[randytsuch]

Here’s how I just improved my wifi coverage with my existing Asus router.

I have a fairly large, 3000 sq foot, 1 ½ story house with a wifi dead zone that’s been bothering me for a bit.  I have an Asus RT-AC68U router, and it actually does a good job for a relatively inexpensive router.

I noticed Asus has added a new feature called “Aimesh”, unintentionally waited a bit, probably a good thing to let Asus work out the bugs with early adopters lol.  Decided to try a few days ago.
In a nutshell, Aimesh implements a mesh router environment, but you don't need to buy an expensive set of mesh routers, works with existing Asus routers, although not all of them.

To implement Aimesh, you need at least two compatible Asus routers.  I already had a 2nd Asus router, a Tmobile RT-AC1900, which is a rebranded RT-AC68.

So with my two Asus routers, I’m in business with no extra costs.  I did need to load the Tmobile router with AC68 firmware, fortunately there are good instructions out there to do this, but this turned out to be the most work.  Took a couple of days, and part of the problem was I forgot to do the last step

So once I had my 2nd router running with the latest Asus 68U firmware, I followed these instructions
https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1035087
And it worked!!

Then I moved the 2nd router (Aimesh node) to its new home.  Its actually pretty close to the main Aimesh router, but on the other side of a few walls.  Now I have good, fast coverage where I had marginal to bad coverage before.  Its seamless, devices will automatically switch to the router with the best wifi signal as you walk around.  And if you have an existing, compatible Asus router already, you can pick up a 2nd one fairly cheaply to do this.

I did read for the node router(s), it works better if you connect it via ethernet to the main Aimesh router, instead of using wifi.  I’m using ethernet, and it seems to work well.  I imagine if you had to connect wifi, it would still be better than not having it, but probably not as good as ethernet.

Good luck if you give it a go.

Randy

[shadowlight]

I will have to investigate the solution.  Does the node give you an option to setup the mesh using wired connection or is it strictly wireless?

[randytsuch]

I will have to investigate the solution.  Does the node give you an option to setup the mesh using wired connection or is it strictly wireless?

You mean make a wired connection to the node router?  I think that should work, haven't tried it since my node router is right next to a switch connected to the main router lol.

But my node router is connected wired if that's what you're asking

In my case, I have
Internet modem ---- main router ----switch---- node router
where the ---- are ethernet lines.

I did have to setup the node router first on wifi, with the node very close to the main router, but after its setup, you can move the node.

[ccklone]

Hey Now,

I just finished up setting up Google Wifi Mesh Network. Easy peasy, 1 master and 2 slave units covers my approximately 2200sf home and all areas in the house and outside perimeter are full strength wifi. Each of the slaves have 2 LAN ports which I use Ethernet cables to music streamers (RPi2 RoPieee (2), microRendu, Apple TV, SoTM SMS 100); the master has a WAN and LAN port, satellite modem to WAN and LAN to switch (iMac, powerline adapter, RPi3 RoPieee, LS-50W). Google Wifi app on iPhone is what I used to set up network. I can even check it at work as long as I am connected to the internet. I like it so far, got rid of my Airport Extreme and 3 Airport Expresses as extenders and the dead spots I had.

--
Finest kind,
Chris

[randytsuch]

If you want an easy to setup system, the google stuff looks good.

For me, I don't think it has the options and features I want, stuff that I'm used to getting with Asus routers.

[Doublej]

For maximum performance the nodes should be hard wired back to the main router, however one can generally have nodes talk to the main router via wireless protocol.

You'll see lower performance because some of the available wireless bandwidth is used for the node to router communications. I don't think this is generally an issue unless you have multiple devices simultaneously consuming high bandwidth, e.g. multiple machines streaming high defintiion videos and/or games at the same time.

YMMV.

[C17FXR]

Thanks for posting this information. I was looking into doing this with my current Asus routers  when I move into my new house. Now all I have to do is get into the house.
Oh the nightmare, dealing with an obstinate homeowner. 

[shadowlight]

But my node router is connected wired if that's what you're asking

In my case, I have
Internet modem ---- main router ----switch---- node router
where the ---- are ethernet lines.

Yep, that is exactly what I am looking to do.  I had tried that with the Linksys system and as soon as I hooked up the node to wired connection it brought my network to a grinding halt.  Nothing worked and I promptly returned it.

[avta]

Just an FYI. Ring and Sky Bell doorbells are not compatible with mesh networks. I think there may be work arounds but after trying a Google mesh network which worked very well I had to return it.

[randytsuch]

In one of the last steps, the main and mesh routers pair up over wifi, and you have to enable WPS to do this.

WPS seems to be pretty much universally considered a security flaw.  But after you finish setting up the mesh router, and have it working, if you use ethernet instead of wifi to make the connection, you can go back and disable WPS, and the mesh will still work.
Not sure if you used wifi, if you could disable WPS.

I guess the "official" term for this connection is Ethernet backhaul.


Randy