[Network|AiMesh]ASUS AiMesh System (WiFI 6) Review ~ Dream Spec system that choose a person ~

★★★☆☆Features☆☆★★★

Three star, ok features of AiMesh system include unfortunately important components to make up an excellent mesh system: flexibility and features and stability.

Flexibility and Features

This is one of the primary sales point of AiMesh system over traditional consumer mesh system. I did not use 90%+ of features due to lack of my knowledge and need, but I still appreciated availability of all those options. Whenever I needed something, there were many setting options to play around with.

*This is really a router’s feature. So setting a different router unit may give different list of features.

Some features I’ve started using with AiMesh system and not preceding to it include:

1. Static IP: Ax11000 allows single toggle button to each of its connected devices to get Static IP, which was based on MAC address of the device and handled by router side so even after reboot of the router, the association remained. If needed, even laptop/tablet can use this so going out of network and back was hand-free.
2. VPN Server: Easy to set up. This allowed remote log into home network.
3. Free DDNS: This is run by ASUS and let me point to my home network router by NAME.asuscomm.com. This feature allows remote accessing of home network without worrying about ISP changing my IP address and reconfigure VPN access.

No consumer mesh system (Nest WiFi, Eero, Orbi, AmpliFi etc.) have this much of flexibility and options. However, some listed features remained buggy/unusable/limited in their functionality. Couple example of these features are guest network and VPN fusion.

No consumer mesh system have this much of flexibility and options.

Limited Guest Network

The guest network on AiMesh system is limited only to the router and rest of AiMesh node won’t extend the coverage. This is to me is not an advanced feature but relatively common feature user wants/needs and other consumer mesh system supports it so it is a surprise that Asus can not figure this out.

The guest network on AiMesh system is limited only to the router and rest of AiMesh node won’t extend the coverage

VPN Fusion

VPN fusion is a feature that supposed to allow specific device(s) to connect through virtual private network and this is set through a router rather than setting on individual device. If this has worked as intended, one could have connected a specific device that won’t typically have capability of setting VPN access to use VPN. For me such device included Apple TV and PS4. This simply did not work at all despite trying on 3-4 different paid VPN services.

VPN fusion did not work at all

Since AiMesh required changing default setup in order to make the system usable, which mainly related to the stability. Many features/options to configure made troubleshooting much more difficult. Asus should make the default setting to provide the best stability and let advanced users to change/tweak system at their own risk.

Since AiMesh required changing default setup in order to make the system usable, too many features made troubleshooting much more difficult.

Stability

Disclaimer: Recently, I have found out there is a left over physically hidden b/n/g router dead center of my home, which gives strong interference signal in one of 2.4 GHz channel.

After changing several settings based on online research, I was able to configure AiMesh system to be relatively stable while keeping the decent performance; however, default setting required almost daily reboot and even after the tweak, it still needed occasional system reboot. So I’d describe the system has configurable decent stability.

2.4 GHz Instability

In retrospect, I do not think I had ever had a good 2.4 GHz band network with AiMesh. From the initial set up of two Ax11000 routers in AiMesh system, I believe I had signals in most of house but extremely slow connection and disconnect made me purchase more AiMesh nodes because at that time I was thinking it was related to inadequate Wi-Fi coverage.

Now that I now know with good functioning 2.4 GHz network, our typical use of internet in the bedroom, net browsing and YouTube watching, there really should not be any subjective difference whether we are on 5GHz or 2.4GHz band. As this was our experience with AiMesh, I feel the issue really lied on unstable 2.4 GHz.

In retrospect, I do not think I had ever had a good 2.4 GHz band network with AiMesh.

UniFi Access Points have built in RF scanner, which tells me if there is any interference nearby those APs. Hidden, left over router from the previous owner is certainly introducing significant interference on 2.4 GHz band and it automatically changes channel daily. However, I did not have subjective issue with Eero Pro nor UniFi, so I think the blame still goes to AiMesh for poor management of 2.4 GHz band interference.

Wireless AiMesh link instability

From the start I had two Ax11000 routers connected via Cat 6 Ethernet cable but based on default setting, within the control web UI, the connection option was set to “Auto”. This mode supposed to automatically choose the best connection either Wireless or Ethernet backhaul. With Auto mode setting, I had constant drop out of AiMesh node (satellite). So I changed the mode to Ethernet mode. This fixed the AiMesh node drop out. Later as of 4/2020, I tried two Ax11000 connected wirelessly for just day or two to see if that allowed any improvement in area of coverage. During this setting, I did not notice any AiMesh node dropout so I believe at some point, wireless AiMesh node connectivity issue got resolved.

However, after fixing AiMesh node dropout issue, I still experienced occasional sudden, device not connected to internet errors. After doing online research, I eventually changed setting to disable MU-MIMO, universal beamforming and airtime fairness options on both 5GHz and 2.4 GHz bands, and also enabled quality of service in media/internet surf mode. With all these changes, the Wifi became much more stable for me.

disable MU-MIMO, universal beamforming and airtime fairness options on both 5GHz and 2.4 GHz bands, and also enabled quality of service in media/internet surf mode. With all these changes, the Wifi became much more stable for me.

Setup

As a standalone router, Ax11000 set up was easy. As an AiMesh system, the initial set up was also easy enough. However, in my case default setting of AiMesh did not work so well as described above, especially with a stability issue. So changing default setting was not an optional but it was a requirement for system to be usable.

default setting of AiMesh did not work so well as described above, especially with a stability issue. So changing default setting was not an optional but it was a requirement for system to be usable.

ASUS should have made a default setting so network stability is the highest priority while maintaining high network performance. From this point on, advanced users can tweak different parameters/setting at their own risk.

User Interface

The user interface of Asus AiMesh system is decent, but a bit confusing at times. Although this is understandable considering vast number of features it supports in contrast to consumer mesh system where simplicity is one of their design decision as well as sales point.