Client List Interfaces Wrong....?

[shelleyevans]

Just recently came back to Merlin after an AiMesh experiment. Everything is running smoothly, but I notice that my client list is displaying inaccurate interface information. Many clients are displayed as ethernet, when they are WIFI, many 5ghz WIFI clients show up as ethernet, or 2ghz.

I found only a couple of references to client list problems, and they seemed to indicate that as of 384.6 the client list is fixed.

My setup: RT-AC86U main router, RT-AC68U and RT-AC66U_B1 as nodes. I have checked the client list on all three, and all three display slightly different information, probably owing to different firmwares...?

Advice? Observations? Thank you!

 

[ColinTaylor]

My setup: RT-AC86U main router, RT-AC68U and RT-AC66U_B1 as nodes.

What do you mean by "nodes" as you're not using AiMesh anymore? Are they wired access points or wireless repeaters/media bridges?

If they are wired access points devices associated with them will show up on the main router as an Ethernet device because that is how the access point is connected.

 

[shelleyevans]

I'm sorry! Still stuck in my AiMesh head! The RT-AC68U is an access point, and the RT-AC66U_B1 is a repeater. Sorry.

I think you have cleared up my confusion-- I never was brave enough to try AP/Repeater set up until I experimented with mesh, so didn't know that's how it works. Can I ask: it appears that none of the clients on ethernet show transmission rates. Is this normal? And: how can I tell which clients are connected to which device (router/ap/repeater)? Thank you!

EDIT: I have been studying my list, using the above advice, and see that some of my wireless devices connected to either the router, the wired access point, or the wifi repeater, are showing up as ethernet. ...?

 

[ColinTaylor]

Can I ask: it appears that none of the clients on ethernet show transmission rates. Is this normal?

Yes. Ethernet connection rates don't vary like wireless ones do, they are fixed. i.e. 100Mbps or 1000Mbps.

EDIT: Look at Tools > System Information > Ethernet Ports to see the speed of each port.

And: how can I tell which clients are connected to which device (router/ap/repeater)?

You'd have to log onto each one to be sure.

 

[ColinTaylor]

EDIT: I have been studying my list, using the above advice, and see that some of my wireless devices connected to either the router, the wired access point, or the wifi repeater, are showing up as ethernet. ...?

Sorry I don't know, I don't use the same firmware as you. I've read similar posts about that but I don't know the specifics.

 

[shelleyevans]

Yes. Ethernet connection rates don't vary like wireless ones do, they are fixed. i.e. 100Mbps or 1000Mbps.

Good point.

Okay, my takeaway is: I will not get much information from the client list, beyond the fact that the clients are connected, which is fine. Interesting that some wireless clients are not reporting correctly even on the main router.

An observation: the router and clients are MUCH better for me on Merlin. Faster wifi, better coverage, generally, and MUCH MUCH better VOIP. (I'm have used @FreshJR's script on both stock and Merlin.) But AiMesh does have a slicker interface-- easier to identify clients and see where they are connecting. Oh well. I'd much rather have the performance.

 

[shelleyevans]

EDIT: Look at Tools > System Information > Ethernet Ports to see the speed of each port

Thank you!

 

[shelleyevans]

I've read similar posts about that but I don't know the specifics.

Well this is reassuring! Because if it's just a bug, then I don't have to keep troubleshooting. Thanks again.

 

[ColinTaylor]

EDIT: I have been studying my list, using the above advice, and see that some of my wireless devices connected to either the router, the wired access point, or the wifi repeater, are showing up as ethernet. ...?

Just to reiterate what we were talking about. Anything connected to your wired access point will show up on the main router's client list as a wired (Ethernet) device.

If a client starts "roaming" between those three devices I'm not sure how clever the router is about updating its information (just speculating here).

 

[ColinTaylor]

Well this is reassuring! Because if it's just a bug, then I don't have to keep troubleshooting. Thanks again.

Anything to do with the Network Map is beyond Merlin's control as it is closed source. Asus would have to fix it.

 

[agilani]

The client map is only good for devices that are directly attached to the router. You are better off looking at the system log wireless in the router and repeater for accurate wireless connection information and arp table for wired devices.

It's a limitation of layer 2 networking without writing some custom management layer (AiMesh) to handle it. AiMesh then introduces a whole slew of other problems.

The dhcp table is the correct place to look for the correct ip to mac combination.

 

[shelleyevans]

It's a limitation of layer 2 networking without writing some custom management layer (AiMesh) to handle it. AiMesh then introduces a whole slew of other problems.

As I discovered! I am amazed that all the VOIP problems I was having are now gone. Thank you all for your advice. I now know that I didn't do something wrong, and will learn to poke around and find the information I need. I'm also playing with Roaming Assistant, to see if I can make my handoffs more seamless-- AiMesh did some things quite well, just not the things I need.

 

[MarcusVR]

The same happened to me today after upgrade the firmware of mine AC88u to 384.7 Beta 3, and the problem was the devices connected through 5G but showed as wired weren't getting the IPs I had set.

Rolling back to 384.6 and restoring the factory defaults solved it.