Need an AiMesh (2nd router) recommendation.

[Klueless]

... because it's wireless!
OE

OK, I'm a little slow. APs and Extenders are also wireless?

 

[Salles]

If you are looking at using Aimesh and adding an Aimesh Node, the best would be to add an Asus product with a dedicated Wifi backhaul, aka a triband router (unless you use ethernet backhaul). I am not sure if RT-AC86U has triband. Asus Lyra, RT-AC5300 ad Zenwifi does (maybe a few more product too which I am no awafe of).

 

[OzarkEdge]

OK, I'm a little slow. APs and Extenders are also wireless?

APs are wired. The benefit of mesh is it's not wired... it's wireless.

OE

 

[Val D.]

The benefit of mesh is it's not wired...

Wireless repeaters connected to a router don't make a "mesh" network, even if you call it AiMesh.

 

[Grisu]

However, Aimesh will use what it gets, if only wifi it will use it and if you connect them via LAN they will use wired prefered.
Repeaters use Wifi for backhaul and AP only wired LAN connection and a media brigde gives LAN to clients while it is connected to the router wirelessly.

 

[Klueless]

APs are wired. The benefit of mesh is it's not wired... it's wireless.

Aha. I too used to use the term "AP" to refer to "Wired" Access Points but too many use the term to refer to anything that offers a WiFi service (e.g., repeaters, extenders and even mesh nodes) so I've taken to calling them out as "Wired APs'.

I was recently reading up on a few consumer grade mesh systems. It seems the big difference between "mesh" and a collection of repeaters, extenders and "APs" is mesh is pretty much "auto-magic" configuration, "auto-magic" optimization and self-healing. If a mesh node has a wire it'll use it at the backhaul, if it's tri-band it'll use the 2nd 5 GHz radio as the backhaul. If I have a wireless mesh node and add Ethernet later it'll automatically incorporate it. If the wire to a mesh node "breaks" it'll automatically reconnect the mesh node with a wireless backhaul. And so on.

Of course, not all mesh systems succeed at all of this but since at least a couple do the rest will follow.

The OP had a router, was going to buy a 2nd and re-purpose them into a "mesh system". I was simply voicing the opinion, rather than all that expense for a single mesh node why not just a cheap wireless extender?

 

[Klueless]

However, Aimesh will use what it gets, if only wifi it will use it and if you connect them via LAN they will use wired prefered.
Repeaters use Wifi for backhaul and AP only wired LAN connection and a media brigde gives LAN to clients while it is connected to the router wirelessly.

<lol> 4:30 AM and we cross posted. What are the odds? If I'd have seen your post first it would have saved me a lot of typing. You said it better and ... far more succinctly : -)

However, I tend to differentiate between "Repeaters" and "Extenders".

• Repeaters --> use the same radio for the backhaul as its clients use.
• Extenders --> use a different radio for the backhaul than its clients use.

Thus Extenders eliminate the "halving" effect that we attribute to Repeaters. It's the reason we're starting to see tri-band. But one can "make do" with dual-band by, say, dedicating 2.4 GHz as the backhaul and using 5 GHz for clients only. Linksys makes this "automatic" with "Cross Connect" on some of its dual-band extenders.

 

[OzarkEdge]

The OP had a router, was going to buy a 2nd and re-purpose them into a "mesh system". I was simply voicing the opinion, rather than all that expense for a single mesh node why not just a cheap wireless extender?

That's a different statement. A benefit of the second node being a pricey router is that it can serve as hardware backup to the site router to more quickly recover the increasingly critical home network. With AiMesh, it's quite possible that the remote node(s) used to be the site router before being pushed out to node duty by a router upgrade... this is one of the calling cards (benefits) of AiMesh... re-purposing an older router to be a remote node instead of retiring it.

As for two or more nodes of whatever-you-want-to-call-whatever-it-is to extend WiFi coverage, a benefit is their wireless interconnection, because people don't have nor want network cables draped around their home.

That's two benefits!

OE

 

[Klueless]

As for two or more nodes of whatever-you-want-to-call-whatever-it-is to extend WiFi coverage ...

<lol> Well put!

 

[COBOL-Coder]

Thanks Klueless (though I'm not comfortable calling you that, lol) for your input, I appreciate your thoughts. It would seem like a quick move but I'd been frustrated from literally months of trying this and that (Smart Connect, 5Ghz S C, Extenders, etc.,) all without any real degree of success. As far as using Netgear, Linksys, etc., equipment I thought it better to stay with ASUS all the way as I think the router & node would would work the best together, not to mention as a veteran of non-ASUS equipment, not going to happen, lol. Netgear, Linksys, are the reason I found ASUS in the first place, but as I said earlier, I thought it best to stick with a single vendor as it would make diagnostics easier, same firmware authorship, and as OE stated, a good (solid) Wireless solution. I added the adjectives, lol. Thanks again K, you had some good ideas...

 

[Klueless]

Netgear, Linksys, are the reason I found ASUS in the first place ...

Same here! I've used the others. I run several sites. Two of them had a multiplicity of problems. It wasn't until I stumbled upon Asus that I was able to make the problems go away. I've been loyal Asus ever since. I've moved on from the ol' N66U. I run AC86Us at a couple sites and 68Us at a couple others. I have a Blue Cave for home. (Because my wife liked the looks of it I was "allowed" to lift it from a hidden corner of the house and move it to a location where I now get decent performance and range throughout the house : -)

In the days of low speed DSL Internet the Asus real time traffic monitor (coupled with Merlin enhancements) was an invaluable tool! Now that we finally have decent Internet services in our area I don't need it as much anymore but I remain enamored with Asus. But, back in the day, Asus/Merlin had me successfully running 15 users and 30 devices over a 7 Mbps Internet service.

I use the Netgear 6150 at a couple sites. One is hardwired and used as an AP to connect two buildings together. I use the other one at another site as an Extender to connect two buildings. I use the 5 GHz radio, line of sight, widow to window as the dedicated backhaul to the router and I use the 2.4 GHz radio to feed the clients in the second bldg. (2.4 GHz because it's an old building w/ solid core doors and plaster and lathe walls, 5 GHz didn't carry far in that old building).

 

[jsmiddleton4]

I've hammered the media bridge setup pretty hard. Tested a lot of equipment from identical routers for both the bridge and the router. Tested latest "X" models, tested dedicated wireless extenders in AP mode. Ask Amazon how much equipment I've ordered and returned.

One would think two identical routers would perform the best. I was really hoping 2 AC86U's would be the sweet combo. Wasn't. My opinion is the firmware engineers don't spend a lot of time tweaking media bridge mode. I'm not a wireless router engineer by any stretch. Still seems to me two identical higher performing routers should nail this setup. Again they don't. Doesn't matter if 2 86U's, 2 R7800, 2 Netgear 8000's, 2 ASUS 88X'S, etc.

Here's where I'm at.

An 86U for the media bridge. A Netgear R7800 for the router. I'll post current results of the performance.

Media bridge means the slave router connects only LAN connected devices via wireless to the router. Its not AP mode. Its not wireless extending in the way the term is used. I don't need wireless access in the back office, my office. In fact I can't use wireless for the at home work I do. My office in the one corner of my home furtherest away from the main router that is in another home office my wife and daughter share. All of us work at home.

Also I use external antennas to allow me the greatest flexibility for locating each device. That way the only thing visible are the antennas. Do not believe the signal boost claims for most of the external antennas. But for flexibility of placement and being able to move antennas so as to create and find the wifi signal sweet spots, for me its a no brainier.

The speed test is Xfinity's to my Macbook wired to the 86U, the slave, via ethernet cable. I have 1gb connection with Xfinity.

The higher end wireless extenders in AP mode worked well too. The issue was more antenna placement, which those devices allow some flexibility, so for me they were a redundant expense. But they can be a good option.

 

[Klueless]

My opinion is they ... don't spend a lot of time tweaking media bridge mode.

Yeah, I agree with that. Good to great wireless routers but it's the "by the way stuff" that ain't always so great.

I'm looking at your speed test. 713 down and 33 up? 713 out of 1,000 possible ... over a wireless bridge from the far corner of the house sounds awesome to me! What's the problem with that?

It's the 33 up. But I don't know what your uplink service speed is? If it's also gigabit then 33 does suck. If the uplink service speed is, say, only 30, then, of course, you're doing great.

 

[Val D.]

Still seems to me two identical higher performing routers should nail this setup. Again they don't.

What's the issue with two identical routers?
Not sure how Media Bridge fits this thread, but I've tested at one point the wireless connection between 2 x RT-AC86U (router + media bridge) and they were holding steady 1733Mbps link no problem with corresponding throughput. The only issue I see is using up the entire WiFi channel capacity during high-speed data transfers. Your routers are very close to each other (-47dBm signal strength), better find a way to run a cable. Your neighbors will thank you.

 

[Klueless]

Your routers are very close to each other (-47dBm signal strength)

Good catch! I missed that : -(

 

[OzarkEdge]

I've hammered the media bridge setup pretty hard.

Start a new topic/thread.

OE

 

[jsmiddleton4]

"I'm looking at your speed test. 713 down and 33 up? 713 out of 1,000 possible ... over a wireless bridge from the far corner of the house sounds awesome to me! What's the problem with that?"

Nothing. I'm very pleased. I'm only supposed to get 30 up. So its good.

"What's the issue with two identical routers?"

Slow throughput. Same with AIMESH set ups. The only way I could get 1733 is as noted.

"Your routers are very close to each other (-47dBm signal strength)"

Actually not that close. Started with signal strength in around 61. Kept tweaking and moving the external antennas around until have the strongest signal I can get. Miles apart? No. But one side of the house to the other. Not on top of each other.

"Start a new topic/thread"

I was speaking to the guy who is looking at AIMESH and second router. My apologies if you think that needs a separate thread.

 

[Klueless]

Nothing. I'm very pleased. I'm only supposed to get 30 up. So its good.

So ... you are saying when you went Asus to Asus, eyuch and when you went Netgear to Netgear, eyuch but when you went Netgear to Asus all is well? Interesting.

Anyway, it would seem what you're doing now is awesome so congratulations my new friend!

 

[OzarkEdge]

"Start a new topic/thread"

I was speaking to the guy who is looking at AIMESH and second router. My apologies if you think that needs a separate thread.

The OP wants to extend his WiFi coverage by way of a second router and AiMesh. Your media mode discussion does not apply... media mode does not extend WiFi coverage... so I thought you were raising a new issue concerning your own network. But you are right... no point in a new thread if there is nothing new to discuss.

OE

 

[Klueless]

There are a few posts around these forums where using a WiFi analyzer 'app' didn't give the promised maximum speeds. Why? Because they only 'sniff' out other WiFi radio signals.
...
When interference by a non-WiFi device is in the environment, those WiFi apps are basically useless and a waste of time for finding the best Control Channel and Channel Width.
...
Go ahead, use the apps. But only to see how wrong they can regularly be.

Actually, that was quite an insightful post. Thank you.

That said I do use those silly WiFi analyzers on occasion. They give me a starting point, but, to paraphrase you, the proof is in the pudding.

True enough, WiFi analyzers will not show baby monitors. old style cordless phones and microwaves.

But if it's showing -80 dBm I'm thinking that's not a good thing. If it's showing -50 dBm i'm only thinking it "could" be (a good thing). If it's showing some contenders on channels 1 & 6 but nothing on channel 11 then I'm going to play with channel 11.

I use Acrylic but I was looking at screen shots of Insidder and it looks like they show actual traffic usage on a channel. Now that could be useful! For example even if channel 6 is showing multiple APs on it but if no one is using it then that could still be the "right mistake".

I recently upgraded my flip phone (yes, I'm that old) for an iPhone 6 and was looking for a WiFi analyzer to run on it. I didn't quite find what I was looking for but I stumbled on an app by "Fritz". It shows Mbps to the AP. As I wander around I can watch the bit rate go up and down. I'm thinking that shows a lot of potential.