RT-AC68U with new RT-AC86U as Access Point or AiMesh

[Noki388]

Currently have an RT-ac68u connected to my modem. However both are in a cabinet at distant part of the house due to where the internet cable line comes in. In the central part of the house, I get good 2.4 signal but very poor 5 signal such that it is unusable. At the other part of the house, I don't get any 2.4 or 5 GHz signal. Fortunately at the central part of the house, I have an ethernet port. I added an old TP-link TL-WR1043ND via ethernet and get good 2.4 signal to other part of the house.

I have hoping to update my system, mainly to get 5 GHz signal throughout.

I am looking at the the RT-AC86U as I don't have any wifi-6 devices and due to the cost difference between the AC and AX routers.

I have read the normal practice is to have the more powerful device (ie. 86U) as the main router and the lesser device (ie. 68U) as the access point. This seems to be particularly relevant for AiMesh. However I was thinking of possible benefits of other options:

Option 1: leaving 68U as router with 86U as the access point
- the main issue is wifi network to the other end of the house, particularly for 5 GHz. Currently the 68U 5 GHz signal can't reach the central part of the house. My concern is that if I use it as the access point, it may not reach the other end of the house
- the 86U presumablely has better range, so by putting it in the centre, there is the potential it can reach the other end of the house

Option 2: Aimesh mode with 68U as router and 86U as access point
- same as option 1, but potential benefits of AiMesh over just access point

Option 3: Aimesh mode with 86U as router and 68U as access point
- not sure if this will fix the problem of lack of range of the 68U

Thanks

 

[L&LD]

If you have the option of wired backhaul at the central part of the home, then I suggest first moving the router out of the cabinet and locating it in that central location. The details will depend on how your network is currently configured. Please give a concise, full, and accurate description, or better yet, a diagram to get better feedback.

If the issue of low 5GHz band coverage persists, an RT-AX68U will do wonders for increased range, throughput, and lower latency too. Even for AC client devices.

The RT-AX68U is a much better buy today than the older RT-AC86U. Even if it is slightly more expensive, the benefits far outweigh the cost differences. Wait for a sale until the RT-AX68U (or better yet, the RT-AX86U) comes closer to your price range. Buying the RT-AC86U today is not recommended anymore (unless it is a 2020 or newer model, brand new, and heavily discounted too).

I recently replaced an RT-AC68U for a customer (which the customer originally wanted to add an AiMesh node to), with a single RT-AX68U and they saw more than 50% throughput increase and much lower latency throughout the home. Without needing to add another router (AiMesh or otherwise).

And the link below shows how I became a believer in the RT-AX68U's for ISP connections of less than 1Gbps (symmetrical). If you have 1Gbps ISP speeds, the RT-AX86U's are highly recommended (in wired backhaul AiMesh mode).

Report - 2x RT-AX68U upgrade over 2x RT-AC86U in wireless backhaul mode

 

[Noki388]

Thanks L&LD

I don't think I can move the router out of the cabinet as that is where the modem and all 3 ethernet cables come in. Therefore the router has to be there. I had thought of adding a AX router but thought that mixing AC and AX in AiMesh was not recommended. If I did add an AX router, should it be the main router with the AC being the node, or can I just add it as the node.

 

[shoman94]

I would get an AX68U and make it the main router and then use the AC68U in AiMesh in central part of house connected with ethernet until you can get another AX68U down the road...... or for not much more than one AX68U, you could get an XD4 mesh, retire your AC68U and do the same and maybe use the 3rd even though wireless somewhere that would benefit your home. Most new cell phone are Wifi6 already and many other new devices are popping up with wifi6 capabilities.

 

[L&LD]

@Noki388, you didn't provide many details of your network, nor what (wired) possibilities exist.

If you can run two wires to a central location, all you need is a couple of inexpensive switches to get the WAN/ISP cable and the LAN cable to the router in that location. Either use your existing router (out of the cabinet and in that central location) or, use an RT-AXxxx class router for much better throughput and lower latency too.

If you only have a single wire available in a central location, you can use the "Access Point(AP) mode / AiMesh Router in AP mode" operation mode to connect an AX class router at that central location. If you can use this method, be sure you disable the router's Wi-Fi radios in the cabinet.

The point is that you are not limited to having the main router in a cabinet, just because ISPs/home builders don't care about maximum signal for their customers. There are ways around those self-inflicted limitations.

 

[Teiro]

I have this same setup, I strongly recommend you use the RT-AC86U as the main router, RT-AC68U as the AirMesh Node, using Wired Backhaul, with Cat.6 Cable.

 

[RangerZ]

The OP never makes a comment about speed, only coverage. The OPs option 1, which is basically L&LDs recommendation, I think is technically the best.

If you only have a single wire available in a central location, you can use the "Access Point(AP) mode / AiMesh Router in AP mode" operation mode to connect an AX class router at that central location. If you can use this method, be sure you disable the router's Wi-Fi radios in the cabinet.

To be clear, what ever it is, put your best radio in the central location. Set it up as a Wired AP. If it does not make the mark, you can connect AIMesh nodes to the AP. The only way to know is to test. Unfortunately most test reports focus on speed, not range.

Be aware that the Guest LAN, while displayed in config, does not truly isolate devices.

While maybe blasphemy here, I have recently installed a set of TP-Link PA-7017 Powerline adapters. It solved an issue with a PC shielded by by homes sheet metal air ducts. I now get LAN speeds of over 225Mbps, up from about 50 over a not to distant AP. Admittedly, performance will vary depending on where on your electrical circuit these are placed, but the worst speeds I saw was about 50Mbps through an supported surge setup. As the first acts link a switch input, I am considering adding more of these for older 2.4 devices with an Ethernet port.

 

[shoman94]

Meh, none of that really matters for normal everyday use especially with Ethernet running to the central location.

Me personally I could use one router Centrally to cover my house but then I would have poor coverage outside on my property. Instead I have 2 access points on either end inside my home with the center of my house at -60 where both access points connect and I have coverage thought my property. At that center point no matter which AP I'm connected to I get 400 to 550mbps.... Ping is the same since they are hard wired.

The OP will be just fine keeping the main router at the modem and wired to a central AP.

 

[wouterv]

There is not one single golden solution, but I suggest to try to keep it simple.
I would in the very first place check the wireless coverage with the existing router moved out of that cabinet.
Leave the fixed LAN cables disconnected for a while, use a longer network cable between the router and your modem and put the router temporary out of the cabinet. You can even leave the WAN disconnected and only check the wireless coverage by "walking around" with your router.

If moving the router out of the cabinet fixes all your wireless issues: see if you can permanent move it out. For that you need two network cables from the router: one from the WAN port to the modem, one from a LAN port to a new to buy cheap 5 port gigabit switch to be mounted near the modem and connect the fixed LAN cables to the new switch.

Beyond the above there is a large number of possible solutions with adding another router in e.g. AiMesh setup or adding wireless access points.
Adding more wireless routers or accesspoints, also introduces more potential issues.