Adding XT8 to the mesh with ethernet connection - blinking blue led

[pvanosta]

I have a few ethernet jacks throughout my home (2 on the ground floor, 2 on the first floor). I have a Mesh of XT8's dotted around the house. The two which are on the ground floor, are connected to the ethernet LAN and ultimately via a switch to a Fiber modem.
I have individually tested the ether ports by walking around with a laptop and connecting it directly to each ethernet port. I have 1GB down and 1GB up on every port in this way (limitation of the laptop).

I have added an XT8 to the mesh by putting it next to the master and connecting the WAN port to the switch. All is well. White led => good to go.
I take it upstairs and plug it into the ethernet port there (which I already know gets GB signal) and power it up. Blinking blue LED.

Side note: I still get the speed benefit in that room, both via wifi and via ethernet to one of the LAN ports. But in the mesh it remains invisible / not connected.

What am I missing / doing wrong?

 

[OzarkEdge]

I have a few ethernet jacks throughout my home (2 on the ground floor, 2 on the first floor). I have a Mesh of XT8's dotted around the house. The two which are on the ground floor, are connected to the ethernet LAN and ultimately via a switch to a Fiber modem.
I have individually tested the ether ports by walking around with a laptop and connecting it directly to each ethernet port. I have 1GB down and 1GB up on every port in this way (limitation of the laptop).

I have added an XT8 to the mesh by putting it next to the master and connecting the WAN port to the switch. All is well. White led => good to go.
I take it upstairs and plug it into the ethernet port there (which I already know gets GB signal) and power it up. Blinking blue LED.

Side note: I still get the speed benefit in that room, both via wifi and via ethernet to one of the LAN ports. But in the mesh it remains invisible / not connected.

What am I missing / doing wrong?

Swap around the troubled node and a working node to test for location and wired backhaul issues.

OE

 

[pvanosta]

So you suggest I try swapping out one of the downstairs XT8 with the troubled one? I can do that. I'll let you know.

 

[OzarkEdge]

So you suggest I try swapping out one of the downstairs XT8 with the troubled one? I can do that. I'll let you know.

Swap the nodes around (each in place of the other), turn them both ON, and see which works properly.

OE

 

[pvanosta]

Did that. The troubled node is now in the downstairs network closet working fine. The one from the closet is now upstairs and, like the other one, it connected for about 1 minute and then lost connection again. The upstairs node is now blinking rapid blue, like its predecessor.

 

[pvanosta]

However, if I plug my laptop directly in the upstairs ethernet port, I get full speed Gigabit up and down. What is it that the XT8 does not like via its WAN port but the laptop accepts freely?

 

[OzarkEdge]

However, if I plug my laptop directly in the upstairs ethernet port, I get full speed Gigabit up and down. What is it that the XT8 does not like via its WAN port but the laptop accepts freely?

Slow down... we need to devise the best next test... and I've gotta go take a pee.

OE

 

[OzarkEdge]

Did that. The troubled node is now in the downstairs network closet working fine. The one from the closet is now upstairs and, like the other one, it connected for about 1 minute and then lost connection again. The upstairs node is now blinking rapid blue, like its predecessor.

So, assume all nodes are healthy and the trouble is location (radio interference... noise and/or too much WiFi) and/or the wired backhaul (cabling/plugs/jacks/terminations/switch port or main router LAN port).

Enable AiMesh\Ethernet Backhaul Mode to disable all wireless backhauls (all WiFi for client use only; no backhaul failover) and confirm troubled node Backhaul Connection Priority is default Auto (Ethernet-based). The troubled node (and all nodes) should now only be using wired backhaul... what is the troubled node response?

OE

 

[pvanosta]

ok thanks, I understand what you're asking me to try, I think: kill all nodes which rely on wifi and then switch the Mesh to ethernet backhaul. If I don't do that, the mesh will report that all nodes are not on ethernet and it will refuse the switch to ethernet backhaul. At the moment, all nodes are set to 'auto'. This will take me a while (inbetween doing other stuff). Thank you for getting me this far and I will report back as soon as I am able to do the backhaul test.

 

[OzarkEdge]

ok thanks, I understand what you're asking me to try, I think: kill all nodes which rely on wifi and then switch the Mesh to ethernet backhaul. If I don't do that, the mesh will report that all nodes are not on ethernet and it will refuse the switch to ethernet backhaul. At the moment, all nodes are set to 'auto'. This will take me a while (inbetween doing other stuff). Thank you for getting me this far and I will report back as soon as I am able to do the backhaul test.

Sounds like some nodes are not wired backhaul? So yes, for this test wireless nodes will go offline (Ethernet Backhaul Mode enabled) while we restrict the troubled node to its wired backhaul. You don't have to kill anything... just focus on the troubled node test.

How many nodes/APs do you have broadcasting? What is the area L' x W' footprint of inside coverage (nevermind levels)? About how far apart are the nodes? And is any upper node located directly over a lower node (not staggered and typically floor level distance apart of say 10-15', which is too close!)

OE

 

[pvanosta]

I have 5 nodes in total (I was hoping to do it with 3, maximum 4, as long as they were on ethernet). When I try to switch to ethernet backhaul, it says it can't do it because not all nodes are connected to ethernet.
Strangely, it lists among the nodes not connected to ethernet, the main XT8 router (node 1 on the mesh, 192.168.50.1), which is most certainly connected via ethernet as per the screenshot:

 

[pvanosta]

two nodes are more or less above one another. One connected to ethernet, one not

 

[pvanosta]

The whole system looks like this. The dead one is connected via ethernet upstairs but nor recognized (and the subject of this conversation. The XT9 far right is the second one I want to connect to ethernet because of the weak signal but it is currently only wifi until I resolve the issue with the other one.

 

[OzarkEdge]

two nodes are more or less above one another.

Is the upper node the troubled node? Probably.

Given mixed backhauls, you will not be able to use Ethernet Backhaul Mode, and Zen firmware may not let you force it at the expense of offlining the wireless nodes... so that test is over.

I would confirm all nodes' Backhaul Connection Priority is set to your preferred backhaul in case that helps the troubled node to use its wired backhaul first.

You did not answer the location questions so I will venture to guess that too many strong WiFi signals on the same channel could be disrupting the troubled node trying to use its wireless backhaul first, particularly if it is not prioritizing wired backhaul. You may have too many radios in too little space... one over the other is not good. I have 2 nodes, 77' feet apart in separate brick and stick buildings (3 level house and detached garage) covering a 2 acre property.

Even if you wired ALL nodes and enabled Ethernet Backhaul Mode to disable all wireless backhauls, the wired backhauls may work, but you may still have too much strong signal in too little space disrupting wireless client comms. First step may be to rethink your layout to use less radios... how many you actually need depends on the questions you did not answer.

The swap test suggests your nodes are ok. The laptop test suggests your wired backhaul is ok. That leaves too many nodes and node location as suspects. Radio is hard! AiMesh is limited in configurability... ZEN firmware likely even more so since it is intended to be plug and play. The best configuration is wired dual band gear.

OE

 

[pvanosta]

no, the troubled node is further away on the second floor, in the master bedroom. the upper node is 20 feet away and with 2 walls between them

 

[pvanosta]

As an additional test, I will test laptop-ethernet connectivity in the second bedroom (where the one remaining ethernetport is). Then I will move the XT9 (currently working via wifi) from the upstairs office into bedroom 2, turn it back on with ethernet connection and see if it behaves in the same way as the troubled node (disconnected from mesh, blinking blue led and still broadcasting fast wifi).

 

[pvanosta]

Just did my additional test with the exact same result on the second upstairs node. Ethernet port gives my laptop a direct 1GB signal. Plugged the XT9 into the ethernet port => blue blinking LED I if I plug an ethernet cable in one of the LAN ports of the node, I still get full GB signal, but both these nodes are now invisible to the mesh (show up as disconnected).

 

[pvanosta]

Should I try to do a factory reset on these two and then set them up as fresh nodes (set them next to the master AND connect them to the LAN? If so, do I connect the WAN port of the node to a LAN port of the master (or the switch)? Something else?

 

[OzarkEdge]

Should I try to do a factory reset on these two and then set them up as fresh nodes (set them next to the master AND connect them to the LAN? If so, do I connect the WAN port of the node to a LAN port of the master (or the switch)? Something else?

Removing a working node from the AiMesh will reset it; then add it back... no direct node configuration required. A node is wired node-WAN-to-router-LAN per AiMesh instructions... if there is an intervening switch, try a different switch port. Also, if you are connecting to a wall plate RJ-45 jack, try a different Ethernet patch cord. If you have a 100' Ethernet patch cord sitting around, try it direct from router LAN or switch LAN to the troubled node WAN.

OE

 

[pvanosta]

thank you for all the tips. It is a wall-plate ethernet jack in the upstairs rooms. However, I use the exact same patch cord that I test the laptop's direct connection, so the patch cord cannot be a factor. I'll play a bit more with the other suggestions.