NWA50AX repeater APs keep going offline, interruptions to wifi throughout site.

Hi @Bootstrap ,

Thank you for reaching out. There are several factors that can cause repeater APs to go offline in a smart mesh topology. Let me guide you through the most common issues and their solutions.

1. Signal Strength Optimization

One of the primary causes is weak signal strength between the root AP and repeater AP. For a stable mesh network, the signal strength should be greater than -65 dBm. When it falls below this threshold, packet loss and disconnections can occur.

Please check the signal strength between your root AP and repeater AP and relocate your repeater AP closer to the root AP to improve signal strength. Also, please kindly provide the model of your root AP.

2. Dynamic Channel Selection (DCS) Configuration

Channel interference on the root AP can disrupt smart mesh connections. To resolve this:

Enable DCS:

(1) Navigate to Configure > Access Points > Radio Settings

(2) Scroll to the radio section (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz)

(3) Click on your target AP and select the Edit button

(4) Select DCS for the channel option

Disable 'DCS Client Aware':

(1) Navigate to Configure > Access Points > Radio Settings > DCS Settings

(2) Disable the DCS Client Aware option

We recommend disabling 'DCS Client Aware' because when this option is enabled, the AP will not switch to a better channel if there are clients currently connected. Disabling this option allows the AP to switch to a channel with better signal quality even when clients are connected, which helps maintain optimal mesh network performance.

3. Smart Mesh Mode Configuration

(1) Navigate to Device > Access Points and select your target AP

(2) Go to Status > Smart Mesh and click the configuration button

Avoid using "Auto (High Band Preferred)" mode – this setting causes the repeater AP to constantly evaluate connection quality and may trigger frequent band switching in unstable environments, resulting in disconnections.

What's more, there are also some considerations in relation to the Band Selection Trade-offs. When configuring your mesh connection, please consider the following:

• 2.4 GHz band: Provides better signal strength and longer range, but offers lower throughput and performance
• 5 GHz band: Delivers higher throughput and better performance, but has weaker signal strength and shorter range

We recommend choosing the band based on your specific deployment:

• Use 2.4 GHz if your repeater APs are farther from the root AP or if maintaining stable connections is the priority
• Use 5 GHz if your repeater APs are closer to the root AP and higher throughput is required

Also, for repeater APs that are already 2 hops away from the root AP, please disable their downlink capability to prevent additional APs from connecting through them.

4. Next Steps

Please implement the suggestions above and monitor whether the disconnection issues improve. Also,

To better understand your deployment and provide more accurate recommendations, please provide the following:

• How far apart are your APs from each other?
• Are your APs deployed across multiple floors (e.g., some on the first floor, some on the second floor), or are they all on the same level?
• A simple network diagram or description of your AP placement would be helpful

For further investigation, I'd like to request access to your Organization and Site. Please enable Zyxel Support Access by following these steps:

(1) Go to Help > Support > Request > Zyxel Support Access

(2) Follow the instructions in this guide:

This will allow me to review detailed logs and provide more targeted assistance and please kindly provide the name of your Org and Site.

Hope this would help. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or need further clarification.

Best regards,

Lynn