Setup your Main router completely.
Plug your child router using the wan port to the main router lan port.
Log into your main router web admin. Click on CA at the bottom right.
Click on Connectivity and CA Router setup. Click on both Add Wired and Add Wireless nodes buttons. Wait for the Add wireless button to re-enable then click Done adding Child Nodes. And then Apply.
Now the child node light should start flashing purple and turn into a mesh node when it urns blue.
This is really finicky but mines up and running again after a full reset.
Benefits of installing open sources openwrt/DD-wrt -
1.Current firmware is EOL and this router will not get future updates. But with Openwrt/dd-wrt, you will get longer support.
2. Support for additional packages/features
3. Easy mesh setup
4. VPN support
5. Potential for activating the USB3 port, which doesn't function with the stock firmware.
IMPORTANT Caution for following: As of Sept. 2nd, there is no official release of OpenWRT available yet for this unit - only the developers' testing versions noted below. The Linksys included stock firmware version shipped is from Spring 2024, so you may want to wait for installing an official Openwrt release, which may come within next few weeks.
Steps to install openwrt -
There are two models of this router, one is straight MX4300 and other is Homewrk version (please clarify/update this and ways to identify them. i believe all woot routers are Homewrk version) [Edit by hiroll: Actually most or all of those shipped from Woot are almost certainly the MX4300 ... it's confusing, because the outer brown shipping box is still labeled for the original Homewrk, but the router units packed within the inner white box are labeled MX4300. AFAIK, all of the Woot units are shipped via slow UPS ground from a 3rd party in CA. I received two different ones weeks apart from the earlier deal posts, one ordered through Amazon and the other directly from Woot - and both outer boxes and contents are exactly the same.]
Based on the router version, you need to install different variation of openwrt. One is lytr [github.com] and second is qosmio's build [github.com]. You have to install right version to right router otherwise you may end up with bricked router.
Here are instructions, thanks to @andythepandy
1. Go to https://github.com/testuser7/open...ax-2540ea6 and download the squashfs file for your device (e.g., LN1301 is the same as MX4300, so you'd download openwrt-qualcommax-ipq807x-linksys_mx4300-squashfs-factory.bin).
2. Follow the installation steps from https://openwrt.org/toh/linksys/mx4200_v1_and_v
3. SSH into your router as user "root" and no password. By default, the IP address for the router would be 192.168.1.1
4. Make sure your router is connected to the internet (WAN port is connected to your ISP). Then in the router CLI, type "opkg update", press enter. Once finished, type "opkg install luci" and press enter. Once the command completes, reboot the router or power cycle.
5. Now you should be able to access Luci by going to 192.168.1.1 in your browser.
Some Relevent links:
https://openwrt.org/toh/linksys/mx4200_v1_and_v
https://forum.openwrt.o
https://forum.openwrt.o
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246 Comments
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Sure, node intercommunication is blazing fast, but the user bands aren't.
Sure, node intercommunication is blazing fast, but the user bands aren't.
You don't even need to have heavy congestion for 6 ghz backhaul to be useful. There really aren't a lot of bands once you start utilizing 80 mhz or 40 mhz channels in the 5 ghz spectrum. If you want to maximize speed and coverage on those bands, it's useful to not waste bandwidth on backhaul there.
The killer feature of 6ghz to me is all the extra spectrum that it has. You mentioned backhaul. I don't know if you know this, I assume not based on your comment, but people go out of their way to buy mesh systems with 6ghz backhaul. The lack of congestion combined with being able to add nodes with mesh and alleviate the problem of range has made those systems into desirable products for a lot of people.
All that said, I think your overall sentiment isn't wrong. Most people don't need it. I'm not running out to replace my stuff yet. These Linksys routers are a great value. I ordered three of them before I wrote my comment. I wasn't trashing them. I was only pointing out factors for why these aren't going to fly off the shelves if Linksys wanted to try to market and sell them as high end routers today rather than what they've done in essentially writing them off. They didn't decide to stop selling routers. They've moved on to new products.
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One trick is to create a separate networks for 2.5 and 5 hz and connect to just one. Otherwise the devices needlessly try to switch and cause response lag.
Those 20mhz networks can have issues with loads that have low latency and high throughput requirements like game streaming. That said, writing this I'm realizing I should just switch to 40 mhz for all those networks. That shouldn't be a problem anymore once I have some Wifi7 equipment years from now.
With all that in mind, AX has been a major upgrade along with the carryover from AC. Beamforming has surprised me with how well it works in making 5ghz way faster and more stable through walls and floors. 2.4ghz isn't a complete afterthought for me anymore with the throughput improvements. It still kind of is because every device I have that has AX also does 5ghz, but it's nice to see potential improvements for whatever doesn't in the future.
Or am I mixing up 2 things. Online reviews are saying you can't use 2 as a mesh network.
Or am I mixing up 2 things. Online reviews are saying you can't use 2 as a mesh network.
*Update* these will work. Read rbtcordells comments below.
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Am I correct that the mx4200 from Walmart
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Linksy...564541
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