Aimesh info

[rlj2]

I use a 86U as a Aimesh router, with 2 66u_B1s as nodes, one with wired backhaul, one wireless.
This is not a bug report as it is not recommended to use merlin on nodes, but just for information.
The last 3 versions of merlin the wireless node would lose AImesh connection after about 8 hrs, you
could still ssh,etc to the node, but clients could not connect. The wired node was always fine. Did factory resets,etc.
Finally flashed to latest stock Asus firmware and the issue went away.
As far as I know the aimesh code isnt opensource and cant be touched in merlin.
But something changed starting around .14

 

[L&LD]

I have set up my first AiMesh network for a customer almost 3 weeks ago. They are ecstatic about how fast and fluid their network is (which is also a pleasant surprise for me too).

This is two RT-AC86U's both with RMerlin 384.15_0 currently installed on them. The network only went down when I upgraded (and therefore rebooted) to the latest stable release on the 8th of this month.

I followed @OzarkEdge's excellent guide to get the AiMesh to work.

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/o...-supported-products.44375/page-14#post-381537

The 'recommendation' to not use RMerlin firmware on nodes is way past its due date.

 

[OzarkEdge]

The 'recommendation' to not use RMerlin firmware on nodes is way past its due date.

The last I read, Asuswrt-Merlin does not improve AiMesh node function or performance, and slightly complicates firmware upgrading... I'm paraphrasing... feel free to correct me. If Merlin on the node adds any actual value, I'll revise my notes.

If I needed Merlin, I would figure this out for myself... but I just don't need it and prefer to stay in sync with other stock Asus router sites I visit. About the only advantage it would afford me is to serve as a defect filter on stock firmware.

OE

 

[L&LD]

@OzarkEdge, it doesn't need to improve it if not needed.

I don't see any complications either, but this was my only AiMesh install so far too.

Just the fact that the rest of the firmware is behaving as it should is enough for me to want RMerlin running, even in AiMesh mode.

 

[rlj2]

The last I read, Asuswrt-Merlin does not improve AiMesh node function or performance, and slightly complicates firmware upgrading... I'm paraphrasing... feel free to correct me. If Merlin on the node adds any actual value, I'll revise my notes.

If I needed Merlin, I would figure this out for myself... but I just don't need it and prefer to stay in sync with other stock Asus router sites I visit. About the only advantage it would afford me is to serve as a defect filter on stock firmware.

OE

\

Ozarkedge, It does not add anything. I just kept everything in sync for convenience (update the router, update the nodes). As I mentioned I knew it wasnt a bug per say, but it did work fine pre .14 with merlin on the nodes, so just informational for the dev if he even cares about the aimesh stuff he cant touch or even see.

 

[JDB]

The last I read, Asuswrt-Merlin does not improve AiMesh node function or performance, and slightly complicates firmware upgrading... I'm paraphrasing... feel free to correct me. If Merlin on the node adds any actual value, I'll revise my notes.

If I needed Merlin, I would figure this out for myself... but I just don't need it and prefer to stay in sync with other stock Asus router sites I visit. About the only advantage it would afford me is to serve as a defect filter on stock firmware.

OE

FWIW if I run stock FW on my nodes my SSH keys are not pushed to the nodes. This is the only reason I run Merlin on the nodes, as it means I can have key based SSH access to them.
I think it’s because I have multiple keys so it’s a long blob of data.
I have also enabled link aggregation on one of the nodes that has my NAS off it, which had to be done via NVRAM updates what with the GUI being off limits (and hence was how I first learnt of the SSH key limitation). Not strictly required to be on Merlin for this mod of course though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[xulian]

the wireless node would lose AImesh connection after about 8 hrs, you
could still ssh,etc to the node, but clients could not connect. The wired node was always fine. Did factory resets,etc.

it happens to me also, only at the RT-AC86U, that one is after some time unreachable from the devices and many stay out of range or connect to another node. But it is in wired mode, not wireless

 

[xulian]

it happens to me also, only at the RT-AC86U, that one is after some time unreachable from the devices and many stay out of range or connect to another node. But it is in wired mode, not wireless

after a few tests looks like setting antennae in a III form instead of \|/ works better and now devices are kept online.

 

[rlj2]

I havent dug into it anymore, I know the node hasnt went down a single time since returning it to stock.

 

[xulian]

I havent dug into it anymore, I know the node hasnt went down a single time since returning it to stock.

I did with latest merlin’s alpha and it never went down again.