2.4ghz on RT-AC66U keeps on failing

[paradoox]

Sorry if there is already a thread on this, but I did a number of searches and didn't see anything. If so, please point me in the right direction.

I have an ASUS RT-AC66U (which I've had for several years). It has in the past exhibited a problem with the 2.4GHz band (every couple of months) which is getting more and more frequent (like almost every day). Basically the it still is advertising the band (I use different SSIDs on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands) but attempts to connect to it fail. Rebooting the router (connecting via the 5GHz band SSID) brings the 2.4GHz band SSID back to life for a while.

I have it in AP mode as it is connected to a Comcast Cable Modem (with wireless off).

If it makes any difference I also have three RT-N12D1 acting as bridges / repeaters (mostly as bridges for old HP LaserJets and a BluRay player). I recently started using a N53 dongle on a desktop which I am setting up for a client and that is about when the problems with the AC66U become more frequent. When this happens the status via the web interface to the RT-AC66U looks normal. I didn't notice anything in the logs before I just cleared them and rebooted the router again.

Any ideas or anything I should look for next time this happens?

 

[eibgrad]

Actually, it's not unheard of for the wireless on some of these routers to eventually give out, esp. if running 24/7 under very warm conditions. Heat is the mortal enemy of ICs in general, and wireless in particular. Sometimes it just literally wears out and needs replacement. And the classic sign of this happening is the increasing unreliability of the radio after many years of otherwise faithful service.

 

[eibgrad]

P.S. That's why I'm presently doing the following.

GT-AC2900 running at 82°C on Asuswrt-Merlin 386.1 - too hot?

Firstly to say, I was delighted yesterday to discover the Asuswrt-Merlin 386.1 release for my newish GT-AC2900. I installed like a shot, it's great to be back after months in the stock wildeness. No more ROG theme, what a delightful bonus! Anyway... after the flash I was having issues with...

www.snbforums.com

I like to hang onto my routers for a long time, if only to use them as repeaters, bridges, etc., when they've eventually been outclassed by more modern routers.

If your router temps are high, you *might* be able to extend its life a bit using a similar solution. But in the end, it's probably a losing battle.

 

[paradoox]

Actually, it's not unheard of for the wireless on some of these routers to eventually give out, esp. if running 24/7 under very warm conditions. Heat is the mortal enemy of ICs in general, and wireless in particular. Sometimes it just literally wears out and needs replacement. And the classic sign of this happening is the increasing unreliability of the radio after many years of otherwise faithful service.

Any thoughts / reasons why this is happening on the 2.4ghz band and not the 5ghz band?

 

[eibgrad]

Any thoughts / reasons why this is happening on the 2.4ghz band and not the 5ghz band?

Impossible to know for sure. But at least according to wikidevi, that router uses multiple wireless ICs, one being dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) but limited to N, while a second one for 5GHz and AC. So it's probably the former that's failing.

ASUS RT-AC66U

For a list of all currently documented Broadcom chipsets with specifications, see Broadcom. 802.11ac Dual-Band Wireless-AC1750 Gigabit Router Product page...

wikidevi.wi-cat.ru

 

[paradoox]

P.S. That's why I'm presently doing the following.

GT-AC2900 running at 82°C on Asuswrt-Merlin 386.1 - too hot?

Firstly to say, I was delighted yesterday to discover the Asuswrt-Merlin 386.1 release for my newish GT-AC2900. I installed like a shot, it's great to be back after months in the stock wildeness. No more ROG theme, what a delightful bonus! Anyway... after the flash I was having issues with...

www.snbforums.com

I like to hang onto my routers for a long time, if only to use them as repeaters, bridges, etc., when they've eventually been outclassed by more modern routers.

If your router temps are high, you *might* be able to extend its life a bit using a similar solution. But in the end, it's probably a losing battle.

Is there any (reasonable) way to tell the router temperature? It is in a current 60 degree F room on top of a 3 foot tall bookcase.

 

[eibgrad]

Is there any (reasonable) way to tell the router temperature? It is in a current 60 degree F room on top of a 3 foot tall bookcase.

Can't speak for the oem/stock firmware (might be indicated on some overview page), but often times third-party firmware will make that available in the GUI as long as the hardware supports it.

 

[Zetto]

did you try using a different power adapter? they usually are the first ones to go.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Is there any (reasonable) way to tell the router temperature? It is in a current 60 degree F room on top of a 3 foot tall bookcase.

This webUI page reports CPU temp on an AC86U when logged in... see where it goes on your AC66U:

http://router.asus.com/ajax_coretmp.asp

OE

 

[sadbttru]

Hi, I am having the same issue, just started but I have rebooted, restored, and changed some settings. It will come on after reboot and work regular (60 plus mb/s) and then drop down to less than 1 mb/s after a few minutes. The 5 ghz band is fine, just limited by the range. My provider, Cogeco is sending me another modem which has wifi but I wanted to check that I am not missing something before concluding that it is a hardware failure. thanks!

 

[Popsmoke]

I have the exact same problem although mine is set as router (ac66u b-1). Only the 2.4 ghz drops speeds to 1 mbit and then drops internet entirely. After 1-5 minutes, the band is up and running without me restarting the router. Since I've moved to a new house with much thinner walls, the problem has become more consistent? The temperature of the router is 70 which is normal for a router. As the dude above said, it's most likely a sign that the router is throwing the towel. The 5 ghz band is working flawless.

 

[sadbttru]

So just wanted to update here. I got a new modem from my provider and once I got it I went to remove my asus and noticed that the plug was nearly all the way out of the socket. So I unplugged it then plugged it back in and tested it. Now I know power is the first thing I should have checked so I’ll eat that mistake but it seems to have fixed the problem. So to anyone else I would suggest trying a new/different power supply to see if that is the issue.
Somewhat related I now have to wifi sources and 4 channels 2.4/5 for both so I just renamed them all the same ssid and now my phone will most of the time pick the strongest signal.
I will continue to test the asus 2.4 speeds and update this post if they drop back down.

 

[ChronoReverse]

I have an RT-AC66U (original version) and had the same issue. I fixed it by setting it to Wireless Router mode and "manually" making it an Access Point (i.e., turning off the DHCP server). It's been running since with 2.4GHz going just fine.

I can't find where I read this but it seems sometimes these Asus routers just misbehave in Access Point mode.

The only annoying thing is that NTP only reads from the WAN so the time on my RT-AC66U is wrong! Solved that by doing a startup job to read it from my local NTP server (RT-AC3100)