Aimesh

[HMRK]

Hi Team,

I currently have 2 * ASUS RT-AC68U running in a Aimesh system with VM 500mbps connection which is being upgraded to 1gbps I want to add the RT-AC88U as the main router does anyone have this setup? are any advantages/disadvantages with this setup anything I need to be aware of?

Thanks

H

 

[L&LD]

Not a good idea. The RT-AC88U is EOL.

End-of-life product list

The RT-AC68Us are not far behind.

Time for an AX class setup. You may find that a single RT-AX86U 'Pro' may be enough in your environment. It will certainly handle 1Gbps ISP speeds. If on sale, and depending on the prices between these two, the GT-AX6000 is highly recommended and will receive the 3.0.0.6.xxx firmware when it becomes available.

[ 386.4 alpha Build(s) ] Testing available build(s)

There are some odd regressions being discussed on the dnsmasq-discuss list from the PiHole guy (Dominik). https://lists.thekelleys.org.uk/pipermail/dnsmasq-discuss/2021q3/015598.html https://lists.thekelleys.org.uk/pipermail/dnsmasq-discuss/2021q3/015596.html I see Merlin is testing 2.86 out...

www.snbforums.com

As you can see from the above link, a single RT-AX68U easily outperforms a 2x RT-AC86U setup (with the latter being superior to your RT-AC68Us).

While the RT-AX68U are highly recommended, I wouldn't use them for much higher than 600Mbps ISP speeds though.

 

[Tech9]

are any advantages/disadvantages with this setup anything I need to be aware of?

This ISP upgrade will cost you hundreds of dollars. Do you relly needed it? Your old routers won't work well with Gigabit ISP.

RT-AX68U was never highly recommended model. Issues with radios, delays with firmware updates, replaced already by other AX3000 class models. If you want to continue with Asus your cheapest replacement is RT-AX86U Pro. Perhaps you need two routers, not three. For Gigabit ISP your routers must be wired and you must have AX class clients for a chance to see close to Gigabit to wireless client. Don't count phones/tablets, they have nothing to do with Gigabit. Your Internet experience after hundreds of dollars won't change much. Find a good explanation why you did all the upgrades.

 

[drinkingbird]

Hi Team,

I currently have 2 * ASUS RT-AC68U running in a Aimesh system with VM 500mbps connection which is being upgraded to 1gbps I want to add the RT-AC88U as the main router does anyone have this setup? are any advantages/disadvantages with this setup anything I need to be aware of?

Thanks

H

The 68U is capable of 1G wired and 400-600M wireless. The 88U is capable of the same (but it could do more with some of the features enabled that can slow down the 68U a bit). I definitely would not buy the 88U, if you have one laying around it couldn't hurt to make it your main router. Just don't expect any significant boost in performance.

If you don't want to upgrade to a new AX (or better) router, which might eliminate the need for two devices, I would focus on getting a wired link between main router and node(s) if you don't already have one. If you can't run ethernet, look into MOCA via coax.

If you're already wired between nodes then you're already set up to take full advantage of AC. You'll be able to fully utilize the 1G internet from a wired device (assuming you aren't using Trend Micro, bandwidth stats, QOS, parental controls), and for wireless a single device will hit about half that, and if you have two wireless devices spread between the nodes, they'll each be able to get about 500.

 

[Tech9]

You'll be able to fully utilize the 1G internet

Not guaranteed. RT-AC68U has a firmware bug causing half speed to wired clients connected to wired AiMesh node. @HMRK has to hunt for a working firmware. This bug was mentioned in at least 3-4 threads here on SNB Forums.

 

[drinkingbird]

Not guaranteed. RT-AC68U has a firmware bug causing half speed to wired clients connected to wired AiMesh node. @HMRK has to hunt for a working firmware. This bug was mentioned in at least 3-4 threads here on SNB Forums.

Kind of assume that nodes won't have wired devices but obviously not the case for everyone. Potentially will be able to use the full gig, also depends on services running etc too.

 

[Tech9]

No matter what it is moving from 500Mbps to Gigabit ISP won't change much Internet experience. Chasing the speed makes upgrades necessary. The benefit is in speedtest and occasional faster downloads. Everything else will remain about the same. Eventually improved LAN speed to NAS, if used or needed. The real winners are the ISP and the hardware vendors. What still works and is usable goes to the landfill.

You have a pretty old router too. A new RT-AX86U Pro for you? GT-AX6000 just in case?

 

[L&LD]

AC class routers are effectively obsolete. The specific model the OP has is almost a decade old. Either way, time to upgrade.

As for the ISP speeds, more than likely it is a cheaper, or at least a negligible cost vs. the older ISP offering.

And, given all the parts are in place, double the speeds are noticeable, even if those speeds aren't used regularly. The latency improvements are real and noticeable with each network use.

Just because something is 'still working' doesn't mean it should be. A lot has changed in the last decade. Going to the landfill isn't the end of the world, contrary to the current popular narrative (nor is it the only option).

 

[drinkingbird]

AC class routers are effectively obsolete. The specific model the OP has is almost a decade old. Either way, time to upgrade.

As for the ISP speeds, more than likely it is a cheaper, or at least a negligible cost vs. the older ISP offering.

And, given all the parts are in place, double the speeds are noticeable, even if those speeds aren't used regularly. The latency improvements are real and noticeable with each network use.

Just because something is 'still working' doesn't mean it should be. A lot has changed in the last decade. Going to the landfill isn't the end of the world, contrary to the current popular narrative (nor is it the only option).

Depends on the person. I'm a long time network guy and my AC router is plenty for what I need it for. If I was doing heavy file sharing or large game downloads, lots of local transfers, etc, then I'd upgrade.

As far as faster internet, if someone thinks they'll be able to take advantage of it and the cost is not prohibitive, they can obviously go for it, but it is wise to at least consider whether upgrading (along with the hardware upgrades) will be worth the cost involved or not. Depending on the backend technology the ISP is using, latency may or may not change at all. I.e. 500M DOCSIS to 1G DOCSIS likely are both 3.1 and latency should be about the same (unless you're constantly using 500M and won't be constantly using 1G, but that's unlikely). In fact more channels bonded and/or higher QAM can actually increase latency a bit (should not be noticeable though).

Personally I find it despicable that ISPs will list a 100M connection as "2 to 3 users" and "light internet use" and a 1G connection as "average family" or whatever deceptive practices they use. There are plenty of average families that would be 100% fine on 100M and never see any slowdown. So anytime I see someone wanting 1G, 2G, whatever, I think it is worth asking why.

 

[Tech9]

Some £500 may solve AiMesh speed issues for @HMRK. It is going to be quite noticeable indeed.

 

[L&LD]

@drinkingbird, I can agree with all you've said (given different circumstances). But the RT-AC88U the OP is asking about is EOL already. And there is no doubt that more hardware than what the RT-AC68Us offer is needed too. Even ignoring the fact that those routers days are numbered too. They had a good run (almost a decade), but when it's time to upgrade, it makes sense to upgrade to the latest standards, not to the old ones.

If the newer tier speed package is cheaper or effectively the same price, there is no point asking 'why'. It is self-explanatory.

The standards and the yardsticks used change as time goes on. We need to keep up on all aspects, not just what was reasonable a decade (or even, a few years) ago.

 

[drinkingbird]

@drinkingbird, I can agree with all you've said (given different circumstances). But the RT-AC88U the OP is asking about is EOL already. And there is no doubt that more hardware than what the RT-AC68Us offer is needed too. Even ignoring the fact that those routers days are numbered too. They had a good run (almost a decade), but when it's time to upgrade, it makes sense to upgrade to the latest standards, not to the old ones.

If the newer tier speed package is cheaper or effectively the same price, there is no point asking 'why'. It is self-explanatory.

The standards and the yardsticks used change as time goes on. We need to keep up on all aspects, not just what was reasonable a decade (or even, a few years) ago.

Agreed, I said only use the 88 if they already had it, definitely don't be buying any AC stuff (especially not EOL). As far as the 500M vs 1G cost, we don't know what the price difference is or if it locks them into a contract that goes way up year two (common scheme near me). Not to mention the cost of a new router (possibly) to be able to take advantage of it.

Obviously it is totally up to OP, maybe we need some clarification on why they want to use the 88 and what their goals are. The original question was can they use the 88 and if it would help any. The answer to 1 is yes, the answer to 2 is probably but not much. Everything beyond that is us trying to prevent someone from making a mistake but maybe they have good reasons, who knows.

Maybe someday we'll all have 10G internet for $10 per month. And LIFI

 

[L&LD]

As an internet-facing router, the EOL RT-AC88U is not worth using, no matter the OP's reasons.

 

[drinkingbird]

As an internet-facing router, the EOL RT-AC88U is not worth using, no matter the OP's reasons.

Well if the choice is between that and the 68U, it might make limited sense. At least until a vulnerability comes out that doesn't get patched due to EOL. In reality, I don't think ether one is going to be much different performance wise (maybe a bit better on 88 if trend micro stuff is enabled).

 

[HMRK]

Hi All thanks for the responses so far seems I have kicked of a major talking point lol so just to clarify I am on VM 500 connection currently with a AC68U x 2 running on Aimesh with hardwire backhaul connection infact my whole house is hardwired x 8 connections total did this during a electrical rewire.

As we took out a 02 contract with VM have been given a free speed boost from 500 to 1gbs.

I believe the saying if it ain’t broke don’t fix it my 2 x AC68U have run flawlessly with VM500 getting the full speed I believe the AC68U is perfectly capable off getting 900mbps down and as most of the important devices are already hardwired xbox etc.

I can pickup the AC88U for £60 so thought having 8 wired connections I could utilise the 8 ports and remove one tp-link switch and free up a plug socket and some electrical power wifi 5 is more then enough for our needs.

so the question really was to ensure that I could use the AC88U as a main router and then make the 2x AC68U Aimesh nodes with hardwire backhaul.

ensuring that this setup would compatible etc but by the sounds of it I make as well stick to my 2 x AC68u as it works perfectly fine and if I get 900mbps that’s perfectly fine as 500mbps is currently perfectly fine may as well just say £60.

thx

H

 

[drinkingbird]

Hi All thanks for the responses so far seems I have kicked of a major talking point lol so just to clarify I am on VM 500 connection currently with a AC68U x 2 running on Aimesh with hardwire backhaul connection infact my whole house is hardwired x 8 connections total did this during a electrical rewire.

As we took out a 02 contract with VM have been given a free speed boost from 500 to 1gbs.

I believe the saying if it ain’t broke don’t fix it my 2 x AC68U have run flawlessly with VM500 getting the full speed I believe the AC68U is perfectly capable off getting 900mbps down and as most of the important devices are already hardwired xbox etc.

I can pickup the AC88U for £60 so thought having 8 wired connections I could utilise the 8 ports and remove one tp-link switch and free up a plug socket and some electrical power wifi 5 is more then enough for our needs.

so the question really was to ensure that I could use the AC88U as a main router and then make the 2x AC68U Aimesh nodes with hardwire backhaul.

ensuring that this setup would compatible etc but by the sounds of it I make as well stick to my 2 x AC68u as it works perfectly fine and if I get 900mbps that’s perfectly fine as 500mbps is currently perfectly fine may as well just say £60.

thx

H

The extra 4 ports are garbage and problematic, your external switch is much better. Don't waste the 60 pounds.

As long as the 68u is not running aiprotection, QOS, parental controls, or traffic stats, it should be able to do 950 megs or close to it on wired, and 400 to 500, maybe 550 to 600 on wireless.

As @Tech9 mentioned it is possible that wired devices on the second 68U could be capped at 500 so if that's an issue may have to try a few different firmwares until you find one without that bug.

If you haven't hard reset them in a while, may need to do that followed by a manual reconfigure (being careful not to enable the stuff I mentioned) to get the full gig throughput, but see how it performs once you have the gig.

 

[HMRK]

tyvm Sir i’ll see how the current combination works 900+ is more then enough speed and if I need to upgrade I can look into the AX range.

 

[L&LD]

Thanks for the follow-up.

With the additional information you provided, the following is a summary of what you should consider going forward.

• A single AX class router (RT-AX68U, RT-AX86U Pro, RT-AX88U Pro, or (best bang for the buck today) a GT-AX6000 may be all you need to give a dramatic increase in performance and decreased latency to your network going forward. Be prepared to buy two (and certainly, 2 properly located AX class devices with wired backhaul will give superior (even) coverage), but only open one and fully test it before committing to opening the second unit (you may find you can return it). See the link I provided in Post 2 above for an example of how superior AX class routers are over your classic unit.
• EOL means the end of life for the product (no security updates, let alone feature updates). Don't even consider products that are EOL (as the RT-AC88U already is) for any internet-facing usage. Your network's security depends on it.
• Your current routers are hardly expected to be supported much further into the future (they've had the best run in history, for currently used routers). I expect they will be dropped shortly after firmware level 3.0.0.6.xxx has been released by Asus for the majority of their routers (and they'll only concentrate on that future firmware exclusively too). Go ahead and use it with the upgraded service as long as possible, but don't expect another year out of these (the best hardware upgrades are planned upgrades, don't get caught buying in 'emergency mode'. It's not a matter of 'if you need to upgrade', you may be forced to.
• As @drinkingbird indicates above, don't make any purchase decisions on how many ports a router has. A $20 switch is always superior to anything more than the 4 standard ports a router may offer (if they're really needed).

Btw, nice upgrade of $0.00 to double your ISP speeds!

 

[Tech9]

I believe the saying if it ain’t broke don’t fix it my 2 x AC68U have run flawlessly with VM500 getting the full speed I believe the AC68U is perfectly capable off getting 900mbps down and as most of the important devices are already hardwired

Yes, you have nothing to fix. If you need more Ethernet ports - get a switch. In your wired house you have better options than consumer routers. You already asked for PoE in another thread. Wired router and PoE access points is your better upgrade path going forward.

 

[HMRK]

Thanks for the follow-up.

With the additional information you provided, the following is a summary of what you should consider going forward.

• A single AX class router (RT-AX68U, RT-AX86U Pro, RT-AX88U Pro, or (best bang for the buck today) a GT-AX6000 may be all you need to give a dramatic increase in performance and decreased latency to your network going forward. Be prepared to buy two (and certainly, 2 properly located AX class devices with wired backhaul will give superior (even) coverage), but only open one and fully test it before committing to opening the second unit (you may find you can return it). See the link I provided in Post 2 above for an example of how superior AX class routers are over your classic unit.
• EOL means the end of life for the product (no security updates, let alone feature updates). Don't even consider products that are EOL (as the RT-AC88U already is) for any internet-facing usage. Your network's security depends on it.
• Your current routers are hardly expected to be supported much further into the future (they've had the best run in history, for currently used routers). I expect they will be dropped shortly after firmware level 3.0.0.6.xxx has been released by Asus for the majority of their routers (and they'll only concentrate on that future firmware exclusively too). Go ahead and use it with the upgraded service as long as possible, but don't expect another year out of these (the best hardware upgrades are planned upgrades, don't get caught buying in 'emergency mode'. It's not a matter of 'if you need to upgrade', you may be forced to.
• As @drinkingbird indicates above, don't make any purchase decisions on how many ports a router has. A $20 switch is always superior to anything more than the 4 standard ports a router may offer (if they're really needed).

Btw, nice upgrade of $0.00 to double your ISP speeds!

is this the one you mean?

TUF Gaming AX6000 | Gaming Router | ASUS UK

TUF Gaming AX6000 Dual Band WiFi 6 Gaming Router with dedicated Gaming Port, Dual 2.5G Port, 3steps port forwarding, AiMesh for mesh WiFi, AiProtection Pro network security and AURA RGB lighting.

www.asus.com