Does the ZenWiFi BD5 support MLO?

[tfhoughton]

I have a 3 node BE14000 system. Works well, but my house is spread out and I needed better coverage. Got a BD5 to help with that. It joined it to mesh with no problem. Tried to enable MLO to see if that would help even more. But MLO was not recognized. The Web site says MLO is supported on the BD5.

Dual-band WiFi 7 (802.11be) AiMesh Extendable Router, 5000 Mbps, Coverage up to 6800 sq. ft. (3pk), Dual 2.5G Ports, Up to 3 SSIDs for IoT Devices, Parental Controls & VPNs, Advanced Network Security

• Dual-band WiFi 7 speeds up to 5000 Mbps with MLO and 4K-QAM

But digging into the web interface it looks like it is not. I just upgraded to the latest FW from the website: ZenWiFi_BD5_3.0.0.6_102_56735-gf95d4ee_456-gd7ba0_Q7PA.

Screen shots on the web interface showing the BD5 does not support MLO yet is attached.

What am I missing?

Thanks.

Tom

[jzchen]

• If you choose 2.4 and 5 GHz and deselect 6 GHz (on the BE14000) then does it allow you to add the BD5?

[tfhoughton]

Good thought....but, check out the attached pic. It looks to me that MLO is only configure for 2.4 and 5.

Is there another check/set it?

Thx.

Tom

[jzchen]

Hmmm.

The English is a little rough but this is pretty new about MLO:

https://www.asus.com/us/support/faq/1053342/

It shows a check on 6 GHz what happens when you click on it?

One other thing I thought WiFi 7 was incompatible with WPA2, but things may have changed or I could be wrong I must confess.

I got my GT-BE98 Pro before MLO firmware was even released, end of November 2023.  When MLO firmware first came out it was beta, and you would toggle it on and it would ask for a second SSID and password.  The very first iteration didn't even say what the 2nd SSID was for, but later I learned it was for all legacy/IoT devices.  When you would tinker with the settings it might not even warn you that you just disabled MLO, but later I believe it would say you are changing a setting incompatible with MLO...

It appears the big takeaway from the article I linked is that one MLO SSID can be made.  If you make one Main MLO, then Guest Network would not be able to have one.  I would guess since the BD5 lacks 6 GHz you would not be able to combine it with MLO tri-band so deselecting 6 GHz might allow you to add the BD5...

I haven't memorized the content of the MLO article so please take what I write with a grain of salt so to speak...

[tfhoughton]

If I create an MLO network how will only the ZenWifi devices belong to that net?

I tried to set the MLO network to "Use same subnet as main network" but it would not allow me to Apply without adding the network name. When I did add the main network name "This entry already exists". And....this screen still says "this feature not supported" for the BD5. The interesting point is that the WiFi Band dropdown shows only one option 2.4/5/6...I attached a pic.

Is it possible that the only way MLO is upported on the BD5 is in a homogenbous BD5 system - that is, all of the items in the mesh must only suppport 2.4 and 5? I hope not.

Thanks for the advice....