Release ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8) Firmware version 3.0.0.4.388.22525

[paul85eng]

I always select my channel. But i did leave it on 20/40/80/160. The nodes just failed to connect over 5g-2 despite that being set as preferred.

Are you saying if i just had 160 set it would of worked?

I am a bit wary of messing about. I find the more i change things the less stable it all becomes.

I may do a full reset when i have a bit more time didnt do one this upgrade.

 

[Smokey613]

I just setup a used pair of XT8 HW-v1 in AP mode running this latest version and so far they are working great. I guess time will tell.

Here is the wireless backhaul info:

Associated Authorized RSSI PHY PSM SGI STBC MUBF NSS BW Tx rate Rx rate Connect Time
04:42:1A:6E:XX:XX Yes Yes -65dBm ax No Yes Yes Yes 4 160M 1729.4M 1729.4M 00:07:07

 

[blofeld]

I always select my channel. But i did leave it on 20/40/80/160. The nodes just failed to connect over 5g-2 despite that being set as preferred.

Are you saying if i just had 160 set it would of worked?

You seem to have a different issue. If you have set the channel then 160MHz should be available for connection. Sorry can't help anymore.

 

[oxen]

Hello
I've 4 XT8 for ma house. 2 with ethernet and 2 with wifi network connection
After 2 days with this firmware, I notice wifi cuts and the prioritization of wifi bounces is no longer applied.
after returning to firmware 3.0.0.4.386_48706, no more worries.
I had done a test with Firmware 3.0.0.4.388.22068 and it was a disaster with cuts every 5 minutes (blue light) and therefore network inoperative.

In summary: this new version is more stable than the old one but remains perfectible.

 

[thalador]

Been running on 22525 for about 5 days now with no issue. Here's hoping!

 

[Smokey613]

So far this 22525 seems to be working very good, but I am not really testing it’s full potential since I am using my XT8s in AP mode.

The dedicated wireless backhaul is doing great and using channel 173.

 

[mrbill]

Since I first reported on February 24, 22525 has been delightfully stable for me. Like Smokey613 above, I am also using channel 173.

 

[Bonga]

New and could really use some help/advice on what is going on. I've never really had an issue with my main/node setup from 2 years ago (when i bought this AX / XT8). I've previously only upgraded firmware a couple of times and still never had too many issues until last night. Basically I have the node in my bedroom with the main connected to the modem in the living room. The node disconnected last night - which made me think for a second that my internet was down but it wasn't - I turned off the main and node and rebooted. Fast forward to today, while I am mostly online from the node, it keeps getting me fits and disconnecting throughout the day; getting the flashing blue LED for random amounts of time before it reconnects (white LED). In the evening, I gave up and updated the firmware of both Main/Node to this 22525; and it still had issues. I also removed the node from the AiMesh - but then suddenly this node just kept flashing blue and was never connected for me to re-add into the system. At this point I moved the node physically closer to the main and I pinned the reset button underneath. After a few mins, the node finally connected - I added to mesh and then unplugged to move it back into the bedroom. It currently "works" but intermittently, I'm still getting disconnected from the internet and it's simply because the node keeps disconnecting from the main. I'm not sure what's going on and if it's a hardware issue or software issue. I do not know networking items too well; so many of the settings are unknown to me - mostly just on default. Also to add; I do not know what my previous firmware was; but I definitely hadn't updated that recently prior to today.

It's frustrating because it keeps disconnect and I literally wait a couple of minutes to get back. I just want to figure out how to fix this issue or if the node is busted. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[tgl]

New and could really use some help/advice on what is going on.

Welcome to the forums.

Given that you'd not been fooling with firmware updates or configuration changes, and that everything was stable until yesterday, the thing that I am wondering about is "what changed?". I can only think of two plausible answers: your hardware is starting to flake out, or some major source of radio interference has suddenly appeared in your vicinity. Is there any possibility that a near neighbor has just acquired some new wifi gear? You could investigate that by getting a wifi scanner app; but if it's true then the only real answer would be to switch to a less-loaded wifi channel. So, if your main is not already set on "auto" channel choice, that would be the first thing I'd try, and the second thing would be to switch to a different explicit channel choice.

If that doesn't help then the flaky-hardware theory starts to look pretty good. You can try the rain dance of factory reset, flash new firmware, factory reset again and reconfigure, but I'm not holding out huge hope for that.

Also ... you weren't terribly clear about the physical layout you're working with, but do you actually need the secondary node at all? What sort of performance do you get in your bedroom if you turn off the node and just connect to the main? Can you relocate the main a little closer to help?

 

[Bonga]

Curious why would it flake out in the form of connection to the main though?

Both the 2.4 and 5g are set on auto control channel.

While the apartment isn't a big one; when I decided to buy this setup 2 yrs ago, it was partly because I wanted a node in the bedroom where my desk is as well (I had moved the desk from living room to bedroom) - and in the WFH setup at the time, I have an ethernet connected phone for work. That node would serve to give me the ability to connect both my desktop and this phone hardwired into it.

I think I've tried it without a node previously (but also with a different router) and for a desktop; i would prefer the hardwired into node rather than the onboard wifi (faster/usually more reliability).

:/

 

[tgl]

I think I've tried it without a node previously (but also with a different router) and for a desktop; i would prefer the hardwired into node rather than the onboard wifi (faster/usually more reliability).

Well, as an emergency measure, I'd definitely suggest taking the node out of the loop so that you can be certain whether it's the node or the main that is misbehaving.

Also, IIUC what you are really doing is using the node as a media bridge --- that is, it is not meant to serve any wireless clients but only machines that are plugged into its LAN ports. If that's correct, you could try taking it out of the AiMesh configuration and setting it up in media bridge mode explicitly. It's kind of a long shot whether that will make things more stable, but I think it could be worth trying. I've got a couple of XT8s running as an access point and media bridge respectively (to carry network service to some inconveniently-located machines) and they have been just remarkably solid since I got them configured with stable firmware versions.

 

[Bonga]

Well, as an emergency measure, I'd definitely suggest taking the node out of the loop so that you can be certain whether it's the node or the main that is misbehaving.

Also, IIUC what you are really doing is using the node as a media bridge --- that is, it is not meant to serve any wireless clients but only machines that are plugged into its LAN ports. If that's correct, you could try taking it out of the AiMesh configuration and setting it up in media bridge mode explicitly. It's kind of a long shot whether that will make things more stable, but I think it could be worth trying. I've got a couple of XT8s running as an access point and media bridge respectively (to carry network service to some inconveniently-located machines) and they have been just remarkably solid since I got them configured with stable firmware versions.

Thanks for the suggestions/help. I'm not sure what to do; for now, I swapped the two units; I unlinked the "Main" and hit the reset button below, reset the original "Node" as well and then made the "node" the new "main2" and vice versa. It took a bit to set it all up as if from scratch again... My internet still kinda sucks, it feels a bit pingy as i played a game but so far fingers crossed... haven't seen a real disconnection yet. :/

I don't reallllly want to replace the original node, but it does feel like it's an issue with that unit?

 

[tgl]

for now, I swapped the two units; I unlinked the "Main" and hit the reset button below, reset the original "Node" as well and then made the "node" the new "main2" and vice versa. It took a bit to set it all up as if from scratch again... My internet still kinda sucks, it feels a bit pingy as i played a game but so far fingers crossed... haven't seen a real disconnection yet. :/

I don't reallllly want to replace the original node, but it does feel like it's an issue with that unit?

I'd say hold off and see what happens. Wouldn't be the first time that reset-and-reconfigure fixed things.

 

[OakleyFreak]

Happy to report that this Version is stable on both my 86u and 86s in mesh mode. My wifi outlets still revert to the 86u after a reboot. But will eventually migrate back to the 86s.

 

[oxen]

Thinks for this analyse but i prefer stay with the 48706 and wait the next firmware. this 22525 are better than the 21617 but don't maintaining the topologie of my hardware position.
i don't understand why and when i optimize the mesh, i have the best ans stable wifi but after 1 or 2 days, One of my xt8 connecting to the mesh far with a simple OK connection...
If it's connecting to the near i have Excellent connection...

 

[Luis Soto]

A question that I have found, I do not know if previously was working and not with that version, or it was not even working previously.
On the clients with the Safe Browsing option activated, you could not resolve the internal ip address anymore, such as the router is bypassing dnsmasq and forwarding directly to the external dns', that of course do not know anything about our internal ip addresses.
That means for example that my children's desktop where I have activated "Ad Block + Family" are not able to resolve our nas (or any other device) anymore, unless you disable completely ("None") the Safe Browsing option.
On the other hand, I think that is the first version in the last year or more, that the router didn't need to reboot even after a month, working flawless and with 160Mhz backhaul (almost everything with default settings after the hard reset due the upgrade but the dhcp binding and security settings: ai, firewall, etc).