3006 firmware branch not ready for prime time

[Smokindog]

I really struggled where to post this and I really don't like posting such "general review" type posts but I could not wrap my arms around this any other way.

PLEASE, I hope we can restrict comments to the intent of the thread. If it makes you feel better, go ahead and tell me what an idiot I am in PM so others can follow the discussion!

A few months ago I helped to upgrade my friends network to an AX88-PRO and an AX86 as an AP (wired). I really never paid much attention to the 3006 vs 3004 base for the firmware. I really had no use for the PRO other than I found it for the same price and the hardware specs were better.

I struggled with a number of just plain "doesn't make sense" issues when setting up his network. It's fairly simple, the AX88-PRO as the main, the AX86 as a wired AP and an TP-LINK N300 wireless backhaul link with an AC68 for his shop. It's set up with a MAIN wireless network SSID and a 2.4 only IOT network SSID. I had issues with the WPA2/WPA3, issues getting the N backhaul to bind to the AX88PRO and getting an IP assigned to the AC68 in AP mode. I fixed these by homing the N Backhaul on the AX86 instead of the AX88PRO, turning off WPA2/WPA3 mode and making it WPA2 only, and making sure the IOT net was a "customized" network on the main net in the AX88PRO vs using the default IOT net. I chalked up all the issues to me missing something and/or being too unfamiliar with the 3006 firmware.

Fast forward to my home where I decided to "play" and bought a BE96 to replace my AX88 (NOT PRO). My network is also all wired APs made up of AC3100, AX88 (not PRO) and AX86S. Well guess what, I've run into all the same issues PLUS others like devices dropping the LAN and not rejoining the LAN after a WAN reset and random WAN drops that I can't put my finger on. If I swap back in my old main router, an AX88 (not PRO) for the BE96 all the problems go away.

IMO the 3006 branch of the firmware is just not ready for primetime and/or it doesn't play nice in environments containing the 3004 branch and multiple guest networks/IOT networks.

I'm sorry that this is not more "scientific" in assessment but I've spent a LOT of time chasing ghosts over recent months and each ghost seems to reside in the 3006 firmware.

I believe using Merlin on the AX88PRO will put me back on 3004 for my friends network, but I'm not sure there is a 3004 path for my BE96 and I'm now past the return date. I'm about ready to put my BE96 on the shelf awaiting future updates and installing my old rock steady AX88 (not PRO) back in it's place as the main router. Caveat Emptor!

Any/all constructive feedback welcome and thanks for hearing me out. It's been the relative stability of the ASUS firmware over the years that has kept me loyal. I hope this isn't an indication of the future.

UPDATE - I appears that the Authentication Method selected for the "main wifi" network is used regardless of what you select for the "custom network". Once you enable the 6GHz radio and WIFI7 mode for the MAIN network, you can only set WPA2/WPA3 mode or WPA3 mode. I have my IOT network setup as a custom network on the main using only the 2.4GHz spectrum. I've selected the WPA2 only authentication mode but if I connect with my phone to the IOT network it says WPA2/WPA3 mode. Now that may just be a reporting anomaly but I do know some of the devices I'm currently having issue with also have problems with WPA2/WPA3 mode being set when I use my AX88 nonPRO as the main router.

 

[bennor]

Welcome to the party. If you search the forums you'll find a number of people have commented that 3006, in particular the Guest Network Pro feature. is not ready for prime time. That it feels like it's beta that we're testing. That it doesn't operate as one would expect. That it has issues and quirks.

Throwing AiMesh into the mix is always problematic even when using all the same branch firmware, due to it's own issues AiMesh sometimes brings to the table.

 

[Tech9]

IMO the 3006 branch of the firmware is just not ready for primetime and/or it doesn't play nice in environments containing the 3004 branch

It's actually 4x different firmware branches:

- 3004.386 with Guest Network
- 3004.388 with Guest Network
- 3006.102 <37.xxx with Guest Network Pro
- 3006.102 >37xxx with Network

Interaction between is not documented by Asus, all you can find is user observations what works and what doesn't.

@jksmurf and @visortgw shared their experience here:

YazFi - YazFi Lite with Router in AP Mode?

I'll test this at first opportunity and report back the results Hi, how’s the testing coming along, if you’ve managed to get to it? Super curious about the outcome of this one. k.

www.snbforums.com

Good luck!

 

[Smokindog]

Welcome to the party. If you search the forums you'll find a number of people have commented that 3006, in particular the Guest Network Pro feature. is not ready for prime time. That it feels like it's beta that we're testing. That it doesn't operate as one would expect. That it has issues and quirks.

Throwing AiMesh into the mix is always problematic even when using all the same branch firmware, due to it's own issues AiMesh sometimes brings to the table.

Ya, I've seen some of that. I don't use AIMESH. I manually manage my APs.

 

[Tech9]

multiple guest networks/IOT networks

I manually manage my APs

How do you manage multiple Guest/IoT Networks on APs with no VLAN support? Custom scripts?

 

[bbunge]

Ya, I've seen some of that. I don't use AIMESH. I manually manage my APs.

You may have had better success using the AiMesh with the defaults. Ethernet backhaul also helps. There has been much discussion, complaints too, about AiMesh and mixed firmware series. I have tried many settings with my routers. I have pretty much settled on lower bandwidth settings, 20 MHz for 2.4 GHz and 80 MHz for 5 GHz. AiMesh is to improve coverage not speed! Outside of the known "bugs" in the current AX86U Pro firmware my AiMesh system is rock solid. I've had some issues this weekend and I reset and manually configured my Asus system but I finally tracked the problems with the wife's computer to a failing motherboard and not the Asus routers.
FWIW - my firmware "bug" is that the Wireless MAC filter does not block clients on the guest WIFI. There is an un-configured Tuya Smart client on my neighborhood that floods the system log with connect attempts.

 

[Smokindog]

You may have had better success using the AiMesh with the defaults. Ethernet backhaul also helps. There has been much discussion, complaints too, about AiMesh and mixed firmware series. I have tried many settings with my routers. I have pretty much settled on lower bandwidth settings, 20 MHz for 2.4 GHz and 80 MHz for 5 GHz. AiMesh is to improve coverage not speed! Outside of the known "bugs" in the current AX86U Pro firmware my AiMesh system is rock solid. I've had some issues this weekend and I reset and manually configured my Asus system but I finally tracked the problems with the wife's computer to a failing motherboard and not the Asus routers.
FWIW - my firmware "bug" is that the Wireless MAC filter does not block clients on the guest WIFI. There is an un-configured Tuya Smart client on my neighborhood that floods the system log with connect attempts.

All my APs are hardwired, except for the "shop" scenario I mentioned for my friend where I needed a specific targeted outdoor link for backhaul.

 

[AlbumMan]

FWIW - my firmware "bug" is that the Wireless MAC filter does not block clients on the guest WIFI. There is an un-configured Tuya Smart client on my neighborhood that floods the system log with connect attempts.

You must live in my neighborhood as there's one here too. Thankfully I'm still on 3004.388.8_4, not using Guest WiFi for my IoT's yet and can block it.

 

[jerry6]

have to agree with you I said this a few months ago when i tried 3006 on my 1100 pro , was a disaster , now using Merlin 3006 alpha2 with no troubles . everything works as it should . I do not use mesh just an AP or extender when needed
Good luck

 

[Smokindog]

Found another one yesterday. Another friend of mine with an AX88PRO (3.0.0.6 firmware) installed an older Honeywell WIFI thermostat that refused to connect to the WIFI.

Honeywell Home Wi-Fi Smart Color Thermostat - RTH9585WF1004 | Honeywell Home

Buy the Wi-Fi Smart Color Thermostat RTH9585WF1004. Honeywell Home Thermostats provide performance you can rely on.

www.honeywellhome.com

The Honeywells are known to be picky and especially do not like WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode.

I validated it was set to WPA2 ONLY which typically fixes the problem in my limited experience with Honeywells (I have 3 T9s that I absolutely HATE).

Changing to WPA2 and a few other things did NOT fix it for this TSTAT. I had a 3.0.0.4 based router with me so I quickly set it up as an AP and added a test SSID to the 2.4G radio. It connected up right away. I'll be going back next week to change his AX88PRO to Merlin and hopefully the 3.0.0.4 will fix things for him.

I've got more than one WIFI ticket open with ASUS on 3.0.0.6. I'm curious if anyone knows if ASUS has any urgency about fixing the 3.0.0.6 firmware moving forward. I know I'm rapidly losing my "fan boy" status for ASUS routers. There are too many IOT devices out there that won't be changing anytime in the next decade which may have issues.

 

[Smokindog]

have to agree with you I said this a few months ago when i tried 3006 on my 1100 pro , was a disaster , now using Merlin 3006 alpha2 with no troubles . everything works as it should . I do not use mesh just an AP or extender when needed
Good luck

Curious, I've always thought the WIFI stuff on Merlin was exactly the same and was a "compiled library" in his builds. Are you suggesting the Merlin 3.0.0.6 WIFI is modified? I have a BE96U and have to keep it on stock until I resolve and/or close out my tickets with ASUS and wasn't planning on moving to Merlin 3.0.0.6 because I didn't think there would be any difference for the WIFI. I know on the AX88PRO, moving to Merlin "rolls you back" to the 3.0.0.4 where the WIFI doesn't exhibit the same issues.

 

[dave14305]

Are you suggesting the Merlin 3.0.0.6 WIFI is modified?

He doesn’t modify the WiFi drivers themselves, but Merlin firmware is almost never based on the same exact GPL (source code) as Asus’ public releases of their own firmware for the same model. In theory, there could be differences between the WiFi drivers in stock public firmware and the code Merlin receives. Could be for better or for worse.

Most claims of differences in WiFi are imagined usually.

 

[CaptainSTX]

Found another one yesterday. Another friend of mine with an AX88PRO (3.0.0.6 firmware) installed an older Honeywell WIFI thermostat that refused to connect to the WIFI.

Honeywell Home Wi-Fi Smart Color Thermostat - RTH9585WF1004 | Honeywell Home

Buy the Wi-Fi Smart Color Thermostat RTH9585WF1004. Honeywell Home Thermostats provide performance you can rely on.

www.honeywellhome.com

The Honeywells are known to be picky and especially do not like WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode.

I validated it was set to WPA2 ONLY which typically fixes the problem in my limited experience with Honeywells (I have 3 T9s that I absolutely HATE).

Changing to WPA2 and a few other things did NOT fix it for this TSTAT. I had a 3.0.0.4 based router with me so I quickly set it up as an AP and added a test SSID to the 2.4G radio. It connected up right away. I'll be going back next week to change his AX88PRO to Merlin and hopefully the 3.0.0.4 will fix things for him.

I've got more than one WIFI tick et open with ASUS on 3.0.0.6. I'm curious if anyone knows if ASUS has any urgency about fixing the 3.0.0.6 firmware moving forward. I know I'm rapidly losing my "fan boy" status for ASUS routers. There are too many IOT devices out there that won't be changing anytime in the next decade which may have issues.

I also have a Honeywell thermostat and I have not been able to connect it to myAX88 Pro running alpha2. Have tried everything I can think of, and it still won't connect. Have tried putting 2.4 Ghz in N only, Legacy, Auto modes. Since I use DOT for DNS which seems to cause problems for some IoT devices I specify that the thermostat use 8.8.8.8. With the alpha firmware it seems that DOT became more problematic for some IoT devices. I setup a guest network SSID that isn't repeated on mesh nodes and tried connecting the thermostat to that SSID. I have tried using a simple short password with no special characters. I have also fiddled with many of the other settings people suggest to get stubborn devices to connect. Still no connection. Finally I temporarily gave up and setup a ten year old travel router that is N only 2.4 Ghz as an AP off the AX88 Pro and the thermostat has no problem connecting.

 

[vit5421]

Dear users,

I have a strange problem with different Asus routers and latest 3006 firmware (two ax88u pro, be7200) connecting Asus 2.5 Wan/Lan port to google fiber jack. My plan is 1gbps but Google speed is about 1.2gbps according to Ookla speed test and jack can handle up to 8 gbps.

The problem is that some overseas services dropping down the connected speed to their servers by 2-3 times. As long i connecting my Google modem to Asus Lan 1gbps port (using dual Wan option) the speed is maximum as possible.

Can you advice what to do?

 

[Smokindog]

I also have a Honeywell thermostat and I have not been able to connect it to myAX88 Pro running alpha2. Have tried everything I can think of, and it still won't connect. Have tried putting 2.4 Ghz in N only, Legacy, Auto modes. Since I use DOT for DNS which seems to cause problems for some IoT devices I specify that the thermostat use 8.8.8.8. With the alpha firmware it seems that DOT became more problematic for some IoT devices. I setup a guest network SSID that isn't repeated on mesh nodes and tried connecting the thermostat to that SSID. I have tried using a simple short password with no special characters. I have also fiddled with many of the other settings people suggest to get stubborn devices to connect. Still no connection. Finally I temporarily gave up and setup a ten year old travel router that is N only 2.4 Ghz as an AP off the AX88 Pro and the thermostat has no problem connecting.

YUP, that's exactly what I did, another AP just for the Honeywell Hopefully the "roll back" of the AX88 to 3.0.0.4 Merlin will fix this. We have to wait for a day when his wife isn't WFH

 

[jerry6]

Curious, I've always thought the WIFI stuff on Merlin was exactly the same and was a "compiled library" in his builds. Are you suggesting the Merlin 3.0.0.6 WIFI is modified? I have a BE96U and have to keep it on stock until I resolve and/or close out my tickets with ASUS and wasn't planning on moving to Merlin 3.0.0.6 because I didn't think there would be any difference for the WIFI. I know on the AX88PRO, moving to Merlin "rolls you back" to the 3.0.0.4 where the WIFI doesn't exhibit the same issues.

no wifi is not modified to my knowledge , just most times it just works where Asus has bugs or faults , not wifi but other parts of the FW