Asus AiMesh Setup Guide: 100% Solid Tips

This post will walk you through specific steps to build an AiMesh setup and offer tips on optimizing and maintaining one.

This post is part of my series on Asus’s AiMesh, a popular way to build a robust home Wi-Fi mesh system. That said, check the related box below to make sure you’ve followed the coverage in the right order or if you have any AiMesh-related questions.

Dong’s note: I first published this post on February 11, 2022, and last updated it on January 3, 2025, with more detailed steps and the latest information on Wi-Fi 7.

Getting an AiMesh system of your own: The hardware arrangement

Generally, we arrange the physical hardware after logically linking the units via the firmware to build your mesh system—as described in the detailed step-by-step guide below. However, I put it on top because it’s best to have an overview of how the system is supposed to pan out before setting it up. With that, here goes:

You need at least two routers to create an AiMesh system. No matter what combo you get, of which the rules I detailed in this post, the setup process is generally the same.

Here’s the diagram (schema) of hardware arrangement in an AiMesh system:

Internet source -> Primary AiMesh router -> [ optional unmanaged switch(es) ] -> AiMesh satellite nodes.

Specifically, you connect the primary router’s WAN port directly to your Internet terminal device—often a Cable modem or a fiber ONT. (If there’s another device between the primary router and the terminal device, or if you have a gateway in place of the modem, you’d have to think of double-NAT, or something is wrong.)

After that, add your AiMesh satellite(s) to the router, which is naturally the case in a wireless setup since the (first) satellite always connects (directly) to the primary router’s Wi-Fi network.

In a wired backhauling setup, when you use network cables to link them, things need to be more specific. Let’s dig in!

AiMesh with wired backhauling: How to connect the hardware units

When you choose wired backhauling, there are two hardware arrangement scenarios: Standard mode and mesh AP mode.

Standard scenario: Primary AiMesh router + AiMesh wired satellite nodes.

This configuration is generally recommended, and it works best.

In this case, the way you link the hardware units together follows the same rules as that of a standard router, specifically:

• The router unit: This is the primary unit of the system and must be the frontmost device of your local network, with the rest of the satellite nodes behind it. This is the hardware that decides the features and settings of your network.
• The satellite node: This unit only extends the network. So, if you use a router at this role, its features (such as QoS, gaming-related, and everything else) are no longer in effect. A couple of things to note in terms of uplink:
  • If you use a router as a satellite node, use its WAN port to connect it to the existing network, namely a LAN port on the router, a switch, or another node. (In many cases, you can use a LAN port of a node for this uplink connection, but it’s best to use the WAN to be safe, especially during the setup process.)
  • If you use an AiMesh access point, then use any of its LAN ports.

So, let’s say you have a mesh of one primary router and two nodes. Here’s how you use network cables to link the hardware units:

1. Hook the router’s WAN port to the Internet source (modem/ONT/gateway)
2. Connect the satellite nodes to the router by:
   • Link each satellite’s WAN port to a router LAN port. OR
   • Connect the 1st satellite node’s WAN port to the router’s LAN port, then connect the 2nd satellite’s WAN port to the 1st’s LAN port. Or
   • Place an unmanaged switch (or two) in between them⁽¹⁾. This switch can be between the router and the satellite node(s) or between the satellites themselves. But it also must be behind the router.

In a fully wired backhaul setup, you should explicitly use Ethernet Backhaul Mode via the AiMesh section of the router’s web interface.

If the Internet source is a gateway, you can also change the AiMesh router and, consequently, the entire system to Access Point mode. That brings us to the second scenario.

AiMesh system in AP mode scenario: An existing (AiMesh or not) router + wired AiMesh nodes

This configuration applies to situations where you already have an existing router (like an ISP-provided gateway) and want to avoid double-NAT. Or if you want to use mixed hardware in general, such as when using AiMesh routers of different Wi-Fi standards or AiMesh router(s) on top of a third-party router.

In this case, you can arrange the hardware in the same way as the standard configuration above. Or you can also connect each AiMesh satellite directly to the existing router. In other words, all AiMesh units (primary and satellite) can be at the same level.

So, let’s say you have an existing router and three AiMesh nodes. You first set up the AiMesh system the standard way, using a double NAT. After that, from within the web interface of the primary unit, change the whole mesh system to AP mode.

Now, you can connect all three units’ WAN ports to the existing gateway (or a switch) since they can be at the same level—the satellite unit doesn’t have to be behind the primary unit as in the standard mode.

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With that, let’s find out how to build an AiMesh system in detail.

Asus AiMesh setup guide: Step-by-step

Generally, AiMesh comes in different flavors. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• If you get a ZenWiFi or ExpertWiFi set, chances are the hardware units are pre-synced. Consequently, you only need to set up the router unit the way you do any standard router, and your mesh is—you won’t need to add the other units manually.
• The setup process is the same if you get multiple standalone routers or use ZenWiFi hardware of different sets.
• If you use a standalone router as the primary router and a ZenWiFi or ExpertWiFi mesh set ⁽²⁾ as satellite nodes, keep in mind that you should add one satellite unit at a time and ensure the other satellite(s) are turned off during the process. The same can be said about mixing multiple ZenWiFi or ExpertWiFi packs together.

With that out of the way, below are steps on getting your own AiMesh setup, no matter what hardware combo you use.

As a rule, use the web user interface for these steps. While the Asus Router mobile app is helpful for monitoring the hardware, it might create inconsistencies or issues if you use it to make specific changes.

There are three main steps in setting up an AiMesh system. By the way, for this post, I used the GT-AX6000 mostly as the primary router and a few others as satellite nodes. However, the process is the same if you use any other combo.

A. Set up the primary router

This step applies when you set up a home network from scratch. If you’re already using an AiMesh-enabled router, you can jump to step B.

Again, you can set up an Asus router with a web user interface like any standard router.

Here are the general steps:

1. Connect the router’s default WAN port to the Internet source, be it a modem or a Fiber ONT. (You must use the default WAN port, which is often Blue. If you want to move the WAN function to a different port or use Dual-WAN, do that after the initial setup process.)
2. Connect the computer to the router’s LAN port or its default Wi-Fi open network, which is “ASUS_xx”.
3. Launch a browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Edge) on the connected computer and navigate to the router’s default IP address, which is 192.168.50.1 (or router.asus.com.)
4. Follow the onscreen wizard to set up the router as a standalone router or the AiMesh router role—the two are the same. Upgrade its firmware to the latest if prompted. You can also choose to upload the setting backup of an older AiMesh router in most cases.
5. Important: Set up the router’s SSID in the default (Auto) settings for each Wi-Fi band. If you choose a particular setting, such as forcing 160MHz channel width or using a particular Wi-Fi standard, a non-supported satellite won’t be able to connect to form a mesh. Once a mesh is formed, you can adjust the Wi-Fi settings later.

The router will restart once or a few times during the setup process. Make sure you give it a few minutes after the final restart so it can be ready.

Note: Generally, you can upgrade the router to the latest firmware if prompted. But in many cases, such as when you use mixed hardware units in the system, make sure you update their firmware appropriately, as described below. This applies to the satellite units, too.

Making a wrong decision on the firmware version will likely give you big headaches.

B. Prepare the satellite node unit(s)

1. Firmware update: While it’s not a must in many cases, it’s best to update the hardware to the latest available firmware before adding it to the router to form a system. So, if the process fails, consider updating the firmware first. In many cases, to update the firmware, you might need to set up the hardware as a standalone router first. Then, reset it.
2. Reset: If you use hardware already set up as a router, you’ll need to reset it before you can use it as an AiMesh node. Changing the role from router to AiMesh node will also reset it. A brand-new unit is ready out of the box.
3. Placement: Plug the node or nodes into power and place them some 10 feet (3 meters) from the main router or connect it to the router using a network cable ⁽³⁾.

Again, as mentioned above, if you use 2- or 3-pack of presynced hardware as satellite nodes for a primary router that’s not part of the pack, add one hardware unit at a time, with the others being turned off.

C. Adding a satellite node to the main router to form the mesh

This step is entirely on the router unit’s web interface.

Note: When applicable, get the main router out of the Ethernet Backhaul Mode for this step. You can put it back in this mode after you’ve added all nodes. Otherwise, the setup process might not work.

1. Search for satellite node(s)

On a connected computer, navigate to the main router’s web interface—as shown in step A.3 above.

Click on Network Map on the menu, then on the AiMesh icon. Now click on Search. After a few seconds, the node(s) will appear, as shown in the screenshot below.

2. Add a satellite node to the mesh

Click on a node, and a pop-up prompt will appear. Click on Apply to confirm. Now, wait about a minute for the adding process to complete. This step’s progress is in the three screenshots below.

Note: During this time, in my experience, you must not navigate to a different part of the web interface. Doing so might cause the setup to fail, and you’ll need to try again from step #2.

And that’s it! Repeat step #1 to add more nodes if need be. Otherwise, mission accomplished!

All you have to do now is strategically place the satellite(s) around the house for the best coverage.

3. Rearrange the hardware

Once you’ve added all satellite nodes to the main router, it’s time to rearrange the hardware accordingly.

Specifically:

In a wireless setup, place the satellites around the primary router.

In a wired backhauling setup, connect the hardware to the network accordingly. Generally, you want to use the WAN port of the satellite to hook it to the existing network, either to the router’s LAN port or to a switch that connects to the router. You can also daisy-chain the nodes.

In a mix of wired and wireless backhauling setups, it’s best to have the wireless satellites connected directly to a router or a wired satellite.

After that, you might want to manage them properly, too.

AiMesh setup: Hardware management

Once you’ve gotten your system up and running, AiMesh has a lot of ways for users to manage the satellite nodes.

Below are those you’ll find handy. Let’s start with what folks care about the most: Keeping the devices connected to the closest (strongest) node, a.k.a Roaming Assistance.

Understanding roaming assistance

As we move around the house, we generally want our phone (or laptop) to automatically connect to the closest Wi-Fi broadcaster to get the best connection speed instead of the one farther away.

Generally, that’s called hand-off or seamless hand-off in a mesh Wi-Fi system. With AiMesh, that’s called roaming assistance.

Before continuing, remember that signal hand-off is complicated and almost always hit or miss, as I detailed in this mesh explainer. Another thing is most of the time, the default hand-off settings will work out, and most canned systems don’t even allow you to change the settings.

So, having the option to manage hand-off can be nice but might bring about adverse results if not done correctly. Remember that this part is optional, and you should tread lightly.

Step to adjust AiMesh’s roaming assistance

Like everything in an AiMesh system, you adjust this setting on the primary router unit. The screenshot below belongs to an RT-AX89X, but the process is the same if you use any router.

1. Log in to the primary router’s interface, navigate to the Wireless section (under Advanced Settings), and then to the Professional tab.

2. Pick the band you want to customize (2.4GHz, 5GHz, or 6GHz)

3. Locate the Roaming assistant setting; you’ll note that there’s a default value already in place, something like -70 dBm.

4. Change the value to a new number that fits your situation — more on this below.

To know what dBm number works best, you first have to understand what dBm means, and I explained separately in this post about received Wi-Fi signal strength.

dBm: Wi-Fi signals’ power and signal strength

However, generally, you should keep the dBm value between -60 (more sensitive, clients favor fast speeds and roam faster) and -75 (less sensitive, clients tend to remain to the original broadcaster).

Important note: If you make the roaming too sensitive, a device placed in the middle of two nodes of the same signal strength (or weakness) might have problems staying connected—it might keep jumping between the two.

5. Click on Apply. Repeat step #2 for other Wi-Fi bands when applicable. Then, manually restart all hardware units, starting with the primary router, and give the system 5 to 10 minutes to start up. To do a manual restart, unplug the unit from power, wait for 10 seconds or longer, and then plug it back in.

And that’s it. Your system should deliver the best signal hand-off now.

It’s important to note that there’s no precise measurement for Wi-Fi range and signal strength since they vary greatly depending on the environment.

That said, mentioned above are my estimates applicable to my situation. The numbers that work for you depend on your environment and the routers you use. It’s a matter of trial and error.

Also, roaming is tricky since it depends more on the clients than the router. Networking vendors can’t test their products with all existing equipment. As a result, at times, it’s a matter of luck.

One thing that almost always works: You can always turn your device’s Wi-Fi off and then back on to get it connected to the closest broadcaster.

Adding device to the Roaming Blocklist

This is the opposite of the above: You want a device to remain connected to a specific node for one reason or another.

An example is when you have a device right in between two equally strong nodes, and it keeps jumping back and forth, causing unnecessary disconnections. Or you want to manually keep the load evenly among different nodes.

Here are the steps:

1. Log into the primary router’s web interface and go to the AiMesh section to ensure the device is connected to the node you want.
2. Go to the Wireless section, then click on the Roaming Block list tab
3. Enter the device’s MAC address (or pick it on the list of the connected clients) and click on the Plus sign (+). Repeat to add more devices.
4. Hit Apply.

And that’s it. The device will now be locked to its current Wi-Fi node. To undo this, click on the trash icon and apply the changes.

Managing a node’s backhaul and additional settings

Each satellite node uses the Auto setting for the backhaul by default, which should work in almost all situations. But sometimes, you should adjust the settings of this backhaul connection.

Picking the best backhaul

There are a couple of instances where you might want to pick the backhaul manually.

One example is if you use a satellite node with a single Multi-Gig port (LAN or WAN)—such as the ZenWiFi XT8 (or ET8), RT-AX86U, or RT-AX89X—in a wired backhauling setup with another Multi-Gig router, you want to manually pick that port (instead of a Gigabit port) as the backhaul priority.

Another example is if you use a Wi-Fi 6E satellite node in a wireless configuration, you must pick the best band for the backhauling job. The 5GHz band is generally a safer choice, while the 6GHz band is the best if you can put the hardware near the router within a line of sight.

In any case, to manage the backhaul, go to the AiMesh section of the primary router’s web interface, pick the node in question, and change the setting accordingly. Here, you can also manage a few other aspects of the satellite, including its LAN ports, LEDs, and USB ports.

Disabling the use of DFS (when necessary)

When using the 5GHz band as the backhaul using Wi-Fi 6 or 6E hardware, there are two things to keep in mind:

1. If you live in an area with frequent RADAR signals, you should turn off the use of DFS channels for this band^(*). That’s always true unless:
2. Your hardware supports UNII-4, like the case of the ZenWiFi Pro X12 and its alternatives. In this case, the use of 160MHz for backhauling won’t be affected by DFS.

To manage the use of DFS channels, go to the Wireless section of the router unit’s web interface, pick the band in question (5GHz or 5GHz-2), and uncheck the box that reads “Auto select channel using DFS channels.” as shown in the screenshot above.

Using the Ethernet Backhaul Mode (when applicable)

If you use a network cable to link the router and the satellites throughout—a pure wired backhauling setup—it’s best to choose the Ethernet Backhaul Mode explicitly.

Here are the steps:

• Log in to the router’s web interface.
• Go to the AiMesh section, then to Systems Settings.
• Move the slider of Ethernet Backhaul Mode (EBM) to the On position (right).

This mode allows for better performance and easier management of the system’s Wi-Fi settings. If you use tri-band hardware, you’ll also be able to lump all bands into a single SSID known as Smart Connect.

Removing a node

If you want to remove a satellite node from the system within the web interface, go to the Network Maps, then click on the AiMesh button. Click on the trash bin icon next to its name, as shown in the screenshots below.

That will also reset the node to factory default.

AiMesh firmware update

Managing the firmware is one of the most important things in handling networking hardware.

Considering the vast number of hardware options, most of which can be combined into a mesh system using the AiMesh feature, firmware can be tricky for Asus, especially with hardware running firmware versions that start with the 3.0.0.4 kernel.

When it comes to updating—especially in an AiMesh setup of mixed hardware units using wireless backhauling—keep the following three items in mind:

1. Avoid the initial major release: This is the first firmware version of a model where the middle three digits of the firmware version change, such as from 384 to 386 or from 386 to 388. Generally, things start to be good with the first minor update to a major firmware release.
2. Avoid using Auto-Update for firmware: Instead of letting the hardware update itself, you should update the firmware when you see fit. (It’s OK to choose Auto-Update for the security-only updates when that’s an option.)
3. Version consistency (in a mesh system): Generally, it would be best to use the firmware version of the same major release for all AiMesh members. (Mixing hardware of different major releases can produce mixed results, though things get better with version 388 and newer.)
4. After a major update, it’s recommended that you back up the settings to a file, reset the hardware, and set it up from scratch. Then, if need be, restore the settings.

The point is to tread lightly when upgrading firmware if you have a system of mixed hardware. The more differences in Wi-Fi standards and tiers within your combo, the more potential issues you might run into.

Depending on the hardware combo, you might need to rebuild the system from scratch or reset and re-add a satellite node if you change the major firmware version (in one or all hardware units involved.) Your luck will vary.

In any case, for firmware updates, go to the firmware section of the primary router. You can jump directly there by clicking on the router’s firmware version, which runs at the top of the web interface.

Asus also allows users to go back to an older firmware version. So, if a new firmware breaks things, you can always manually go back to the previous version that works.

To return to a previous firmware version, download the desired version and upload it to the router via the button that follows “Manual firmware update:” in the screenshot above. For detailed steps, check out this post on manual firmware updates.

Final thoughts

An AiMesh setup is not the easiest way to build a mesh system, compared to other canned alternatives like Orbi, TP-Link Deco, or Amazon’s eero.

However, that’s mostly because it offers many hardware options and settings. If you get the same hardware units throughout or go with a ZenWiFi/ExpertWiFi pre-built pack, things can be pretty manageable.

In any case, getting an AiMesh system done right will give you an excellent mesh with little or no privacy risks, which is a rare commodity these days.