ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8) - devices intermittently disconnect and do not reconnect.

[damo2k]

Hi all,

I have recently come across an issue with my ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8) (2x nodes) where devices intermittently disconnect and do not seem to be able to reconnect.

I observe that some security cameras and baby monitor disconnect from the router, and do not seem to be able to connect back until I reboot the device or router. This doesn't happen for all the camera, but does appear to consistently affect the same ones.
In addition to this, I have observed that by Pixel 7 phone sometimes was constantly connecting and disconnecting from the network (i.e switching from wifi to 5g and back constantly). This behavior appeared around the same time as the other issue above.

This problem seems to have only started when I switched internet providers. Previously I was bridging the router to Virgin Media modem via its ethernet port. But now I am with Vodafone, and I am using one of the Asus nodes as a WAN PPPoE connection to the internet provider directly, using the ethernet port from my ONT, instead of using the Vodafone modem. Could it be related and causing my issues?

What I tried:
The router was using "Smart Connect", however I since did a hard factory reset on both nodes, and then disabled "Smart Connect" and separated out the 2.5 and 5ghz networks. This seems to have fixed the constant disconnecting/reconnecting on my Pixel 7, and it connects to either the 2.4 or 5ghz, whichever has best signal. However, the cameras which only work on the 2.4ghz network have the issue remaining.

In my router logs, I see excessive entries for some MACs around:
(Note: I masked the MACs)

Jan  6 16:21:09 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(645): eth4: Deauth_ind 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: 0, reason: Disassociated due to inactivity (4), rssi:-63
Jan  6 16:21:09 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(645): eth4: Deauth_ind 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: 0, reason: Previous authentication no longer valid (2), rssi:-63
Jan  6 16:21:10 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(662): eth4: Disassoc 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: 0, reason: Disassociated because sending station is leaving (or has left) BSS (8), rssi:0
Jan  6 16:21:20 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(685): eth4: Auth 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: Successful (0), rssi:0
Jan  6 16:21:20 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(722): eth4: Assoc 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: Successful (0), rssi:-57
Jan  6 16:21:49 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(645): eth4: Deauth_ind 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: 0, reason: Disassociated due to inactivity (4), rssi:-63
Jan  6 16:21:49 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(645): eth4: Deauth_ind 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: 0, reason: Previous authentication no longer valid (2), rssi:-63
Jan  6 16:21:50 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(662): eth4: Disassoc 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: 0, reason: Disassociated because sending station is leaving (or has left) BSS (8), rssi:0
Jan  6 16:22:25 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(685): eth4: Auth 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: Successful (0), rssi:0
Jan  6 16:22:25 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(722): eth4: Assoc 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: Successful (0), rssi:-58
Jan  6 16:22:47 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(645): eth4: Deauth_ind 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: 0, reason: Disassociated due to inactivity (4), rssi:-63
Jan  6 16:22:47 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(645): eth4: Deauth_ind 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: 0, reason: Previous authentication no longer valid (2), rssi:-63
Jan  6 16:22:48 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(662): eth4: Disassoc 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: 0, reason: Disassociated because sending station is leaving (or has left) BSS (8), rssi:0
Jan  6 16:23:44 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(685): eth4: Auth 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: Successful (0), rssi:0
Jan  6 16:23:44 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(722): eth4: Assoc 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: Successful (0), rssi:-58
Jan  6 16:24:10 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(645): eth4: Deauth_ind 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: 0, reason: Disassociated due to inactivity (4), rssi:-63
Jan  6 16:24:10 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(645): eth4: Deauth_ind 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: 0, reason: Previous authentication no longer valid (2), rssi:-63
Jan  6 16:24:11 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(662): eth4: Disassoc 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: 0, reason: Disassociated because sending station is leaving (or has left) BSS (8), rssi:0
Jan  6 16:24:49 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(685): eth4: Auth 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: Successful (0), rssi:0
Jan  6 16:24:49 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(722): eth4: Assoc 11:22:33:72:65:B9, status: Successful (0), rssi:-58

A count of the number of times `Disassociated because sending station is leaving` appears per MAC in the logs:

➜  ~ grep 'Disassociated because sending station is leaving' router.txt | awk '{ print $8} ' | sort | uniq -c
   2 11:22:33:4B:4A:0F,
   3 11:22:33:72:45:31,
   2 11:22:33:CF:6E:8E,
   2 11:22:33:CF:73:D5,
   2 11:22:33:CF:7D:49,
   1 11:22:33:D3:A5:7E,
   3 11:22:33:40:75:5D,
   2 11:22:33:0B:A0:B6,
   1 11:22:33:34:AA:F5,
   4 11:22:33:3D:81:70,
 225 11:22:33:72:65:B9,
   2 11:22:33:AD:10:4D,
   2 11:22:33:AF:6A:C5,
 576 11:22:33:FE:25:07,
   2 11:22:33:1C:31:89,
   6 11:22:33:0A:76:87,
   8 11:22:33:20:35:EE,
   4 11:22:33:99:28:65,
   6 11:22:33:62:5B:3B,
   5 11:22:33:8E:61:3F,
   5 11:22:33:FC:81:47,
   5 11:22:33:0A:D3:1A,

Is this a known problem? Is there anything else I can try? Could it be related to use the router for a WAN PPPoE connection?

 

[degrub]

assign the IOT devices that cannot reconnect a static address in the device ( if possible) and reserve the address in the ASUS DHCP Reserved Address table. Power down and Reboot everything starting from the router..

It sounds like some of the devices are not seeing a strong enough signal on the 2.4GHz band, either from interference or too many obstacles and distance. They may also be trying to connect to the further of the two XT8s instead of the closer one.

Is the ONT also providing a DHCP server ? i would put the ISP router back to router mode and see if the issues go away. You will be double NATed, but that should not cause any issues unless you are running a server allowing outside initiated connections.

 

[damo2k]

assign the IOT devices that cannot reconnect a static address in the device ( if possible) and reserve the address in the ASUS DHCP Reserved Address table. Power down and Reboot everything starting from the router..

It sounds like some of the devices are not seeing a strong enough signal on the 2.4GHz band, either from interference or too many obstacles and distance. They may also be trying to connect to the further of the two XT8s instead of the closer one.

Thanks for that, I will give this a go. When the devices are connected, they show the signal as good or strong, so maybe they are getting intermittent interference?

Is the ONT also providing a DHCP server ? i would put the ISP router back to router mode and see if the issues go away. You will be double NATed, but that should not cause any issues unless you are running a server allowing outside initiated connections.

I should have been more clear on my post, I will amend it. Since moving to Vodafone, I am not using their router at all, and the Asus XT8 is directly connected to the ONT. I'm not sre if the ONT provides a DHCP server, is it easy to check that?

 

[Ripshod]

Since moving to Vodafone,

If that's Vodafone UK then the ONT is just a plain ONT, no DHCP, no nothing.

 

[damo2k]

If that's Vodafone UK then the ONT is just a plain ONT, no DHCP, no nothing.

It's Ireland, but I'm guessing its the same here.

 

[Ripshod]

It's Ireland, but I'm guessing its the same here.

Northern Ireland yes, the rest of Ireland is done differently though I can't see it being that different. I know vf provide different routers in Ireland but the ONTs should be similar.
Edit: a little searching and it looks like the same ONTs as used in the uk, so there's no DHCP.

 

[degrub]

i would put the Vodafone router back in and see if the issue goes away. Turn off its wireless.

BTW, did you happen to move the XT8 when you changed providers ?

 

[damo2k]

i would put the Vodafone router back in and see if the issue goes away. Turn off its wireless.

BTW, did you happen to move the XT8 when you changed providers ?

Yeah I will give this a go. I was hoping to not have to do this to reduce cables and eye-soreness.
The locations of the XT8 devices remains the same.