AiMesh issues with RT-AC86U on 386.4 and DSL-AC68U on 386.04_0-gnuton1_beta4

[PT25]

Hi all,

I have previously been using an RT-AC86U running Merlin 386.2 as an AiMesh router with 2 x DSL-AC68U’s running Gnuton’s 386.2 equivalent as AiMesh nodes with wireless backhaul. This was working absolutely fine.

3 days ago I updated the two DSL-AC68U’s to Gnuton’s latest beta (386.04_0-gnuton1_beta4) and the RT-AC86U to Merlín 386.4 after performing a full nuclear reset on all three devices. My RT-AC86U has been purring along perfectly however I have been encountering issues trying to add the DSL’s as AiMesh nodes. I keep getting the following error:

All 5 of those points I have checked over and over and still I get that message. I have tried rolling back the firmware on the DSL’s to the 386.2 equivalent (last known working) and still get this error.

I have seen on a separate thread a similar issue whereby they were using a DSL-AC68U as the AiMesh router and an RT-AC86U as the node (eerily the exact mirror of my setup hence why the new the new thread) and the solution was to add the node over Ethernet first and then revert to wireless backhaul. However when using DSL’s as nodes (which has worked seamlessly on past firmwares) you cannot use Ethernet backhaul as there is no WAN port, unless I have missed something?

I am prepared to roll everything back to 386.2 and equivalent Gnuton for the DSL’s but if anyone has any ideas on how to fix or circumvent this issue I would be really appreciative.

Many thanks,

Paul

 

[L&LD]

Note that first, you flash the firmware you need, then you do a full reset to factory defaults. Your post indicates this was done in the wrong order.

 

[PT25]

Note that first, you flash the firmware you need, then you do a full reset to factory defaults. Your post indicates this was done in the wrong order.

I always follow your guides to the letter when doing this, everything was done in the order you state Your guides are literally a tome for the ages!

Just to be clear, the RT-AC86U running 386.4 is running beautifully without any of the issues some 86U owners have reported on the release thread. I treated the DSL-AC68U’s exactly the same, obviously with the respective Gnuton forks. Prior to doing anything at all the complete AiMesh system was working fine.

Thanks,

Paul

 

[PT25]

Looking at @GNUton release notes it says that you have to use Ethernet to set it up. But I can’t figure out how to use Ethernet when the DSL’s are the nodes. Is there a way of getting them to use one of the LAN ports as a WAN?

 

[GNUton]

@PT25 do you have plans to make the DSL-AC68U a slave or a master?
If master. no WAN needed.
if slave. I have not tested this

 

[PT25]

@PT25 do you have plans to make the DSL-AC68U a slave or a master?
If master. no WAN needed.
if slave. I have not tested this

@GNUton I want to use my two DSL-AC68U's as slaves. This has always worked for me without any issues whatsoever with your fork on the DSL's and Merlin's on the AC-86U up until flashing the latest firmware versions for all three devices. Historically they have always been setup and configured using WIFI front/backhaul due to me not being able to figure out how to use the DSL's on ethernet front/backhaul. I believe the issue that I am facing is that whatever has changed in the latest firmware's has resulted in having to use ethernet to set up the nodes (slaves) which I am not sure is possible.

I really need to get this working somehow as without the two nodes I have massive black spots in my house. Can the DSL's be configured to use a LAN port as WAN as a mesh node? Or can WIFI setup be reinstated? I really appreciate any advice you or anyone can offer on this one.

Thanks,

Paul

 

[GNUton]

@PT25 I have to be honest I have not digged into this problem yet but usually AiMesh is a black box.
I have not tested backhaul as child node on the DSL-AC68U so honestly I dunno if that works.
You can defintely try that if you wanna to and report back.

 

[PT25]

Hi @GNUton

My apologies if I didn’t explain it correctly. Prior to upgrading to yours and Merlin’s latest firmware’s I had both DSL’s (running your firmware) working perfectly fine as nodes to my RT-AC86U (running Merlin’s firmware) as master. They were set up using WIFI only.

The problem that now exists is that using yours and Merlin’s latest firmwares has broken the ability to add the DSL nodes on WIFI. Does that make sense?

If the DSL’s can no longer be added as nodes using WIFI then can you advise if there is a way to add them using Ethernet?

Thanks,

Paul

 

[GNUton]

hi,
yes the problem is clear and unfortunately known. This issue has not been introduced now but it has been there since a few releases AFAIK.
The problem is only in the setup.

Now I would need some help in order to understand this issue more.
The first thing I do need to get is if this issue happens only with my firmware: I am wondering if this is an issue introced by me or coming from upstream asus or Merlin)

In order to understand this it would be cool if someone could check this out:
A. Router with Merlin (not my firmware) with latest firmware
B Connect Router A to any asus router via AiMesh
C. tell me if wireless AiMesh setup (able to find other routers and connect to it) works with latest merling firmware


Thanks

 

[PT25]

hi,
yes the problem is clear and unfortunately known. This issue has not been introduced now but it has been there since a few releases AFAIK.
The problem is only in the setup.

Now I would need some help in order to understand this issue more.
The first thing I do need to get is if this issue happens only with my firmware: I am wondering if this is an issue introced by me or coming from upstream asus or Merlin)

In order to understand this it would be cool if someone could check this out:
A. Router with Merlin (not my firmware) with latest firmware
B Connect Router A to any asus router via AiMesh
C. tell me if wireless AiMesh setup (able to find other routers and connect to it) works with latest merling firmware


Thanks

I don’t have another router that is capable of running Merlin unfortunately

Is there anyone that can test this?

Thanks,

Paul

 

[sl4fko]

Hi Paul.



Try this:

Reset your DSL-AC68U to factory defaults. Then login into it and set it up as an Aimesh NODE, so it will be "prepared" for pairing with the main router. THEN login to AC86U and search for the node.



Worked for me at my friends config with AX58U as a main and AC56U v3 as a node (it was not found at first, I had to login in it and set it up as a AImesh node; the it was found by AX58U)

 

[GNUton]

@sl4fko thanks a lot!
So if I got it right the setup was:
- AX58U as master
- AC56U v3 as child
and AX58U had the lastest merlin firmware.
Am I correct?

 

[PT25]

Hi Paul.



Try this:

Reset your DSL-AC68U to factory defaults. Then login into it and set it up as an Aimesh NODE, so it will be "prepared" for pairing with the main router. THEN login to AC86U and search for the node.



Worked for me at my friends config with AX58U as a main and AC56U v3 as a node (it was not found at first, I had to login in it and set it up as a AImesh node; the it was found by AX58U)

Hi,

Thanks for this. I followed those steps exactly as outlined by L&LD above (factory/nuclear reset the DSL and then try pairing from the AC86U). The issue is not the AC86U not finding the DSL as a node. It shows up in the list and I am able to initiate a pairing over WIFI.

The issue is that once pairing over WIFI is initiated it errors with the error posted at the beginning of this thread.

Thanks,

Paul

 

[PT25]

Hi Paul.



Try this:

Reset your DSL-AC68U to factory defaults. Then login into it and set it up as an Aimesh NODE, so it will be "prepared" for pairing with the main router. THEN login to AC86U and search for the node.

Hi,

I have just re-read your response, what do you mean by ‘login into it and set it up as an Aimesh NODE’ ? My understanding is that after factory resetting the node you have to leave it initialising so as the AiMesh Master can then discover it?

Thanks,

Paul

 

[sl4fko]

Well, not really. Did not work in my case with AX58U + AC56Uv3.



You have to login to DSL-AC68U after factory reset and choose in the first setup wizard that it should act as an aimesh node... Hopefully, you understand me now... Sorry...

 

[PT25]

Well, not really. Did not work in my case with AX58U + AC56Uv3.



You have to login to DSL-AC68U after factory reset and choose in the first setup wizard that it should act as an aimesh node... Hopefully, you understand me now... Sorry...

Hi,

If you connect to a DSL-AC68U after a factory reset it takes you through the setup wizzard for creating a DSL connection. There is no option to configure it locally as an AiMesh node, unless I am missing something?

Thanks,

Paul

 

[FernandoF]

I have no experience whatsoever with AiMesh, but I read something a few days ago in a local forum which I'll reproduce here, hoping it may be helpful.

It was a couple of very short posts, but the user was trying to add an RT-AC88U (likely with Merlin 386.4) as an AiMesh node to an RT-AC86U primary router (with Merlin 386.4). He was getting the exact same error from post #1 (please see the link below for the screenshot, even though it's in Portuguese). A few hours later, he reported he was able to establish that connection once he switched to setting that up via the Android app.

https://uploaddeimagens.com.br/imagens/qi4oeww

I don't know whether that makes any sense, but I thought I'd share it just in case. My apologies if the above information is irrelevant for the issue under discussion here.

 

[PT25]

Hi @GNUton have you been able to look at this at all? I have looked at the suggestion above but still no joy :-(

Thanks

Paul

 

[Krism]

I had a similar issue running Merlin 386.4. Reverted back to stock firmware and then was able to add my nodes. Afterwards upgraded to 386.4 again and the nodes where still there.
It looks like 386.4 is not able to discover aimesh nodes even when they are resetted