AiMesh 2.0 nodes dropping 2.4GHz SSID

[mustangtom]

I have AiMesh 2.0 with firmware 3.0.0.4_386_45934 on a pair of ZenWiFi AC (model CT8) router and node. I have the 2.4GHz and 5GHz-1 both broadcasting the same SSID, and the 5GHz-2 band is used for the backhaul. My node is routinely not broadcasting my 2.4GHz SSID, neither for my primary or guest SSIDs. I see the router broadcasting my SSIDs on channels 11 (2.4GHz) and 40 (5GHz), but the node is only broadcasting the channel 40 GHz signal. I have rebooted the node multiple times and it does not help. Rebooting both the router and the node will sometimes fix the issue for a while.

This is causing my 2.4GHz devices to only be able to connect to the router, making their signal very weak. They should connect to the closer node, but since it is not broadcasting the 2.4GHz channel, they do not see it. All radios are enabled on the router and node.

Is anyone else seeing this issue? This bug needs to be fixed.

[jzchen]

I am actually seeing a similar problem now that I've reread your initial post. The same thing happens on my AiMesh:
AXE11000, RT-AX86U, RT-AC68U, and Lyra Voice.

2.4 GHz devices will connect to the further away AXE11000 (set as router) vs the much nearer Lyra Voice. I have learned to try to Bind the device to a specific node or the router whichever is nearest, again IF I am able to figure out which device corresponds to which one on the list. (We have about 30 devices connected at any given time). Optimization of the device does not seem to work, they will continue to connect to the last node/router it was connected to even if the signal is weak. Unfortunately the Lyra Voice does not support Optimization (which is quite useless from experience) nor Binding, so the smart light switch there has a weak connection to one of the others. I also have a smart vehicle battery charger and I'm really not sure where it connects....

Have you tried Binding, if the 2.4 devices don't move around that is?

[mustangtom]

jzchen wrote:
I am actually seeing a similar problem now that I've reread your initial post. The same thing happens on my AiMesh:
AXE11000, RT-AX86U, RT-AC68U, and Lyra Voice.

2.4 GHz devices will connect to the further away AXE11000 (set as router) vs the much nearer Lyra Voice. I have learned to try to Bind the device to a specific node or the router whichever is nearest, again IF I am able to figure out which device corresponds to which one on the list. (We have about 30 devices connected at any given time). Optimization of the device does not seem to work, they will continue to connect to the last node/router it was connected to even if the signal is weak. Unfortunately the Lyra Voice does not support Optimization (which is quite useless from experience) nor Binding, so the smart light switch there has a weak connection to one of the others. I also have a smart vehicle battery charger and I'm really not sure where it connects....

Have you tried Binding, if the 2.4 devices don't move around that is?

Many IoT devices are not expected to move, so they will not automatically check for the stronger signal periodically like a smartphone, laptop or tablet will. Binding a device to a specific node should help for those devices, as they will bind to the best signal they see at the time they power up, and will only change to a different node if they loose their connection with the one they are using.

My situation is that the 2.4GHz radio actually turns off on the node. This can easily be seen by running NetSpot or a similar app to show all the SSIDs. In my case, I will see the 5GHz SSID still being broadcast from the affected node, but the 2.4GHz SSID is gone. If my device is bound (using bind function of router) to the node that looses its 2.4GHz radio, then that node goes offline, as the router will assume that the node is still handling the bind connection to the device and will not allow it to move to a 2.4GHz radio on a different node. If I turn off the bind, then the device will connect to the 2.4GHz radio of the next-best node. If I then reboot the node that lost its 2.4GHz radio (or click the optimize button in the WebUI or app), then it will come back up again with all radios as it should. If the bind feature was used to bind a device to that node, then it will come back online. If the IoT device was not using bind, then it will remain connected to the node that it failed over to, as it will not look to reconnect to the stronger signal unless either it reboots or the node that it is connected to reboots.

[Saltgrass]

There are several comments in this forum regarding the 2.4 GHz radio on multiple Router/AiMesh networks.

Why are you using the same SSID on multiple Radios?

When looking at a AiMesh network, you have to be really careful because of the way the nodes show the available networks. It may not be exactly as it appears. The reason is the Backhaul may be showing a radio that is actually the connection through the node.

[mustangtom]

Saltgrass wrote:
Why are you using the same SSID on multiple Radios?

Having the same SSID on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz-1 channels makes it easier for roaming devices to connect to the best signal. Regardless if this is a mesh or non-mesh environment, having a single SSID will allow a device to connect to the 5GHz radio first if it is strong enough, but then switch to the 2.4GHz radio if the 5GHz signal gets too weak. For example, your smartphone will connect to the 5GHz SSID inside the house, but then switch to the 2.4GHz SSID when you are in the backyard.

Giving different SSIDs to each radio will also work if your roaming device knows how to connect to both SSIDs. It can be useful if you want a device to only connect to one radio rather than being able to connect to the best radio signal.

[ahfoo]

Do not set set all SSID with the same naming convention. If your router having tri channel, set it 3 different SSID. It may help. I am doing the same thing in my house and never encounter any issue with AI mesh connected 02 GT-5300 and 01 AX11000.

[jzchen]

Thank you for the explanation. I noticed if I bind a device then the node drops off, then the IoT is no longer connected to anything at all. I no longer have any bindings for fear I won't be able to get them to connect again.

I did have a question/puzzle that I was curious if anyone knows the answer: Most wireless backhaul is 5 GHz or even 6 GHz. BUT as I am now aware the 2.4 GHz signal range is longer than those. To my understanding in order of increasing signal range 6 GHz < 5 GHz < 2.4 GHz. (Please correct me if I'm wrong)? Anyways would that not mean you would have to place nodes close enough to the router that the 2.4 GHz spread is now within interference range of each other, vs enhancing the range? Is this what is causing the trouble?

In my case I see zero 2.4 GHz IoT devices connected to my Lyra Voice, but it is the closest node to two of them: one FEIT smart light dimmer, the other a Deltran WiFi automotive battery charger. I'm not even sure it is transmitting a 2.4 GHz signal as is your concern. Is there a way to tell using NetSpot with Smart connect enabled? I barely used it once and was worried it did something to my network because we had to hard reset the Lyra Voice....

[ahfoo]

jzchen wrote:
Thank you for the explanation. I noticed if I bind a device then the node drops off, then the IoT is no longer connected to anything at all. I no longer have any bindings for fear I won't be able to get them to connect again.

I did have a question/puzzle that I was curious if anyone knows the answer: Most wireless backhaul is 5 GHz or even 6 GHz. BUT as I am now aware the 2.4 GHz signal range is longer than those. To my understanding in order of increasing signal range 6 GHz < 5 GHz < 2.4 GHz. (Please correct me if I'm wrong)? Anyways would that not mean you would have to place nodes close enough to the router that the 2.4 GHz spread is now within interference range of each other, vs enhancing the range? Is this what is causing the trouble?

In my case I see zero 2.4 GHz IoT devices connected to my Lyra Voice, but it is the closest node to two of them: one FEIT smart light dimmer, the other a Deltran WiFi automotive battery charger. I'm not even sure it is transmitting a 2.4 GHz signal as is your concern. Is there a way to tell using NetSpot with Smart connect enabled? I barely used it once and was worried it did something to my network because we had to hard reset the Lyra Voice....

It may appear to me the nearest node may not connected to main router with some signal problems, hence IoT within your house chosen the best comfortable route to connect to other node. But that may not prove the node causing any issue. In my scenario, my mobile, laptop and other IoT in my dinning hall will connect to my RT5300. But my Sansung TV always refused to use it and chosen the route to my main router regardless whatever effort. Till now I am still puzzles what going on. Haha, I comfort myself, if you cannot beat it, let it be.

[jzchen]

ahfoo wrote:
It may appear to me the nearest node may not connected to main router with some signal problems, hence IoT within your house chosen the best comfortable route to connect to other node. But that may not prove the node causing any issue. In my scenario, my mobile, laptop and other IoT in my dinning hall will connect to my RT5300. But my Sansung TV always refused to use it and chosen the route to my main router regardless whatever effort. Till now I am still puzzles what going on. Haha, I comfort myself, if you cannot beat it, let it be.

I am lucky my backhaul is all Ethernet. So I know something is up with Firmware, settings, hardware, or all. It makes absolutely no logical sense to connect anywhere else than the Lyra node. I even moved the Lyra node within 2 ft of the FEIT switch AND in between the path of the FEIT switch and AXE11000 router, I hit optimize in the ASUS ap and it still connect to the AXE11000 on the far side through a thick double wall of the house! I suspect no 2.4 GHz radio from the Lyra, but I don't know why. As long as I can access the two IoTs I am happy so I just let it go just like you....

[mustangtom]

jzchen wrote:
I did have a question/puzzle that I was curious if anyone knows the answer: Most wireless backhaul is 5 GHz or even 6 GHz. BUT as I am now aware the 2.4 GHz signal range is longer than those. To my understanding in order of increasing signal range 6 GHz < 5 GHz < 2.4 GHz. (Please correct me if I'm wrong)? Anyways would that not mean you would have to place nodes close enough to the router that the 2.4 GHz spread is now within interference range of each other, vs enhancing the range? Is this what is causing the trouble?

In my case I see zero 2.4 GHz IoT devices connected to my Lyra Voice, but it is the closest node to two of them: one FEIT smart light dimmer, the other a Deltran WiFi automotive battery charger. I'm not even sure it is transmitting a 2.4 GHz signal as is your concern. Is there a way to tell using NetSpot with Smart connect enabled? I barely used it once and was worried it did something to my network because we had to hard reset the Lyra Voice....

As you stated, 2.4GHz has a further range than 5GHz (and 6GHz), but has a much lower data transfer rate, which is why the backhaul (third radio) prefers to use the 5GHz-2 or 6GHz radio of the tri-band AiMesh router.

I would use NetSpot to look for the SSIDs from your Lyra Voice. Perhaps its 2.4GHz radio is off, similar to what I have encountered on my CT8 nodes. NetSpot is available for Windows, Android and IOS, so put it on a portable device and move close to your Lyra Voice and look for the MAC address of the 2.4GHz radio from it. The MAC address should be written on the label of the Lyra Voice, and its multiple radios should only change the last octet of the MAC address. Having SmartConnect enabled only simplifies the configuration on the router by setting the SSID the same for both the 2.4 GHz and 5GHz-1 radios, and automatically selecting the best radio channel to use. The backhaul SSID typically will some random name, or your primary SSID with the "_dwb" extension for dedicated wireless backhaul. Using NetSpot will not change anything on your network, it will only monitor what SSIDs it sees.

[jzchen]

Thank you for explaining how WiFi works. My main experience has been running RJ45 Ethernet so I am not as familiar with all of this. I have tried walking around the house watching NetSpot. Yes, the Lyra Voice has no 2.4 GHz radio/signal, all three others do show a 2.4 GHz signal...