Can I force a device to use mesh Node?

[tzr916]

I setup my first WIRED AiMesh today! The Primary router (AX88U Pro) is downstairs on the East end of the home, and the Node (AX82U) is upstairs on the West side of the home.

I have four outdoor security cameras: two on the East of the property (back yard), and two on the West side of the property (front door + driveway). For some reason, the Primary router grabbed the two East (back yard) cameras AND the West (front door) cam, while the Node only wants to grab the West (driveway) cam? I tried rebooting the cameras many times.

Is there some way to FORCE the West (front door) cam to onto the Node? And is there some way to KEEP certain devices on the Node?

Using latest official Asus Firmware.

Thanks

 

[Tech9]

See this:

[AiMesh] How to bind my device to one specific AiMesh router or AiMesh node? | Official Support | ASUS Global

This is the theory. May not work reliably.

 

[bbunge]

I feel that binding a client to a node can cause connection issues. Best to let the clients and router/node figure it out for themselves. Also good to not enable Ethernet Backhaul Mode in the AiMesh settings.

 

[Crimliar]

In the web UI it's pretty simple, you just click on the link icon next to a device and pick where you want to bind it, see:

If the router thinks your set is grievously wrong it'll still ignore it though, and the two devices you see bound there are a demonstration they're not normally bound. My heating controllers, and the WiFi printer are bound to specific nodes, but everything is free to roam!

 

[jksmurf]

(In the web UI it's pretty simple, you just click on the link icon next to a device and pick where you want to bind it, see:

If the router thinks your set is grievously wrong it'll still ignore it though, and the two devices you see bound there are a demonstration they're not normally bound. My heating controllers, and the WiFi printer are bound to specific nodes, but everything is free to roam!

Yeah +1 on that. Mine all roam, after I tried the binding approach and found it somewhat flaky, with weak signals and dropped connections.

Oddly, despite a much greater distance to the main Router, many of my IoT devices seemed to like to snuggle up to that, rather than a far closer mesh node. No idea why... it's noting to do with Guest Wifi not propogating to the nodes (only for GN1), I have mostly two Wifi SSID options on each of the IoT devices and one of them (the fall back SSID) is to the main SSID, which is always available on the node.

 

[aex.perez]

Ethernet backhaul has been great for me, very stable every time I've used it. But it hasn't always been that way, especially early on.

That said +2 on the binding, best to maintain your sanity and think of it as preferred and not as an absolute. To nail binding, and I'll admit I've been lucky, and persistant, with it. I've had to play with several settings and do use a SmartConnect rule that uses an STA selection policy as it's main setting and NOT enabling load balancing, and for devices using the Band specific SSID's. I have setup, under WiFi/Professional settings roaming assistance enabled, and through trial and error with help from Network Tools/Site Survey have stumbled on the right RSSI level to help keep clients on the best router/nodes for them from a connectivity and distance perspective. But even with all that it's still hit or miss, but for long awhile it's many more hits than the rare misses.

Pointless to share the rule and settings as for me, in my environment, and with my mix of devices they work very well. Doubt they would for anyone else as well or with the same results.

I have a similar situation as you, coupled with some of the camera's can use 5Ghz. I have found it's best to accept what some devices prefer to use a specific (router/node) based on their settings/firmware/chipset/radio and try to gently nudge the choice that's made instead of trying to outright force it. The main goal all these devices have is achieveing connectivity, and not always making the most appropriate or preferred choice on how.

Best I can do, and have been able to do (so far) is nudge them into a specific router/node and in some cases 2.4Ghz vs 5Ghz. Even working through the reboots of the router and nodes the devices pretty much end up where I want them after the router/nodes stabilize post reboot and 5Ghz/160Mhz starts up (10 minutes).

After all this I kinda wish I could have the Guest Network with SmartConnect and not the Fequency specifc SSID's but to be fair I haven't looked into if or what I could do with the 3006 based routers/nodes. Or even if I would