Forum Discussion

Tutor

Jul 13, 2020

How do I create dedicated backhaul between X6S EX8000 Wireless Extender and Asus triband router?

I am trying to connect my EX8000 wireless extender to my main router, an Asus triband GT-AX11000. The default SSIDs for the two 5 MHz bands on the router are xxxxx-5G for low band, xxxxx-5G-2 for hi ...

FURRYe38

Guru - Experienced User

Jul 14, 2020

Heres my EX7500 connected to the GT-AX11000:

Hardware Version: EX7500
Firmware Version: V1.0.0.64_1.0.74
Connection to Existing Network (2.4GHz)
- Signal Strength: 192 Mbps
- Name (SSID): GTAX
- Connection Status: Connected
  Connection to Existing Network (5GHz)
  - Signal Strength: 867 Mbps
  - Name (SSID): GTAX
  - Connection Status: Connected
    Extender WiFi Status (2.4GHz)
    Name (SSID): GTAX
    Region: North America
    Channel: Auto (5)
    Wireless mode: Up to 400 Mbps
    Wireless AP: On
    Broadcast Name: On
    Wi-Fi Protected Setup: Configured
    Extender WiFi Status (5GHz)
    Name (SSID): GTAX
    Region: North America
    Channel: 149 + 153 + 157(P) + 161
    Wireless mode: Up to 867 Mbps
    Wireless AP: On
    Broadcast Name: On
    Wi-Fi Protected Setup: Configured

I had to update FW from v52 to v64 on the EX7500 to get it to connect finally. IT would not connect using v52.

Asus was factory reset and using default settings from setup wizard with Smart Connect enabled. AX mode was disabled. I went back and re-enabled AX mode on the Asus router and I lost connection to the EX for about 2 minutes. I saw the 5Ghz radio signal on the EX had been lost on its web page while the 2.4Ghz was connected still. I waited and finally got connected with the EX's web page and found the 5Ghz radio was reconncted:

Connection to Existing Network (2.4GHz)

Signal Strength: 192 Mbps
Name (SSID): GTAX
Connection Status: Connected
Connection to Existing Network (5GHz)
- Signal Strength: 867 Mbps
- Name (SSID): GTAX
- Connection Status: Connected
  Extender WiFi Status (2.4GHz)
  - Name (SSID): GTAX
  - Region: North America
  - Channel: Auto (10)
  - Wireless mode: Up to 400 Mbps
  - Wireless AP: On
  - Broadcast Name: On
  - Wi-Fi Protected Setup: Configured
    Extender WiFi Status (5GHz)
    Name (SSID): GTAX
    Region: North America
    Channel: 149 + 153 + 157(P) + 161
    Wireless mode: Up to 867 Mbps
    Wireless AP: On
    Broadcast Name: On
    Wi-Fi Protected Setup: Configured
    Connection to Existing Network (2.4GHz)
    Signal Strength: 192 Mbps
    Name (SSID): GTAX
    Connection Status: Connected
    Connection to Existing Network (5GHz)
    Signal Strength: 867 Mbps
    Name (SSID): GTAX
    Connection Status: Connected
    Extender WiFi Status (2.4GHz)
    Name (SSID): GTAX
    Region: North America
    Channel: Auto (10)
    Wireless mode: Up to 400 Mbps
    Wireless AP: On
    Broadcast Name: On
    Wi-Fi Protected Setup: Configured
    Extender WiFi Status (5GHz)
    Name (SSID): GTAX
    Region: North America
    Channel: 149 + 153 + 157(P) + 161
    Wireless mode: Up to 867 Mbps
    Wireless AP: On
    Broadcast Name: On
    Wi-Fi Protected Setup: Configured

It seems to be working. The front panel 2.4 and 5Ghz LEDS are off. Once I connected my iphone to near the EX, the 5Ghz LED lit up. Once I disconnected the iphone, the LED turned back off.

EX7700 is next...

josephwitkin

Tutor

Jul 14, 2020

Thank you for your detailed info!

Interesting - on my Status page, it shows the channels that the Extender is using to connect to the router - in my case channel 161, a high band channel, but on my wired Access Point (I can tell by the channel numbers reported on the routers' interfaces), not the GT-AX11000.

Since the "connection to existing network" is supposed to be dedicated and exclusive, I am wondering if your backhaul is low band- 867 MBps is the upper limit for low band, while for high band it can be 1700-something. Since your high band channels are available under extender wi-fi. The backhaul is supposed to be exclusive.

I also have Smart Connect enabled, so all the SSIDs are the same now. I have AX on, but tried it before with AX off and didn't make a difference.

I guess 7500 and 8000 firmware versions are different. Netgear website lists current firmware as 1.0.1.202, but my EX8000 upgraded itself to 206 a while back. It now says its the latest when I check through the device.

Here is my status data

Hardware Version: EX8000
Firmware Version: V1.0.1.206
Connection to Existing Network (2.4GHz)
- Signal Strength: 192Mbps
- Name (SSID): macnet1
- Channel: 6
- Connection Status: Connected
  Connection to Existing Network (5GHz)
  Signal Strength: 1053Mbps
  Name (SSID): macnet1
  Channel: 161
  Connection Status: Connected
  
  EXTENDER WiFi Status 2.4 GHz
  Name (SSID): macnet1
  Channel: 6
  Region: United States
  Wireless mode: Up to 400 Mbps
  Wireless AP: ON
  Broadcast Name: ON
  
  EXTENDER WiFi Status 5 GHz
  Name (SSID): macnet1
  Channel: 36 + 40 + 44(p) + 48
  Region: United States
  Wireless mode: Up to 866.7 Mbps
  Wireless AP: ON
  Broadcast Name: ON
  WPS: Configured

josephwitkin
Tutor
Jul 14, 2020
Come to think of it - thinking out loud -

Triband device divides high and low 5 MHz channels into two separate networks with separate throughput and bandwidth.

A dual access device has all of the 5 MHz channels under one network - but its the same range of channels.

So if the triband router's hi band is dedicated as backhaul for an extender connection (what I'm trying to acheive) - but my wired access point (third device) is dual band and will offer ALL the 5MHz channels, including the router's "dedicated" channel - can the backhaul ever actually be dedicated?

In other words, if the EX8000 backhaul to the router is on hi band ch 157, and other devices connect to my wired access poinr on the same channel (can anything prevent that?) , is the backhaul still dedicated? I guess it is on a different radio..

trying to grasp...
josephwitkin
Tutor
Jul 14, 2020
Maybe semi solved. I have smart connect enabled all GT-AX11000 bands with same SSID.

Changed the 5MHz channel on my wired access point (RT-AC68U) from "Auto" to "36" - a low band channel. That device had been sitting at 161.

Suspected that the EX8000 know to look for an upper band channel for backhaul, but when they saw TWO upper band channels, it might just take the upper one, which was the wrong device, a dual band device that could not form a dedicated backhaul.

This seems to have worked! - the EX8000 connects to the GT-AX11000 5MHz-2 channel and seems stable there as long as I have the competing deviced locked in lower band. BUT, friggin Apple devices - only - iphones, iPads, Apple TVs... are also managing to connect to the GT-AX11000 5MHz-2 band.

I know Apple devices share wifi credentials, and as I recall that can't be turned off. Since the SSIDs and PWs are the same for all bands, doing "forget this network" doesn't stick. Do I have to block MAC addresses on 5MHz-2 for every Apple device we own (quite a few :( lol)

I can live with this of course, but trying to get it perfect, just because.
FURRYe38
Guru - Experienced User
Jul 14, 2020
Yes, Orbi does this. It take the low channels of 5Ghz 36-48 and puts this on 1 wifi radio. The higher channels, 149-165 are reserved for it's wireless backhaul between the base router is it's extenders. This is only for wireles backhaul and is not user configuratable or usable by user devices. It's only used between the base router and the extenders. I don't know for sure if the same limitation applies to non mesh routers that have the ability to let the user configure the 3rd radio for dedicated wireless backhaul. I presume it may not as I did notice to day that I could connect to either of the 5Ghz radios with either of the extenders.

I would bring this up with ASUS to see how to configure the ASUS for MESH and if there is a deticated wireless backhaul. I believe there maybe however I haven't tried this. I presume that since ASUS has there AI MESH system, this would be something similar to NGs Orib MESH system.
josephwitkin
Tutor
Jul 14, 2020
Yes, it makes sense that Asus AiMesh would operate that way - but if that is the case, it should provide a way for 3rd party devices that want to use the backhaul the same way to use it. The Netgear EX8000 extender does not show up as a potential Asus Mesh node if I search for nodes. I guess Asus AI Mesh is Asus only. I've pretty much given up on that.

But using my setup without Mesh - just Asus router, Asus wired access point, and Netgear EX8000 extender - should work, and is working. I'm just trying to figure out how to make the extender's backhaul band dedicated, with no other devices on it.
FURRYe38
Guru - Experienced User
Jul 15, 2020
Probably something that may not be compatible. Something to ask ASUS about to see if it maybe possible with there HW. OF course, some mfrs only allow compatibiity with in there own domain so something to keep in mind.

Good Luck.