Question Can AI mesh node be connected through WAN?

[alzahawi]

Hello everyone,

Apologies in advance if this is a stupid question, I am not a networking expert.

I am trying to set up my home network ensuring that I have a strong wifi signal everywhere around the house. I have two ASUS routers (RT-AX92U and RT-AC68U). So I installed the RT-AX92U on the main floor as an AI mesh router and the RT-AC68U is on the second floor as an AI Mesh node. The node is using 5GHz and the signal is "GREAT" according to router web gui. However, since the node is connected to the mesh router wirelessly, the signal and wifi speed is very weak on the THIRD floor.

Now, on every floor, I have Ethernet ports that connect to the ISP modem. So I was wondering if there is a way to make both routers have a hard wired connection to the ISP modem (which is possible in my house since I have ethernet ports everywhere) and work together on the same network to boost WIFI WITHOUT having to connect both routers to each other with wire to enable Ethernet backhaul?

Appreciate your input!

 

[bill001g]

If the so called "modem" is actually a router it will work. Since you talk about hooking up multiple device it is likely a router.

What you are talking about doing is the way corporate wifi is done and actually has been done since the beginning of wifi. None use the silly mesh repeater systems.

What you want to do is run all your remote units as AP. I am sure there is a setting on your units to make them run as AP rather than wireless repeater.

The network is always a single network when you only have 1 router. You can set the ssid to the same or different on the AP. Don't be fooled by mesh claiming so called "seamless" roaming. The end client not the network determines where it connects. The clients can be stupid sometimes but all you do it stop and start the wifi and it will generally connect to the nearest source. The so called mesh systems have the same issue, some might try to force the client off the network but that can end up with the client connecting over an over to what the mesh system thinks is the wrong node. The network does not actually talk to the client like a cell phone does so it does not know what the actual signal levels the client sees.

In any just read the manual and set them to AP mode. You likely will cable them with the wan port since setting it to AP more or less make the wan port into a addition lan port. You can technically make any router run as AP even if it does not have the feature by cabling to a lan port but lately most device have the feature....although some call it bridge mode rather than AP.