How to asign node only to boost signal not for clients?

[joysleep1]

HI Peeps

So i have a bit of a complicated problem. I currently have virgin media broadband installed in a semi detached property. I got them to install the main connection in the middle of the house so that my AX88u can give signal to the whole house.

Now i have a nursery in the back end of the garden where i want the wifi signal to reach. Unfortunaley the signal does not reach to that part of the house so i installed an XD4 node right next to the patio door kitchen to boost the signal and then i can place another one in the nursery to catch that signal. I know i will get a speed drop but i am just looking for some stable connection.

Now because the patio node is not far from the main node, i get clients connecting to that node which is pointless because they should just connect to the primary router. The patio node is ONLY used to boost the signal to the nursery node and THATS it . I do now want any clients connecting to it becuase its pointless.

See photo to show what i am talking about

Is there a way i can do this?

 

[L&LD]

At the nursery, I would put a router in Media Bridge mode and connect to the main WiFi.

Using a LAN port on that router, connect to a WAN port on another router to supply WiFi for the nursery.

I'm not sure if your XD4 model can do that, but that would be the most stable setup possible with the expected outcome you desire.

 

[joysleep1]

At the nursery, I would put a router in Media Bridge mode and connect to the main WiFi.

Using a LAN port on that router, connect to a WAN port on another router to supply WiFi for the nursery.

I'm not sure if your XD4 model can do that, but that would be the most stable setup possible with the expected outcome you desire.

I can't get a cable from the main house to the nursery.

The current set up isn't bad it's just I wish there was a way clients don't connect to the patio node because its sole purpose to just to boost signal to the nursery node.

 

[drinkingbird]

I can't get a cable from the main house to the nursery.

The current set up isn't bad it's just I wish there was a way clients don't connect to the patio node because its sole purpose to just to boost signal to the nursery node.

There is no such thing as a wifi signal booster. There are APs and clients (and a repeater which is both in the same unit). Clients can connect to an AP unless you block them.

So you can whitelist the nursery repeater device only in your patio repeater which will stop anything else from connecting to it.

You can also set the patio repeater to add like _EXT onto the SSID, or use a totally different SSID for the AP side, then have the nursery repeater join that one. Your clients won't join it anymore. Nursery repeater can then convert it back and advertise the main SSID, or keep it unique.

Either should work, the different SSID would be preferable as sometimes when you use MAC blocking devices can get stuck trying to connect

As you already know though your double repeater setup is far from ideal, but if it is working otherwise, then no biggie.

Better solution might be a directional outdoor AP on the nursery connecting to the main router, then an indoor AP connected to that for the nursery clients.

 

[Crimliar]

With the XD4s set up as mesh units, on the router in the AiMesh menus, you can select a node and then bind the "clients" to specific nodes (not even necessarily the node they are currently connected to) using the first icon to the left of the client name. It's not going to guarantee that the nursery node will connect to the patio node though!

Four clients bound to my AiMesh Node

 

[L&LD]

I can't get a cable from the main house to the nursery.

The current set up isn't bad it's just I wish there was a way clients don't connect to the patio node because its sole purpose to just to boost signal to the nursery node.

Media Bridge mode doesn't require a cable to the main router/network.

I don't think you understand what I offered.

Media Bridge Mode

With the above connected to your main network (and if you need WiFi at the nursery at all), you connect another router to the Media Bridge node and get your WiFi from that.

 

[joysleep1]

Thanks for your suggestions. I def want one SSID and was hoping to use the asus mesh system.

My other idea is to swap the ax88u and XD4 patio with two triband XT8 routers. Then place an XD4 at the nursery and daisy chain the node to the patio xt8 which is feeding off the main router with wireless dedicated backhaul.

My other suggestion is to place an XT8 node at the back of the kitchen where i might be able to feed an ethernet cable into the nursery. Can i have one XT8 node feeding into another node via ethernet? Is this possible with asus ai mesh?

see photo to explain what i mena

 

[drinkingbird]

Thanks for your suggestions. I def want one SSID and was hoping to use the asus mesh system.

My other idea is to swap the ax88u and XD4 patio with two triband XT8 routers. Then place an XD4 at the nursery and daisy chain the node to the patio xt8 which is feeding off the main router with wireless dedicated backhaul.

My other suggestion is to place an XT8 node at the back of the kitchen where i might be able to feed an ethernet cable into the nursery. Can i have one XT8 node feeding into another node via ethernet? Is this possible with asus ai mesh?

see photo to explain what i mena

You can have one SSID with your current setup, and still have a "faux" dedicated backaul. You can't do this with aimesh but that doesn't matter (in reality you might actually be able to mix aimesh with repeaters but that would be a real pain for little to no benefit).
Patio device running in repeater mode. Have it join your main SSID, and advertise a different "backhaul" SSID. Your clients will now never connect to this device.
Nursery device running in repeater mode, have it join your "backhaul" SSID and advertise your main SSID. Clients can now join your main SSID in the nursery and should easily roam back and forth between main house and nursery since there is little to no overlap of your main SSID.

Of course you're cutting your throughput by 1/4 doing this but seemed like you were ok with this.

Tri-band routers would improve throughput, but you're still daisy chaining wireless so it still isn't ideal (and an expensive solution).

First, I'd say try what @L&LD is saying, take your patio device, put it in media bridge mode (joined to your house SSID), place it out in the nursery, and connect your nursery device to its LAN port. See if it gets a good enough signal to your main router to be sufficient. The antennas and radio are going to be better than a standard client so that may be enough to eliminate that patio "hop" you're doing. Obviously mount it up high and/or near a window if possible, and moving the one in your house/readjusting its antennas may some may help too.

If that isn't enough, then you can try getting an inexpensive directional bridge (most outdoor directional APs support client or bridge mode). Ideally mount it on the outside of the nursery, but in a window or even through a wall may be fine. Then connect your nursery AP to that. Unfortunately no way to say if this will be enough signal or not without trying it so look for a place with a return policy, or be willing to buy another of them to place in your house aimed at the nursery to create a true dedicated wireless backhaul.

With either of those solutions it may be possible to use aimesh but it would probably be pretty hard to get set up and working correctly, but like I said that isn't really a big deal, you can run the nursery device as a standalone AP and given the signal separation, roaming will work fine.

Obviously if you can hardwire the nursery to the main house, that's going to be your easiest and cheapest solution and all the above is moot. Aimesh wired backhaul to the main router and you're done.