AX55 EasyMesh performance over traditional AX55 Access Points

AX55 EasyMesh performance over traditional AX55 Access Points

AX55 EasyMesh performance over traditional AX55 Access Points
AX55 EasyMesh performance over traditional AX55 Access Points
2024-04-10 08:03:15
Model: Archer AX55  
Hardware Version: V1
Firmware Version: 1.3.1 Build 20240129 rel.57815(4555)

Hi,

I have set up two AX55 as EasyMesh devices in Access Point Mode (with active Ethernet Backhaul) connected to my DMZ network and - until now - it works well.

I have also two AX55 both in Access Point Mode programmed with identical SSIDs connected to my private LAN network.

This means I can connect my mobile phone to either of the two WiFi networks (DMZ or LAN) and walk around on my premises testing coverage and signal strength. I cannot detect better coverage on the EasyMesh DMZ network when comparing it to the traditional Wired Dual Access Point based LAN network.

Could someone with internal knowledge of the EasyMesh architecture please sum up the benefits of the EasyMesh (with Ethernet Backhaul) compared to the more traditional Wired Dual Access Point architecture with Identical 2.4/5GHz SSIDs.

- Maybe some devices like Chrome Casts like the EasyMesh better than the old fashion AP architecture (switching to the fastest/best channel) ?

- I know that an EasyMesh Satellite loosing its wired connection will keep on working (with degraded performance) - but that's not an issue here.

Looking forward to get some background info around this aspect.

zEnterHacker

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#1
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Re:AX55 EasyMesh performance over traditional AX55 Access Points
2024-04-10 11:48:38

  @zEnterHacker 

 

Comparing those two scenarios the main benefit should be the Easymesh seamless roaming.

Although If your client devices don't support 802.11 k/v protocols you may not feel the difference.

Another benefit could be the unified management including automatic FW update of the satellite devices and synchronizing their settings with the main device.

With Easymesh the main device will work as the management center.

You can set and modify the wireless settings such as network name, password, and advanced features like Access Control and QoS on the main device.

Another benefit could be that when ethernet backhaul is down for some reason, the mesh will revert automatically to a wireless backhaul and continue its operation.

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Re:AX55 EasyMesh performance over traditional AX55 Access Points
2024-04-10 12:39:01 - last edited 2024-04-10 12:41:58

  @terziyski 

Thanks for the answer!

 

Seamless Roaming: I think that this is also happening using the "Dual Access Point" architecture. I'm pretty sure my Phone and my Notebooks chooses the WiFi channel with the strongest signal when moving around. But that might be due to the WiFi features of these devices and might not happen automatically on other devices like cheap 2.4G security CAMs etc.?

 

All my WiFi routers are manually setup to use fixed non-overlapping WiFi radio channels and since I'm using a total of 4 AX55 I kind of fill up the complete 2.4G band with my designated channels - more free bandwidth exist in the 5G band - but it seems like the EasyMesh routers are using the same WiFi channels on both Main & Satellite - freeing up half of the previous channels :-)

 

In my Wired Access Point architecture I can normally see connected devices to the opposite Router showing up as a wired connection - 

but I have noticed that a device connected to one EasyMesh Router does not show up as connected client on the opposite Router.

 

zEnterHacker

 

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Re:AX55 EasyMesh performance over traditional AX55 Access Points
2024-04-10 13:57:46

  @zEnterHacker 

 

Since your AX55's are all in AP mode I presume that by the " opposite Router " you mean your main router which is not AX55, correct ?

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Re:AX55 EasyMesh performance over traditional AX55 Access Points
2024-04-10 18:05:34

  @terziyski 

All routers are AX55 - only one Main Router and one Satellite in the EasyMesh config. Two access points with identical SSIDs in the "Wired Dual Access Point Mode".

 

With current Firmware it seems like "someone" forgot to sync the Guest Network and the IoT Network setting of the Main Router to the Satellite Router.

I hope this will be fixed in a future version ;-)

 

In the meantime I have now migrated to use EasyMesh with Ethernet Backhault on all routers - so both the DMZ network and the private LAN network are now using WiFi Mesh architecture. I will be testing in the folowing periode - until now everything works.

 

zEnterHacker 

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Re:AX55 EasyMesh performance over traditional AX55 Access Points
2024-04-10 19:14:23

zEnterHacker wrote

  @terziyski 

 

With current Firmware it seems like "someone" forgot to sync the Guest Network and the IoT Network setting of the Main Router to the Satellite Router.

I hope this will be fixed in a future version ;-)

 

 @zEnterHacker

 

That's a known limitation that many would like to be resolved.

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Re:AX55 EasyMesh performance over traditional AX55 Access Points
2024-04-11 07:36:42

  @terziyski 

 

Ohh - I now see that this issue has existed for more than three (3) years and apparently still mot solved:

Guest Network on OneMesh nodes?

 

I can understand that in case of classic WiFi based Mesh you need enough hidden SSIDs to use for the Backhaul - BUT when using Ethernet Backhaul between two Routers/Access Points of identical brand & model (AX55) I guess it could have been solved.

 

You could argue that in my case I could be OK with this limitation since I'm using 2 AX55 in a completely isolated EasyMesh on a DMZ to form a Guest Network - BUT I used to use the Guest Network on the private LAN Routers to create extra SSIDs designating the carrier frequency of each network - like this:

 

Main:    ssid_WiFi (including both 2.4 / 5.0GHz)

Guest:  ssid_WiFi_2.4GHz,   ssid_WiFi_5.0GHz  (this way I can force either 2.4 or 5GHz on certain LAN WiFi clients)

 

So using EasyMesh with enabled Guest Networks simply does not work - and it is not obvious to the user that neither the Guest nor the IoT networks are extended to the Satellites. This is not exactly a professional nor a user friendly solution.

 

The ability to create Guest and IoT SSIDs was a key selling point for me - so I really hope this will be fixed in the next FW update.

 

Please do  NOT  just revoke the possibility of the Guest/IoT Networks as a quick-fix to this when Easymesh is enabled!

 

Thanks

zEnterHacker

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Re:AX55 EasyMesh performance over traditional AX55 Access Points
2024-04-11 11:50:14

  @zEnterHacker 

 

I too was disappointed when I learned that the guest and IoT SSIDs were not meshed.  In my case, I don't use a guest network but I did have a number of devices using the IoT SSID.  I finally decided to do the folowing:

 

1. Use different SSIDs for the 2.4 and 5 Ghz bands.  Depending on the device, this lets me control what devices use each band.

2. Place all IoT devices in the device isolation list under Advanced, Security, Device isolation.  This way my Echo devices can control everything.  My security cameras are isolated as well as they don't have a usable web interface.  My Fire TV devices are also isolated.

3. Everythig else (computers, iPhones, and iPads) all use the main SSID.

 

So far, everything is working smoothly and I haven't had any security issues.

 

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Re:AX55 EasyMesh performance over traditional AX55 Access Points
2024-04-11 17:24:40 - last edited 2024-04-12 11:46:53

  @jra11500 

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

First of all I'm in Access Point mode and no isolation can be set up in this mode and since Guest/IoT is not Meshed I would not be able to reach all my CAMs from the Main Router.

Secondly I only use a few clients close to the Main Router to connect to the designated 2.4 GHz / 5GHz SSIDs (Set up as Guest network on Main Router - where it actually works ;-)

 

Anyway - glad You found a solution that fits your needs - BUT I fail to see that f.i. your CAMs are isolated becuse they don't have a web interface. IMHO they are a major risk since you don't know which functionality nor which connections they open up to the Internet. If You use Easymesh then you can only build Your IoT network on the Main Router and isolate the IoT devices on that. See answer @poH_ (especially the Note) -> Re:AX55 IoT Network Isolation Vs. AX55 Guest Network 

 

In other words you should put Your CAMs in the isolation list and only connect them to your IoT network - but again this requires that you can reach all your CAMs from the Main Router.

 

Cheers

zEnterHacker

 

 

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Re:AX55 EasyMesh performance over traditional AX55 Access Points
2024-04-12 11:46:25

  @zEnterHacker 

 

It is true that device isolation only works for devices connected to the main router when using another router in AP mode.  After changing my AP router to the EasyMesh satellite router mode, device isolation (configured in the main router) appears to be working OK for all the devices connected to the network but I'm still testing this.

 

My outdoor cameras are Reolink Argus 3 PRO models and they do respond to HTTP requests and display some information.  However, viewing the cameras in real time requires using the Reolink app.  I also have some indoor Reolink cameras which do have a web interface. When I want to access them for some reason from one of my LAN computers, I have to add the computer to the device isolation list temporarily so it can reach the cameras.

 

I have monitored the cameras with Wireshark and have never detected anything unusual or that might be a security risk.

 

On a side note and from previous experience, the IoT network is not isolated in any way from the main network in the AX55.  The devices are simply using a different SSID to connect to the same LAN and device isolation must be configured and used.

 

 

 

 

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Re:AX55 EasyMesh performance over traditional AX55 Access Points
2024-04-12 12:57:59

Here's a detailed story about importance of the IoT network - check the FAQs at its end.

Here's a post which describes the IoT network isolation for better understanding.

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