Best AiMesh configuration

[NunoA]

Hi

I am happy to be able to move from an apartment to a 4 floor villa.
I have an asus rt-ax86u router, which I'm extremely satisfied with, but it's not enough to cover the entire area of the new house.
The house doesn't have an ethernet network, so I'm going to buy a pack of 2x rt-ax92u and make an aimesh network.
Knowing that the modem is on the ground floor, that I have a PS5 in the basement, and that I have a gaming computer on the top floor, what is the best configuration? Which one should be the main router?

Thanks
Nuno

 

[Tech9]

I would set AX86U as main router (the faster hardware device), 2x AX92U as nodes with dedicated AX backhaul, the gaming computer wired to one of the nodes. AX92U is a tri-radio router, but with one AX radio only. If this radio is used as dedicated wireless backhaul, the other AC radio is available to clients. It should be enough - still can push 500Mbps over Wi-Fi to common 2-stream clients. For increased stability and reliability I would use 80MHz wide non-DFS channels for both wireless backhaul and clients, if possible (region specific).

The best AiMesh is with all the same model routers running the same firmware and with wired backhaul. Try to run wires for best results.

 

[NunoA]

I would set AX86U as main router (the faster hardware device), 2x AX92U as nodes with dedicated AX backhaul, the gaming computer wired to one of the nodes. AX92U is a tri-radio router, but with one AX radio only. If this radio is used as dedicated wireless backhaul, the other AC radio is available to clients. It should be enough - still can push 500Mbps over Wi-Fi to common 2-stream clients. For increased stability and reliability I would use 80MHz wide non-DFS channels for both wireless backhaul and clients, if possible (region specific).

The best AiMesh is with all the same model routers running the same firmware and with wired backhaul. Try to run wires for best results.

Thankyou

 

[NoncarbonatedClack]

I would set AX86U as main router (the faster hardware device), 2x AX92U as nodes with dedicated AX backhaul, the gaming computer wired to one of the nodes. AX92U is a tri-radio router, but with one AX radio only. If this radio is used as dedicated wireless backhaul, the other AC radio is available to clients. It should be enough - still can push 500Mbps over Wi-Fi to common 2-stream clients. For increased stability and reliability I would use 80MHz wide non-DFS channels for both wireless backhaul and clients, if possible (region specific).

The best AiMesh is with all the same model routers running the same firmware and with wired backhaul. Try to run wires for best results.

Doesn't setting the wired backhaul up negate AiMesh though? I thought AiMesh was just wireless.
I'm new to ASUS and still learning their stuff (for example, should have bought other things than the XT8 for merlin support...)

 

[Tech9]

I thought AiMesh was just wireless.

AiMesh works wired and wireless. AiMesh is a marketing name of wired access points or wireless repeaters with central, but very limited management.

should have bought other things than the XT8

Based on user feedback on this forum, XT8 is not the best Asus product. You don't really "need" Asuswrt-Merlin firmware. It's optional, for extra features.

 

[TonyK132]

If you have an AiMesh router, in my case, an AC86U running Merlin firmware, can you use anybody's access points (ie, Netgear, or ??) and have the benefits as an all Asus AiMesh solution?

 

[Tech9]

AiMesh works with selected Asus router models only. What AiMesh "benefits" you expect to get?

 

[TonyK132]

Auto transfer to the closest AP as I roam around the house. There is a networking standard for this function, so if AiMesh is Asus' name for their implementation of that standard, then maybe it would work with other vendors' equipment.

 

[Tech9]

Auto transfer to the closest AP as I roam around the house.

Not happening. It's client's decision where to connect. AiMesh "roaming" is exactly the same as same routers used in router + access point or router + repeater configuration. You may get temporary clients re-distribution when you click on Optimization button (wireless AiMesh only) in GUI, but soon after they will connect to the AP they find best. If your router/nodes are too close to each other, they may stay connected to the main router forever. On every re-connect you'll get 8-10 seconds disconnections. If you have critical voice/video calls, AiMesh is not what you are looking for.

 

[TonyK132]

AiMesh maintains the same SSID across all nodes coordinated by a central controller, and coordinates a handoff from one node to another as you move around. Or at least that what I think happens. Otherwise, what good is AiMesh?

 

[Tech9]

Otherwise, what good is AiMesh?

Mostly marketing. Sells more Asus routers to existing customers. After a long fight Asus managed to fix the guest network to the nodes. Newer radios support 802.11k/v roaming assist technologies, the GUI has Roaming Assistant in Wireless settings (may or may not work), you have visibility of attached to the node clients in GUI, you can lock a client to a router/node. That's about it. I have tested 3x AC86U routers in wired AiMesh and in router + wired access points configuration. There is no difference in "roaming" whatsoever. In router + access points you lose guest network, but have more control over access points and running on different channels may get higher performance. The same SSID is not a problem. You just set the access points to the same SSIDs as the main router, just what AiMesh does. You don't have node Tx power control in AiMesh. You do in AP Mode though.

 

[leerees]

It depends how you arre connecting them.

If you are using wireless backhaul, you would be better off with one of the AX92u's as the main router.

The AX92u chipset offers lower wifi latency compared to the AX86u and XT8, this will improve pings for the clients. In addition, it's also a tri band router with 2 5ghz channels. The next step up from the AX92u is the XT12.

If you want your AX86u as the main router, you will need to wire the backhauls to reduce the latency. However, anything accessing WiFi from the AX86u will see pings upto 5ms higher compared to the AX92u.

 

[Smokey613]

I use my pair of CT8 units in AiMesh/AP mode with wired backhaul. This gives me 3 bands to work with, all using the same SSID / password. No Smart Connect, no Roam Assist and static channels. I find my setup works better just letting the clients determine which unit they need to connect to. I was surprised how many devices chose the 5-2 band.