Options to add WiFi6 to my current CT8 setup

[archercj]

I currently have two CT8's with one connected to my ISP supplied router which is set to modem mode. Really happy with this and have 30+ devices connected (CCTV, Microsoft server, Xbox's, TV's AV's etc).

The other day I was supplied with a new router from the ISP. Put it in to modem mode and all is well. But it got me thinking. The new router has WiFi6 ad the CT8 setup is WiFi5. I don't want to scrap the CT8 setup but are there options to add WiFi6 to my current CT8 setup. The IP CCTV's can be a pain to configure but they are stable now (I ended up using power adaptors for all but one).

Don't want to break the bank either (I could upgrade to XT8 or above) but are there any other option such as adding a compatible to the current AIMesh which could give me a separate Wifi6 (or 7) wireless SSID, or something like that?

[jzchen]

ASUS routers typically mesh with older WiFi standard AiMesh routers.  You can do a couple of things:

You can turn the new router into router mode, then set the CT8 connected directly to that into Access Point mode with AiMesh.  (This would not cost anything).

You could purchase a newer ASUS router, set it up as router with ISP provided working as modem (only), then add the 2 CT8s as nodes.

[archercj]

Thank you for your response jzchen. I did have a 'play' with changing the Asus router into Ap mode. Easy enough to do but the pitfall is that I have a lot of devices with fixed IP's (CCTV cameras prefer that). Once in AP mode you lose DHCP or else I would change from 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.1.1 for the Asus and keep the Virgins hubs 192.168.0.1 (this cant be changed).

I did test the WiFi6 of the Hub and was impressed with it so might consider purchasing an Asus AIMesh compatible router and then using the existing CT8's as 'extensions'.

[jzchen]

1. Wow, I'm sorry to read that the Verizon hub is that inflexible.  Just to clarify your fixed IPs start with 192.168.1.xxx?  But the hub's LAN IP is 192.168.0.1?  So those stop working because they are out of the scope of the typical subnet/subnet mask 255.255.255.0?  Slim likelihood but is the subnet by any chance changeable?  Then you can set it to 255.255.254.0 and it should work (per a somewhat recent revelation).

[archercj]

@jzchen - I will have another look at the options on the Hub when i can get on it. Too many on their Xbox's or streaming TV in our house to get a spare 5 minutes to change it back to router mode.

No my fixed IP's are 192.168.0.x - the Asus is 192.168.0.1 and DHCP assigns from there. There are about 20 fixed IP's and looking at it I would need to change the router to 192.168.1.1 and assign DHCP accordingly but you cant just change the IP address of an assigned fixed IP (from 0.x to 1.x) but have to delete the device first then reassign its MAC address (at least it appears that way after I had a little look).