AC86U sometimes powers completely off during reboot

[L&LD]

If it's the power supply, why would a start be different to a restart? The power surge can't really be different. If the power supply is poorly filtered and you happen to have a brownout or some other kind of disturbance on the power grid at boot. A start should really be more disadvantages to a restart, since the capacitors of the ac86u at start are flat. Does anyone have the ac86u connected to a UPS?

All networked equipment connected to UPS w/Battery backup. Please see further details in my following post in this thread.

 

[L&LD]

I personally don't think the power supply is the issue.

My AC86 was having the problem of not being able to either reboot from the GUI or when I held the WPS button and then connected the power cord the router would partially reset but would not reboot. I was having some other strange issues with the router so I did an RMA with ASUS.

ASUS sent me a new router and after getting it setup I had an issue with Skynet (cron failed, Ipsets failed, IPtables failed ) the replacement router got to be in the same state. I tried both the new power supply and the old power supply and the results were the same in that the router would not reboot or would shut down during the reboot.

After resetting the router, putting it into recovery mode, factory resetting, NVRAM erase, etc I got it working again so it reboots and does not power off during a reboot.

I also don't think it's a power supply issue. My equipment and most customers routers are also on a battery backup UPS too.

My personal RT-AC86U did this issue once or twice, right at the beginning (while I was doing my version of a Nuclear Reset on the brand new router and the rest of my network/clients).

Since the second full reset, I have not seen it since. This is a few months now (since March 2019).

 

[Asad Ali]

Since the second full reset, I have not seen it since. This is a few months now (since March 2019).

Question is how many times did you soft restart your router in that time period?

 

[L&LD]

Question is how many times did you soft restart your router in that time period?

About 200. Literally.

Was learning and playing with amtm, pfsense and trying to get the RT-AC86U (Control Channels, placement, orientation, etc.) to approach the range that the RT-AC3100 has in my environment.

 

[Val D.]

I also don't think it's a power supply issue. My equipment and most customers routers are also on a battery backup UPS too.

We are trying to find if the power supply of RT-AC86U itself is providing enough power in some specific cases. Where the power supply is connected to is another story. I also don't have much complaints about rooter not booting after reboot. I've seen it few times only in >12 months period. Testing now under load on USB ports, let's see. I need a bit more time.

 

[Asad Ali]

About 200. Literally.

Ok that’s a pretty reasonable sample size, perhaps I should also try that reset thingy!!!

 

[L&LD]

We are trying to find if the power supply of RT-AC86U itself is providing enough power in some specific cases. Where the power supply is connected to is another story. I also don't have much complaints about rooter not booting after reboot. I've seen it few times only in >12 months period. Testing now under load on USB ports, let's see. I need a bit more time.

Thank you. You don't need to repeat things for me. I read every post in these forums. I don't just post blindly, as you think I do.

 

[L&LD]

Ok that’s a pretty reasonable sample size, perhaps I should also try that reset thingy!!!

After I saw that issue on my router initially, I was very anxious to recommend the model to my customers.

After two weeks though, I had installed more than a handful (and with no shortcuts on the Nuclear Reset taken) and no other RT-AC86U has exhibited that issue for me personally (or reported by the owners).

From my notes, I can see that the second Nuclear Reset I performed on mine was when 384.10_2 was released. No issues since.

(Btw, that was the last day before I could return for a refund. I rebooted a few dozen times in that 24 hour period. ).

 

[dosborne]

With the reported issues where people have to flash twice, M&M config etc, I'd be more inclined to suspect the boot process, memory etc. as opposed to a hardware issue. A RAM chip that doesn't clear, a less than perfect bootloader, ......

 

[Val D.]

I read every post in these forums.

Is there a procedure to perform a Nuclear Reset on you?

 

[miroco]

I think the ideal test scenario would be to completely isolate the ac86u from the power grid, like power it from a quality UPS. If it's on the power grid, events there will inevitably taint the results. Like the refrigerator in the kitchen to thunderstorms miles away and everything in between creating spikes, power surges and brownouts.

 

[L&LD]

Is there a procedure to perform a Nuclear Reset on you?

The only known method is to dive into a stack of books taller than I am. But after a few short weeks, no guarantees I won't need one again.

 

[Val D.]

The only known method is to dive into a stack of books taller than I am. But after a few short weeks, no guarantees I won't need one again.

OK, please be patient and hold your radioactive things away for now. I want to reach 40 reboots with the ASUS provided power supply and under high load to see if the boot process will stuck somewhere. With the 65W power supply I did 40 reboots without a glitch. Later on I'll get the lab power supply and find what exactly RT-AC86U needs during boot. I have good equipment to detect voltage and current spikes. All I can say for now is the ASUS power supply started to heat up and this is not a very good sign.

 

[martinr]

I think the ideal test scenario would be to completely isolate the ac86u from the power grid, like power it from a quality UPS. If it's on the power grid, events there will inevitably taint the results. Like the refrigerator in the kitchen to thunderstorms miles away and everything in between creating spikes, power surges and brownouts.

I’m racking my brains: I can’t remember where I read of a central heating pump causing exactly the sort of problem you are talking about. Couldn't have been this forum because someone else would have remembered. So it must have been in a professional heating and plumbing magazine (HVP).

And I like your use of “quality” before UPS. I recently got caught out troubleshooting problems with my brother’s (non-Asus) router. Turned out to be the battery in the non-quality UPS. A new battery fixed it. Pity I didn’t follow my own advice: just because the router lights up, don’t assume the power supply must be perfect.

 

[Val D.]

I think the ideal test scenario would be to completely isolate the ac86u from the power grid.

We can do that, but if we find the power supply not capable dealing with common noise in power lines it is still an issue with the power supply. I don't have any other devices around refusing to boot after reboot. And they are all connected to the same power lines.

 

[L&LD]

I’m racking my brains: I can’t remember where I read of a central heating pump causing exactly the sort of problem you are talking about. Couldn't have been this forum because someone else would have remembered. So it must have been in a professional heating and plumbing magazine (HVP).

And I like your use of “quality” before UPS. I recently got caught out troubleshooting problems with my brother’s (non-Asus) router. Turned out to be the battery in the non-quality UPS. A new battery fixed it. Pity I didn’t follow my own advice: just because the router lights up, don’t assume the power supply must be perfect.

Words to live by.

Quality matters, most electronic products are not mere commodities that can be swapped without consequence. The quality isn't just in the hardware, it is also in what runs within too (even for something as 'primitive' as it can possibly be, depending on the product).

Take nothing for granted. Nothing. Ever. Always question your assumptions and you can't go too far wrong, for too long.

 

[L&LD]

We can do that, but if we find the power supply not capable dealing with common noise in power lines it is still an issue with the power supply. I don't have any other devices around refusing to boot after reboot. And they are all connected to the same power lines.

Are you at 240V or 120V?

 

[Val D.]

Are you at 240V or 120V?

Canada, 120V. In theory it doesn't matter on a switching power supply.

 

[Val D.]

Oops, reboot No.27 with stock ASUS power supply - no lights!

And the power brick is pretty warm to touch... OK, I have to bring some equipment tomorrow to see what exactly is going on here. For the time being I'm plugging back in the 65W power supply.

Could I use my ac3200's AC adapter on the Ac86u? Has DC Output : 19 V with max. 2.37 A current, which is greated than ac86u's 19 V with max. 1.75 A current. My ac3200 is unused at the moment.

Please, share your experience with the 2.37A (45W) power supply.

 

[L&LD]

Oops, reboot No.27 with stock ASUS power supply - no lights!

And the power brick is pretty warm to touch... OK, I have to bring some equipment tomorrow to see what exactly is going on here. For the time being I'm plugging back in the 65W power supply.



Please, share your experience with the 2.37A (45W) power supply.

Curious if you're continuously rebooting it (and how? via the GUI? amtm? Command prompt?) or letting it 'rest' in between?