ASUS-RT-AX82U Router Randomly disconnecting

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

Apologies for the late reply. I'm for UK too. I did what you suggested and I kept the phone in one location with same orientation. Below are the results for 5GHz:

48 = -Between 61dBm and 63dBm @ 5.7m away
52 = Between -69dBm and 73dBm @ 11.4m away
149 = Router maximum channel is 128 and 149 does not exist

As you can see, even though I'm in same location, the app seems to think my distance has changed which is really odd. Also there is no 149 in the list.

 

[ColinTaylor]

OK thanks for the info. As I mentioned earlier, don't take the "distance" numbers literally as they're just a different way of expressing signal strength.

As we're in the UK/EU we won't have access to channels 144 to 165, so that's normal.

So it appears that the best channels for you to use on 5 GHz are 36 to 48. They appear to be the strongest and you don't appear to have any nearby neighbours using 5 GHz.

The second strongest channel group is 52 to 64 and the weakest is 100 to 140. This is very surprising as channels 100 to 140 in particular are permitted to be much stronger than that. They are the strongest on my RT-AX86U and my previous routers. Perhaps it's something peculiar to the RT-AX82U, or maybe a firmware update borked those channels.

I suggest for the time being you stick with channel 11 on 2.4 GHz and channel 48 on 5 GHz. See how that goes.

If you're interested you could also try testing the signal strength on channel 124. That's the strongest channel for me but it does have disadvantages. Firstly there's a 10 minute delay after the router boots up before the channel becomes available. And secondly, channels 116 to 128 are susceptible to weather radar interference which could force the router to change to a different (worse) channel. So YMMV.

P.S. Also check the "Tx power adjustment" slider (Wireless - Professional) for both bands is set to "Performance".

 

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

OK thanks for the info. As I mentioned earlier, don't take the "distance" numbers literally as they're just a different way of expressing signal strength.

As we're in the UK/EU we won't have access to channels 144 to 165, so that's normal.

So it appears that the best channels for you to use on 5 GHz are 36 to 48. They appear to be the strongest and you don't appear to have any nearby neighbours using 5 GHz.

The second strongest channel group is 52 to 64 and the weakest is 100 to 140. This is very surprising as channels 100 to 140 in particular are permitted to be much stronger than that. They are the strongest on my RT-AX86U and my previous routers. Perhaps it's something peculiar to the RT-AX82U, or maybe a firmware update borked those channels.

I suggest for the time being you stick with channel 11 on 2.4 GHz and channel 48 on 5 GHz. See how that goes.

If you're interested you could also try testing the signal strength on channel 124. That's the strongest channel for me but it does have disadvantages. Firstly there's a 10 minute delay after the router boots up before the channel becomes available. And secondly, channels 116 to 128 are susceptible to weather radar interference which could force the router to change to a different (worse) channel. So YMMV.

P.S. Also check the "Tx power adjustment" slider (Wireless - Professional) for both bands is set to "Performance".

Thanks mate. I've followed what you've said and now said 5ghz to 48 and 2.4ghz to 11 as well as check that TX was on performance which it is. I'll see how it goes, but I do have one question which is that previously the channel bandwidth on 2.4ghz was 20/40mhz and on 5ghz it was 20/40/80mhz and 160mhz was also enabled. Since these have been disabled or changed, could these be the reason for the poor signal?

 

[ColinTaylor]

Since these have been disabled or changed, could these be the reason for the poor signal?

No.

 

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

No.

Okay, no problem. Thanks again for your help. I'll see how things go and if problem still persists, I may have to look at getting another access point (mesh).

 

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

Hello again @ColinTaylor - I just wanted to give you an update. Unfortunately the router signal has got really bad. Since you've already assisted me in narrowing down any potential issues, I can only assume that this is a hardware-related problem. In order to confirm this, I placed a complaint with Asus & Amazon, whom have agreed to send out a replacement. I'm getting that hopefully tomorrow. Without making any major changes, I will test it out to see if there is any difference is the signal strength. If you want to give me any recommendations on what tests to do, then do let me know. Either way, I'll keep you posted. Cheers.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Without making any major changes, I will test it out to see if there is any difference is the signal strength.

That's good idea so that you can establish a baseline. Make a note of the firmware version you're using just in case it updates itself automatically at a later time and things get worse. Out of the box it'll be using auto channel selection, so again make a note of what channels it's chosen and check it again if things suddenly get better or worse. Good luck.

 

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

That's good idea so that you can establish a baseline. Make a note of the firmware version you're using just in case it updates itself automatically at a later time and things get worse. Out of the box it'll be using auto channel selection, so again make a note of what channels it's chosen and check it again if things suddenly get better or worse. Good luck.

Thanks mate.

The current router's firmware is: 3.0.0.4.386_48664-g7ded0a1

I'll also make a note of the new router's firmware & out of box channels when it arrives.

Would saving the new router's existing cfg file be enough to backup the settings and firmware?

Much appreciate your tips.

 

[degrub]

After you factory reset the router, you should manually enter the config, minimal at first, just to test.
Do not restore from the config file. Generally. you cannot do that anyway after a firmware update, and it is not recommended practice. Can easily cause difficult to diagnose problems. It is really meant for when you are making changes in config and want to revert back without a change in firmware rev.

 

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

After you factory reset the router, you should manually enter the config, minimal at first, just to test.
Do not restore from the config file. Generally. you cannot do that anyway after a firmware update, and it is not recommended practice. Can easily cause difficult to diagnose problems. It is really meant for when you are making changes in config and want to revert back without a change in firmware rev.

Thanks degrub - I'll certainly bear that in mind.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Would saving the new router's existing cfg file be enough to backup the settings and firmware?

The "Save Setting" cfg file is for backing up the settings of the current firmware of an individual router. I can be used after a factory reset to get back to where you were. It is not however intended to be used with a different version of the firmware or a different router (even if it's the same model).

 

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

The "Save Setting" cfg file is for backing up the settings of the current firmware of an individual router. I can be used after a factory reset to get back to where you were. It is not however intended to be used with a different version of the firmware or a different router (even if it's the same model).

Right - Got Ya! Thanks for stopping me from making a mistake because I would have ended up using the current router's cfg file to apply to the new router. I was hoping though that I could save myself time in copying a lot of info from the current router, such as the devices connected, their mac addresses etc - is there anyway I can do that so that I don't have to manually copy each one?

 

[ColinTaylor]

Right - Got Ya! Thanks for stopping me from making a mistake because I would have ended up using the current router's cfg file to apply to the new router. I was hoping though that I could save myself time in copying a lot of info from the current router, such as the devices connected, their mac addresses etc - is there anyway I can do that so that I don't have to manually copy each one?

I don't know enough about the RT-AX82U running stock firmware to say for sure. On my RT-AX86U there are two files that can be backed up and restored that contain the manual IP reservations. Those files are:

/jffs/nvram/custom_clientlist
/jffs/nvram/dhcp_staticlist

I don't know whether these files exist on your router as well.

 

[degrub]

worst case, go to the config pages and snip an image into a word or other file format for reference.

 

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

@ColinTaylor - As far as I'm aware, the only file the RT-AX82U router saves is a .cfg file - not sure about anything else.
@degrub - Yes that's one way, but it's just that the RT-AX82U router has hundreds of pages and options. But I guess I can snip images of the most common pages though.

When the new router arrives, my plan will be to simply do a straight swap without wiping out my old router's settings. I will then check how good the new router's signal strength is compared to the old one. If it's good, then I'll slowly start applying the settings that Colin has recommended to see if any of them have an impact, slowly eliminating any possible issues.

One thing that I would like to know is that if I don't update the firmware, then am I not putting myself at risk of being hacked? Also if I did eventually update the firmware, is there anyway of going back to the old one if I find the new firmware problematic?

 

[ColinTaylor]

@ColinTaylor - As far as I'm aware, the only file the RT-AX82U router saves is a .cfg file - not sure about anything else.

You have to enable SSH access to the router and then use something like WinSCP to browse the file directories on the router's internal storage.

One thing that I would like to know is that if I don't update the firmware, then am I not putting myself at risk of being hacked? Also if I did eventually update the firmware, is there anyway of going back to the old one if I find the new firmware problematic?

Delaying the firmware update should not be a major concern in the short term (just like a delaying a Windows update). We're not suggesting that you don't ever update the firmware. Just do it in a controlled manner so that you're comparing from a consistent reference point. Yes, you can always reinstall an older firmware version if necessary. If you do go back to an old version you should factory reset the router again and either manually configure it or restore the settings from a backup cfg file that you had previously created on that version.

For the above reasons I find it best to not allow the router to automatically update it's firmware. Then get into the habit of always making a backup cfg file (and keeping a copy of the matching firmware installation file) prior to manually installing a new firmware. That way you always have a way to quickly go back.

 

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

You have to enable SSH access to the router and then use something like WinSCP to browse the file directories on the router's internal storage.


Delaying the firmware update should not be a major concern in the short term (just like a delaying a Windows update). We're not suggesting that you don't ever update the firmware. Just do it in a controlled manner so that you're comparing from a consistent reference point. Yes, you can always reinstall an older firmware version if necessary. If you do go back to an old version you should factory reset the router again and either manually configure it or restore the settings from a backup cfg file that you had previously created on that version.

For the above reasons I find it best to not allow the router to automatically update it's firmware. Then get into the habit of always making a backup cfg file (and keeping a copy of the matching firmware installation file) prior to manually installing a new firmware. That way you always have a way to quickly go back.

The SSH access procedure sounds too complex for me, so I'll give it a miss for now (unless you need me to). Regarding the firmware - I always tend to manually update it. I'm glad that we can always revert back to an older firmware should the need arise. I don't know what time the new router will arrive or whether I'm going to get the time to play about with it's settings because I'm going on a short break soon and need time to get ready, so please don't mind if I don't reply for a while. I will however be in touch as soon as possible.

 

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

Good evening guys.

I'm gonna be going on holiday soon, but the replacement AX82U router has arrived today. I've quickly plugged it in and the good news is that it's got so much better signal compared to the older router Already, I can go outside approx 30 metres away from the house and I can still get internet, so it's looking positive. Right now, I'm in a bit of a hurry as I've got lots to do, but I've captured the new router's settings. Clearly it's got an older firmware and it's auto-selected CCC 2 and CCC 52.

Let me know your thoughts and recommendations, although I might not reply straight-away, but hopefully when I get back, we can look into this further. Thanks again and Au revoir!!!

 

[ColinTaylor]

That's good news @ASUS-RT-AX82U. It could also be useful to know the channel bandwidth that it's currently using. You can find that listed for each band on the System Log - Wireless Log page where it says "Chanspec:".

Have a good holiday.

 

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

That's good news @ASUS-RT-AX82U. It could also be useful to know the channel bandwidth that it's currently using. You can find that listed for each band on the System Log - Wireless Log page where it says "Chanspec:".

Have a good holiday.

I don't know why, but I can't resist the temptation to reply - EVEN WHEN I KNOW I'VE GOT NO TIME!

Looks like now the router has switched the 2.4ghz channel from 2 to 9. The 5ghz is still 52.

SSID: "##############"
noise: -96 dBm Channel: 9
BSSID: XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Capability: ESS RRM
Supported Rates: [ 1(b) 2(b) 5.5(b) 6 9 11(b) 12 18 24 36 48 54 ]
VHT Capable:
Chanspec: 2.4GHz channel 9 20MHz (0x1009)
Primary channel: 9
HT Capabilities: 40Mhz SGI20 SGI40
Supported HT MCS : 0-15
Supported VHT MCS:
NSS1 Tx: 0-11 Rx: 0-11
NSS2 Tx: 0-11 Rx: 0-11

Interference Level: Acceptable
Mode : AP Only

Stations List
----------------------------------------
idx MAC Associated Authorized RSSI PHY PSM SGI STBC MUBF NSS BW Tx rate Rx rate Connect Time
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Yes -66dBm n No Yes Yes No 1 20M 1M 1M 00:00:04
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Yes Yes -72dBm n No Yes No No 1 20M 72.2M 24M 00:20:45
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Yes Yes -72dBm ac Yes Yes Yes No 2 20M 130M 1M 00:23:11
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Yes Yes -72dBm ac Yes Yes Yes No 2 20M 78M 1M 00:23:11
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Yes Yes -59dBm n Yes Yes Yes No 1 20M 65M 6M 00:23:20
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Yes Yes -53dBm n Yes Yes Yes No 1 20M 72.2M 6M 00:23:20
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Yes Yes -48dBm n Yes Yes Yes No 1 20M 57.8M 6M 00:23:20
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Yes Yes -73dBm n Yes Yes Yes No 1 20M 43.3M 6M 00:23:20
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Yes Yes -51dBm ac Yes Yes Yes No 2 20M 156M 1M 00:23:22
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Yes Yes -38dBm n No Yes No No 1 20M 57.8M 72.2M 00:23:24
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Yes Yes -74dBm n No Yes Yes No 1 20M 39M 1M 00:23:25
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Yes Yes -67dBm n No Yes Yes No 1 20M 65M 1M 00:23:26

SSID: "##############"
noise: -88 dBm Channel: 52/80
BSSID: XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Capability: ESS RRM
Supported Rates: [ 6(b) 9 12(b) 18 24(b) 36 48 54 ]
VHT Capable:
Chanspec: 5GHz channel 58 80MHz (0xe03a)
Primary channel: 52
HT Capabilities: 40Mhz SGI20 SGI40
Supported HT MCS : 0-31
Supported VHT MCS:
NSS1 Tx: 0-11 Rx: 0-11
NSS2 Tx: 0-11 Rx: 0-11
NSS3 Tx: 0-11 Rx: 0-11
NSS4 Tx: 0-11 Rx: 0-11

Interference Level: Acceptable
Mode : AP Only

DFS status: state In-Service Monitoring(ISM) time elapsed 1405950ms radar channel cleared by DFS channel 52/80 (0xE03A)

Channel Information
----------------------------------------
Channel 36 A Band
Channel 40 A Band
Channel 44 A Band
Channel 48 A Band
Channel 52 A Band, RADAR Sensitive
Channel 56 A Band, RADAR Sensitive
Channel 60 A Band, RADAR Sensitive
Channel 64 A Band, RADAR Sensitive
Channel 100 A Band, RADAR Sensitive
Channel 104 A Band, RADAR Sensitive
Channel 108 A Band, RADAR Sensitive
Channel 112 A Band, RADAR Sensitive
Channel 116 A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 120 A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 124 A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 128 A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 132 A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 136 A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 140 A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive

Stations List
----------------------------------------
idx MAC Associated Authorized RSSI PHY PSM SGI STBC MUBF NSS BW Tx rate Rx rate Connect Time
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Yes Yes -75dBm ac Yes Yes Yes Yes 2 80M 325M 6M 00:03:13
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Yes Yes -81dBm ac Yes Yes Yes Yes 1 80M 175.5M 6M 00:21:31
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Yes Yes -52dBm ac Yes Yes No Yes 2 80M 866.7M 6M 00:23:19
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Yes Yes -64dBm ac No Yes No No 1 80M 433.3M 195M 00:23:20