AC87U 2.4GHz and LAN 2,3 ports not working

[lifeisfun]

Flashing from Asus FW to Merlin lost 2.4GHz and LAN ports 2 and 3
Any change to the 2.4Ghz radio I get this line in the log
.... asus r561982 failed with code 1
Reset , flashing back to stock does not make any difference
Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[RMerlin]

Try a factory default reset. If it still fails, then you have a hardware failure with your router.

 

[lifeisfun]

Try a factory default reset. If it still fails, then you have a hardware failure with your router.

Already did that, no joy
Isn't it strange that the port 2 and 3 failed at the same time?

 

[RMerlin]

Already did that, no joy
Isn't it strange that the port 2 and 3 failed at the same time?

Not necessarily, they are both handled by the same chip.

 

[lifeisfun]

Not necessarily, they are both handled by the same chip.

That explains a lot! Thanks
Only the middle and right heat sinks on the board are warm the left is completely cold, perhaps dead

 

[lifeisfun]

Got replacement from Asus, the router worked fine and after 2nd reboot, same problem 2.4GHz radio nowhere to be found. In this case all LAN ports still working fine.
This is strange

 

[RAH-66]

Got replacement from Asus, the router worked fine and after 2nd reboot, same problem 2.4GHz radio nowhere to be found.

Do you happen to use channel 12 and 13? In some regions (for example US/Canada), they are not available in devices/clients.

 

[lifeisfun]

The channel selection on the router is set to auto and I'm unable to change that on the 2.4Ghz band

 

[RAH-66]

The channel selection on the router is set to auto and I'm unable to change that on the 2.4Ghz band

Wow.....what response does router give to this command:

nvram show | grep ccode ; nvram show | grep regrev ; nvram show | grep territory_code ; nvram show | grep location_code ; nvram get SKU

 

[lifeisfun]

Wow.....what response does router give to this command:

nvram show | grep ccode ; nvram show | grep regrev ; nvram show | grep territory_code ; nvram show | grep location_code ; nvram get SKU

1:ccode=CA
size: 46011 bytes (19525 left)
0:ccode=US
0:regrev=0
1:regrev=0
size: 46011 bytes (19525 left)
size: 46011 bytes (19525 left)
location_code=
size: 46011 bytes (19525 left)

 

[Hawk]

The channel selection on the router is set to auto and I'm unable to change that on the 2.4Ghz band

Your 2.4 ghz wifi controller chip is defective, exchange the router.

 

[RAH-66]

1:ccode=CA
0:ccode=US

Your router has non-factory settings, region code for modules must match. Also, your router do not have a territorial code , for example - Australia. I also strongly doubt that Canada at Asus has a separate "radio region" from USA.

I suggest you fix it yourself:
1. copy CFE, command:

dd if=/dev/mtdblock0 of=/home/root/cfe_orig.bin

2. copy file cfe_orig.bin using WinSCP from router to Windows machine.
3. find in GOOGLE and download Vortex CFE Editor V1.2
4. open in Vortex CFE Editor V1.2 file cfe_orig.bin
5. find and change 1:ccode=CA to 1:ccode=US
6. save in Vortex CFE Editor V1.2 file cfe_new.bin
7. copy file cfe_new.bin using WinSCP from Windows machine to router in folder /home/root/
8. flash new CFE, command:

dd if=/home/root/cfe_new.bin of=/dev/mtdblock0

9. reboot router

p.s. bonus in picture

 

[RMerlin]

Don't mess with the CFE. Those values are defined by Asus at manufacturing time, so unless you actually changed them, they should be correct.

The RT-AC87U does not run the 5 GHz wifi off Asuswrt, but off a separate firmware developped by Quantenna.

 

[lifeisfun]

Your 2.4 ghz wifi controller chip is defective, exchange the router.

I did that already once and it happened again on the replacement after 2 reboots for some strange reason

 

[lifeisfun]

Don't mess with the CFE. Those values are defined by Asus at manufacturing time, so unless you actually changed them, they should be correct.

The RT-AC87U does not run the 5 GHz wifi off Asuswrt, but off a separate firmware developped by Quantenna.

Don't mess with the CFE. Those values are defined by Asus at manufacturing time, so unless you actually changed them, they should be correct.

The RT-AC87U does not run the 5 GHz wifi off Asuswrt, but off a separate firmware developped by Quantenna.

I didn't do any changes except flashing your latest FW on it. Did that many times before without problem even on AC86 that I have now as well.
I find it strange coincidence that the replacement would crap out same way

 

[lifeisfun]

Your router has non-factory settings, region code for modules must match. Also, your router do not have a territorial code , for example - Australia. I also strongly doubt that Canada at Asus has a separate "radio region" from USA.

I suggest you fix it yourself:
1. copy CFE, command:

dd if=/dev/mtdblock0 of=/home/root/cfe_orig.bin

2. copy file cfe_orig.bin using WinSCP from router to Windows machine.
3. find in GOOGLE and download Vortex CFE Editor V1.2
4. open in Vortex CFE Editor V1.2 file cfe_orig.bin
5. find and change 1:ccode=CA to 1:ccode=US
6. save in Vortex CFE Editor V1.2 file cfe_new.bin
7. copy file cfe_new.bin using WinSCP from Windows machine to router in folder /home/root/
8. flash new CFE, command:

dd if=/home/root/cfe_new.bin of=/dev/mtdblock0

9. reboot router

p.s. bonus in picture

Thank you, before I do that can you please comment on what Merlin said in post 13? https://www.snbforums.com/threads/ac87u-2-4ghz-and-lan-2-3-ports-not-working.55874/#post-510923

 

[andresmorago]

Your router has non-factory settings, region code for modules must match. Also, your router do not have a territorial code , for example - Australia. I also strongly doubt that Canada at Asus has a separate "radio region" from USA.

I suggest you fix it yourself:
1. copy CFE, command:

dd if=/dev/mtdblock0 of=/home/root/cfe_orig.bin

2. copy file cfe_orig.bin using WinSCP from router to Windows machine.
3. find in GOOGLE and download Vortex CFE Editor V1.2
4. open in Vortex CFE Editor V1.2 file cfe_orig.bin
5. find and change 1:ccode=CA to 1:ccode=US
6. save in Vortex CFE Editor V1.2 file cfe_new.bin
7. copy file cfe_new.bin using WinSCP from Windows machine to router in folder /home/root/
8. flash new CFE, command:

dd if=/home/root/cfe_new.bin of=/dev/mtdblock0

9. reboot router

p.s. bonus in picture

dont all asus cfe's are now encripted on recent routers?

 

[Swistheater]

Thank you, before I do that can you please comment on what Merlin said in post 13? https://www.snbforums.com/threads/ac87u-2-4ghz-and-lan-2-3-ports-not-working.55874/#post-510923

I didn't do any changes except flashing your latest FW on it. Did that many times before without problem even on AC86 that I have now as well.
I find it strange coincidence that the replacement would crap out same way

The channel selection on the router is set to auto and I'm unable to change that on the 2.4Ghz band

firstly if the 2.4 ghz works on stock asus try flashing back to a slightly older version of stock firmware, then complete a factory reset,then flash to most current stock asus firmware then factory reset, then flash over to most recent version of merlin firmware, and perform another reset.

one thing come to mind that could have gone wrong here, first if the version of stock firmware that was on originally was on the 87U was a really old version and you flashed to most recent merlin from that, there could have been aaaaallllooooottt of changes between that point to merlins firmware. it would be recommended to first flash the most recent stock 87u firmware before attempted to flash to most recent merlin firmware.

 

[RMerlin]

dont all asus cfe's are now encripted on recent routers?

The RT-AC87U is an older model.

 

[andresmorago]

ohh ok. thanks for the clarification