Ethernet cable in WAN port of ASUS ZenWifi AX node is "unplugged"

[adambox]

Hey!

I recently purchased a pair of ASUS XT8s and I'm trying to connect them via ethernet, but my cat6 cable doesn't seem to be recognised in the WAN port of the secondary node (nor in the LAN1-3 ports of the main node).

The cable from the main node to the secondary node would be very painful to replace, as it runs externally out of the house from the living room, up the external wall into the loft, and then over to the other side of the house where the secondary node is located (a run of about 20-25m approximately).

I don't think the cable is the problem though. I've tested it with a network cable tool and both ends have been crimped correctly. Also when I plug it into my laptop I get ~960mbps download, which is what I'd expect. It's also recognised on the main router as a 1gbps cable when used that way, but when I plug it into the WAN port on the secondary node, nothing happens. The port just appears greyed out / "unplugged".

I've read many other threads and seen that some people have had luck with network switches, so I have a cheapish Netgear switch coming tomorrow that I'll try, but I'm hoping other people might have better suggestions in the mean time?

Both nodes are up to date with firmware version 3.0.0.4.388_24684. Nothing is reported in the syslog when plugging or unplugging the cable in the WAN port.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[OzarkEdge]

Hey!

I recently purchased a pair of ASUS XT8s and I'm trying to connect them via ethernet, but my cat6 cable doesn't seem to be recognised in the WAN port of the secondary node (nor in the LAN1-3 ports of the main node).

The cable from the main node to the secondary node would be very painful to replace, as it runs externally out of the house from the living room, up the external wall into the loft, and then over to the other side of the house where the secondary node is located (a run of about 20-25m approximately).

I don't think the cable is the problem though. I've tested it with a network cable tool and both ends have been crimped correctly. Also when I plug it into my laptop I get ~960mbps download, which is what I'd expect. It's also recognised on the main router as a 1gbps cable when used that way, but when I plug it into the WAN port on the secondary node, nothing happens. The port just appears greyed out / "unplugged".

I've read many other threads and seen that some people have had luck with network switches, so I have a cheapish Netgear switch coming tomorrow that I'll try, but I'm hoping other people might have better suggestions in the mean time?

Both nodes are up to date with firmware version 3.0.0.4.388_24684. Nothing is reported in the syslog when plugging or unplugging the cable in the WAN port.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Have you tested same with a different/temporary/pre-built Ethernet patch cable?

OE

 

[Tech9]

but my cat6 cable doesn't seem to be recognised in the WAN port of the secondary node (nor in the LAN1-3 ports of the main node)

This is cable issue or you are very unlucky to have 2x defective routers. Pair of XT8 purchased new or used?

 

[bbunge]

Did you set up the second XT8 as a node over WIFI before you took it to the end of the Ethernet and plugged it in?

 

[adambox]

Have you tested same with a different/temporary/pre-built Ethernet patch cable?

OE

I'll try that today. I should have thought to do it sooner, it just means relocating the secondary node temporarily.

This is cable issue or you are very unlucky to have 2x defective routers. Pair of XT8 purchased new or used?

They were purchased new. If the main router will recognise the cable when it's used with a laptop, what exactly could be wrong with the cable? It works, it transmits data at 1gbps speeds (almost, maxes out my connection speed), and my admittedly cheap cable tester shows it's wired up correctly on both ends. Testing with a different cable will rule out or confirm if there's an issue with the WAN port.

I also have a network switch due in the next few hours so I'll try that. Perhaps the switch won't be as picky and my self-crimped cable will work, and I can run a shorter pre-made one between the switch and the node.

Did you set up the second XT8 as a node over WIFI before you took it to the end of the Ethernet and plugged it in?

Yeah it has been set up (and is currently running) over WiFi. I could try factory resetting the secondary node and restarting the setup process over ethernet. Is that likely to work do you think?

Thanks for the replies!

 

[adambox]

I moved the secondary node next to the main node, connected them with the ASUS-supplied ethernet cable: worked. That rules out the WAN port being defective at least.

I switched on ethernet backhaul mode, moved the secondary node back into the loft and then connected it with my cable: didn't work. It reverted back to WiFi and doesn't show anything plugged into the port again.

Plugged my cable into the new network switch, connected the switch to the node with the ASUS cable: works great! I'm now getting ~860mbps download on a device connected to the secondary node in the loft over WiFi.

For some reason the WAN port is just really picky about the cable. As it's in the loft and out of sight I don't care about needing the switch, but it would be a little irritating if it was out in the open.

Thanks for your help anyway guys!

 

[OzarkEdge]

I switched on ethernet backhaul mode, moved the secondary node back into the loft and then connected it with my cable: didn't work. It reverted back to WiFi and doesn't show anything plugged into the port again.

Enabling Ethernet Backhaul Mode (EBM) simply disables wireless backhaul... the wireless backhaul will not (should not) turn ON for any reason. I leave EBM disabled; my wireless backhaul stays OFF until my wired backhaul fails. (A wired backhaul is very reliable but mine uses MoCA adapters that can fail when they lose power, which happened to me when a UPS died.)

OE

 

[adambox]

That's odd. I definitely applied it; I had to enter an SSID+key, and the progress popup showed up. Unfortunately I've had my fill of debugging issues for now, but I might repeat the experiment another day

Good point about leaving EBM disabled. In the short term at least I plan to leave it off, until I get a feel for how stable it is.

Thanks for your help!

 

[OzarkEdge]

Good point about leaving EBM disabled. In the short term at least I plan to leave it off, until I get a feel for how stable it is.

Assuming the wireless backhaul uses 5GHz-2 4x4, when it is ON it will show up in the router webUI Wireless Log as a connection with NSS of 4... easy to find to know what is happening. Depending on the setting of Backhaul Connection Priority, it is possible for AiMesh to prefer using the wireless backhaul if it 'thinks' it performs better than the wired backhaul.

I've seen my wireless backhaul ON when it should not be (my wireless backhaul is about 866Mbps while my MoCA wired backhaul is 2.5Gbps!)... a firmware bug during setup. Toggling EBM enabled/disabled has cleared this bug... turned it OFF.

OE