ASUS RT-AC86U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.384_81351

[podkaracz]

If i want to hard reset asus rt86u i keep pressing WPS before turning router on and hold it for 30 sec after plugging in while holding WPS but what next ? Should i wait 10 hours before leds come back because all i see is leds go off and nothing happens . When the lights go off only reboot will restore leds. Or its normal that leds are not blinking and router is becoming dark when i hold WPS long enough ?

Reading through asus tutorials it shows that asus rt86u ax88u and some other models are different that all the rest and its normal that leds go off and you have to manually turn router on so the info people provide for wps reset is different for few models including rt86u

Also how to reset jffs at next boot on original asus firmware not merlin one ( ssh command?).

 

[Val D.]

Lets make things clear router works but for it to work like partially expected i need to

You need to do few things:

- clean installation of the firmware, 45717 is stable indeed
- disable Smart Connect, Protected Management Frames, Airtime Fairness, MU-MIMO and Beamforming
- use standard modulation schemes, up to 802.11n for 2.4GHz and 802.11ac for 5GHz
- disable all TrendMicro components by withdrawing your data collection consent
- do not use USB storage devices for file sharing, especially USB powered external HDDs

This way the router can go forever as a router, you don't have to monitor it or restart it. WiFi is fast, stable and compatible with many clients. I had mine setup this way and it was working properly.

By the way, this very same 81351 firmware release was the reason for me to get rid of all my ASUS devices. I won't be purchasing nor recommending any ASUS devices anymore due to significantly decreased quality in recent years of both hardware and software. The last good product as per my expectations and experience was RT-AC68U with 380 series firmware.

 

[podkaracz]

You need to do few things:

- clean installation of the firmware, 45717 is stable indeed
- disable Smart Connect, Protected Management Frames, Airtime Fairness, MU-MIMO and Beamforming
- use standard modulation schemes, up to 802.11n for 2.4GHz and 802.11ac for 5GHz
- disable all TrendMicro components by withdrawing your data collection consent
- do not use USB storage devices for file sharing, especially USB powered external HDDs

This way the router can go forever as a router, you don't have to monitor it or restart it. WiFi is fast, stable and compatible with many clients. I had mine setup this way and it was working properly.

By the way, this very same 81351 firmware release was the reason for me to get rid of all my ASUS devices. I won't be purchasing nor recommending any ASUS devices anymore due to significantly decreased quality in recent years of both hardware and software. The last good product as per my expectations and experience was RT-AC68U with 380 series firmware.

Thanks for tips but those are kind of obvious for everyone who is willing to spend time finding optimal options ( i recommend ozark edge settings ). Also right now im into L&LD tutorial because they are in depth and really work unlike asus "have you tried powering router on and off ?" kind of advice. L&LD how do you clear jffs at next boot on original asus wrt not merlin one? Just for sake of completing all the steps because i know if i dont use open vpn and custom scripts jffs wont be filled but i want to clear it anyways.

#edit

And this just proves my point to make this router work "decently" you need to test every single firmware , every single setting and thats not enough you have to actually ask people who spent years in this topic for help. If you compare it with cheap router where u set it up and go then my point about asus quality is even bigger.

 

[Val D.]

Thanks for tips but those are kind of obvious

Reading your questions about resetting of the router, I'm not sure what is obvious for you.

Sorry to interrupt, go ahead with the tutorials. Good luck!

 

[podkaracz]

Reading your questions about resetting of the router, I'm not sure what is obvious for you.

Sorry to interrupt, go ahead with the tutorials. Good luck!

I mean its not interruption every post that brings something is valuable .Looking forward for more tips. The resetting part was questionable because here most threads tell you to wait for router to actually reboot when you hold wps and there is an exception because few routers

https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1039074/ (RT-AX88U/ GT-AX11000/ RT-AX92U/ RT-AC86U/ RT-AC2900/ GT-AC5300 )

You have to actually reboot manually and not wait for router to reboot itself and i did not see any1 stating that here i had to find it on asus website ( maybe im not looking everywhere) . Also your tips are innovative in a point about "use standard modulation schemes, up to 802.11n for 2.4GHz and 802.11ac for 5GHz" most people dont include it.

Jffs reset is interesting also multiple resets ( and time between them for ram to clear after power off ) and multiple firmware upgrades ( the same ones because once is not enough sometimes ) . That all sums up what it takes and there is a lot points missing. Like uplugging everything when setting up router was key for me to get my router to not jump like crazy from 50 ping to 200~. I dont know what caused this and still is causing on newer firmwares.

 

[OzarkEdge]

If i want to hard reset asus rt86u i keep pressing WPS before turning router on and hold it for 30 sec after plugging in while holding WPS but what next ? Should i wait 10 hours before leds come back because all i see is leds go off and nothing happens . When the lights go off only reboot will restore leds. Or its normal that leds are not blinking and router is becoming dark when i hold WPS long enough ?

Reading through asus tutorials it shows that asus rt86u ax88u and some other models are different that all the rest and its normal that leds go off and you have to manually turn router on so the info people provide for wps reset is different for few models including rt86u

Also how to reset jffs at next boot on original asus firmware not merlin one ( ssh command?).

Reset button or webUI Restore clears settings in NVRAM (reboot restores defaults from CFE).

WebUI Restore w/Initialize also clears logged data in /jffs folder.

OE

 

[podkaracz]

Reset button or webUI Restore clears settings in NVRAM (reboot restores defaults from CFE).

WebUI Restore w/Initialize also clears logged data in /jffs folder.

OE

If initialize clears /jffs what is the point of having "Format jffs at next boot" option ?

 

[quadra2030]

- clean installation of the firmware, 45717 is stable indeed
- disable Smart Connect, Protected Management Frames, Airtime Fairness, MU-MIMO and Beamforming
- use standard modulation schemes, up to 802.11n for 2.4GHz and 802.11ac for 5GHz
- disable all TrendMicro components by withdrawing your data collection consent
- do not use USB storage devices for file sharing, especially USB powered external HDDs

And if you really want to use Smart Connect/single SSID, you might revert to 32799 firmware.. it's stable (if you don't use AiMesh) and without endless scanning/hopping WiFi channels.

Sad thing is, I can buy TP-Link C2300 (same CPU, WiFi, RAM) at the half price of RT-86U if I don't need things like AiMesh, TrendMicro, VPN client, flashy Asus GUI.. but want "set and forget" experience.

Of course, I agree with everything RMerlin said about security (and up-to-date modules in firmware).

 

[Val D.]

I can buy TP-Link C2300 (same CPU, WiFi, RAM) at the half price of RT-86U if I don't need things like AiMesh, TrendMicro,

Archer C2300 has both. TrendMicro components are called HomeCare. It can be linked to Deco mesh system.

 

[OzarkEdge]

If initialize clears /jffs what is the point of having "Format jffs at next boot" option ?

My 86U stock Asuswrt firmware states for Restore w/Initialize: "Initialize all the settings, and clear all the data log for AiProtection, Traffic Analyzer, and Web History."

My 86U stock Asuswrt firmware does not have a "Format jffs at next boot" option that I can see. If you are discussing Asuswrt-Merlin firmware, you are posting in the wrong sub-forum.

OE

 

[maxbraketorque]

Its not about beeing perfect just 10 euro tp link is stable my ping is sharp and stable here on this "gaming router" i bet its really hard to find worse performing router than asus ones in online games. I can tell by how much delay those routers add because of this crappy firmware. You spread fake news because you think that 50%~ of this forum having problems is imagination without proof. Shame on you. Also my router cost 250 euro for 86u not 150 thats a difference you except something not broken crap in only category it wins award is that its hard to find router that will perform worse than this in online games.

#edit

Also you can find info on just about 99% of the forums around the world stating that those expensive routers are for losers who dont know what to do with money and they are equal or worse than normal cheap ones. Now i learnt it hard way by wasting money gratz.

You're definitely not the first person to have problems with an AC86U, but I'm always puzzled by these kinds of issues. I have three AC86Us, and I've had zero performance-related issues over the last two years. I haven't had any other serious issues either. The only issue that's ever bugged me a bit is when Let's Encrypt certificate creation stopped working, and that's fixed now.

I know that a router reset has worked for many people, but any time I've seen unusual behavior, its typically been resolvable by experimenting with different settings. Just this past week, I couldn't connect a new IOT device to one of my networks, and after a bit of experimentation, I found that even though the device was claimed to be 802.11n, it would only connect to the AC86U if the 2.4 GHz band was set to Auto for the wifi protocol. After finally connecting and reviewing the wifi log, I found that the device would only connect in 802.11g mode.

And sometimes, its not the router at all. When I upgraded my wife's Bootcamped Macbook to W10 1909, her wifi performance took a huge hit. Ping times were all over the map, and wifi speeds wouldn't go higher than about 3 mbps. I figured that I had finally found a real issue with my AC86U. After screwing around changing a bunch of settings on the AC86U with no improvement, I rolled back the wifi driver on my wife's Macbook, and all was good again. Follow up reading on the 'net revealed other people having similar issues.

I'm not saying that your AC86U isn't the problem, but rather that it can be necessary to experiment with settings. My usual approach is to turn off all unnecessary features and put as many features into manual mode as possible, especially wifi settings. Then I try tweaking different features.

 

[podkaracz]

I'm always puzzled by these kinds of issues. I have three AC86Us, and I've had zero issues over the last two years, well except for the Let's Encrypt issue that has now been resolved. But you're definitely not the


You're definitely not the first person to have problems with an AC86U, but I'm always puzzled by these kinds of issues. I have three AC86Us, and I've had zero performance-related issues over the last two years. I haven't had any other serious issues either. The only issue that's ever bugged me a bit is when Let's Encrypt certificate creation stopped working, and that's fixed now.

I know that a router reset has worked for many people, but any time I've seen unusual behavior, its typically been resolvable by experimenting with different settings. Just this past week, I couldn't connect a new IOT device to one of my networks, and after a bit of experimentation, I found that even though the device was claimed to be 802.11n, it would only connect to the AC86U if the 2.4 GHz band was set to Auto for the wifi protocol. After finally connecting and reviewing the wifi log, I found that the device would only connect in 802.11g mode.

And sometimes, its not the router at all. When I upgraded my wife's Bootcamped Macbook to W10 1909, her wifi performance took a huge hit. Ping times were all over the map, and wifi speeds wouldn't go higher than about 3 mbps. I figured that I had finally found a real issue with my AC86U. After screwing around changing a bunch of settings on the AC86U with no improvement, I rolled back the wifi driver on my wife's Macbook, and all was good again. Follow up reading on the 'net revealed other people having similar issues.

I'm not saying that your AC86U isn't the problem, but rather that it can be necessary to experiment with settings. My usual approach is to turn off all unnecessary features and put as many features into manual mode as possible, especially wifi settings. Then I try tweaking different features.

I think you dont understand my point. Im not talking about router not working just router working bad. If you use it only to watch the web then waiting 2 sec longer for any website to load wont bother you too much but if ur a gamer its a day and night difference ( all firmwares except 45717 ( which is not perfect to but at least usable ) add lag. If we add fact that its one of the most expensive routers and in "gaming"category one can die from laughter when it performs this way compared to 10 euro routers.

#edit

Also i read the latter part of your post and i advise you to read what some1's writing before giving tips.

 

[128bit]

You need to do few things:

- clean installation of the firmware, 45717 is stable indeed
- disable Smart Connect, Protected Management Frames, Airtime Fairness, MU-MIMO and Beamforming
- use standard modulation schemes, up to 802.11n for 2.4GHz and 802.11ac for 5GHz
- disable all TrendMicro components by withdrawing your data collection consent
- do not use USB storage devices for file sharing, especially USB powered external HDDs

This way the router can go forever as a router, you don't have to monitor it or restart it. WiFi is fast, stable and compatible with many clients. I had mine setup this way and it was working properly.

By the way, this very same 81351 firmware release was the reason for me to get rid of all my ASUS devices. I won't be purchasing nor recommending any ASUS devices anymore due to significantly decreased quality in recent years of both hardware and software. The last good product as per my expectations and experience was RT-AC68U with 380 series firmware.

kind of curious now. what alternative routers would you recommend?

 

[DarkKnight75]

I was running Merlin ( 384.14) based on GPL 3.0.0.4.384_81351 and was buggy ( ie, dropped 5ghz, desacc, assoc messages every 15 min on 2.4ghz clients) so I flashed 384.13 based on 3.0.0.4.384_45717. IMO, 3.0.0.4.384_45717 is most likely one of the best firmwares for the AC86U. I'm def holding out on future firmware upgrades until some of these issues have been ironed out by Asus.

 

[OzarkEdge]

I'm def

And blind?

OE

 

[DarkKnight75]

And blind?

OE

Good one

 

[podkaracz]

I removed my post about asus recovery tool because after some testing its not true it helps in update process in reality it actually makes things worse if your router is not really bricked . I think best way to update is to use web gui also follow L&LD tips on "nuclear reset" . Using "initialize" before uploading firmware and after made things smooth because as some people pointed files are in "sync" . Post to people who were hesitant whether to use recovery tool in update purpose or not. Overall L&LD nuclear reset + disabling everything other than basic functionality + 3.0.0.4.384_45717 . Thats the only way to actually use this router because every other way/firmware/solution failed. Its asus fault in my opinion.

 

[NetworkDude]

I think I solved my WLCEVENTD issues:

• Restore the router (check the initialize box)
• Downgrade to firmware 45717
• Reboot
  
• Manually add all settings back into the router. (router logs look good)
  
• Save the config file for 45717 (just in case)
  
• Upgrade back to 81351
• Reboot
• Change 2.4ghz and 5ghz control channels from Auto to actual channel number.
  
• Save the config file for 81351 (just in case)
  
• Check the System log.

AiProtection is ON, I don't use AiMesh and I didn't change any wireless "professional" settings after doing the procedure above.

I am monitoring the system log for WLCEVENTD spam and device access times. SO far so good.

 

[OzarkEdge]

I think I solved my WLCEVENTD issues:

• Restore the router (check the initialize box)
• Downgrade to firmware 45717
• Reboot
  
• Manually add all settings back into the router. (router logs look good)
  
• Save the config file for 45717 (just in case)
  
• Upgrade back to 81351
• Reboot
• Change 2.4ghz and 5ghz control channels from Auto to actual channel number.
  
• Save the config file for 81351 (just in case)
  
• Check the System log.

AiProtection is ON, I don't use AiMesh and I didn't change any wireless "professional" settings after doing the procedure above.

I am monitoring the system log for WLCEVENTD spam and device access times. SO far so good.

The change to fixed channels likely would have done it.

I also would have reset 81351 before configuring it.

OE

 

[Andy1932]

I did this:

nvram set log_level=5;nvram commit;reboot