RT-BE86U - how to disable Smart connect?

[Jeje2]

I have exactly the same problem. I have 2 Shelly 1 and an electrodragon that do not connect to my 2.4Ghz network. I've tried everything. With my other Synolgy RT-2600AC router they connect without problem with the same SSID and password with the same encryption. I have reset it from the factory several times without getting them to connect.
If someone finds a solution, please comment.
I also had the problem that the ONT signal was lost when turning off and on the router and I had to remove and put the cable so that it could reconnect to the internet. It was fixed in version 3.0.0.6.102_37094.

I have 2 * shelly Pro 1 controllers and they where just fine inserted into my new router.
Yes I did the logging onto the controllers WLAN network and defining it that way to be part of the new setup - as said I had no problems here.

 

[RMerlin]

Smart Connect is no longer a toggle with the new Network UI design. You need to remove all extra bands currently allocated to the primary wifi SSID, and create separate SSIDs for each band.

If you have one SSID with multiple bands, then Smart Connect is automatically enabled/used.

I don't know if this will change further in the future, but it's how it currently works with 36xxx/37xxx.

 

[Broken Hope]

There’s fairly serious device compatibility issues with the BE Asus routers, I couldn’t get my Sonos gear to work properly using wireless at all, worked fine wired using SonosNet.

Didn’t matter which band I used, or which security type, the IoT network etc, nothing would make it work.

Worked perfectly on a AX86U previously.

All issues vanished when I swapped my GT-BE98 to an Orbi 970, no other changes and everything just works.

 

[lexx]

Assuming you don't need all bells of WiFi 6 or 7 on the 2.4ghz band just set the 2.4ghz to 20mhz and b/g/n or g/n only (make Sure channel is set to fixed number like 1) I had problems with my ac68u and ring cameras when using 40mhz

was looking at the ROG Asus routers but wanting it at £600-800 isn't really agreeing with me (but can pay for it interest free over 10 months)

but the RT-BE88U is £380 and has same port layout as AC68U but upgraded to 1+1 10gbe (1 is WAN) and 4x2.5gbe + the other 4x1gbe ports and basic WiFi 7 (lacks 6ghz)

 

[Broken Hope]

Out of interest, the people having issues, do you have to specify a VLAN for your fibre to connect?

The only thing that really happened at the same time as getting a newer ASUs router was changing ISP.

Other weird stuff also occurred when specifying a VLAN under IPTV such as the 2.5Gb WAN/LAN no longer giving a DHCP IP.

Like I said there’s some annoying bugs with the BE routers.

 

[RogerSC]

Had a similar problem...we were getting disconnects using MLO main network, so I wanted to go back to separate wifi-6 networks. Tried to do that using the "Network" tab after turning off MLO. I couldn't get it to work, I could deselect the 2.4GHz. and 6GHz. bands from my "smart connect" main network, and was able to make a 5GHz. only network. But when I tried to make a 6GHz. only network using "add network" on the Network tab, it didn't allow me to unselect the 5GHz. radio when trying to make a 6GHz. only network. Ended up having to factory reset, and then started from the "use separate networks" from the fresh configuration screens, and, of course that allowed me to make the separate networks that I wanted. Life was easier when I could just turn off "smart connect" as part of reconfiguring...getting rid of that setting is not an improvement at my house *smile*.

 

[jksmurf]

Smart Connect is no longer a toggle with the new Network UI design. You need to remove all extra bands currently allocated to the primary wifi SSID, and create separate SSIDs for each band.

If you have one SSID with multiple bands, then Smart Connect is automatically enabled/used

How does this work if you have e.g. the same SSID for your primary network (all bands), but different SSIDs for say a Guest (or IoT VLAN) for 2.4Ghz and 5GHZ bands?

Will Smart Connect work for the Primary SSID and not for the Guest/IoT or will Smart Connect (now) not work AT ALL because of the separate Guest/IoT SSIDs; or did Smart Connect only ever work for the Primary Network in the first place, so Guest/IoT settings are irrelevant?

 

[RMerlin]

Will Smart Connect work for the Primary SSID and not for the Guest/IoT

Yes. SmartConnect has always been strictly for primary networks under a single unified SSID and didn't include guest networks. Otherwise, they would no longer be isolated, making them pointless. SmartConnect requires all participating bands to share the same SSID.

 

[ualdrivr]

I have my Network with separate SSIDs for each of the four bands in my new GT-BE98 Pro and Smart Connect is nowhere to be found, just like @RMerlin said.

Per forum’s advice, I limited the 2.4Ghz band to 20Mhz band width and channel selection in Auto.

The router, which is the primary one, is wire backhaul meshed with my good ‘ole RT-AX86U and it looks like that the majority of 2.4Ghz clients in my house still connect with the AX-86U instead of the BE98 Pro, even the ones that are next to the primary router. They rather connect with the 86U that is three rooms away from them and that gives them lower signal quality, but they still stay with the WiFi 6 router!!! The BE98 Pro has mainly devices on it that are Ethernet connected directly to it and our iPhone 16 Pros that can use the 6Ghz bands and WiFi 7.
The 6Ghz bands are very fast, they actually give me download/upload speeds equal with what comes to the house from the cable provider, but the range is very limited. It reminds me how the 5Ghz band was, when it first came out.

Mind you the 2.4Ghz radio has no WiFi 7 activated and the entire Network, even the 6Ghz bands have MLO off, as well.

Make a long story short…, even with a very expensive new router in the Network, the AX-86U Mesh Node is still the workhorse in our house. Go figure!

 

[Zuikkis2]

I had similar trouble that my smart tv would not connect to RT-BE86U. The solution was to create a 2.4GHz guest network with Wifi7 turned off.

The asuswrt setup is quite confusing as the Wifi7 toggle is under the "Network" page, not under "Wifi". Took a while to figure it out.