AX88U PRO will not transmit GUEST WIFI on AiMesh Node

[Mchuzie]

Running 2 AX88U PROs on latest 3.0.0.6.102_33308 firmware

The secure WIFI network works beautifully on both Router and Node
The guest WIFI works beautifuly only on the Router.
The guest WIFI does not transmit on the Node.

I only have 1 guest network and it uses the 2.5 band.
Both the ROUTER and the NODE are selected in the AIMESH MODE Menu in Guest Network Pro Settings.

The latest firmware notes mention "Fixed the problem where an AiMesh node could not broadcast WiFi signal normally when creating a Guest Network Pro WiFi-only network."

ASUS tech support has been horrific as I get inconsistent information each time I engage. One person says transmitting a guest wifi network on the mesh node is not possible and the next person says it is possible. They have me running around in circles.

Can someone please help me find a way to get the guest WIFI network working on the node?
Thank you

EDIT: In case wiring configuration is a question, router is ethernet backhauled to the node via the 2.5LAN port.

 

[Mchuzie]

Seems a lot of advice in other threads is to factory reset the unit and manually configure without using the CFG file. In this instance, that worked for me. Was a pain, but the guest network is now transmitting on the node.

 

[kailibuy]

Seems a lot of advice in other threads is to factory reset the unit and manually configure without using the CFG file. In this instance, that worked for me. Was a pain, but the guest network is now transmitting on the node.

I am having the same issue. Can you direct me how to manually configure it?

 

[OzarkEdge]

I am having the same issue. Can you direct me how to manually configure it?

You're welcome to my install notes.

FW Reset FAQ

Reset button/webUI Restore/node removal clears settings in NVRAM; reboot restores fw defaults from CFE

Hard Reset via WPS button/webUI Restore+Initialize also clears data logged in /jffs partition

In short, install firmware, Hard Reset that firmware to its default settings, and then configure from scratch.

OE

 

[kailibuy]

does it matter if I have an unmanaged switch between AX11000-pro and 5 Asus AiMesh routers?

essentially, cable modem -> ax11000-pro -> tplink unmanaged switch -> multiple Asus wireless router configured as Mesh nodes. Non-guest SSI works just fine across multiple nodes, but guest network pro SSIDs are not working even after I "apply" AiMesh to them.

 

[OzarkEdge]

does it matter if I have an unmanaged switch between AX11000-pro and 5 Asus AiMesh routers?

I'm new to GNP VLANs... I want to say 'no', but ?

essentially, cable modem -> ax11000-pro -> tplink unmanaged switch -> multiple Asus wireless router configured as Mesh nodes. Non-guest SSI works just fine across multiple nodes, but guest network pro SSIDs are not working even after I "apply" AiMesh to them.

I would try an incremental approach, get one wired node working and then insert the switch.

OE

 

[kailibuy]

I'm new to GNP VLANs... I want to say 'no', but ?



I would try an incremental approach, get one wired node working and then insert the switch.

OE

unfortunately, it didn't work. I remove all nodes except one, hardwired directly from AX-11000 pro to it. AiMesh node didn't kick in when I walked away from router to the node.

Funny thing is, regular non-guest network SSID works just fine.

Any other thoughts I can try?

 

[Tech9]

but guest network pro SSIDs are not working

For Guest Network Pro propagation to nodes you need nodes with 3.0.0.6 102 firmware. Older non-Pro routers running 3.0.0.4 386/388 firmware don't know what Guest Network Pro is. Reset and reconfiguring won't help. Asus may eventually help in future AiMesh updates, but only if they want to.

 

[kailibuy]

3.0.0.6.102 firmware is what what I have

 

[kailibuy]

it's the newest firmware I downloaded yesterday during installation

 

[Tech9]

3.0.0.6.102 firmware is what what I have

Are your nodes also routers running 3.0.0.6 102 Pro etc. firmware? If not - they can't broadcast Guest Network Pro from the main router.

 

[kailibuy]

no, they are older ASUS Aimesh router, specifically, AX92U and 82U. I think 3.0.0.4 is the newest fireware on both.

Are you saying I'd have to run 2 Guest Network Pro routers in AiMesh mode in order to get this to work?

 

[jksmurf]

Are your nodes also routers running 3.0.0.6 102 Pro etc. firmware? If not - they can't broadcast Guest Network Pro from the main router.

That is very interesting (and crucial) to know.

Eventually (a year down the track) I wanted to use Guest Network Pro on the main Router and thought it would automatically cascade to not only Guest Network 1 (GW1), which I understand the current (non-Pro) Guest setup does, but also to any other Guest Network GW2, GW3 etc. (e.g. an IoT Network etc.); which the current (non-Pro) Guest setup does not do.

Was wholly unaware that this would only work if the Nodes were also running Pro FW; meaning that you have to have Nodes that support Guest Network Pro. Yikes, that would mean a whole new set of Nodes. Meh.

[EDIT] I believe this 'can' be accomplished using YazFi and VLANs, but I was looking forward to doing it all via the GUI.

 

[Tech9]

This is what we know so far based on user feedback. Guest Network Pro uses different VLANs older router are unaware of. They know standard Guest Network with VLAN 501/502, etc. Asus may eventually fix this with AiMesh update in 388 firmware, but EoL routers on 386 are stuck to whatever AiMesh was in this firmware. For marketing reasons this AiMesh functionality expansion may never happen, I don't know. We also know older hardware can also run 3.0.0.6 firmware, but it's not available for anything non-Pro marketed with exception of two newer GT models and ExpertWiFi series.

 

[Tech9]

If this thing was working folks will be buying ExpertWiFi EBG15 for $90 just to get 3.0.0.6 firmware features and reusing their old consumer routers as nodes forever. I'm sure someone already had this idea, but it doesn't work this way. New features - new hardware.

 

[Crimliar]

Okay, now to throw a spanner in the works!
If I set up a guest network pro on my GT-AX6000 (3.0.0.6.102) with the RP-AX58 (3.0.0.4.388) AiMesh connected, to any WiFi analyser app, it looks as though the RP-AX58 is no longer transmitting any SSID(s) and doesn't show as hidden even after an extended period. According to the WebUI there are still devices connected to the RP-AX58 but only on the main SSID not the Guest SSID. *In System Log > Wireless Log the connection speed to the RP-AX58 drops to AX1200 without fail.
Now, using the WebUI reboot the RP-AX58, and the SSIDs (including the Guest SSID) are again visible using WiFi analyser apps and I can get my test device to connect to the Guest network on the node, and the node connection speed is back up to AX2400.
There's definitely some weirdness going on here - yes prior to the reboot, WiFi analyser apps do stop seeing the RP-AX58 as any kind of access point, even though according to the wireless logs/wifi scan its still connected.
Sorry if this post is a mess, I'm reporting what I see, its a bit head-scratching right now!

 

[jksmurf]

According to the WebUI there are still devices connected to the RP-AX58 but only on the main SSID not the Guest SSID

How did you get on with this? Does it work as expected on GN1?

It would be pretty mean if as part of a main 3.0.0.6.102 / node 3.0.0.4.388 combo, they inadvertently (or purposely) crippled the current GN1 Guest Wifi on Nodes.

I think you should still expect the main SSID and GN1 to work; just not GN2 and GN3 until your nodes get 3.0.0.6.102.

 

[Crimliar]

To get things working how I like them I actually rolled back to the most recent Merlin firmware of the time - So I never did fix the issues!