Question Advice needed for fixing or replacing ASUS AiMesh ?

[Daniel_Daniel]

Hi

I have an AI Mesh system (RT-AX82U plus 3 ZenWifi XD5 nodes) with a TP-Link VX42 iiNet modem.

I'm having a few network connection issues. These have all come up in the last few days, and I think it's an ASUS firmware issue:

1) My Toshiba Air Touch2+ Air Conditioning Controller keeps disconnecting from the system.
> I called ASUS help and they got me to split my network into 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz systems, when that didn't work we reset the router and mesh nodes.

> Following advice from Toshbiba I also set a static address for the AirCon i.n the router settings.

> The aricon still disconnects every 20 minute or so, and I need to reconnect manually.

2) My iPhone and iPad are also having connection issues (repeated "unable to connect messages). These devices connect OK when I'm close to the router, but if I need to reconnect elsewhere in the house I have problems, even if I'm standing right on top of a node.

> Set fixed channels but makes no difference

Some other devices around the house seem OK.

ASUS have referred me back to the retailer (JB HiFi), which seems pretty weak.

This is massive PITA, and counting the time I've spent on the phone plus reconnecting various devices, it has been really disruptive. I've only had the router and mesh nodes since December, and I really expected better from ASUS.

I don't know how to proceed.

If I go to JBs, do I request a full refund? If so, is there a better setup that suits my purposes (around $800 AUD for the router plus nodes). Or do I persist in trying to get this fixed?

Thanks

Update: ASUS helped me roll back the firmware on the XD5s, and I also saw that Apple don't like separate names for tow networks from the same router, so now the 2.4 and 5 GHz networks have the same name.
I've made it a few hours without an disconnect, which is a local world record.

 

[bill001g]

I really hate any kind of mesh system. How well does it work with just 1 router and no remote nodes. A simpler network tends to be more stable. The vast majority of mesh system is marketing for many many years people only needed 1 router and now all the sudden everyone needs multiple devices..???

Partially the use of mesh is a problem that caused itself. The more people that have mesh system the more radio traffic and radio bandwidth they attempt to use. This means the more interference they cause with all their neighbors. So if you have a couple neighbors trying to hog all the radio bandwidth it makes the coverage in areas of your house closer to the neighbors worse.

In any case almost all the marketing material misleads the consumer. They pretend you can just place the mesh units in the remote rooms. This is pretty much the worst location they will get the same bad signal from the main router that the end devices did and then attempt to repeat it. This is where using just a single central router works better than a poorly placed mesh system.

Key is the remote units must be placed where they get strong signals from the main router and can still send the signals to the remote room. You also must be very careful about placing the remote units. They will interfere with each other and unless you have very expensive mesh unit that have extra radio chips to talk between the mesh and the router the remote mesh units will interfere with the signal from the main router.

I doubt apple really needs the same names. How does the phone know that you do not only have a 2.4g radio in your house and when you go to visit a friend they only use 5g. The phone should have no idea what is behind the wifi radio name. The key reason you use different radio names is so the networks actually appear as different networks....even though technically they use the same internet connection.