Nightmare for AI mesh pairing with RT-AX88U

[nomad_surfer]

Hello SNB members,

What I am trying to build ai mesh based home networking which comprises of four asus routers, I have one main router, RT-AX88U (will serve as AI mesh router), and three RT-AC68U routers (will serves as AI mesh nodes),
Here is the procedure I followed
- Upgraded RT-AX88U to the latest firmware (388.8_4 merlin)
- Upgraded RT-AC68U latest asus stock firmware
- Factory reset all routers with WPS method.
- Setup main router by manually as ai mesh router
- Using my laptop I connected WIFI of one of RT-AC68U router (other two are off - trying to pair one by one), followed Initial setup screen and then set as ai node, then followed instruction on screen I connected WIFI of main router, logged in the admin page, screen show mac id and AC68U info asking if I want to pair then when I confirming pairing, the screen immediately fall into error mode "Someone else using...." stuff
- Then I thought may be if I use ethernet cable connecting WAN port of AC68U to LAN port of AX88U, it will use ethernet connection and pairing process more robust, even though I connected with ethernet cable (AC68U WAN---->AX88U LAN Port), it still insist of using of using wifi for pairing, I search every possible resources, still pairing process forcing using wifi for information exchange between main router and node router. I can not make it change to ethernet. I thought when I connect the CAT5E cable WAN to LAN, it should automatically recognizes that, but still tries to use WIFI which always fails in pairing. I dont know why ASUS engineers did not choose to make settings and information on main router to be written to USB drive and insert that usb flash disk to node and node read that info then pairing is done instead of wasting three days for that.
- Then I thought may be my firmwares are too new (firmwares switching from AI mesh 1.0 to 2.0 , may be my routers not playing well with AI mesh 2.0), I thought downgrading firmwares would make pairing success (which is done with success using ethernet cable), I downgraded firmwares all the way down (lost ai mesh options on earlier version of firmwares, then I looked at which firmware start supporting AI mesh, I chose that firmware for flashing, I flashed both main routers and node router so that I could pair them (earlier I have build such home network with same routers but I accidentally reset main router into factory settings, trying to rebuild the network again)
- I have tried several version of merlin firmwares and asus stock firmwares, all combinations (all stock, all merlin etc) without success, the pairing process insist on using WIFI instead of ethernet.
- During those downgrading processes and flashing processes, AX88U router stop showing information on LAN ports and USB port status, from Network Map -> Status win web UI, the image below ahow what I am talking about.
- Also LAN mac address, Pin code are being empty in the same place, and 2.4 and 5G wifis MAC adresses are the same, the downgrade/upgrade process messed up router specific parameters with all those firmware flashing

My questions are:
- How do I revert back to my AX88U to original factory setting, it shows LAN MAC, USB ports status in Web UIs and LAN macs, WPS code , WIFI MACs populated properly, currently I dont have LAN ports and USB port status shown in status pane, I am guessing NVRAM content messed up, how do I revert back
- How do I make AIMESH pairing with ethernet cable (forcing the process use ethernet cable not WIFI which always fails)

Any input on this matter will greatly appreciated, I admit my defeat on this

 

[Tech9]

What I am trying to build ai mesh based home networking which comprises of four asus routers

This is a bad combination of main router and nodes, but why so many in first place? AiMesh doesn’t have per node power adjustment and you’ll generate more noise around than good Wi-Fi.

Read this:

So Long, Thanks For All The Help

It's why I went with the U7s instead. Working a treat for me by the way. Aren't they buggy though?

www.snbforums.com

Use AP Mode instead for more control.

 

[nomad_surfer]

I will read it thank you for the pointer, what I am after is good coverage with central management of the network..
I thought AI mesh network would give me what I asked (honestly when it was setup it was ok but not from speed and noise perspective),
If you have any thought on how nuclear reset AX88U into its roots (factory setting), I am all ears..

 

[bennor]

If you have any thought on how nuclear reset AX88U into its roots (factory setting), I am all ears..

[Wireless Router] How to reset the router to factory default setting? | Official Support | ASUS Global

[Wireless Router] When Standard Reset Isn’t Working: Hard Factory Reset - Models list | Official Support | ASUS Global

[Wireless Router] ASUS router Hard Factory Reset - Method 2 | Official Support | ASUS Global

 

[Tech9]

I am after is good coverage with central management of the network.

There is no much central management in AiMesh. You see the other routers and clients in single UI and have the option for one guest network per band to nodes. That’s about it. The rest is marketing and luck. All the same channels and the more nodes you have the more they fight with each other for air time.

 

[OzarkEdge]

- How do I revert back to my AX88U to original factory setting, it shows LAN MAC, USB ports status in Web UIs and LAN macs, WPS code , WIFI MACs populated properly, currently I dont have LAN ports and USB port status shown in status pane, I am guessing NVRAM content messed up, how do I revert back

Can your Hard Reset the router?

- How do I make AIMESH pairing with ethernet cable (forcing the process use ethernet cable not WIFI which always fails)

Configure the router webUI AiMesh to add a node and have that node in a reset state, wired node WAN to router LAN. You do not directly configure AiMesh nodes.

Me, I'd want to prove it all at least once with stock firmware on any given models before trying other firmware.

OE

 

[Tvbaas]

- How do I make AIMESH pairing with ethernet cable (forcing the process use ethernet cable not WIFI which always fails)

First enable the "Ethernet Backhaul Mode" on your Main router.

 

[jksmurf]

First enable the "Ethernet Backhaul Mode" on your Main router.
View attachment 62513

Personally, I found this setting problematic for my 3 nodes.

I left it on Auto (different screen under AIMesh and that worked well. It chose Ethernet anyway, as they are wired, but found the nodes better and they stayed connected.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Personally, I found this setting problematic for my 3 nodes.

I left it on Auto (different screen under AIMesh and that worked well. It chose Ethernet anyway, as they are wired, but found the nodes better and they stayed connected.

Ethernet Backhaul Mode does not have an Auto setting... and it should probably be called Wireless Backhaul enable/disable to be more clear.

OE

 

[jksmurf]

Ethernet Backhaul Mode does not have an Auto setting... and it should probably be called Wireless Backhaul enable/disable to be more clear.

OE

Sorry, was not as clear as I could have been, I should have said I set the Backhaul Priority to AUTO (which chooses dynamically between Ethernet or Wifi).
I left the Ethernet Backhaul Mode switch at default, which for me, was OFF, but the Backhaul connects via Ethernet anwyay.

Hopefully that's clearer, but the point was more that if you have Ethernet backhaul connected, it will connect via Ethernet if that's the best mode, you don't have to force it do so and my own experience was forcing it using that switch did not work as well.

My reading of the EBM Switch is more that it frees up Wireless bandwidth, as it does not reserve Wireless bandwidth.
i.e. in case it has to use it, or drop from Ethernet to Wireless, in case Ethernet goes down.

 

[OzarkEdge]

My reading of the EBM Switch is more that it frees up Wireless bandwidth, as it does not reserve Wireless bandwidth.
i.e. in case it has to use it, or drop from Ethernet to Wireless, in case Ethernet goes down.

Yes. I keep EBM disabled to permit failover to wireless backhaul, AND confirm that the wireless backhaul connection is not present in the Wireless Log while the wired backhaul is healthy. If the wireless backhaul connection persists in the log, toggling EBM ON/OFF has cleared it here.

OE

 

[nomad_surfer]

Thank you all of you who respond to my thread, to answer them all
- Enabled Ethernet backhaul mode both on router and node tried pairing: no success
- Factory reset node(AC68U) and did not do any settings on node then tried pairing: no success
- Factory reset main router with WPS button (AX88U) with asus firmware recovery tool to eliminate any possible NVRAM corruption and manually setup the router then try pairing: no success
- Now in those upgrade/downgrade steps messed up router specific setting like WIFI (2.4 and 5G) MACs sre being the same MAC address and LAN port status not shown if I upgrade 388.8_2 or 388.8_4 LAN ports status disappear, USB ports status never shows up if USB device connected or not
- If I downgrade main router to 386.8 LAN port status are shown. Below is screenshot from 386.8 firmware, but pin code and LAN mac address are not populated, if I upgrade to newest version LAN ports status disappears (AX88U router)

I gave up AI mesh pairing I am trying to get main router into its original setting with router specific parameters (lan/usb ports status shown, mac addresses populated properly, I believe if I get main router back to its setting, ai mesh process might work

 

[nomad_surfer]

How do I set the following manually?
- LAN MAC Address
- WIFI MACs addresses
- Pin code
If I know which variables Web UI looking for in NVRAM I could set it nvram set commit commands, and LAN/USB ports status