ASUS RT-AC86U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.384_81351

[L&LD]

@podkaracz, it may be time to do an M&M Config setup on your router (and possibly a Nuclear Reset too, if your experience is consistently flakey with other firmware).

Please see my signature below for the link to both guides above to get your router to a good/known state again.

 

[GuruGuy]

Currently only seeing it through the WebUI and ASUS Router mobile app.

Firmware version 3.0.0.4.384_81351

- Release Note -

1. Fixed a DDoS vulnerability.
2. Fixed Let's Encrypt related bugs.
3. Fixed folder creating bugs in Samba.
4. Fixed dual wan failover bugs while the primary wan type is L2TP.

Download

https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/wireless/RT-AC86U/FW_RT_AC86U_300438481351.zip

Not a lot of feedback on this site anymore when or if people have upgraded firmware issues etc. merlins area seems to get most of the feedback. So who has upgraded firmware and it works for you or are you having issues and rolled back.

 

[DeDragonSlayer]

No issues so far after over 24h. Running AC86U with AC68U as AiMesh node, and a venerable N66U in Media Bridge mode.
Hopefully it will be just as stable as previous 81049 which was the most stable firmware for me up to date.

By stable I mean it shouldn't do anything weird by itself when left alone. I do have some ancient Android tablets running 24/7 as displays for HVAC systems and I learned these don't like connecting to the mesh node, so I put them on the roaming block list, and remember to turn on the main router first, let them connect, and only then fire up the mesh node. But I can live with that.

I just watched two movies from my NAS connected to the AC86U, streamed to a Chromecast plugged into AC68U, and controlled everything with my phone which I have no idea where it connected to. All without any hiccups. That's all I need at the moment.

BTW, I didn't reset anything to factory settings for a couple of upgrades now, mostly because I'm too lazy to do that, given I have a long list of manually assigned IPs.

 

[ryan806]

I have noticed wirless dropping on the new firmware

 

[Rbej]

I have noticed wirless dropping on the new firmware

You have static or automatic channel 2.4 and 5??.

 

[ryan806]

You have static or automatic channel 2.4 and 5??.

Auto channel

 

[Rbej]

Auto channel

Change on static.

 

[ryan806]

Change on static.

So far so good, cheers

 

[VANT]

I have noticed wirless dropping on the new firmware

this is normal when You use Auto channel

 

[SimoniZ]

My setup:
->RT-AC86U (Primary node)
->RT-AC68U (Repeater mode, connected through WIFI on 5GHZ band)
->APANAGE 11-Port USB 3.0 Hub
--> 7 drives in total connected to the USB 3.0 port on the RT-AC68U (File server)
--> USB3.0 port is set to USB 2.0 on the RT-AC68U in order for my USB hub to be detected properly

Summary of my experience with the lastest 3 official firmware from ASUS:

1) 3.0.0.4.384.81049
This firmware was by far the worst and with this FW loaded on both of my routers, I was unable to get the RT-AC68U to connect to the RT-AC86U in wireless repeater mode. I couldn't really test anything, and shortly afterward I rolled back to the previous firmware.

2) 3.0.0.4.384.81351
The recently released FW allowed my RT-AC68U to successfully connect to my RT-AC86U and everything appeared to be working; however, this FW caused major connectivity issues that resulted in very strange delays when trying to load a webpage, stream a video, or transfer files between my external USB hard drives. File transfers from one USB hard drive to another would transfer data for about 10-15 seconds, and then would just stop and hang until the file transfer would simply fail. Although the routers remained connected, there clearly was frequent packet loss or WIFI drops that caused any file transfer to simply stop working.

I tried statically setting the control channel for both the 5GHZ and 2.4GHZ band on my RT-AC86U (cannot set this setting from the router in repeater mode). This change had one interesting effect, it stopped the WLCEVENTD messages from appearing in the main logs, but this change did not resolve the strange delays or help my file transfers. Clearly this firmware is a step in the right direction and if you do not have a similar setup to mine, then you may not notice these issues. As I use my RT-AC68U as a file server, I cannot use the AiMesh mode as this mode disables all access to the management page on any node beside the primary node.

Since my RT-AC68U remains connected to my RT-AC86U with this FW, I assumed all was well, but there must be a lot of very brief disconnects that do not show up in the logs.

3) 3.0.0.4.384.45717
This version is by far the most stable and best-performing FW that ASUS has released. I get no wireless disconnects, no WLCEVENTD messages, even if I don't bother to statically set the control channels. Accessing websites, streaming videos, or performing any type of file transfer works without issue.

I wish the latest FW's worked as well as this one, but I just can't envision ASUS fixing the issues I am observing anytime soon. If the latest firmware works well for anyone else then stick with it, but for me, FW 45717 is by far the best and most stable FW.

 

[rk8531]

What channel should I select for 5GHZ band? Currently it's set on auto and for the first time after a year I am experiencing 5GHZ band disappearing after 6-7 hours and all the devices gets disconnected. The band doesn't show up again until the router is rebooted. Earlier I was using Merlin's latest beta version and this problem started from there. I tried switching to official asuswrt version just only to see if it fixes the issue. Already run M&M configuration several times.

 

[podkaracz]

I did test every firmware with reset button on router + reinitialize setting. Every single firmware works normally and if ur casually browsing web u will see difference just in slightly slower website loading compared to 45717 but if ur a gamer the difference in router performance before/past 45717 is day and night because the delay makes it unplayable . They advertise their router as "gaming" but its performance can be beaten by cheapest 15 euro routers when it comes to stability and gaming performance. You pay for features that dont work and u get bad performance without them as well.

 

[organshifter]

Not a lot of feedback on this site anymore when or if people have upgraded firmware issues etc. merlins area seems to get most of the feedback. So who has upgraded firmware and it works for you or are you having issues and rolled back.

Working great for me since the update. No drops. I don't have to login and access any settings on my 86U's as they're nodes. However, all devices which connect to either unit are stable. Zero issues thus far.

 

[bitsbytes]

up for two days now, besides not getting my 68u to work as a mesh node(always planned to set a different subnet to It, seems like now is a good time ) there is nothing bad to report. wifi is working fine.system log is still spamming me with WLCEVENTD messages. I do feel the gui is a little more responsive now.

 

[GuruGuy]

I did test every firmware with reset button on router + reinitialize setting. Every single firmware works normally and if ur casually browsing web u will see difference just in slightly slower website loading compared to 45717 but if ur a gamer the difference in router performance before/past 45717 is day and night because the delay makes it unplayable . They advertise their router as "gaming" but its performance can be beaten by cheapest 15 euro routers when it comes to stability and gaming performance. You pay for features that dont work and u get bad performance without them as well.

What do you mean you tested every firmware with the "reset" button. Pressing the reset button does not change firmware. Please explain

 

[GuruGuy]

What channel should I select for 5GHZ band? Currently it's set on auto and for the first time after a year I am experiencing 5GHZ band disappearing after 6-7 hours and all the devices gets disconnected. The band doesn't show up again until the router is rebooted. Earlier I was using Merlin's latest beta version and this problem started from there. I tried switching to official asuswrt version just only to see if it fixes the issue. Already run M&M configuration several times.

General recommendation is to try and see what works best for you. Non DFS channels are least problematic; 36 good choice. Personally I use 157.

 

[podkaracz]

What do you mean you tested every firmware with the "reset" button. Pressing the reset button does not change firmware. Please explain

If you did not get it even tho its not properly written then no further explanation will help you.

To the topic i thought asus is serious company but when it comes to routers its not . They laugh in the fact of ppl who buy expensive routers with this kind of firmware performance and overall router performance which takes months of reading and knowledge to at least get to a state when itll "just work" like normal router for 15 euro . I will never buy expensive router again its such a waste of money ( maybe other brands are more serious but this one is a joke for sure ).

 

[GuruGuy]

If you did not get it even tho its not properly written then no further explanation will help you.

To the topic i thought asus is serious company but when it comes to routers its not . They laugh in the fact of ppl who buy expensive routers with this kind of firmware performance and overall router performance which takes months of reading and knowledge to at least get to a state when itll "just work" like normal router for 15 euro . I will never buy expensive router again its such a waste of money ( maybe other brands are more serious but this one is a joke for sure ).

You should go troll somewhere else

 

[tallytr]

I use Smart Connect and all settings on Auto and it works great for me, no issues with either 2.4 or 5 Ghz.

 

[Ulf Thingnæs]

For me the new 3.0.0.4.384_81351 firmware worked brilliantely for 3-4 days... then (as with the previous one) my Ainode (RT 66ac B1) started to lose internet connection (chromecasts disconected and could not find their node again) and other dropouts.

Yesterday i reverted back to 45717 for the first time in apx 2mnths, as this was the last 100% stable firmware for me. Lets see if all is good, or if the last two firmwares upgrades made any f*uc ups.



my setup: 86rt main router - with ethernet cable connection to RT 66 B1 Ainode ) - All upgrades done with full router reset on both two. and complete new setup procedure.