aimesh router RT-AC68U cannot find mesh node

[kenme73]

Be sure to place both units very, very close to each other during the pairing process.
Seen this?

Thank you for the video. Unfortunately it didn't solve my problem. I've probably put well over 24 hours into trying to get one of my RT-AC68U to act as either a AiMesh router or a AiMesh node without any luck. I now hav a RT-AC88U as a router and one of my RT-AC68U as a node, the other RT-AC68U simply don't function in any mesh mode (as router or node).

I've been in contact with ASUS support and sent them the nvram dump to see if they can find anything.

 

[indark]

Thank you for the video. Unfortunately it didn't solve my problem. I've probably put well over 24 hours into trying to get one of my RT-AC68U to act as either a AiMesh router or a AiMesh node without any luck. I now hav a RT-AC88U as a router and one of my RT-AC68U as a node, the other RT-AC68U simply don't function in any mesh mode (as router or node).

I've been in contact with ASUS support and sent them the nvram dump to see if they can find anything.

by dont function, you meant not able to find / be found as mesh? or there is no ai-mesh icon at all?
but ya try version 384.0.0.4.20308 on that not working router if it's just not able to find or be found.

 

[kenme73]

The icon is there but it simply can’t be found or be used as a AiMesh node or router. Tried every firmware from 20308 and upward with no success. I’m pretty sure it’s a hardware fault.

 

[indark]

The icon is there but it simply can’t be found or be used as a AiMesh node or router. Tried every firmware from 20308 and upward with no success. I’m pretty sure it’s a hardware fault.

that will most likely be the case(will need tech support from asus to determine for sure), for me it's none of the firmware after 20308 will find/pair.
But there is no issue to find/pair with 20308 and then update to the new firmware.
you can try to go further back to test

 

[kaze72]

The icon is there but it simply can’t be found or be used as a AiMesh node or router. Tried every firmware from 20308 and upward with no success. I’m pretty sure it’s a hardware fault.

Sorry for the late reply. I have got several different firmwares from Asus support to try out, but none of them worked. I have the exact same scenario as you, with the UI showing the possibility to add nodes, but none is ever found.

I have to this day not found a solution, but I will keep in touch with Asus support. If we find a solution, I will report it back to this thread.

 

[prestige29]

Hi there,
I had a similar issue with two flashed TM-AC1900's at the start of July. They would not find each other with AiMesh. I did solve my issue, but it might not relate to your problem.
I realized that that when I performed the flash instructions through the Bay Area Tech Pros website, I made a mistake after Step 19.

After you type that last line for Step 19 in Putty, Step 20 says to do an NVRAM reset. That's what I did, and the firmware flashed successfully. However, I did not WAIT for the confirmation in Putty to say "Linux: CRC OK" before I did the NVRAM reset.

The router flashed, but my AiMesh wasn't connecting. I went back and did the steps for both of the routers correctly and it worked. I also used a slightly earlier Firmware version from May (RT-AC68U_3.0.0.4_384_20942-ge38bead.trx). Once the mesh was up and running, I updated the firmwares together, and no problems. I'll upload the firmware version I used here.
Good luck.

 

[Lan]

My RC-AC68W is having weird trouble connecting to my main RT-AC3100. After I did all the step on RT-AC68W and connects back to RT-AC3100. A new node found message popped out and told me to wait for it, but it went away after 2 seconds. Unlike my RT-AC68P and RT-AC68U (converted from TM-AC1900), there was no "Yes" and "No" option here.

 

[Grisu]

My RC-AC68W is having weird trouble connecting to my main RT-AC3100. After I did all the step on RT-AC68W and connects back to RT-AC3100. A new node found message popped out and told me to wait for it, but it went away after 2 seconds. Unlike my RT-AC68P and RT-AC68U (converted from TM-AC1900), there was no "Yes" and "No" option here.

first step load new firmware 32738 on all devices!
reset to factory and use pressed WPS button while power on and release 15s later.

 

[Lan]

first step load new firmware 32738 on all devices!
reset to factory and use pressed WPS button while power on and release 15s later.

32738 was only available on 8/20/2018 for AC3100, so at the time of post that option was not available.

 

[Grisu]

32738 was only available on 8/20/2018 for AC3100, so at the time of post that option was not available.

your problem was with 68W I thought, and for that its out about a week ago.
Either way try it on all devices now.

 

[Skyking]

Hi there,
I had a similar issue with two flashed TM-AC1900's at the start of July. They would not find each other with AiMesh. I did solve my issue, but it might not relate to your problem.
I realized that that when I performed the flash instructions through the Bay Area Tech Pros website, I made a mistake after Step 19.

After you type that last line for Step 19 in Putty, Step 20 says to do an NVRAM reset. That's what I did, and the firmware flashed successfully. However, I did not WAIT for the confirmation in Putty to say "Linux: CRC OK" before I did the NVRAM reset.

The router flashed, but my AiMesh wasn't connecting. I went back and did the steps for both of the routers correctly and it worked. I also used a slightly earlier Firmware version from May (RT-AC68U_3.0.0.4_384_20942-ge38bead.trx). Once the mesh was up and running, I updated the firmwares together, and no problems. I'll upload the firmware version I used here.
Good luck.

I have been using an Asus RT-AC88U router for a couple of years and love it. I was just going to add a wireless access point connected to my shop a couple of hundred feet away, but then read about his aimesh stuff and thought I would try it. For a number of reasons I use a 192.168.2.x addressing scheme. Well, when I tried to connect the new RT-AC68U nothing worked on the aimesh stuff. I figured out that is because Asus tries to force us to do things with a 192.168.1.x scheme. I have tried to end run the setup wizard that runs when you change the 68U to node mode and no dice. It insists on resetting to default details to including the 192.168.1.x scheme. I have a dozen security cameras and many other things pointed at 192.168.2.x addresses and do not want to change all of that stuff just to get aimesh, so can anybody tell me how to force it to use the ip address scheme that I WANT, not what Asus tries to force on me?

Thanks!

Phillip

 

[prestige29]

I have been using an Asus RT-AC88U router for a couple of years and love it. I was just going to add a wireless access point connected to my shop a couple of hundred feet away, but then read about his aimesh stuff and thought I would try it. For a number of reasons I use a 192.168.2.x addressing scheme. Well, when I tried to connect the new RT-AC68U nothing worked on the aimesh stuff. I figured out that is because Asus tries to force us to do things with a 192.168.1.x scheme. I have tried to end run the setup wizard that runs when you change the 68U to node mode and no dice. It insists on resetting to default details to including the 192.168.1.x scheme. I have a dozen security cameras and many other things pointed at 192.168.2.x addresses and do not want to change all of that stuff just to get aimesh, so can anybody tell me how to force it to use the ip address scheme that I WANT, not what Asus tries to force on me?

Thanks!

Phillip

I wonder if you could set your primary router back to 192.168.1.1, connect the node, then change it back to 192.168.2.x after the node is connected. Whatever you do to the primary, I think the node will follow suit.

The way I would do it....write down all your SSID and password info for your current arrangement. Reset your primary router to default settings. Create a generic network and connect the node. If that works, try to change the LAN IP to 192.168.2.1 . If the node setup continues to function after that, then go in and change your SSID and password to what you had before, reboot, and see if everything works as usual.

Not sure..just a theory.

 

[Skyking]

prestige29, thanks for the reply. That had occurred to me and if I don't get any other options overnight I will try that very thing. Back the router up, punch the reset switch, try and pair them, set it with a static ip of my choice, restore my router and off to the races. But that will be 1-2 hours if everything goes perfectly. I cannot for the life of me believe that Asus really wants to force us to use 192.168.1.x. Even cheap Chinese ip cameras have a utility that allows you to define the network features of the camera if their default configuration does not work. Asus has a search tool with a configuration button, but that button just launches the default browser. If they just add a gui interface that replicates what the camera manufacturers provide this problem goes way completely. And forum posts all over would be marked as "SOLVED". Thanks again - Phillip

 

[Grisu]

My both routers could connect without troubles with different IP, always use 10.0.x.x range on parent router and node will load factory defaults after you change its mode to Aimesh-node in GUI.
The mesh node will use IP-range from parent router, cant work different.

 

[Skyking]

My both routers could connect without troubles with different IP, always use 10.0.x.x range on parent router and node will load factory defaults after you change its mode to Aimesh-node in GUI.

I am glad that it works for you, but there are many, many, posts on the internet where people are having precisely the problem I am having. I don't know if that makes you rare or not, we don't know how many people are buying this gear to try and get the aimesh option and then what percentage it works for and what percentage it is not working for, but there are substantial numbers that have this issue. And it would be simply solved if Asus gave us a tool to choose the ip address for the node during setup.

The mesh node will use IP-range from parent router, cant work different.

Yes, this is one of those immutable laws of networking. As I said, I need a tool or technique to assign the ip to the node because mine is one of those cases where Asus gear, correctly configured, still will not link up for aimesh. And I am unconvinced that the best long-term strategy is all of this goofy putting two routers right next to each other for setup. Why not just use an Ethernet connection and do the setup that way?..

Oh well...just musing...

Phillip

 

[Grisu]

I am glad that it works for you, but there are many, many, posts on the internet where people are having precisely the problem I am having. I don't know if that makes you rare or not, we don't know how many people are buying this gear to try and get the aimesh option and then what percentage it works for and what percentage it is not working for, but there are substantial numbers that have this issue. And it would be simply solved if Asus gave us a tool to choose the ip address for the node during setup.



Yes, this is one of those immutable laws of networking. As I said, I need a tool or technique to assign the ip to the node because mine is one of those cases where Asus gear, correctly configured, still will not link up for aimesh. And I am unconvinced that the best long-term strategy is all of this goofy putting two routers right next to each other for setup. Why not just use an Ethernet connection and do the setup that way?..

Oh well...just musing...

Phillip

YOU CAN use only ethernet connection for meshing since last firmware 32738 !!!
Did you ever try to factory reset BOTH routers, minimal setup, pair them and at last step setup parent router by hand (dont use safed config).

 

[Skyking]

YOU CAN use only ethernet connection for meshing since last firmware 32738 !!!
Did you ever try to factory reset BOTH routers, minimal setup, pair them and at last step setup parent router by hand (dont use safed config).

Grisu, can you point me to the information to guide me through using the Ethernet only connection? That is news to me. And no, I have not factory reset the primary router because that will potentially be an ordeal. I have been working on this 30 minutes to an hour here and there. If I had all day to work on something that is supposed to just work out of the box...you know, as it is being sold and hyped everywhere, it might be different. I travel for a living and I leave for three days tomorrow. I am not about to risk losing the custom firewall rules and other settings that allow our security cameras to work just to enable this clearly buggy aimesh stuff. The new hardware (RT-AC68U), intended to be the aimesh node, had its firmware updated and has been factory reset. The aimesh router (RT-AC88U) has had its firmware updated and it has been power cycled, but NO is the specific answer to your question.

I would be keenly interested in a link to the correct way to set up via an Ethernet connection. Thanks!

Phillip

 

[Grisu]

are both on 32738?
It has been published yesterday for 88U
You will see in changelog that ethernet for meshing is possible now!

If yes: Connect laptop over wifi with 68U, setup on admin page to aimesh-node mode and apply.
Connect ethernet from 88U LAN to 68U WAN port, connect to 88U and click Aimesh on network map, search nodes, should find 68U and apply.

Thats it ...

For easy go back just safe your config of 88U, then you could upload safed config to have it in the state before you changed anything.

 

[HowIFix]

My both routers could connect without troubles with different IP, always use 10.0.x.x range on parent router and node will load factory defaults after you change its mode to Aimesh-node in GUI.
The mesh node will use IP-range from parent router, cant work different.

If you are using 10.x.x.x as IP range, I hope you are using it properly.

LAN -> LAN IP:

• IP Address: 10.0.0.1
• Subnet Mask: 255.0.0.0

LAN -> DHCP Server:

• IP Pool Starting Address: 10.0.0.2
  
• IP Pool Ending Address: 10.255.255.254

IP Subnet Calculator - Network Class "A":



Source:

• Ever Wondered Why We Use 192.168.0.1 IP Addresses?
• Private network - Wikipedia
• Online IP Subnet Calculator

 

[Grisu]

If you are using 10.x.x.x as IP range, I hope you are using it properly.

LAN -> LAN IP:

• IP Address: 10.0.0.1
• Subnet Mask: 255.0.0.0

LAN -> DHCP Server:

• IP Pool Starting Address: 10.0.0.2
  
• IP Pool Ending Address: 10.255.255.254

Ok to be more deatailed:

I meant something beginning with 10.x.x.x as this is our free usable private range.
This routers are not able to support more than /22 network what I read somewhere.
Ususally only last 8 bits are used for different IP addresses and first 24 bits are set to a fix value, but you can choose which so meant to be variable/chooseable as own /24-subnet!

I prefer the easy entering of 10.0.0.x compared to 192.168.1.x.
And other point our ISP uses it by default since ever and would be much work to change it on modem if possible at all (depending on type)!