[Sammy2]

20648 is a lot better , but you have to do full reset for everything .... Ethernet Backhaul still jumping to Wireless and going offline...

Full reset of the AC3100 too? No bringing forth a saved configuration file?

Again, might as well go to Ubiquity if I have to re-do my whole set up.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Now there's something worth considering. My RT-AC68U has been covering the whole house but as the client list grows it was starting to drop clients. I was looking at Ubiquity when the AiMesh thing (along with the TM teaser pricing) came along. I decided to stick with Asus for another round and got an RT-AC3100 Refurb from Newegg for $129 and two nodes for $50 each to add to my trusty $180 AC68U I've had for going on 4 years.

I do have a weak spot in the front of my house which is diagonally across from where the main router is by the cable feed at my office in the back corner of the house but the geographic center of the property as a whole. I have WiFi throughout the whole backyard. In the middle of the house sits a "decorative heating appliance" aka gas fireplace with a double wall metal flue. Pretty sure that's the culprit. The bar area is in this weak corner. The node in this location shows a strong signal but keeps dropping clients. The upstairs bedroom is immediately above this bar area and is where the other node sits. The third node sits upstairs on the same side but in front, not in back, of the house.

The reason I went to AiMesh was to try to get this front corner better. Maybe I need to try a different location of the third node to try to get the signal over to the weak area better. Hmm.

Quite frankly Asus is sorta pissing me off right now though. I bought their stuff now and previously but probably would have gone the Ubiquity route if the TM units didn't make the cost numbers work. Anyhow, it is what it is and I'll try to make the best of it by changing my topography. Thing is AiMesh seems to be in late beta and isn't really ready for prime time. Ubiquity is ready for prime time.

My first AiMesh attempt was to add a second 68U C1. At 77 feet across a brick house into a brick garage, the marginal wireless backhaul (2-3 bars) dropped after about 10 days. And I discovered the 68U did not support Smart Connect node band steering... you can't really try AiMesh without it, imo. And the 68U felt under powered with AiProtection enabled. And I learned more about the 86U... more CPU, more memory, more WiFi range, and Smart Connect. So, I reconsidered, pulled the 68Us, and installed two 86Us... a calculated risk and generous gesture given the cost and the state of AiMesh, but done in the spirit of giving ASUS/AiMesh a fair chance.

So far this bet has paid off... my 86U AiMesh is performing well with the same wireless backhaul (4 bars) and with Smart Connect and non-split SSIDs. Even the client list is fairly stable with the latest firmware.

My 68Us went on to upgrade family as standalone routers.

OE

 

[Sammy2]

My first AiMesh attempt was to add a second 68U C1. At 77 feet across a brick house into a brick garage, the marginal wireless backhaul (2-3 bars) dropped after about 10 days. And I discovered the 68U did not support Smart Connect node band steering... you can't really try AiMesh without it, imo. And the 68U felt under powered with AiProtection enabled. And I learned more about the 86U... more CPU, more memory, more WiFi range, and Smart Connect. So, I reconsidered, pulled the 68Us, and installed two 86Us... a calculated risk and generous gesture given the cost and the state of AiMesh, but done in the spirit of giving ASUS/AiMesh a fair chance.

So far this bet has paid off... my 86U AiMesh is performing well with the same wireless backhaul (4 bars) and with Smart Connect and non-split SSIDs. Even the client list is fairly stable with the latest firmware.

My 68Us went on to upgrade family as standalone routers.

OE

Generous aren't we..

I could do that but laying out the cash for two RT-AC86Us? Not so sure about it Seems that whenever one asks outside snb forums, Ubiquity always gets nods from a lot of people.

 

[Mic]

I am having continuous issues with my AiMesh dropping connections..

My topography
RT-AC3100 main router on xx379 f/w
RT-AC68U node router on xx308
TM-AC68U node router on xx308 x2
for a total of 4 routers.

Most all my connections show to be back to the main router almost all the time but some devices near the nodes show as connected to the nodes. Some of these are wired to the node in "bridge" fashion and some are not.

As an example, I have a TM-AC68U in the Bar area and a RT-AC68U in a bedroom upstairs.

The Asus unit in the bar area drops my Samsung SmartTV all the time via WiFi and drops the Ethernet bridge to my Ceton Echo WMC Extender as well. The TM unit in the upstairs bedroom drops its clients all the time too but seems to be those wired via Ethernet more so than those connected via WiFi.

This is pretty consistant and quite annoying and independent of TM/RT nodes. Also, some clients will show as connected but when you go to use them they are not. These may show as connected in the main list but not show up on the node list. It is impossible to determine what is going on here as it is random and inconsistent. I do not trust the GUI feedback on connectivity.

I went to AiMesh to improve my WiFi and bridges, not create a constant hassle where I have to re-connect a client when I try to use it. This is especially important with Ceton Echos which are very sensitive to signal drops and require a complete boot up to hook back into the WMC ecosystem if you know anything about that..

Has anyone else had this issue? Does the xx624 / xx648 f/w for the AC68U help or is it just that we're all in a massive beta program sold off as a Mesh solution?

About to sell it all and buy Ubiquiti to tell you the truth but any assistance is welcome.

TIA

Like you I have AC3100 as AM master and converted TM units as AM nodes. With 308, my nodes would drop connections but only after several days of being up. A reset of the AM master fixed the issue. I don't think that I've had AM master drop connections that I'm aware of. My nodes are now on 648 so we'll see about node stability.

 

[Sammy2]

Like you I have AC3100 as AM master and converted TM units as AM nodes. With 308, my nodes would drop connections but only after several days of being up. A reset of the AM master fixed the issue. I don't think that I've had AM master drop connections that I'm aware of. My nodes are now on 648 so we'll see about node stability.

How long has it been? More than a day up time would be an improvement over what I'm seeing.



Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

 

[Mic]

How long has it been? More than a day up time would be an improvement over what I'm seeing.

5 days

 

[Sammy2]

5 days

Imma need to risk an accidental roll back to TM f/w. Just need the time to do it.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

 

[Mic]

FWIW, my nodes dropped a couple of days ago and I needed to reboot my AM AP AC3100 for my 2 TM1900 to reconnect.

 

[Sammy2]

FWIW, my nodes dropped a couple of days ago and I needed to reboot my AM AP AC3100 for my 2 TM1900 to reconnect.

Good to know but a week is pretty good. My nodes stay connected but their clients keep getting booted requiring a client restart. BTW, even my legit Asus RT-AC68U drops clients like a bad habit.

The xx648 f/w is on the RT-AC5300 now so I suppose it'll me on the RT-AC3100 soon but who knows.

I may revert to two in Bridge Mode and one as a repeater or simply a wired AP as the dropping clients are permanent clients for the most part and nothing seems to connect to the node with the wired backhaul anyhow.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

 

[Mic]

Good to know but a week is pretty good. My nodes stay connected but their clients keep getting booted requiring a client restart. BTW, even my legit Asus RT-AC68U drops clients like a bad habit.

The xx648 f/w is on the RT-AC5300 now so I suppose it'll me on the RT-AC3100 soon but who knows.

I may revert to two in Bridge Mode and one as a repeater or simply a wired AP as the dropping clients are permanent clients for the most part and nothing seems to connect to the node with the wired backhaul anyhow.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

Dropped the nodes again yesterday...

 

[Sammy2]

Dropped the nodes again yesterday...

Es no bueno

 

[tallytr]

I had the same with my wired RT-AC86U (node), every couple days the AiMesh node would lose all clients, they would then connect to the AiMesh router until a router reboot....
I switched back to Router and AP configuration, perfer the control it provides over AiMesh in its current state...

 

[OzarkEdge]

I had the same with my wired RT-AC86U (node), every couple days the AiMesh node would lose all clients, they would then connect to the AiMesh router until a router reboot....
I switched back to Router and AP configuration, perfer the control it provides over AiMesh in its current state...

You're resurrecting an old topic based on old firmware. It's possible your current issue nearly a year later is unrelated.

OE

 

[tallytr]

You're resurrecting an old topic based on old firmware. It's possible your current issue nearly a year later is unrelated.

OE

Who knows but the experience is frustrating, no exactly "Plug and Play".... Asus said to deactivate Airtime Fairness on 2.4Ghz....