Setup

• Archer BE3600 as main router (EasyMesh controller)
• RE500X as EasyMesh satellite, connected wirelessly
• Smart Connect enabled
• Affected client: Apple HomePod (Wi-Fi 5), located near the main router

Observed events

1. The HomePod enters a continuous connect/disconnect loop that lasts for extended periods.

2. Every connected session lasts few seconds before the HomePod is disconnected.

3. Disconnected periods are variable, ranging from seconds to several minutes.

4. The cycle is often triggered by an iPhone joining or leaving the Wi-Fi network.

5. Restarting the RE500X satellite while leaving the main router running immediately stops the loop. The HomePod stabilises and holds its connection.

6. The issue does not affect a second HomePod connected to the RE500X satellite in a different room.

7. Rebooting the HomePod has not effect, while rebooting the router stops the loop.

Assumptions (not directly verified)

• The few seconds of connection interval appears consistent with a BSS Transition Management Request timeout followed by a forced deauthentication, suggesting the router is repeatedly nominating the HomePod as a roaming candidate for the RE500X.

• The HomePod likely refuses the BTM Request each time (it is near the router), and the router responds with a forced deauth in seconds.

• An iPhone join/leave event appears to trigger a mesh-wide client re-evaluation, which causes the router to incorrectly flag the HomePod as a steering candidate for the RE500X despite its strong signal to the main router.

Request

Please investigate whether the EasyMesh steering algorithm re-evaluates all clients on any mesh topology change event, and whether a hard deauth timer of few seconds is applied when a BTM Request is refused. A fix preventing repeated forced deauthentication of clients that consistently refuse roaming would resolve this issue.