AC68u Behaving badly, repurpose as a mesh repeater?

[junkdroid]

My AC68u worked fine for years but, one day, the web interface stopped responding entirely. Worked with Asus support and they suggested a factory reset. While the factory reset appears to work, the moment the device is configured in any mode the web interface will go unresponsive again. While in this state the device still serves up connections, IP addresses, and all though it is unmanageable.

Due to this, I replace the AC68u with an Aruba AP11D. A nice feature of the Aruba is that networks can be created and then have features defined. For example, I can create a single wirless network (name: Network) and then enable Network to transmit either 2.4 or 5GHz signals, automatically determined by the AP11D. I could also create Network2 and Network5, each one carrying just one signal band if I wanted. Understanding this flexibility is key for the actual question....

Can the AC68u be configured in a repeater mode that will use the same SSID as the original signal so as to create a mesh network? A single network that will seamlessly, without dropping connection, handoff from the Aruba to the AC68u?

I had written this earlier with just the previous question but now have an additional bad behavior to mention as there might be another problem here...
Just to get things working I had setup the repeater mode with an EXT. So Network_EXT offered by AC68u and Network offered by AP11D. Even though devices (smart bulbs and switches) that were previously working have an even stronger signal from the AC68u they are dropping connection and going offline at random. Sometimes an on/off request will take up to a minute for no apparent reason.

 

[OzarkEdge]

My AC68u worked fine for years but, one day, the web interface stopped responding entirely. Worked with Asus support and they suggested a factory reset. While the factory reset appears to work, the moment the device is configured in any mode the web interface will go unresponsive again. While in this state the device still serves up connections, IP addresses, and all though it is unmanageable.

Can the AC68u be configured in a repeater mode that will use the same SSID as the original signal so as to create a mesh network?

I had written this earlier with just the previous question but now have an additional bad behavior to mention as there might be another problem here...
Just to get things working I had setup the repeater mode with an EXT. So Network_EXT offered by AC68u and Network offered by AP11D. Even though devices (smart bulbs and switches) that were previously working have an even stronger signal from the AC68u they are dropping connection and going offline at random. Sometimes an on/off request will take up to a minute for no apparent reason.

Sounds like the AC68U is not healthy no matter how you try to use it.

OE

 

[L&LD]

The best use of aging routers (and maybe the least taxing on them) is the Media Bridge mode.

If you fully reset the router (in as many ways as you can, Reset Button method, WPS Button method, GUI method) and can test Media Bridge mode then, that may be the last hurrah for your old router.

Media Bridge mode connects to the main router wirelessly and gives wired-capable devices a connection to the network. This is beneficial because the AC-powered router's radios/antennae are much better than any device does. It takes those devices' wireless traffic and makes it as fast as possible, making the network overall a better experience for the rest of the wireless-only devices you use.