RT-AC86U: 5GHz channel of Aimesh node is stuck in band C

[ZorroMymy]

Hi,

I have 2 RT-AC86U. The first one is configured as Router and second one as AiMesh node.
Both routers are using firmware Version: 3.0.0.4.384_20648

I'm living in France. So I have configured Region as Europe. Main router is broadcasting the 5Ghz as expected in Band A (Channels 36 – 64) or Band B (Channels 100 – 140) following the settings. That's OK...

But the Aimesh node is stuck in Band C (Channels 149 – 161) !
Most of French devices don't connect on the C-Band... This is the issue !

I try many configurations, changing region, control channel, bandwidth...
I try swapping Node & router, factory settings...
No success!

As soon as I request a channel lower than 149, the frequency of the AImesh Node is still broadcasting on the 149. The main router channel is alway OK and follows the settings...

This is not a hardware issue because I swapped the 2 devices, and I always have the same behaviour on the one configured as node !

Is it a known problem ? AFAIK, channel 149 and above are not allowed in France...
Is there a workaround ?

Regards,

Laurent

 

[RMerlin]

Did you buy your routers outside of France? If so, they might be on the wrong region.

Check the Wireless settings, if your router has a region selector setting, set it to the proper region.

 

[ZorroMymy]

Yes I buy them from China....
But, as I said, I already try to change the region selector without effect on the Node device.
It seems that that this selector has only effects on the main router!

For examples:
if I select "Europe region" and then "forcing control channel" to 100,
==> the router follow the settings (channel 100)
==> the node still use channel (149)

It sounds like the region settings is not forwarded to the node... At least for China stock model!
Any SSH command I can do on the node to confirm the incorrect region ?

Regards,

Laurent

 

[Grisu]

Does your main router change the channel setting?

Mine dont, only after reboot or turn off/on it will use the set channel, otherwise after apply it shows new channel but dont change WiFi !
Same chinese version with region setting.

Maybe your mesh-node needs a reboot too to use the correct channel.
But quite sure its just one more bug ...
Today should come 20942 firm, maybe it corrects this issue.

 

[ZorroMymy]

Yes the main router is changing its settings a few seconds after "Apply" without reboot...
I can see it using a Wifi Analyser.
I don't try to reboot the node. I will do it tonight and give you feedback.
Regards,

 

[Grisu]

really?
I use Wifi-Analyser on PC and Android and both never changed channel setting or bandwith after apply!
Only reboot or turn off/on (either 2G or 5G) Wifi or in SSH 'service restart_wireless' will do the trick.
Whats wrong with my 86U?
Did many factory reset, initialize, clear nvram on reboot, reset button, WPS on turn on, still have this and other issues ...

Maybe its only a AP-mode bug as I use mine in AP-mode at the moment.
Did you try one of your router in AP-mode instead of mesh?
Will it still change Wifi settings?

Tested: changed to router-mode, same issue, Wifi doesnt really change after apply ...

Do you use smart-connect on or off?

 

[ZorroMymy]

I can not tell you about the AP-Mode ! All my testings are about AIMesh mode only (Router+Node in AiMesh)
For your information the 2 devices are connected using Ethernet Backhaul

Regards,

 

[RMerlin]

Yes I buy them from China....
But, as I said, I already try to change the region selector without effect on the Node device.
It seems that that this selector has only effects on the main router!

For examples:
if I select "Europe region" and then "forcing control channel" to 100,
==> the router follow the settings (channel 100)
==> the node still use channel (149)

It sounds like the region settings is not forwarded to the node... At least for China stock model!
Any SSH command I can do on the node to confirm the incorrect region ?

Regards,

Laurent

Then it's possible it retrieves the region code directly from the bootloader, in which case there's nothing you can do.

 

[Grisu]

nothing but give feedback on admin-page of router GUI, hope they will correct it.

I wrote them to implement hide guest-SSID and now we have it with recent 20942 firm.
Yes its a peanut, but many little steps maybe bring them forward, till they make 386-firms and go 2 steps back again with more bugs then ever ...

 

[ZorroMymy]

Yes the main router is changing its settings a few seconds after "Apply" without reboot...
I can see it using a Wifi Analyser.
I don't try to reboot the node. I will do it tonight and give you feedback.
Regards,

Reboot bas no effect. The aimesh node channel remains in C band (ch 149)

 

[ZorroMymy]

nothing but give feedback on admin-page of router GUI, hope they will correct it.

I wrote them to implement hide guest-SSID and now we have it with recent 20942 firm.
Yes its a peanut, but many little steps maybe bring them forward, till they make 386-firms and go 2 steps back again with more bugs then ever ...

Where to download 20942 firmware? Can't see it on official page
Is it available for RT-AC86U?

 

[DummyPLUG]

try telnet/ssh to the node and check if the channel setting are correct
nvram show | grep chanspec

 

[Grisu]

Where to download 20942 firmware? Can't see it on official page
Is it available for RT-AC86U?

86U probably nexyt days, 68U and 5300 got it.

 

[ZorroMymy]

Where to find a descrition of the nvram parameters ?
if it exists...

 

[OzarkEdge]

nothing but give feedback on admin-page of router GUI, hope they will correct it.

I wrote them to implement hide guest-SSID and now we have it with recent 20942 firm.
Yes its a peanut, but many little steps maybe bring them forward, till they make 386-firms and go 2 steps back again with more bugs then ever ...

What is your rationale for hiding the guest SSID? I would have thought that would be the one to leave visible for guests. Or perhaps you just wanted separation so you can hide the non-guest SSID...

OE

 

[Grisu]

What is your rationale for hiding the guest SSID? I would have thought that would be the one to leave visible for guests. Or perhaps you just wanted separation so you can hide the non-guest SSID...

OE

its for separation and have devices using same SSID/key for long time and no internal access (which need manual setting of IP, SSID&pw and must be programmed if any change) while "normal" guests may change more often.
and dont want a very long list of SSID others cannot use but shown.

Where to find a descrition of the nvram parameters ?
if it exists...

I set 86U to all possible regions and wrote down differences, but dont think it will help.