Problem when reconnecting a XT12 node after removing it

[TOlvl]

I have 4 ZenWiFi Pro XT12. I was originally using 3 of them. The WiFi signal was strong and stable. The bandwidth was as expected. All my devices remained connected to their closest node.

I then faced a first problem: my wireless devices were frequently (every 5 minutes) disconnected from their closest node, associated to the router and then re-associated to their closest node a few seconds later. That behaviour was leading to frequent connection drops that caused me to freeze repeatedly during conference calls. I eventually figured out that the problem was somehow caused by the use of private MAC addresses for some devices, typically Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, MacBook). Disabling that option for all devices solved the problem.

Unfortunately, the exact same behaviour re-appeared a few weeks later. I started looking for a device that was wrongly configured but I could not find any. I then decided to disconnect all my devices from the WiFi network one by one until my laptop was the only device left: the problem was still unresolved! So I decided to re-install the entire network from scratch (new SSID, wireless backhaul, SmartConnect disabled, all other options left to default).

I am now at the stage where everything works smoothly with the router and one additional node. However, as soon as I try to add a 2nd node, things start going wrong. First of all, the 2nd node cannot be found by the installation procedure in the Asus router mobile app. After a couple of minutes, the node is anyway added "automatically" to my topology, as if the router would somehow "remember" it. If I keep the new node in the topology, then my devices start again being disconnected frequently from their closest node. Turning off the new node is not enough to get back to a stable situation: even with the new node turned off, the devices keep on being disconnected from their closest node. The only solution at that point is to completely remove the new node from the topology. Only then is the WiFi connection stable again.

I tried different actions to solve the problem. None of them worked.

- I tried using 2 different ZenWiFi Pro XT12 (since I have 4 of them).
- I tried using 2 different AC adapters.
- I tried different topologies: connecting the 2nd node to the master node directly or through the 1st node.
- I tried downgrading the firmware and ended up re-upgrading it to the latest version.
- I tried resetting the nodes.
- I tried hard resetting the nodes (with the WPS button).
- I tried power cycling the nodes.

Can you please help me solve this problem? Thank you!

[TOlvl]

Thank you for your replies! 

@Aureliannn_ASUS  

Regarding your mention of private MAC addresses causing frequent disconnections on some devices, we recommend disabling the random MAC address setting on these devices and manually setting a fixed MAC address to see if it improves connection stability.

That's already done for all devices. I was aware of that problem and I made sure to turn off the use of private MAC addresses when reconnecting my devices to the new network that I created. By the way, using private MAC addresses (even fixed ones) causes all devices to be constantly disconnected from their closest node, not just the device that uses the private MAC address!

The distance between the node and the main router, or interference (such as walls, furniture, or other devices), may affect the stability of the Mesh system and lead to connection issues. Please ensure the distance between the devices is appropriate and minimize physical obstacles.

When connecting the additional node, it is 2 meters aways from my router in the same room.

You may also try manually setting the channels for 2.4GHz and 5GHz to the least interfered channels to improve system stability.

My WiFi network works fine with the router + one single node. It is the connection of an additional node that causes the instability.

If the issue persists, please follow the steps below to report the problem via the Web management interface.

I did that twice already but I did not get any feedback.

[Aureliannn_ASUS]

Hi @TOlvl ,

Thank you for your response! 

To assist further, after submitting your issue report, please send us the following details via private message. 

This will help our backend team match the information and proceed with analysis:

• Product Serial Number
• Issue Report Submission Time
• Email Address Used in the Report
• Time When the Issue Occurred
• Device MAC Address
• Current Network Architecture Diagram

We appreciate your cooperation. Thank you.

[TOlvl]

@Aureliannn_ASUS I have just sent you the information that you requested in a private message.

[Aureliannn_ASUS]

Hi @TOlvl ,

Thank you for the private message. We have received the information.

We have forwarded your issue to the backend team for analysis and confirmation. 

Please kindly wait for further updates. We will notify you as soon as there is progress. 

We appreciate your patience and understanding. Thank you!

[Aureliannn_ASUS]

Hi @TOlvl ,

we have sent you a messege via PM box, kindly check the messege and confim.

Thank you.