Any understand repeater mode?

[alexofindy]

I have ATT fiber, with 1 Gbs up and down. Problem is, it enters my home in a non-central location; I have to rent the AT&T gateway (it authenticates me to their network); and the wifi is awful in most of my house.

So I bought an Asus XT12, which is still in the Amazon return window. If I place this router near my ATT box the Asus wifi is still lousy in most of my home.

It's just a poor location.

However, if I configure the Asus as a repeater, place it in a central location in my home, and connect it to the ATT gateway via 5Ghz wifi, things are pretty good. I get a reasonably good 5Ghz signal throughout my home from the Asus. Over 200 Mbs. It's not really MESH, since it has a new SSID, but it works OK. To set up real Mesh I'd have to buy a second Asus device, and connect it to my ATT gateway with an ethernet cable, using IP Passthrough. Would work, but would cost more $$.

So, I like my solution.

Here's my question. When I configure my Asus as a repeater, most of the settings disappear. The Asus produces three SSID's (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 5 GHz-2. I can't configure any of these networks, except for the SSID's and the passwords. I can't set the channels, the bandwidth, or anything else.

So...

Why are there 3 repeated networks, and why can't I configure them? Does the ATT signal get repeated to all 3 of the new SSID's?

Thanks!

 

[Tech9]

So, I like my solution.

I don't like your solution. You have Gigabit service and getting 200Mbps only over Wi-Fi. You purchased an expensive router and it's used as repeater losing all firmware features. You can't change the repeater channel - it follows the parent router (your AT&T device). One of XT12 radios is used as repeater channel, the other two are bridged to it. As far as I remember you can change SSID and Password and that's about it. Waste of a router.

 

[tgl]

I don't like your solution.

Yeah. If you can possibly run an ethernet cable from the AT&T box to the "central location" where you get good wifi coverage, then run that cable, turn the AT&T box's wifi off completely, and set up the Asus unit as an access point (not repeater).

This is still arguably overkill, since you're using an expensive router as a mere access point, but it will at least give you full control of the wifi configuration. And probably double your performance compared to your current hack solution.

 

[bennor]

I have ATT fiber, with 1 Gbs up and down. .... I have to rent the AT&T gateway (it authenticates me to their network); and the wifi is awful in most of my house.

Perhaps you should first investigate if you even need to use the AT&T provided router/gateway. Usually with fiber they install an ONT or similar equipment on customer premises, and one runs an Ethernet wire from that ONT to a router; either their own router or one provided by AT&T. Lots of guides online explaining how to setup one's own router with AT&T fiber.

One can run an Ethernet wire from ONT location to the location where on wants to place their own router for maximum coverage. If on must use an AT&T router then look into the possibility of putting that router into "bridge mode" so you can run your own router (not AP or repeater) behind it. Again there typically are guides on how to put AT&T routers into "bridge" mode so one can run their own router (again not AP or repeater) behind it.

 

[Smokey613]

I think this statement answers the question of simply replacing the ISP router. That doesn’t appear to be an option.

”I have to rent the AT&T gateway (it authenticates me to their network)”

 

[degrub]

you can still split the location of the ATT router and the ONT , either with an ethernet cable or with coax and a MOCA2.5 modem pair.
Works a charm . Then position your router behind the ATT and the rest of you networks however you want.

 

[Smokey613]

I get the impression if he had existing cabling ( coax or ethernet ) or the ability to install cabling, he would have used it instead of deploying a wireless solution.

But that may be a false assumption on my part.

 

[JJay03]

Yeah. If you can possibly run an ethernet cable from the AT&T box to the "central location" where you get good wifi coverage, then run that cable, turn the AT&T box's wifi off completely, and set up the Asus unit as an access point (not repeater).

This is still arguably overkill, since you're using an expensive router as a mere access point, but it will at least give you full control of the wifi configuration. And probably double your performance compared to your current hack solution.

I would do this. I just recently got fiber to my house as well and mounted the ISP Fiber to Eth box in the garage and then ran a cat6 from the garage to my office. I also ran a new 110 outlet next to it in the garage so I did not have to run an extension cord. Very clean setup with all the cables inside the wall except for the power cord.

 

[alexofindy]

I get the impression if he had existing cabling ( coax or ethernet ) or the ability to install cabling, he would have used it instead of deploying a wireless solution.

But that may be a false assumption on my part.

Thanks everyone for the answers!!

Smokey613 - You're correct in your assumption: it's not practical for me to install cabling, or I would. And I have another problem: my ONT is built in to my ATT router. Just one box. Even if it weren't, I'd still have a problem: it's the ATT router that authenticates me to the ATT network. It's has to be the first box (after the ONT) that the ATT network sees.

I fully understand the limitations of my situation. I choose the XT12 because many of my client devices only have 2.4 Ghz radios, and the XT12 seems to have the best 2.4Ghz radio (4x4). May not be the solution with the most bang for my buck - the XT12 is not inexpensive; two less expensive boxes and a true Mesh setup might be wiser.

But I still don't understand how the Repeater setup in the Asus works, and why the Asus won't let me configure the wifi settings. My ATT router wifi is configured with the ATT default settings; it has two radios, 2.4 GHz and 5 Ghz, both configured with the same SSID (I think this is called a "band steering" configuration.). One responder (Tech9) indicates than in repeater mode, one "can't change the repeater channel - it follows the parent router (your AT&T device)." It's true that I cannot change the repeater channel, but it's not just that the Asus mirrors the parent router - in repeater mode, the Asus is broadcasting 3 SSID's, one for each of the Asus's radios. They can't all be mirrors of the parent router. Why can't I change the configurations of the other two channels on the Asus?

I don't mind loosing the router functions of my Asus; the ATT device has sufficiently robust and flexible router functions, it just has poor wifi. I'm in a bit over my head here, but the supported (by ATT and on every web site I can find) means of bypassing the limitations of the ATT router/wifi is to put the ATT into IP Passthrough mode, not Bridge mode.This is what I'd do if I buy a second AiMesh device.

 

[tgl]

But I still don't understand how the Repeater setup in the Asus works, and why the Asus won't let me configure the wifi settings.

[shrug...] IME, Asus can barely keep the mainstream use-cases working, never mind adding features to modes they consider secondary, like repeater mode.

I agree with the upthread comments about the XT12 being a poor fit for your problem. You've paid for router-capable hardware you don't need, and for top-of-the-line 5GHz radios you don't need, and you're not getting the software flexibility you want. I advise returning it while you still can.

As for something that's a better match ... I think what you might want to look into is one or two SMB-grade access points (not routers) that are not the latest shininess, because older models are more likely to put more emphasis on the 2.4GHz band compared to 5GHz. Thumbing through Ubiquiti's offerings, I see that the UAP-AC-LR (3x3 on 2.4GHz, 2x2 on 5GHz) or UAP-AC-PRO (3x3 on both bands) might suit you; both are readily available on Amazon, or directly from ui.com. I do not have personal experience with these models, but I've been pretty happy with other Ubiquiti gear that I've bought. You could also look into Omada (TP-Link's business-grade line) or Zyxel or Cisco (but Cisco will probably cost more, unless you can find used gear).