[Official Beta] AiMesh beta firmware for RT-AC68U/RT-AC86U/RT-AC5300/RT-AC88U

[LimJK]

AiMesh Node Configuration issue with Connection Priority and Connection Type.

My configuration:
RT-AC5300U - AiMesh Router
… Connected via direct CAT 7 LAN cable to
Cisco SG100D-08 (8 Port Gigabit Switch)
… To (different rooms)
RT-AC86U - AiMesh Node
RT-AC68U - AiMesh Node

I noticed that the 1st AiMesh Node to be added will select Connection Type: "Ethernet" when Connection Priority: "Auto". However, the 2nd AiMesh Node will always stay with Connection Type: "Wireless" when Connection Priority: "Auto". I have tested by re-ordering the sequence to add both AiMesh Nodes.

Workaround: I need to manually select Connection Priority to "Ethernet" to ensure my Backhaul connection between the 3 AiMesh Devices are all using my 1 Gigabit Ethernet so that I can enjoy full WiFi Speed for my devices at home from both AiMesh Nodes.

PS: So far I am very pleased with AiMesh. Thank you!

 

[Stephen Harrington]

Actually I think posts 614-616 make it slightly clearer. It's very unlikely the AC-87U will be supported.

They haven’t actually ruled it out, and I was trying to let @Mihai down gently, but yes it doesn’t sound like they are falling over themselves to start work on it, does it?

 

[Darren S]

They haven’t actually ruled it out, and I was trying to let @Mihai down gently, but yes it doesn’t sound like they are falling over themselves to start work on it, does it?

I don't think they'll ever rule it out because it will always be possible but, as an ac-87u owner myself, I think the working assumption has to be that it won't get supported. That's my working assumption anyway and, once AIMesh gets out of beta and into production I'll be buying a few of the supported routers. I don't fully understand the technicalities but it seems like there's a lot of work that would need to go into making AIMesh work for one specific (and pretty much legacy) model. It's a bit unfortunate for ac-87u owners like myself but, since I didn't buy the router with a promise of AIMesh support, I can't really complain.

 

[dreba]

I have ac86 and ac68 in mesh. The memory usage is 78% on my ac86. Is that normal?


Skickat från min iPhone med Tapatalk

 

[ptwat]

I have been experimenting with the openvpn feature of this latest code version on my RT-AC68U. Without vpn at all, I normally get 60 Mbps down and 12 Mbps from my provider. Trying two different VPN services and the openvpn feature, I consistently got around 3 Mbps down and about 3 Mbps up. For comparison with a VPN client on my PC I get 51 Mbps down and 10 Mbps up with a server site the app chooses. I have tried several VPN server sites while have not been exhaustive this is very disappointing. The upside is that I get to talk to my sons much more while they tell about the speed of the internet.
Is it too early to expect much from this aimesh code?

 

[xbladr]

I have been experimenting with the openvpn feature of this latest code version on my RT-AC68U. Without vpn at all, I normally get 60 Mbps down and 12 Mbps from my provider. Trying two different VPN services and the openvpn feature, I consistently got around 3 Mbps down and about 3 Mbps up. For comparison with a VPN client on my PC I get 51 Mbps down and 10 Mbps up with a server site the app chooses. I have tried several VPN server sites while have not been exhaustive this is very disappointing. The upside is that I get to talk to my sons much more while they tell about the speed of the internet.
Is it too early to expect much from this aimesh code?

Pptp doesn't even pass traffic on this beta firmware gt5300. Open VPN has been slow on all versions of the gt5300. I have yet to find a firmware that actually makes use of the amazing hardware in this router

Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk

 

[iceorbital]

I have ac86 and ac68 in mesh. The memory usage is 78% on my ac86. Is that normal?


Skickat från min iPhone med Tapatalk

Did noted that a few posts earlier. Apparently the ac86 platform runs on more memory use than older platforms per merlin's comments

 

[cvee]

I setup AiMesh with 2 routers :- 68U is the primary as its already setup with all my reserved ip's etc. The new 5300 is the node. It was a brand new router that i upgraded to firmware :- RT-AC5300_9.0.0.4_382_19612-g01e94f5.trx

Before i upgraded to aimesh firmware (which is 382), i noted that the base firmware on the unit was the 380 codeline.

I added the 3200 as a node... and it seemed to work ok for a few minutes.... until it reboots. The 3200 will run for a few minutes.. and then reboot.

The primary router is up and running fine.. so no issue there.

What can i try?
How can i get any diagnostics out of this rebooting router?
Its only up for a short time... and it seems i can't log directly into it anymore.. as it routes me automatically to the primary router.

The other thing i noticed is, from the primary router... there is very little detail about the 'other' nodes. For example i'd like to know HOW the node is communicating back to the primary router? eg. 2.4 or 5ghz wireless? Which band of the 5300 is being used for the back-haul etc?

Since going into AiMesh node mode... the unique wireless SSID's of the node disappear.. or AT LEAST i'm assuming they are named the same as Primary router? Is that correct ?
I'd like the node to share its connection via both Ethernet (to my office equipment) and ALSO extend the wireless range.

I DO love the idea of a simplistic setup.. but it would still be good to have a page for those interested in MORE details (or possible config) of the nodes for diagnostic etc.

 

[fearz]

Hey,

Can you please try if IFTTT or Alexa works?

I setup AiMesh with 2 routers :- 68U is the primary as its already setup with all my reserved ip's etc. The new 5300 is the node. It was a brand new router that i upgraded to firmware :- RT-AC5300_9.0.0.4_382_19612-g01e94f5.trx

Before i upgraded to aimesh firmware (which is 382), i noted that the base firmware on the unit was the 380 codeline.

I added the 3200 as a node... and it seemed to work ok for a few minutes.... until it reboots. The 3200 will run for a few minutes.. and then reboot.

The primary router is up and running fine.. so no issue there.

What can i try?
How can i get any diagnostics out of this rebooting router?
Its only up for a short time... and it seems i can't log directly into it anymore.. as it routes me automatically to the primary router.

The other thing i noticed is, from the primary router... there is very little detail about the 'other' nodes. For example i'd like to know HOW the node is communicating back to the primary router? eg. 2.4 or 5ghz wireless? Which band of the 5300 is being used for the back-haul etc?

Since going into AiMesh node mode... the unique wireless SSID's of the node disappear.. or AT LEAST i'm assuming they are named the same as Primary router? Is that correct ?
I'd like the node to share its connection via both Ethernet (to my office equipment) and ALSO extend the wireless range.

I DO love the idea of a simplistic setup.. but it would still be good to have a page for those interested in MORE details (or possible config) of the nodes for diagnostic etc.

 

[iceorbital]

Hey,

Can you please try if IFTTT or Alexa works?

No ifttt yet

 

[arthurlien]

I'd like the node to share its connection via both Ethernet (to my office equipment) and ALSO extend the wireless range.

You can connect your office equipment to "LAN" port in the Node.

 

[arthurlien]

AiMesh Node Configuration issue with Connection Priority and Connection Type.

My configuration:
RT-AC5300U - AiMesh Router
… Connected via direct CAT 7 LAN cable to
Cisco SG100D-08 (8 Port Gigabit Switch)
… To (different rooms)
RT-AC86U - AiMesh Node
RT-AC68U - AiMesh Node

I noticed that the 1st AiMesh Node to be added will select Connection Type: "Ethernet" when Connection Priority: "Auto". However, the 2nd AiMesh Node will always stay with Connection Type: "Wireless" when Connection Priority: "Auto". I have tested by re-ordering the sequence to add both AiMesh Nodes.

Workaround: I need to manually select Connection Priority to "Ethernet" to ensure my Backhaul connection between the 3 AiMesh Devices are all using my 1 Gigabit Ethernet so that I can enjoy full WiFi Speed for my devices at home from both AiMesh Nodes.

PS: So far I am very pleased with AiMesh. Thank you!

According switch (such as Cisco' switch) will drop/filter some packet type, we provide the "ethernet" option for this case.

 

[LimJK]

You can connect your office equipment to "LAN" port in the Node.

Hi Arthur,
Just to add my observation in my set up as follows with Ethernet Backhaul:

RT-AC5300U - AiMesh Router
… Connected via direct CAT 7 LAN cable to … (a different room)
Cisco SG100D-08 (8 Port Gigabit Switch)
… Connected via direct CAT 7 LAN cables
RT-AC86U - AiMesh Node
RT-AC68U - AiMesh Node

I found that if I connect my MacBookPro to LAN ports of AiMesh Node, I get about half of my 1 gigabit bandwidth. If I connect directly to the Gigabit Switch that sits next to my AiMesh Node ... I get my gigabit bandwidth.

 

[LimJK]

According switch (such as Cisco' switch) will drop/filter some packet type, we provide the "ethernet" option for this case.

Arthur,
Thanks ... it is working very well!
I have just purchased 2 more RT-AC5300 + 1 RT-AC86U to set up AiMesh for a friend who has a huge 3 floor house, who has been having WiFi Access problems for a long time

 

[iceorbital]

I have one of this https://www.haikuhome.com/haiku-wall-control about 15 feet from the main aimesh router AC86U and literally under another AC86U node that is above it on the second floor. With the latest beta firmware, the unit is constantly disconnecting from the network and needs to be reset. In this regard, the previous beta (11/17 release) was much much better. This is an IoT device that gets cranky when it disconnects from from the internet, so i wonder if the handoff between main router and node has gotten more sensitive on the december build and is affecting this kind of small devices. In the past there were asks to lock devices to a particular node, this could probably help. or getting to the 11/17 algorithm for swithing devices between node and main router

 

[cvee]

You can connect your office equipment to "LAN" port in the Node.

Yes the physically connected devices seem to work... but i can't tell if the node itself is ALSO sharing its wifi.

The biggest issue i have thats been overlooked is that the router keeps rebooting.
I'll have to reflash the aimesh firmware i guess.

Also no one has answered how (or if) you can directly connect to the note to view its configs (or change it back to regular router from being a node).

 

[LimJK]

According switch (such as Cisco' switch) will drop/filter some packet type, we provide the "ethernet" option for this case.

Arthur,

Is there a list of compatible gigabit switch that support AiMesh. Thanks

 

[Ronald Schwerer]

Yes the physically connected devices seem to work... but i can't tell if the node itself is ALSO sharing its wifi.

The biggest issue i have thats been overlooked is that the router keeps rebooting.
I'll have to reflash the aimesh firmware i guess.

Also no one has answered how (or if) you can directly connect to the note to view its configs (or change it back to regular router from being a node).

First I'd recommend doing a NVRAM reset (easiest to do through SSH. "nvram erase ; reboot". Then set it up again since all the configs have been erased. BTW, I'm staying on the Nov 15 release since it seemed more stable. Sorry folks - I need a reliable network or the boss will de-nut me.

 

[arthurlien]

Arthur,

Is there a list of compatible gigabit switch that support AiMesh. Thanks

There are too many kind of switch in market. Sorry, we don't have it.

 

[arthurlien]

Hi Arthur,
Just to add my observation in my set up as follows with Ethernet Backhaul:

RT-AC5300U - AiMesh Router
… Connected via direct CAT 7 LAN cable to … (a different room)
Cisco SG100D-08 (8 Port Gigabit Switch)
… Connected via direct CAT 7 LAN cables
RT-AC86U - AiMesh Node
RT-AC68U - AiMesh Node

I found that if I connect my MacBookPro to LAN ports of AiMesh Node, I get about half of my 1 gigabit bandwidth. If I connect directly to the Gigabit Switch that sits next to my AiMesh Node ... I get my gigabit bandwidth.

According to the half of 1 gigabit bandwidth, could you send a feedback for me by Feedback function ?