[Official Release] AiMesh Firmware v3.0.0.4.384.20308 for All Supported Products

[Latzz]

@bbunge @RMerlin
Is this also related to a Merlin flash from the firmware 384.20308, at the web login screen message (and not able to enter login credentials),
"Note : the router you are using is not an ASUS device or has not been authorised by ASUS. ASUSWRT might not work properly on this device."

 

[bbunge]

@bbunge @RMerlin
Is this also related to a Merlin flash from the firmware 384.20308, at the web login screen message (and not able to enter login credentials),
"Note : the router you are using is not an ASUS device or has not been authorised by ASUS. ASUSWRT might not work properly on this device."

Likely. I went back to 384-20287 on my RT-AC66I_B1 then flashed the Merlin 384-4. The login may be another issue. After reset on ASUS I entered a password in setup then had to change it the first time I entered the admin settings page. Otherwise I could not log in.
While I have had good performance with Asus I am not overly pleased with the changes, things reported not getting fixed, and getting Aimesh when I only have one router. I am looking for something to replace the Asus. Maybe I will pull out the old WRT54G! It worked!!!

Sent from my P01M using Tapatalk

 

[Latzz]

Maybe I will pull out the old WRT54G! It worked!!!

WRT54G v1 was my first router. Amazing tech at that time

Had other routers after that and none required much learning curve or surprises until my first ASUS recently. ASUS is a great hardware company and my impression is that their development team are working hard to fix things. At the moment, too much 'bleeding edge technology' marketing and somewhere along, do not seem to appreciate what it takes in terms of resources, to get it right. Some of the issues we are seeing could had been picked up within their software development and change control management.

 

[RMerlin]

@bbunge @RMerlin
Is this also related to a Merlin flash from the firmware 384.20308, at the web login screen message (and not able to enter login credentials),
"Note : the router you are using is not an ASUS device or has not been authorised by ASUS. ASUSWRT might not work properly on this device."

This usually happens if you flash the firmware on an unsupported device, or a hardware/software failure is preventing the hardware validation to succeed. I've seen it happen in the past due to hardware problems with wifi for instance (one of the components that must be validated).

 

[Richard Li]

Does Aimesh works with guest wifi too?

Guest Wifi only present in main router/ap, not AiMesh nodes

 

[bbunge]

Maybe I will pull out the old WRT54G! It worked!!!

Well, I pulled out the WRT but it was a WRT1900AC. Had dodgey Linksys firmware that I replaced with OpenWRT. Only thing that is slow is write to USB and I can live with that! Will run it a bit before I give up the Asus.

Sent from my P01M using Tapatalk

 

[badbob001]

WRT54G v1 was my first router. Amazing tech at that time

I still have a WRT54G on my network running tomato to serve as a DHCP server. The DHCP options on asus firmware pales in comparison.

 

[Latzz]

Some specific models have automatic upgrades enabled. This includes, as far as I can remember, the RT-AC68A (special Amazon SKU), the RT-AC86U and GT-AC5300.

Can now suspect, with some level of certainty, that the automatic upgrade seems to point to the ASUS app. With the release of the latest firmware, left the router as it is for a day and the yellow flashing indicator (new firmware available) did not show up. Then proceeded to check firmware and the yellow indicator showed up since, which is expected. However, the automatic firmware had yet to happen. This had been tested previously on two different AC86U units and at both times, the automatic firmware update happened after the ASUS app was used (and firmware update available was indicated).

Can someone else confirm this behaviour?

 

[OzarkEdge]

Can now suspect, with some level of certainty, that the automatic upgrade seems to point to the ASUS app. With the release of the latest firmware, left the router as it is for a day and the yellow flashing indicator (new firmware available) did not show up. Then proceeded to check firmware and the yellow indicator showed up since, which is expected. However, the automatic firmware had yet to happen. This had been tested previously on two different AC86U units and at both times, the automatic firmware update happened after the ASUS app was used (and firmware update available was indicated).

Can someone else confirm this behaviour?

Good sleuthing... I can believe it. They must have had to fix something system wide, app and router. The app is a nice idea but it's an unnecessary complication with undesired consequences, imo. I'd prefer they disable and then advise user action instead of automatically doing things... but that won't suit the lay user. Maybe that's the conflict... trying to dumb down a smartphone app for novices to manage an enthusiast's router i.e. critical network infrastructure... a recipe for disaster?

OE

 

[MichaelMK]

Hi Everyone,
I used the original version of AiMesh firmware and had lots of stability issues. Tried this latest versions and things seem really good! I was able to hold a phone call over wifi while walking around my home... something I couldn't do using access points and poor cell service.

One issue I'm having is I am seeing a couple devices being bounced between the main AiMesh router and one of the nodes. I think it sits right at the spot where both routers can get to it. I tweaked the Roaming in the Performance wifi setting area to only switch at -65 vs the default -55. I had walked around my house with a wifi analyzer and saw the -65 is a good overlap. Was this the right thing to do? Or are there other settings that I should have used instead to stop the bouncing of devices?

Any other recommendations on performance tuning?

(Running a 68P as the router, and two 68U nodes)

Thanks in advance!

 

[Latzz]

The app is a nice idea but it's an unnecessary complication with undesired consequences, imo. I'd prefer they disable and then advise user action instead of automatically doing things... but that won't suit the lay user. Maybe that's the conflict... trying to dumb down a smartphone app for novices to manage an enthusiast's router i.e. critical network infrastructure... a recipe for disaster?

Agreed. Unless someone else post otherwise, the app is going at some point break ASUS router line good reputation. Even experienced vendors with decades of software development experiences and huge software budgets, had learnt hard lessons with automatic software updates.

 

[Knxwledge]

Is it worth buying another 68u to do AIMesh? my main router is also a 68u.

I need to go over the thread and see how the wifi performance expectation

 

[indark]

Is it worth buying another 68u to do AIMesh? my main router is also a 68u.
I need to go over the thread and see how the wifi performance expectation

I think invest on a newer router like ac86u is a better option but it depends on your budget and what you do with the router.
If ac68u is enough to cover your house, maybe it's even a better choice to buy 86u and sell 68u ;p

 

[Knxwledge]

I think invest on a newer router like ac86u is a better option but it depends on your budget and what you do with the router.
If ac68u is enough to cover your house, maybe it's even a better choice to buy 86u and sell 68u ;p

What if I get the 86u as main and 68u as a node? Would that work out? Will I get smart connect with that setup?

 

[scope666]

What if I get the 86u as main and 68u as a node? Would that work out? Will I get smart connect with that setup?

This is exactly what I'm running, it keeps getting better as the firmware updates come out for both.

https://prnt.sc/j59zue

 

[bones20]

Hi Everyone,
I used the original version of AiMesh firmware and had lots of stability issues. Tried this latest versions and things seem really good! I was able to hold a phone call over wifi while walking around my home... something I couldn't do using access points and poor cell service.

One issue I'm having is I am seeing a couple devices being bounced between the main AiMesh router and one of the nodes. I think it sits right at the spot where both routers can get to it. I tweaked the Roaming in the Performance wifi setting area to only switch at -65 vs the default -55. I had walked around my house with a wifi analyzer and saw the -65 is a good overlap. Was this the right thing to do? Or are there other settings that I should have used instead to stop the bouncing of devices?

Any other recommendations on performance tuning?

(Running a 68P as the router, and two 68U nodes)

Thanks in advance!

Are you using 308 or 648?

 

[MichaelMK]

648, the one that released a couple days ago.

Are you using 308 or 648?

 

[bones20]

648, the one that released a couple days ago.

Do you think 648 is more stable than 308?

The reason I ask is that it will be a lot of work for me to upgrade to 648 (downgrade the CFE, firmware to 626, upgrade to 308 and then to 648). I dont have any issues with 308 except the client list in UI (not a big issue for me) and that when the devices hop nodes as I walk around the house, the voice calls (skype/zoom etc) drop. From what I have read, this is not fixable since that would require drop and reconnect time of less than 50ms. Are you saying that you are able to retain the voice connection while hopping nodes? Unless someone one tells me that 648 fixes this issue, I am skeptical of going through the upgrade hassle.

thanks!

 

[OzarkEdge]

Is it worth buying another 68u to do AIMesh? my main router is also a 68u.

I need to go over the thread and see how the wifi performance expectation

No. The 68U does not do Smart Connect node band steering. The 86U does, has a stronger processor, more memory, WiFi chipset with Range Boost (~20%), and is a more recent build (Aug 2017?). In theory, the functionality of the 86U as router should extend to the 68U as AiMesh node. So, I would invest in the 86U, not the 68U.

Edit: I guess when it comes to range boost, two 86Us might be better than one for symmetrical WiFi coverage.

OE

 

[MichaelMK]

Do you think 648 is more stable than 308?

The reason I ask is that it will be a lot of work for me to upgrade to 648 (downgrade the CFE, firmware to 626, upgrade to 308 and then to 648). I dont have any issues with 308 except the client list in UI (not a big issue for me) and that when the devices hop nodes as I walk around the house, the voice calls (skype/zoom etc) drop. From what I have read, this is not fixable since that would require drop and reconnect time of less than 50ms. Are you saying that you are able to retain the voice connection while hopping nodes? Unless someone one tells me that 648 fixes this issue, I am skeptical of going through the upgrade hassle.

thanks!

I didn't try 308 (had tried the version before that). 648 is night and day compared to the first AiMesh version. I was able to maintain a call while bouncing around nodes on 648. There were about 2 seconds where I couldn't hear the person I was talking to as I hopped nodes, but it picked back up and I didn't lose the call.