Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Asus Is Turning Its Old Routers Into Mesh Wi-Fi Networks (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the over-the-air dept.

Asus' new AiMesh system lets you repurpose your existing Asus routers as part of a mesh network, potentially saving you lots of money since you won't have to replace your whole network with a bunch of new devices. The Verge reports: For now, the mesh support is coming to a few routers today in beta, including the ASUS RT-AC68U, RT-AC1900P, RT-AC86U, RT-AC5300, and the ROG Rapture GT-AC5300, with additional support planned for the RT-AC88U and RT-AC3100 later this year. The setup looks pretty simple, too. Once your main router is set up and updated to the latest firmware, just take your other routers that are going to be the mesh nodes, plug them in near the main router, and run a factory reset, after which they'll automatically pop up in the Asus Router app to add to your mesh.

30 comments

  1. Finally! by mwvdlee · · Score: 1

    Now if only the hardware suppliers could do something like this for the half dozen defunct wifi ADSL routers I now have configured to barely run as extenders...

    --
    Slashdot social media options: AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, Jabber and Mobile Text. Why no MySpace?
    1. Re:Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Jesus Christ, just buy some new ones, this shit is dirt cheap homeboy and gets cheaper and better every year.

    2. Re:Finally! by mwvdlee · · Score: 1

      I just don't like throwing away perfectly fine hardware simply because the ISP tells me it's obsolete.
      Besides, I don't consider ~$30 for a decent extender "dirt cheap".

      --
      Slashdot social media options: AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, Jabber and Mobile Text. Why no MySpace?
    3. Re:Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Seriously, there is a point where reusing those old routers just isn't worth it any longer, old slow wifi standards, old slow CPUs. It all just leads to sub par performance. Go look on ebay for some used or refurbed routers from the current generation with wireless AC and dual core CPUs, they are amazing. I picked up several refurbed WRT1200AC routers from linksys' refurb ebay page some time ago, $30 a pop. Things like the old WRT54 series and other routers from around that time period just aren't worth wasting your time with any longer.

    4. Re:Finally! by supremebob · · Score: 2

      Yeah, this will really only be useful for those few people who are replacing fairly new ASUS routers with slightly newer models. I think that most people try to squeeze 5 years out of their routers, and don't bother upgrading until a new wireless standard is released.

      If you're like me, you probably still have some old 802.11n and 802.11g Wi-Fi routers in your closet that would be nice to add to a mesh network as well. I nope that the DD-WRT guys add this functionality in a way that's easy to set up.

    5. Re: Finally! by peragrin · · Score: 1

      $30 for an extender isn't cheap?

      I spent $500 on 2 access points, a controller, a Poe router, and gateway.
        For my home.

      Of course I can now stream 50-250mbs across my house and half of my back yard without blinking.

      The range is distance. I can be 200 feet into the back yard and still stream 50mbs via WiFi. Inside the house it doesn't drop below 200mbs.

      Now if only my isp could provide me with the bandwidth to back that up to the net. However it is worth it. As I have great coverage inside and outside without affecting my neighbors.

      --
      i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
    6. Re: Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      $30 for an extender isn't cheap?

      I spent $500 on 2 access points, a controller, a Poe router, and gateway.

        For my home.

      Of course I can now stream 50-250mbs across my house and half of my back yard without blinking.

      The range is distance. I can be 200 feet into the back yard and still stream 50mbs via WiFi. Inside the house it doesn't drop below 200mbs.

      Now if only my isp could provide me with the bandwidth to back that up to the net. However it is worth it. As I have great coverage inside and outside without affecting my neighbors.

      I sometimes wonder if you people do nothing in life other than stream stuff. What justifies needing a constant 50 mbps 200 yards from your place? Don't you have a book or two to read?

    7. Re:Finally! by aaarrrgggh · · Score: 2

      I sympathize with what you are saying, but an all-in-one router/AP has some serious fundamental limits. Sadly, it quickly gets to the economic "smashing point," where it is more efficient to just replace.

      Personally, I have migrated to Ubiquiti from Asus. While they do have some cool mesh solutions too, most of the places you have problems a mesh just makes it worse with additional RF pollution. Nothing beats a small access point on low power in each (or most) rooms when you want speed and reliability. With Ubiquity, I end up with a more manageable solution for about $350 including two switches, a router, and two access points.

    8. Re: Finally! by DesertNomad · · Score: 1

      Don't you have a book or two to read?

      Mebbe he reads really really fast

    9. Re:Finally! by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Most cheap routers don't have the memory or even really the flash space to handle anything complex. They can only handle simple routing jobs. But for those which do have the resources, you can often run openwrt on them, and use it for meshing.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    10. Re:Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Now if only the hardware suppliers could do something like this for the half dozen defunct wifi ADSL routers I now have configured to barely run as extenders...

      If they are supported by the LEDE/OpenWRT firmware (https://lede-project.org/) then you don't have to wait for manufacturer.

    11. Re:Finally! by mspohr · · Score: 1

      I have two Asus routers, RT-66 and RT-56. They are not particularly "old" but are too old for this new trick, apparently.
      Don't particularly need a mesh since I've got good coverage now.
      (I do appreciate that both of these routers do receive regular updates.)

      --
      I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
    12. Re: Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      $0 is cheaper and I don't generate excess waste. It's the moneywise and ecologically friendly thing to do.

    13. Re:Finally! by Bengie · · Score: 1

      Cheap is relative. $30 is not "cheap" in general, but for APs, this is virtually free. I just ponied up $140 for a new AP and I feel bad because I wanted the $400 AP, but my current WIFI suddenly started acting up. I would rather go without than to deal with crap.

    14. Re: Finally! by Bengie · · Score: 1

      It's not constant. 1% of the time it may dip below 10Mb. The faster and more stable the speed, the less likely to have random dips that do affect your experience. Maybe he is trying to read a book, and needs 50Mb/s to provide quick loading of large images.

  2. mesh network? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sound like they are only bridging the router, using 802.11g/n/ac and tcp/ip.
    all router can do that...

    1. Re:mesh network? by geekmux · · Score: 1

      Sound like they are only bridging the router, using 802.11g/n/ac and tcp/ip. all router can do that...

      I configured WDS across three WRT54GS routers running 3rd party firmware. Boosted output power to over 100mW, which fed WiFi to four houses and covered over 3 acres in a rural area.

      I did all this well over a decade ago. Nice to see that manufacturers are at least trying to catch up.

      Now we'll watch those who mock the open-source community heap praise upon their vendor lords for releasing this "new" feature...

    2. Re: mesh network? by poptix · · Score: 1

      WDS has been in the default firmware for a long time. This isn't WDS, it's mesh.

      --
      Just because you disagree doesn't mean it's not true.
  3. Just what I need! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    for my 6 acre palatial estate

  4. This is a joke, right? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Look at a popular tech selling website, reviews of Asus routers say they fail after about two years. This is the same as my experience; I now use another brand. By the way, the ancient Linksys routers are still alive but slow.

  5. Re:Finally Olde Linksys Routers to Mesh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.broadband-hamnet.org/which-hardware-to-use.html

  6. Does it work? by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

    Does it work without the Appidy-App, or can you configure it through the good 'ol Web interface as well. Everything requiring an app is annoying. BTW - not a fan of extending wifi over wifi -- most homes are wired for cable, and MoCA seems to work better. Especially if you're a cord-cutter who's not using the cable for TV anymore.

  7. Still functioning? by networkzombie · · Score: 1

    You mean there are old Asus routers that did not have their capacitors burst? I'm skeptical.

  8. This isn't as good as the headline seems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Saw this news yesterday and got excited. Thought it would offer a cheaper mesh solution. Then Iooked at the routers supported. Most are in the $200-$350 range. It's cheaper to just buy an Orbi or other packaged mesh solution unless you happen to already own a newer Asus router.

    All this really is is Asus stating the obvious that current routers have the hardware for mesh and just needed software to implement it. They're trying to sell people second routers and nothing more.

    1. Re:This isn't as good as the headline seems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Then Iooked at the routers supported. Most are in the $200-$350 range.

      ...like the RT-AC68U I own, which is currently available from Amazon for $135.95.

    2. Re:This isn't as good as the headline seems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But that's only an AC1900 router. If you don't have one, you're spending $270 to make a mesh network out of the older AC spec. When you could by a new mesh kit using the newer, faster AC3000 for just $15 more. Why would you do that? Although it would be good to see real world benchmarks to see actual performance versus paper specs. But on paper, the Asus solution makes no sense if you're starting from scratch.

  9. Will test it out. by m_number4 · · Score: 1

    I have multiple AC68U routers, will let you know how it works. At the moment I have the same SSID on all of them and the wireless network appears to work seamlessly so I'm not sure what the difference is.