Asus RT-AC87U Problems

[davidjames1701]

Hi,
I’ve just reset my Asus RT-AC87U to use as a repeater, which seemed to go ok, then updated the firmware, got a message saying do a manual restart, which I did, but now it will not boot up to anything, just got a red light on the WAN LED, can anyone help please, I’ve some experience with routers, any help would be great, thanks.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Disconnect to power whilst leave the on/off button in the "on" position. This is to drain any residual power. Wait 60 seconds and power on the device again.

It that doesn't fix it do a factory default reset by turning the device off, press the WPS button, then turn on the router. Wait about 10 seconds, then release the WPS button.

 

[davidjames1701]

Ok, thanks Colin, I’ll try that later, sounds interesting, I’m just running off my Virgin Router, latest model, and a TP-Link RE650 AC2600 WiFi Range Extender, which is excellent.


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[Pierino]

Hold the wps till the power led blinks rapidly to be safe.

 

[davidjames1701]

Hold the wps till the power led blinks rapidly to be safe.

Ok thanks, it has worked ok, got things back, changed, mode to AP, even managed to change ip from 191.168.1.1 to 191.168.0. which is what my Virgin router is on, but then realised Apple TimeMachine is only available when it’s in router mode, so I’ve changed it back, i hope, it takes a long while to settle down after any changes like that, hope i don’t get any problems having two routers on same network, will i ?


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[ColinTaylor]

If you've got the Asus setup in router mode then it must be connected to the Virgin router by Ethernet cable. If both devices are next to each other then there would be little point in running them both as wireless routers.

It would depend on your particular physical layout, but most people (myself included) would configure the Virgin in "modem mode". This disables all the wireless and routing capabilities and leaves it as a dumb cable modem. The Asus can then be used as the primary (and only) router. You can of course still use your TP-Link with the Asus.

 

[davidjames1701]

If you've got the Asus setup in router mode then it must be connected to the Virgin router by Ethernet cable. If both devices are next to each other then there would be little point in running them both as wireless routers.

It would depend on your particular physical layout, but most people (myself included) would configure the Virgin in "modem mode". This disables all the wireless and routing capabilities and leaves it as a dumb cable modem. The Asus can then be used as the primary (and only) router. You can of course still use your TP-Link with the Asus.

Colin,
you've just reminded me, i did have the virgin in modem, Asus running as a router, i wasn't getting the speed i was paying Virgin for, they wound not even check it till id got the Virgin back on router, which i did, Asus in ap mode, they still didn't sort my speed, one virgin person said, "Wifi speeds are a free extra, its the ethernet cabled speed you pay for ??
so i said what percentage of your customers only use wifi ?, they put the phone down after a while, i asked for a new router, that'll be £25 pls, so i told them what to do, literally, then i happened to read somewhere Virgin were doing a free upgrade to there V6 tv box, which would have to use the latest Virgin router, guess what happened after installation, i got the correct speed !

Virgin can be bl__dy useless !

V6 TV box is well worth having as well BTW,

so i just left my network how it was, but i want to use the Asus as a file server as well, both routers are about a metre apart at the moment, and working well, got a WD 2TB hdd plugged into the Asus, mainly as a extra Time Machine backup, when I'm ready it'll go back in the roof space out of the way, what id like to know, be cause i can't remember, will i need a cable direct from Virgin in modem mode directly to the Asus in router mode ?

 

[ColinTaylor]

will i need a cable direct from Virgin in modem mode directly to the Asus in router mode ?

Yes. The only time you won't need a cable is when the Asus is configured as a repeater or media bridge.

 

[davidjames1701]

Yes. The only time you won't need a cable is when the Asus is configured as a repeater or media bridge.

So it’ll do it wirelessly in Repeater mode ? Didn’t know that, would it matter if the cable went through a powered Ethernet hub ?


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[ColinTaylor]

So it’ll do it wirelessly in Repeater mode ? Didn’t know that, would it matter if the cable went through a powered Ethernet hub ?

Sorry, I think I've confused you. If your Virgin Hub is in "modem mode" then you must connect it to the Asus with an Ethernet cable. If your Virgin Hub is configured a wireless router then you could configure the Asus as a simple wireless repeater, but that's really the worst of all the options (but sometimes it's the only choice based on the physical restrictions). You also mentioned that Time Machine wasn't available in Repeater mode. From what I read on these forums I thought it was but it's not something I use so I'll believe what you say.

I don't know what you mean about the powered Ethernet hub, you'd have to explain some more about how that's being used.

 

[davidjames1701]

Sorry, I think I've confused you. If your Virgin Hub is in "modem mode" then you must connect it to the Asus with an Ethernet cable. If your Virgin Hub is configured a wireless router then you could configure the Asus as a simple wireless repeater, but that's really the worst of all the options (but sometimes it's the only choice based on the physical restrictions). You also mentioned that Time Machine wasn't available in Repeater mode. From what I read on these forums I thought it was but it's not something I use so I'll believe what you say.

I don't know what you mean about the powered Ethernet hub, you'd have to explain some more about how that's being used.

I may have not noticed time machine when it was in modem mode, it’s in the usb tab, my intention is to put Virgin in modem mode, with Asus in router, then run a new Cat 7 cable directly from Virgin to the ideal position for my Asus , I believe that pathway at the moment goes through a Ethernet hub, with its own power supply, as the Virgin router uses 192.168.0.1 by default, and the Asus uses 192.168.1.1, will everything currently connected to the Virgin router, Tv, smart plugs, DVD players etc, automatically change to 192.168.1.2, 3, 4 etc ?

 

[ColinTaylor]

my intention is to put Virgin in modem mode, with Asus in router, then run a new Cat 7 cable directly from Virgin to the ideal position for my Asus,

That sounds good but Cat7 is overkill IMHO. Cat6 is more than adequate for speeds up to 10 Gigabit. Cat7 can be hard to work with because of its stiffness.

I believe that pathway at the moment goes through a Ethernet hub, with its own power supply,

I haven't seen an Ethernet hub for years, they're obsolete. Everyone uses switches now. If it really is a hub replace it with a switch.

It's not clear from your above statement, but the cable from the modem to the Asus has to be direct. It cannot go through your powered hub/switch.

as the Virgin router uses 192.168.0.1 by default, and the Asus uses 192.168.1.1, will everything currently connected to the Virgin router, Tv, smart plugs, DVD players etc, automatically change to 192.168.1.2, 3, 4 etc ?

Yes, they should if they're configured as DHCP clients, which they probably are. If you have any clients that you configured manually with a fixed IP address I'm sure you'd remember it. Just power off and then on your client devices after you've setup the Asus.

 

[davidjames1701]

That sounds good but Cat7 is overkill IMHO. Cat6 is more than adequate for speeds up to 10 Gigabit. Cat7 can be hard to work with because of its stiffness.

I haven't seen an Ethernet hub for years, they're obsolete. Everyone uses switches now. If it really is a hub replace it with a switch.

It's not clear from your above statement, but the cable from the modem to the Asus has to be direct. It cannot go through your powered hub/switch.

Yes, they should if they're configured as DHCP clients, which they probably are. If you have any clients that you configured manually with a fixed IP address I'm sure you'd remember it. Just power off and then on your client devices after you've setup the Asus.

just trying to future proof with Cat 7, ill check the stiffness, its not got to bend sharply,

I meant a unmanaged, powered, ethernet switch, think i have three,

i cannot remember giving anything a fixed ip address, ill just have to work through any problems.