AiMesh vs. Repeater vs. Access Point [ASUS RT-AC68U Operation Modes]

[@696alehandro]

That moment, when you managed to explain it better and clearer, than 30 articles/posts on ASUS Forums - man, you're a legend 💪

[@Behfor]

Thanks man, really appreciate it 👍👍

[@billdieck7393]

You have the ability to break down "complex" network configurations so that they make sense to people of all backgrounds. This is great information delivered well! Thank you for making it easy to setup but most importantly for the training you are providing us! Bravo!

[@RayMak]

Clearest explanation ever

[@Behfor]

Thanks :-)

[@RanNero]

Unless you drove an automatic for all your life :):):)

[@bernardlim128]

Just want to say thank you for the explanation. Now i know what to setup for my home base on my own needs.

[@Behfor]

You're very welcome, glad you liked this video 👍

[@oumkung]

I have been studying for this confuse Mesh, AP and repeater until I've found this video Very easy and friendly to understand even the rookie for network Thanks a lot for good vdo 😉

[@The_Paddle_Smith]

Excellent analogy with automatic vs manual transmission vehicles

[@AtheistGeek]

I already have 1 of these routers. Was thinking of getting one more but had a lot of questions on the setup. Your video is so darn thorough.. thank you!

[@Behfor]

Thank you so much for your comment! I'm really really happy to hear you liked this video and it was useful! Thanks :-)

[@dejen3303]

Subbed. I have 2 asus routers I’m setting one in the attic and the other as a access point wired in the living room. Thanks for breaking it down for me.

[@Behfor]

You're very welcome! Glad it was useful for you and thanks for subscribing 🙂👍

[@dejen3303]

@@Behfor My issue was having a 'smart home' and not being able to reliably connect switches, ceiling fans, lights and appliances, along with my computer needs. I had everything wired into the attic and I figured I'd just put my router up there. It's a stick built house, all interior walls are insulated. I had a 7 year old AC3100 that worked well but was obviously out dated. I picked up a RT-AX86S and installed that in the attic and reconfigured the 3100 to an AP wired in the main room of the house. The one thing I did with the 3100 was let it provide the IP address dynamic, I didn't assign it static. That was an option in the 3100 AP setup. It took about 2 1/2 hours from unboxing the 86S to up and running the AP, some trial and error with naming and the usual 'first time' issues. As for the connected appliances, I was able to configure all of them the first time, some with the AP and some with the host router. Thanks for the help.

[@fgn417]

Another very useful how-to video ... I didn't realize it was from the same person until I recognized the author's name. Thank you Behfor! You have a great talent for explaining technical IT matters in a clear and simple manner for non-techies like me.

[@Behfor]

Thank you so much for your nice and positive comment! I'm really happy you found my video useful! That definitely motivates me to make more and more videos 🙂👍

[@traderduke1880]

Great Analogy. Thank you for this vid.

[@Behfor]

You are so welcome

[@karlireton4781]

Thank you. Your the first person I found that said something about a node using another node to connect to the router. I was unsure.

[@Behfor]

You're very welcome! I'm glad this was useful for you! I actually tested it and realized a node would use another node to connect to the router, thanks!

[@boboho111]

Wowwww so happy found your video. It is very clear. 😊😊😊😊

[@Behfor]

Glad you liked it, thanks 😊👍

[@davesdream]

I have the ASUS-AC66R and an old Linksys WRT56GS which I flashed with DD-WRT that I setup as Bridge. Not in use too much because clients connecting to it for some reason were dropping connection or low speed. Haven't have too much time to play around with it, but still watching your videos ;)

[@Behfor]

Thanks so much for watching my video :-) The WRT45GS is a 802.11 B/G wireless router that is a very old wireless standard and unfortunately is not very practical these days especially as a repeater! Thanks again!

[@davesdream]

Do you mean WRT56GS, right? ;)

[@Behfor]

Well, I actually meant WRT54GS ! I think we both made a mistake, it should be 54 right?

[@davesdream]

LOL... Correct... We are getting older... mind and eyes are not what they use to be HAHAHA!!

[@Behfor]

That was funny :))))

[@bgronas]

VERY good - looking forward to see the rest...

[@Behfor]

Thanks you :-)

[@irbobable]

This explanation was fantastic. ASUS should pay you.

[@Behfor]

Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed the video! Funny enough, ASUS isn’t even willing to sponsor one of my videos!

[@harshamannewton]

thanks man quite informative and easy to understand.

[@Behfor]

You're very welcome, glad it was helpful 👍

[@clavicus]

You da man, thanks for these videos.

[@Behfor]

You're very welcome! I'm glad you liked them :-)

[@normstewart546]

Very informative and clearly presented. Thanks

[@Behfor]

I'm glad you liked it. Thanks 😀

[@ShinerBockGirlz]

That was a pretty good explanation brother.....easy like!

[@Behfor]

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it :-)

[@richardmorse6984]

Brilliant, Keep it simple, no need for technical details whatsoever

[@Behfor]

Thanks :-)

[@shoobror8291]

Amazing video! Thanks :)

[@Behfor]

You're welcome :)

[@danilomarulanda8621]

What a master!!! Thank you bro

[@Behfor]

My pleasure !!! Glad you liked it 👍

[@RyanJumarPantoja]

Great explanation I learned alot from this video..❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@Behfor]

Glad to hear that, thanks 😀

[@isaacnunn5857]

Thank you, this was very helpful

[@Behfor]

You're very welcome! I'm glad you liked it :-)

[@CharlieSeanDinow]

If we duplicate the SSID in the multi-router/repeater/access pointer systems, our devices might automatically connect the ones with weaker/slower signals (far away ones). If we create a new SSID for each new repeater/access pointer system, we can manually choose the closest and strongest one to connect. You might need to consider using a good ethernet cable to connect your router and your repeater to avoid signal degradation. What is the maximum length of CAT6e cable without data loss? 328ft (100 meters) Cat6 Max Length. It supports 10Gbps. CAT8 might be overkill. It supports 40Gbps.

[@sophiarodriguez1861]

Thank you so much man!!

[@Behfor]

You're very welcome! Thanks for watching :-)

[@benjamingriffith4183]

Behfor: I heard in your video that you said if you connect to router with an ethernet cable they will be on different subnets (networks). That isn't necessary true. Yes you can do that by plugging the ethernet cable into the WAN port of the router/access point. Now if you would like then to be on the same subnet (so you can print, access local, media, etc at any spot in your house you have WiFi) all you have to do is disable the WAN port and only plug into the LAN port. Turn off DHCP, and I would recommend assigning a static IP. Just in case you need to log into the GUI and make changes, or what ever.

[@vicky-q3v]

Yes,, that is what AP is about...

[@graphpaperarchitect]

This is a great video Thank You

[@Behfor]

Glad you liked it, thanks 👍

[@amana1480]

I love your explanation!

[@Behfor]

I'm very happy you liked this video! Thanks :-)

[@ghostakbar2]

awesome explanation!

[@Behfor]

Thank you so much! I'm very glad you liked it :-)

[@Diolusion]

Thank you very much!

[@Behfor]

You're very welcome! Thanks for watching :-)

[@Brosted]

Thank you, Behfor, for some very instructive videos on Aimesh. Actually, I am hoping you are able to help me out on the following issue: I recently aquried a second AC68U device and now have two AC68U's connected in an AiMesh set up (no cable between Router and Node). Both have the newest firmware. But, very annoyingly, I am frequently requested to type in the password for my network. This never happened when I had only one AC68U. The system often responds with a "incorrect password", but trust me: I am typing the right one, I did not change it when going from a single router to the AiMesh set up, and in the dashboard of the AC68U's the password is noted as expected. And everything works for most of the time, but from time to time this "retype password"-issue pops up. What is happening? Do you have any ideas? Thanks a lot! Best regards Jesper, Denmark

[@flyfishaholic]

I found this video while trying to get rid of “double nat” on my xbox. It’s a great video! My question is when I put the ASUS router into AP mode it says it disables dhcp and nat. My primary router uses 192.168 ip addresses, but my access point hands out 10.xxx ip addresses even though it apparently has dhcp disabled. Is there a way the AP can receive an ip from the primary router and any clients to receive their ip from the primary router through the AP? Thanks in advance!

[@Behfor]

Hi, as you mentioned yourself when your change the operation mode to AP then the DHCP server gets disabled and it no longer hands out any IP addresses at all! The AP only passes the DHCP requests to the DHCP server which in your case is the main router! I would check the DHCP configuration on the main router and make sure it is correct! Also I would make sure there is no other DHCP server in the network. Thanks.

[@Jakepf]

What I really want is to create an extension that is just extending the connection so you can stay connected to one network. But I want to connect them via Ethernet.

[@Behfor]

You can just add an access point to your current network.

[@alessandrooism]

Hi Behfir, I have 2 Asus RT-AC86U routers and I configured the main router radiating 2.4GHz and 5GHz on separate channels because my home automation devices are 2.4GHz and the automatic network was not working. When I added the second RT-AC86U router with AiMesh, after some time, the connections started to oscillate and show intermittency and lack of internet connectivity. When I remove the second router from the network, the stability increases but some devices are out of reach. Do you know what may be happening or how to configure hysteresis parameters to decrease ping pong from devices connected to routers 1 and 2?

[@michaelchu802]

Run AP mode is my preference for stability

[@usasupra23]

I have these routers and in mesh mode and seem to get data stalls when moving from 1 area of my house to the other even with the signal at full strength. They are linked with the ethernet cable and my iPhone even stalled when watching this video when it was on the node and just 10 ft away. I had to toggle the wifi on and off on my iPhone for it to continue this video.

[@nuonchanndarong]

After a year, the same issue still persists.

[@DaveZiffer]

I keep reading reviews saying that if you use AIMESH without the Ethernet cable then the stability is poor, i.e. the system requires frequent manual resets. Furthermore reviewers say that automatic firmware updates also disrupt things - one version will be relatively stable whereas the next update may mess things up. I need a system that stays up for weeks or even months without anyone touching it, and I also cannot run an Ethernet cable. What do you recommend?

[@uria702]

I use an asus router and tp link repeaters. I use a old stable version of the asus router firmware. The newer versions are garbage - very unstable. Asus works great, but the firmware is hit or miss. My advise is to find a stable firmware and stick with it. Do not update it if it’s working.

[@rimaurimba]

i use asus RT86U both in latest firmware, and my AiMesh Node connect wirelessly, have total of 21 clients, 3 device wired with main router, overall my connection still great both main router and Node.

[@rabinzx]

can you do a video compare speed between aimesh and access point for the case of one router and one node?

[@Behfor]

I think I can do that in the video that I'll be testing the AiMesh and Repeater / AP. Thanks!

[@oneman2001]

I believe the latest firmware now supports Ethernet connection between the router and node for more reliable connection

[@akafiglee]

Dude, you missed the point, besides all other problems you mentioned, repeater or ap without backbone cable will lose 50% of bandwidth...and this one is no no for shared wifi 4k streaming it gaming...and another one not a biggie for home users..roaming...but if you have 1500+ sqf flat space, it is the problem with repitor or ap

[@keefy9663]

I think it uses a back channel for data back to the gateway over wifi. That is a separate channel that does compete and thus halve the available bandwidth on the the channel you are using.

[@remcogerrets5611]

A quick question... is it possible to connect my PC wired to a AIMesh node (Access Point)? I have a cable from downstairs to the first floor where I would like to add a AIMesh Access Point, but I want to connect my PC by cable, not WiFi. Thanks in advance! Great clip, keep up the good work :)

[@Behfor]

You can use the AiMesh node's Lan ports to connect wired devices to your network.

[@johanzee8662]

Nice video, how do i have connect the ethernet cable between the two routers. Lan-Wan or Lan-Lan? I use the aimesh function so same ssid. Thanks

[@Behfor]

Thanks, please watch this video where I show you how you can connect the routers in an AiMesh network. Thanks. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oIHYpquhfbmLg9E

[@zoomi321]

Nice Explanation. Can we use USB of AiMesh Node?

[@nirax]

Great video! For the first AI Mesh node can I still plug in a data cable rather than use wi-fi (eg. Cable to my laptop) Please help thanks

[@Behfor]

Yes of course, thanks

[@jacobbrown8561]

Good vid.

[@SoraqaMalik]

I have 2 Asus routers that support AiMesh, can i add a third Asus Router to the same network and make it broadcast the same SSID even if the third router does NOT support AiMesh ( but it's ASUS) ????

[@shaneother8354]

My understanding is a router+AP setup will be more stable than 2 routers setup in aimesh. Thoughts?

[@waynepowell567]

OK, so I am looking to increase my Whole home coverage of Wi Fi and using the Asus Zen system and would like to know which method of the secondary node would be best for my second Desktop PC in another room. Would I connect the PC via Ethernet to the node and run the mesh system with wireless backhaul or use repeater mode for the second PC ? Trying to keep it simple so I am leaning towards the mesh mode for the satellite node. Thanks for sharing & Stay safe.

[@poinguan]

In the later part of the video, you showed AP router (connected to the main/primary router via ethernet cable) and Repeater router. Can these two (I mean the 2nd and 3rd router) be linked via AiMesh? I don't want the 3rd router in repeater mode.

[@macster1457]

so you're saying that Asus Aimesh they are broadcasting the same ssid and same channel, it would cause interference.. so why would anyone use Aimesh then?

[@Behfor]

Well it doesn't mean it's not gonna work, it means it is not the most perfect setup!

[@kaanaslan_tr]

Hello, in AIMesh mode you said there could be interference of SSIDs between the devices. What if we activate the Smart Connect option and let's say there is only one SSID called "ASUSRouter". Are we going to see 2 of ASUSRouter SSIDs one coming from the Router and the other one coming from the Node? Isn't there a way to see the same and only 1 SSID in the house and let the routers decide which router the client will be connected? Thank you.

[@glovedcop69]

If your on AP mode cam AI still be used?

[@xiaocai7473]

Make sense ,man !

[@davesdream]

Hi Behfor. Just got a TM-AC1900 and flashed as RT-AC68U with AiMesh. Now up and running and replaced my older RT-AC66R. I see this router is not on the list, just RT-AC68U B1. I guess I cannot use that firmware to update the RT-AC66R. Right? I have to go with repeater/bridge option to hook both ASUS routers, correct?

[@Behfor]

Hi, yeah it looks like, as you said, only the B1 version is supported and unfortunately we can't install the 68U firmware on the 68R! I guess the AP / Repeater would be the only option! How is the TM-AC1900 btw? Do you still have the signal issue with the new router?

[@davesdream]

@@Behfor I'm not aware of any signal issue. Oh, wait you mean the signal issue I noticed I had with the 66R. Everything looks normal so far with both connected. The only extra step was to add the extra lines to prevent the firmware to revert to TM. ;)

[@Behfor]

Great then :-)

[@Timinime]

Great video (I have the same router), but can I use AP mode without an ethernet cable?

[@Behfor]

Thanks, the answer is no, because an AP is a device that connects to a router with a cable, so if there is no cable between them there is no AP.

[@Timinime]

Thanks - makes sense. My WAN / internet port is in our kitchen, while my router is upstairs next to our NAS (connected with a LAN cable for speed). I presume my options would therefore be AiMesh or a repeater.

[@educationalandtechnicalcha9425]

Which channel number should I select for 5G or select Auto?

[@Behfor]

It depends, please watch this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZC1gGxoqdmjg9E

[@jade007z]

Thank you! your really informative, I have a Question: I have a Netgear Nighthawk router that I want to connect to a Fios Router as a Access Point, and in the Nighthawk router settings it has AP mode (Access Point mode) , Do I just turn it on enable the AP mode and that's it?? or do I need to do something else in the settings? Thank you.

[@chanwei21]

use differrent IP so you can locate it after you turn on the AP mode. example Main-Router 192.168.0.1 and the AP-Router 192.168.0.2 and turn on AP. (AP mode option) is automatically turned off your DHCP server so in routers with out an AP mode option you can manually turn off the DHCP server to make it as a Switch Hub mode with Wi-Fi so they call it Access Point.

[@wayneseymour1]

I have an Asus AC68U a which i want to use as my VPN router, I connect to the internet now wirelssly with a Tp-lINK TL-WR840N which is the access point. can I put the 68U to the tp-link? what mode will I have to use to configure the 68U and still have access to the VPN option of the 68U? I can only connect to the TP-Link without cables ,wirelessly.

[@Behfor]

It looks like from your description that you can only use your ac68u in repeater / media bridge modes ( those are the modes that allow you to connect wirelessly to the other w router) and unfortunately in either of those modes the VPN is not available.

[@maxnguyen2875]

Great videos. I'd love for you to try linksys' seamless roaming routers to see if they work better. They make use of the 802.11 r/k/v for the client to decide to switch.

[@Behfor]

Thanks! I've had issues with 802.11 r/k/v before because of compatibility issues with some wireless clients in the past and we always ended up disabling it. But things have changes and I'll definitely give it a try to see what is what! Thanks for the suggestion :-)

[@barry.anderberg]

What about AiProtection and LAN DNS Filtering? I found that NONE of these work with clients connected to the repeater. Do they work with AiMesh for all clients? I would think so.

[@buckseyboy]

Hey my burning question and I cant find this answer out anywhere online really.. is can I use a asus router that has a repeater mode (ie wifi extender right?) option to extend another router that isn't a asus router?

[@MrEugeneleo]

one thing I don't get here is if client device is connecting to a rmesh outer how it's deciding to join another stronger signal mesh router if moving? It doesn't happen automatically right?

[@kadergenius]

I have Asus RT-N56U but all the ports it's not working.. How do I solve this problem

[@Behfor]

This could be a hardware issue, not sure though, but I personally would try doing a factory reset, if no luck, then try a 3rd party firmware, (if possible and if I'm willing to take the risk of installing a 3rd party firmware) and if still no luck, most likely there is a hardware issue. I might still be able to use it as a repeater though.

[@aspireztechnologies]

Can aimesh work wirelessly ? Suppose we configure it with Aimesh and primary router shows 2 nodes connected to it. Now is it necessary to provide any connection with wires between them.

[@Behfor]

Connecting them with wires is recommended because it'll improve their performance but it's not necessary! They would work wirelessly as well.

[@aspireztechnologies]

@@Behfor I have installed primary router in basement, router at ground floor is connected with wire but with Aimesh setup, and third one (means second node) is connected wirelessly. Would it work? Where primary router shows it has 2 Aimesh nodes.

[@Behfor]

@@aspireztechnologies Yup, it should work fine, there are 2 nodes, one wired the other one wireless.

[@amana1480]

5:19 If the node goes down, how do you know there is a problem, if it self heals?

[@Behfor]

If a node goes down it doesn't necessary heal itself! For example if I unplug the node1 then the node2 (which used to be connected to the node1) will try to find an alternative way to connect to the primary router. I can see the status of the nodes in the primary router's setup page. Thanks.

[@flowergardenrgarse7152]

Did u upload speed test of open vpn in this model?

[@gbear4495]

Hi. Really cool videos and you seem to really know ASUS/networking stuff. I hope you may have some cool ideas about a dilemma I am in. I have a main rout RT-AC68U and two RT-AC88Us. I have set both 88Us to connect to the 68U as a bridge. It works and they have different IP addresses assigned BUT there is a huge problem. I can't see clients in between the bridged 88U's. In fact, even clients that are connected to the same 88U can't usually see the wireless printers connected. All clients are connected via 2.4ghz and the 68U and 88U's are connect via 5ghz. Should I use AiMesh? Also, I don't recall seeing Repeater mode that would maybe work....

[@gbear4495]

Oh, forgot to mention, I want this to be a complete network where all clients can see eachother. I think WDS loses some speed.

[@Behfor]

Hi, I'm not sure if I got your question! I got the part that you have 2 routers as bridges and I'm not exactly sure what you mean when you said "I can't see clients in between the bridged 88U's"! If you mean that no wireless clients can connect to the bridges, then that is expected behavior, because a wireless bridge doesn't broadcast any wireless network, it just connect 2 LAN segments, thus only the LAN interfaces on the bridges can provide network/Internet connection. If you need the bridges to also broadcast wireless networks then you should set them up as repeaters. Thanks.

[@gbear4495]

@@Behfor Thank you so much for your reply. I totally said the wrong thing. The two AC88Us are set up in repeater mode. They also support Media Bridge, AiMESH and Router modes. I hope I can explain clearly this time LOL. The routher is in Repeater mode. So I have Main router 1: xxx.xxx.1.1, Router 2: xxx.xxx.1.100, Router 3: xxx.xxx.1.160. When I connect a laptop to Router 2 (in repeater mode) I can access the internet, I can see and access printers on router 1. I can't see printers that are connected to router 2 with the laptop connected to router 2. Basically all of the connected computer and printers can't see each other in all the different routers/repeaters. Oh, and all the routers have different SSIDs. But every computer/device connected to any of the repeaters can easily access the internet. Sorry, I'm crazy but I just don't have enough to test since these routers are current in production.

[@londonuntergunther252]

24 folks don't know what's going on. Nice work. K.i.s.s.

[@roguenomad966]

Can you please check if the ai mesh cable connection works through a patch panel and maybe a switch. I have looked everywhere and cannot find an answer

[@Behfor]

As for the switch, I've already tried and it didn't work, I also asked Asus and they confirmed it should not work if there is a switch in between. However, I haven't tested the patch panel so I'm not too sure about that yet! Thanks!

[@roguenomad966]

Behfor , thanks for getting back to me, I really appreciate it. Is there any way you can test the patch panel option. I could do away with the switch but my ideal setup is to have one on each floor of my building. To have 5 in total. 1 WAN and the other four as mesh wifi. I have tried researching but i can’t seem to find anything that would be feasible. Do you have any ideas?

[@DaveZiffer]

Can you comment on the long-term reliability of both the mesh and repeater modes? I'm interested only in systems that stay up constantly, automatically recover from brief interruptions (whatever the cause), and automatically restart fully (including reconnecting to the modem no matter how slowly the modem comes up) with no human intervention after power failures. Any mesh or repeater system that can't essentially meet my 100% up time and automatic recovery requirements is just an annoyance. So I'm very interested in your long-term experience. Thanks!

[@Behfor]

Unfortunately I'll be away for a few weeks so I cannot give you an update sometime soon, but as I said in my last video I can see improvement in the AiMesh system reliability. I did not see any connection issues for a couple of weeks as I was testing and comparing the AiMesh with Repeater/AP, which is good. AiMesh/ Repeater is something that I'll be using in my house so hopefully I can give you an update in the near future. Thanks!

[@mandrewm1042]

Using three Asus AC1900 (Legit routers, not the T-Mobile promo versions) I have had very poor reliability using AiMesh. I'm using an ethernet backhaul to both nodes from the main router. Stationary laptops only a few feet from a node get dropouts every hour or two. I've spoken to Asus tech support three times, rolling back firmware, swapping nodes, trying different settings, but I've had no luck. I've monitored the wifi signals of the nodes and checked the router's logs to see if there were any signal drops, but there are none. There are definitely some bugs that need to be worked out before I'd recommend AiMesh to anyone.

[@MultiANTI]

Whats the difference between 3 asus aimesh vs 3 router connected with accespoint and asus roaming assistant turned on? I cant see it

[@kinangeagle133]

Let’s say i have Asus Router --> Access Point --> Repeater Question 1: I heard that the speed could get 50 percent slower when a repeater is added to the chain. So does this mean my internet as a whole will slow down, wether im connected to the AP or the main router or the repeater? Or will the speed only get slower when im in the part of my house where im connected to the repeater? Question 2: Will plugging an ethernet cable to a Mesh router be worse than connecting it to an Access point or the main router itself? Let’s say i needed ethernet in a room, should I… A: Access point and wire it to my room B: run an ethernet cable from the main router to my room C: get a mesh router in my room and plug my ethernet there

[@calvinpenn1138]

Hi, I am planning to use two Aimesh nodes to extend my wifi. I am planning to use Ethernet cable to connect the nodes to the router. Do I connect both nodes to the router directly or connect Node one to the router and the Node two to the Node one?

[@mikedooley1685]

You can have 4 nodes in a star out from the router and a max of 2 nodes in a daisy chain. The AImesh will decide which is the best way to connect, ethernet, 2.4 or 5Ghz . With the cable usually being the best.

[@itsAmeAmikey]

Would hard wiring make speeds faster and decrease latency issues?

[@ceementality]

Yes

[@lenso010]

does it replicate ethernet ports at repeater mode. I need to use vlan lan1 as it is at router.

[@Behfor]

If you are asking if the Ethernet ports work in the repeater mode? The answer is yes

[@Gepodm]

hi my issue is that I have a mesh set up using ASUS RT-AC59U V2 but my modem from my service provider still broadcasts it's own SSID as well. Is this normal, does this cause interference between my networks and would you know how I should shut it off?

[@just4therecord]

can i add a repeater to an aimesh network? i want to do this because the spare router i want to use is not Asus.

[@Behfor]

It should work, I mean obviously it wouldn't be part of the AiMesh system, but a repeater that is connected to your WiFi.

[@Abbas-Najafi-1990]

Hello If I use the Access Point TP-LINK TL-WA801ND_V1 Wireless N300 and use a 2400 WiFi parabolic dish instead of the Omni Directional Antenna, how far can I get the frequency 100% without loss of quality ? ? ? For outdoor long range point to point use.

[@blcjck8121]

Is it possible to manually assign an IP for the secondary AiMesh node?

[@Behfor]

Unfortunately in the AiMesh configuration there is no option to assign a static IP address to the nodes (at least for now), however in the DHCP server of the primary router I was able to manually assigned an IP address to the Mac address of the AiMesh node. So it looks like with this workaround it is possible (again, at least for now)! Thanks.

[@blcjck8121]

@@Behfor Thank you for responding. That's fine, that's how I do it now (Netgear). It's important for me to be able to assign specific IPs within a certain reserved range to my own devices (including any mesh nodes). And another range (DHCP) to any guest devices, as this is one of the ways I restrict access to certain LAN devices.

[@olamalmstrom1897]

There is one thing that has made me use the AP mode instead of AImesh: The inability to choose different Wifi bands for the mesh nodes. Since AImesh doesn't let me configure the nodes with different wifi bands, I have decided to skip AImesh altogether. Do you know of any reason, aside from the simplified administration, to use AImesh instead? I have one router (RT-AX88U) and 2 APs (RT-AX92U and RT-AX58U). They all use different Wifi bands. Roaming between them works perfectly well since all three support 802.11v and 802.11k.

[@ghostsintheforum]

no. you can never go wrong with a hard wired ap as it will deliver the maximum bandwidth to each node without interference. one thing you could do though is connect a switch to your main router and feed the ap's off of that instead. will take some strain off your main router. or better yet, get a non wifi router like a tplink omada. plug your switch into that and have all your RT-AX's run off the switch as ap's. ai mesh is basically a gimmick repeater mode, only with a few bells and whistles like having multiple nodes run off each other wirelessly. this doesn't always work as seamlessly as hard wired ap's. also, ap mode itself isn't exactly necessary. it will still work fine in router mode as long as you have dchp turned off on the ap's.

[@jermainemarshall6819]

do the router have to have a clear line of sight?

[@Behfor]

In the case of an AP the answer is no, in the case of Repeater & AiMesh the answer is still no but just keep in mind, since the connection is wireless any walls in between would reduce the effective range of the wireless connection.

[@XxXIbbeXxX]

Can i connect my smart home products to my node router ?

[@Behfor]

Yes you can.

[@hector7100]

So i have a wired aimesh setup and i have an ethernet connected from my aimesh node to my console. I notice during gaming i experienced random high ping spikes. Any way to fix this ?

[@lbermude]

ASUS website says that RT-AC68U does not have AiMesh: www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1035163 what?

[@Behfor]

That's a repeater not a wireless router!

[@consig1iere294]

Yea but why not mention that you can somewhat make Repeater mode act like mesh mode?

[@iameasez]

I changed the router to an AP and I want revert it back to router mode without losing the settings.This is a asus AC68U. I''m getting this error msg unable to connect to parent AP.

[@PashaCnC]

i have RT-AC5300 router, can i use it to create a mesh at home with other producers products like TP-LINK Deco D9 series? Thnx inadvanced

[@awaisahmed4606]

When I set up AI Mesh and move the mesh point away after set up it goes to offline mode instantly, why? Repeater mode works but speed is like. 2mbps lolz

[@chanwei21]

How many maxximum devices of AiMesh can be conencted to each other?

[@reanult457]

thx you for t his cool video

[@waldrobfarms3946]

Does it matter how I set it up if I have WiFi6 vs WiFi5?

[@yuikanzaki]

so. with aimesh system, 1 can make 1 only SSID...? because i don't wan't more 1 SSID in my home..

[@zakariaayroud5971]

Can I plug it directly without a Modem?

[@sashi_88]

Does it possible to activate firewall, ip sharing, nat on ap mode? Actually I want to use secondary router as vpn. By activating it as ap mode

[@Ak-47ram]

Im trying to decide between buying a wifi extender or just buying another router and use as an AiMesh.. which one is better and what is the difference

[@Behfor]

I personally would buy another router and use it as an Access Point or AiMesh, because not only can I use it to extend the range of WiFi but I also can use it as a Router later on if I need to. But that's only me :-) Thanks!

[@HugoAguilera]

Can I setup AP Mode so that it copies the same SSID and frequencies? I have been using AiMesh (thanks to you!) for a while and I have noticed some of my devices have suffered connectivity issues in that time. Granted, I have AiMesh setup in wireless mode, and have not tried it with a wire between the main router and the node. So I suppose I can try that first. But the main reason I am considering trying AP mode is because I can use Merlin FW with it, which in my experience has offered better signal range than the Asus FW. Do you think this is a good option if cable-linked AiMesh continues to give me connectivity issues?

[@Behfor]

If you have the option to run a cable between them, then in my opinion the best option would be to use the secondary router as an Access Point! The main advantage of AP mode is that it can use the same frequencies as the primary router but on different channels, this prevents and interference between the two! You can also try the repeater mode as well and see if you get a better connection if the cabling is not possible. Thanks!

[@trw7530]

Can I use a power line adapter to connect my node1 to router

[@pr3cious193]

Is there any significant speed loss in repeater mode or ai mesh mode.

[@Behfor]

If they are connected wirelessly there is usually some speed loss, but depending on what you use it for you might or might not notice it! I mean for normal internet use it should be alright but for online gaming or if you connect many clients to the repeater it might be noticed! Thanks!

[@emanuelectl]

Hi everyone. Can someone tell me which one is better between router mode and access point mode exclusively for gaming. Thank in you in advance

[@andrmiw9]

list of supported routers on the official ASUS site is actually outdated, so keep your eyes open