AiMesh node - with wired client

[wouterv]

Does an AiMesh node (not being the AiMesh Router) support wired clients?

 

[L&LD]

Yes.

 

[wouterv]

Something to try soon and see what is more convenient: Media Bridge or and AiMesh-Node.

 

[L&LD]

Convenient: AiMesh node.

Performance: Media Bridge.

When one has a choice? No contest (Media Bridge mode).

 

[wouterv]

I was thinking the same: the Media Bridge does perform as expected and for the purpose I do not need AiMesh (no need for roaming wireless clients).
AiMesh will cause some overhead for sure.
Out of curiosity I will some day give AiMesh a try though.

 

[RangerZ]

I just did this test. It was quick and dirty. No difference in speed that I could see. I too expected the Media Bridge to outperform.

@wouterv At what distance apart are your devices and what are you getting for speed?

 

[wouterv]

The distance between the Router and Media Bridge is about 8 meters, with one brick wall in between.
The Link rate between the Router and the Media Bridge goes around 1000 Mbps.
The maximum speed I have not really determined yet, it is way sufficient for the application.
The application is a Amino Aria 7x box for TV, this Amino box connects with 100 Mbps (that is the max of the Amino) to the Media Bridge.
My Internet subscription is 100 Mbps up / 100 Mbps down. If I connect a laptop with 1 Gbps to the Media Bridge, Internet speedtest goes up to the subscription max.

 

[RangerZ]

I will suggest use try the Totusoft lan speed test to measure speed internally. I have a 200\50 connection so I prefer to eliminate the internet when testing LAN speed. I use the older 1.3 lite (right hand column) just because it's portable. There is also IPerf and JPerf, but this is easier.

 

[wouterv]

I gave it a try: setup the RT-AC1900U as AiMesh Node to the RT-AC68U router with a client (TV streaming box) wired to the AiMesh Node.
This works, the throughput seems ok (at least it reaches my ISP subscription max of 100 Mbps up / 100 Mbps down).
The whole AiMesh interface looks neat, but: the wired AiMesh Node client (the TV box) shows ON and and OFF in the interface (it appears and disappears with say minute intervals).
I reverted the RT-AC1900U back to Media Bridge, I like to keep things under manual control.
I suppose AiMesh is designed and fully tested for Wireless clients, in my application the Media Bridge does the work.

 

[RangerZ]

the wired AiMesh Node client (the TV box) shows ON and and OFF in the interface (it appears and disappears with say minute intervals).

So, to be clear, you are referring to the list of clients on Network Map => Clients button => Client Status list or View List button, and\or (what should be the same) AIMesh => [Select a device] => Client List

You are not referring to the AIMesh nodes them selves (green line) disconnecting. .I would hope wired backhaul does not disconnect at all, I have seen some times the wireless comes and goes for abot 10-20 seconds.

If the former, I have a NAS attached to my router. It comes and goes all the time, but still works (as best I can tell). I have seen other complain of devices coming and going from the list. In the linked thread, it sounds like the OPs issue is not what @sbsnb is referring to, but what you are seeing.

That said, I think there is little to no performance diff for wireless scenarios at the same location. The only technical benefits to AImesh on the node might be: Guest Network (not isolated on AP), and single interface to manage. I am not truly sure that the supposed benifit of roaming really works better.

I tested running the following scenarios, and basically feel that an AP is most stable. == is wired, // is wireless.

RT-AC1900P Router <==> RT-AC1900P AImesh node
RT-AC1900P Router <//> RT-AC1900P AImesh node
RT-AC1900P Router <//> RT-AC1900P Media Bridge
RT-AC1900P Router <==> RT-AC1900P AP node
Unifi LAN <==> RT-AC1900P AP <//> RT-AC1900P AImesh node

So, if you have some time, please try the tool I suggested in post 8. The only setup is a client at both ends you can read\write to. The whole test is only a few minutes.

 

[wouterv]

The AiMesh Node it self stayed solid in the AiMesh overview (for the time I observed it), it was the wired client to the AiMesh Node that appeared and disappeared in the AiMesh overview page under the AiMesh Node.
It can be just a monitor issue, not a real connection issue.
The AiMesh idea is great to build a distributed wireless network in your home, but that is not what I seek.
At least I have an idea now how setup works and what it looks like.
When I have time I might do some real throughput testing with different equipment modes.

 

[RangerZ]

I am only suggest you test the one you are running, again I do not think the mode will change performance. It's more a curiosity of are you using all your ISP band width or not.