Guest VLAN Connectivity Issues with RT-AX88U Pro + ExpertWiFi EBA63 + USW Enterprise Switch

[quick.bell2704]

Hi!

I'm working with an Asus RT-AX88U Pro router and an Asus ExpertWiFi EBA63 access point using AiMesh with a wired backhaul. In between, there's a Unifi USW Enterprise switch. The network has a mix of wired and wireless devices, and the wireless devices successfully roam between the RT-AX88U Pro and EBA63 on the default network, depending on their location in the building, with no problems whatsoever. Wired devices also have no issues.

However, I've created a guest VLAN network (ID 52) using Guest Network Pro in the current version of the stock firmware and this isn't working the way that I had hoped. When wireless devices are configured to connect to the guest VLAN, they either:

• are unable to obtain an IP address via RT-AX88U Pro's DHCP server, or
• can connect but toggle between connected and disconnected states every 1-2 minutes or so, or
• connect with no issues at all

It's not clear to me if there's something additional that I need to configure on the RT-AX88U Pro, or if there's something else I need to do on the USW switch.

Any thoughts on what else I would need to configure?

 

[eibgrad]

Given the Guest VLAN is a function of the ASUS router, I don't see how the UniFi switch or EBA63 AP play a role in the problem unless you're specifically talking about when the wifi guest is directed through the EBA63AP and the UniFi switch, as opposed to directly via the ASUS router's wifi, perhaps suggesting a VLAN tagging issue/incompatibility across those devices (which wouldn't surprise me; you're mixing vendors, and despite VLAN standards, such incompatibilities do exist). Should we assume a direct wifi connection to the guest network on the ASUS functions normally?

Of course, as always, check your cables, try different ports, etc. Perhaps even bypass the UniFi switch when using the EBA63 AP to see what happens. Anything to mix things up a bit and hopefully narrow down the problem.

 

[quick.bell2704]

You raise some good points. I did consider bypassing the UniFi switch so that the wired backhaul is a direct connection between the AX88U Pro and EBA63AP, but it's less feasible as the EBA63AP is used as a PoE device that's powered by the UniFi switch. One thing I think I'm observing is that when a wireless client first connects to the guest VLAN via the AX88U Pro, they'll successfully connect as well as roam between the AX88U Pro and EBA63AP with no issues (the 3rd bullet I mentioned above). What I think is happening when it doesn't work as expected (the first two bullets above) is that the wireless device is connecting to the guest VLAN from the EBA63AP. And because that route is through the UniFi switch, maybe there's an incompatibility or a mis-config on my part. FWIW, I've configured tagging on the switch, but not sure I've done so correctly, by specifying the VLAN ID and adding it to the port that the EBA63AP is connected to.

One thing that isn't clear to me is on the AX88U Pro's VLAN Switch Control Settings, whether for the port that is uplinking if the "Default" mode is sufficient or if it should be "Trunk"