Question/opinion on multiple routers, using as a switch...

[SandmanXX]

Here's my setup, and it currently works well for me, as far as I can tell.

All Asus routers.

AImesh routers, all 3 of them. Wired connect to each router, from the main router. All 3 used routers are freshly updated to latest ASUS software.

GT-AX11000. Main router, in middle of the house, wired to the other 2 routers.
RT-AX3000, west end of house, ports all full.
RT-AX55, east end of house, ports full.

I happened upon an AX-6000, (RT-AX88u) new, picked up as a good deal. So, the AX-6000 has 8 ports. Ideally, I want to put it physically beside the GT-AX11000, and use some of the 8 ports for other wired devices I want to hook up, at that location. I am thinking I will -not- need to use the radio at all for the AX-6000, as I have enough signal otherwise in the house, so basically I think I will be using the AX-6000 as a switch.

So, I'd guessing that I would turn off the radios, and add it to the AImesh? and which mode should I put it in?

The only choice I'd make, if there's a screaming difference in performance based on someone's learned opinion here, is trade out the AX6000 with the AX-55, as I can use more ports there. So another option would be to use the AX-55 ports, again, physically beside the AX11000, as I still would need more ports for the AX11000.
4 more ports should be enough. I do not want to use a switch box at the AX11000.

Thanks in advance for any tips and tricks!

Update: So far, upon researching, the AX88u is a lot better than the RX55. So I may be leaning on swapping those 2 out, but opinions on that are welcome too.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Why wouldn't you simply get a cheap switch instead? Seems like a waste of hardware to use a router as a switch. There are zero benefits of doing this.

 

[SandmanXX]

You're right from the technical standpoint. However, I have all the hardware, and it will lend itself to let me test things, try things, learn things, etc.

 

[YPNvexed]

I'd agree with TheLostSwede - this topology is wrong. It is difficult to say for sure without knowing what is filling those ports, but this seems like an odd way to connect all these devices. A good switch will improve your network, and allow you to test things/learn more about networking. Look at a managed switch, 16 to 24 ports that supports vlans, link aggregation/bonding and maybe even PoE depending on what you are hooking up to. Connecting that many routers together without a proper backplane doesn't make sense (as mentioned, I don't know what you are connecting to so maybe this is sufficient). If this topology is what you want to stick to, the AX-6000 can likely be left in any mode...just disable everything to do with wifi, wan and dhcp (possibly NAT) there is left in the router after you pick the mode and it should be reduced to a "switch" (I'd probably start with the AP mode as some of this is done for you in that mode).

 

[TheLostSwede]

You're right from the technical standpoint. However, I have all the hardware, and it will lend itself to let me test things, try things, learn things, etc.

Using a $260 in lieu of a $20 switch simply doesn't make sense, especially as the way you're saying you're going to use it, you'd pretty much disable all the functionality, bar the switch, which is a separate chip inside the router.
You're obviously free to do as you wish, but this is madness imho.

 

[L&LD]

Not only is a switch (or two) highly desirable over a full router, in the case of Asus' 8-Port routers, it is even more important if network stability is important.

The 8-Port routers Asus has offered (all of them, so far, IME) have not been known to work as expected when ports 5-8 are in use. Sooner or later, the ports and network get flakey.

Buy the switches you need instead.

And, if you do need to tinker, 2x RT-AX86U's along with 2x QNAP QSW-1105-5T 5-Port Unmanaged 2.5GbE Switch (or more, as you may need) are a better path (but, more expensive, of course). Assuming you have the client devices to make use of that increased wired bandwidth (or, provide it to your wireless devices, concurrently).

 

[SandmanXX]

I can see the overwhelming opinion so far
So, main router has the 2 other routers wired, an odroid home assistant unit, and a syno 1019+ Nas wired to it.

The ax55, living room, actually has a switch off of it, with an ipcam, Samsung tv, Roku, Yamaha amp, blu-ray player, lorex nvr security camera system, Chromecast, and Xbox.
The other router is in the master bedroom, it has a Roku, Samsung tv, and ipcam hooked to it.

There's my layout, currently.
So, if I were to run with popular opinion and use a switch, do any of you recommend swapping the ax55 for the ax88u? Not only for ports, but performance ?

 

[SandmanXX]

Anyone? Should I swap out the ax55 for the ax88u?

Meanwhile, picked up a 4 port Netgear, then the wife found a gs308 on sale, so got that too.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Anyone? Should I swap out the ax55 for the ax88u?

Meanwhile, picked up a 4 port Netgear, then the wife found a gs308 on sale, so got that too.

How can we decided this for you? I mean, if it'll help your WiFi performance and coverage, why not?

Netgear makes pretty decent switches, but then again, so does almost everyone else today, since Gigabit switches are pretty much a commodity item.

 

[SandmanXX]

I was just looking for real world experience on router performance, wifi coverage included.

 

[L&LD]

Here is my real-world experience to date.

RT-AX86U vs. RT-AX88U

And each upgrade from the RT-N66U to the RT-AC68U, to the RT-AC3100 to the RT-AC86U was similar because the performance with the latest hardware was visibly better than the previous example I was using at that time.

HTH

 

[SandmanXX]

Here is my real-world experience to date.

RT-AX86U vs. RT-AX88U

And each upgrade from the RT-N66U to the RT-AC68U, to the RT-AC3100 to the RT-AC86U was similar because the performance with the latest hardware was visibly better than the previous example I was using at that time.

HTH

Thanks for that, made for some informative reading!