AiMesh with two routers connected to unmanaged switch

[awkwardpond]

Hello all,

I am a networking noob and am struggling to setup wired network in my home. I have two ASUS RT-AC68U routers located in 2nd floor and 3rd floor. These WAN port on these routers are connected to an unmanaged switch located in the 1st floor. One of the ports on the switch is connected to the ISP internet coming from a modem located externally.

My question is how do I connect these two routers using AiMesh wired setup so that all devices connected to these two routers are on the same LAN or subnet

Thanks for any help in advance

 

[SomeWhereOverTheRainBow]

Hello all,

I am a networking noob and am struggling to setup wired network in my home. I have two ASUS RT-AC68U routers located in 2nd floor and 3rd floor. These WAN port on these routers are connected to an unmanaged switch located in the 1st floor. One of the ports on the switch is connected to the ISP internet coming from a modem located externally.

My question is how do I connect these two routers using AiMesh wired setup so that all devices connected to these two routers are on the same LAN or subnet

Thanks for any help in advance

Step 1. Before attempting to pair node to main router, factory reset any nodes using the reset button on back.
Step 2. Pair the Node to the Main Router at close range.
Step 3. Power off Node.
Step 4. Plug Node into its final location and power on.
Step 5. Under Router Aimesh settings, Change the Nodes connection Priority to ethernet to prevent any conflicts from wireless or unmanaged switch.
final step---- repeat the process for any other nodes as desired.

Here is the FAQ on Asus Website:

[AiMesh] What is ASUS AiMesh? | Official Support | ASUS USA

[AiMesh] Can I add my home router to AiMesh system? | Official Support | ASUS USA

[AiMesh] What models of router / Range Extenders support AiMesh? | Official Support | ASUS USA

[AiMesh] How to locate AiMesh router and the node for the best signal? | Official Support | ASUS USA

[AiMesh] Can I set up wired connection between AiMesh routers (Ethernet backhaul)? | Official Support | ASUS USA

[AiMesh] Does AiMesh router support as Access Point mode? | Official Support | ASUS USA

they have all kinds of instructional images. The Aimesh Router can either be in Access point mode or Router mode, while the node is simply paired to it .

 

[awkwardpond]

Thanks for the step by step instructions.

I followed all the steps and changed the AiMesh Nodes connection Prority to ethernet. Now the AiMesh router went offline and I cant connect to it anymore.

Is it because the primary router is not able to find the secondary router through the network switch wired connection?

 

[SomeWhereOverTheRainBow]

Thanks for the step by step instructions.

I followed all the steps and changed the AiMesh Nodes connection Prority to ethernet. Now the AiMesh router went offline and I cant connect to it anymore.
View attachment 27521

View attachment 27520

Is it because the primary router is not able to find the secondary router through the network switch wired connection?

Combination of switch and distance from the primary play a big factor here.

 

[awkwardpond]

I am able to setup each router independently as primary access points since they share the switch with the WAN connection. But what I really want is to setup both routers to be on same LAN/subnet so all my devices can talk to each other.

 

[SomeWhereOverTheRainBow]

I am able to setup each router independently as primary access points since they share the switch with the WAN connection. But what I really want is to setup both routers to be on same LAN/subnet so all my devices can talk to each other.

You can if you place one in access point mode and the other as the router

 

[elorimer]

Maybe I'm not getting it. I would have connected the WAN port on one of the routers to the ISP modem. That's your main router. Then connect the other router to the first router with a cable between their LAN ports. Set up the second router as an AP and don't use its WAN port at all. You may not need the switch at all.

EDIT: I guess I am wrong about the WAN port on the second router.

 

[L&LD]

@elorimer is correct.

You can't have each router connect to the internet independently (in parallel) via their WAN ports and expect them to be on the same subnet/LAN as the other.

The ISP should only be connected directly to one router's WAN port and the second router used as an AiMesh node by connecting one of the main router's LAN ports to the node's WAN port.

The switch is not needed except to possibly connect the ISP connection to the first/main router (if a direct cable run is not available).

 

[heysoundude]

I'm going to be inheriting an ac68 to mesh with my ac86 very shortly and have been investigating the implications of a switch between router (ac86) and node (ac68) due to wiring complexities in my home. I'm happy to see that it shouldn't be a problem, because there is no direct cabling possible between the router location and the node's planned location for wireless coverage.

 

[Amwjujo]

I just moved house and I want to add a ac68u to AiMesh linked to a Ac86U as the main router but with a switch between them - wire and power complexity as well. I already have a cat5 cable that runs through the walls from one room to another. What I would like to do:
Connect the ac86u to one end of the wire add a switch somewhere in the middle of the cable from where I will run another cable to the ac68u as a node and another cable from that switch to another computer - all wired.
Will I face any trouble in doing this? Is this double?
Hope it makes sense.
Thank you.

 

[ligeza]

It should work. I have two switches between Ac86u and ac68u and Aimesh works without any problems.

 

[LordDeNide]

For me two AC68 routers connected to tplink unmanaged switch and working fine including clear roaming (without breaks) with iPhone VoWiFi (Wi-Fi Calling). First of all you need to connect to routers to each othe directly by cabel. Main (lan) => Node (wan) . Setup AiMesh (in my case from second - third time node was reseted to factory defaults). I'm using Merlin's fw.

 

[Strud]

I have three mesh nodes conencted to the main router via unmanaged TPlink switch and all works just fine, even including the initial setup - there was no need for a direct cable connection to do that.