Ethernet Locks up, Router requires reset every week

[paul3000]

Maybe I’m just doomed, but my router will require a reboot to get the Ethernet to work. (ASUS XT8 AX6600) This happens every 7-12 days, only notice because I have a pi-hole set up for ad blocking and it’s in Ethernet. Therefore when I can’t browse websites on my phone, I know to check the app and I can see the wired back haul is not connected. During the time the Ethernet is down, wireless still works for things I don’t have using the pi-hole.

Is this likely the router or something on my network? After the latest firmware it seemed like I didn’t have to reset it for a few weeks, now we are back to a more regular reboot routine.

 

[glens]

I'm thinking more information would be needed before any solid consideration and/or advice can be offered.

Describe your network topology and settings you've done to achieve your (also described) desired goal, please.

 

[ColinTaylor]

I'm thinking more information would be needed before any solid consideration and/or advice can be offered.

Describe your network topology and settings you've done to achieve your (also described) desired goal, please.

This sounds like a continuation of your previous thread here. You said then that the problem existed even before you had an Asus router. So you need to be looking elsewhere for the problem.

 

[bbunge]

Maybe I’m just doomed, but my router will require a reboot to get the Ethernet to work. (ASUS XT8 AX6600) This happens every 7-12 days, only notice because I have a pi-hole set up for ad blocking and it’s in Ethernet. Therefore when I can’t browse websites on my phone, I know to check the app and I can see the wired back haul is not connected. During the time the Ethernet is down, wireless still works for things I don’t have using the pi-hole.

Is this likely the router or something on my network? After the latest firmware it seemed like I didn’t have to reset it for a few weeks, now we are back to a more regular reboot routine.

Is the Pi-Hole connected to the router or the switch? Sounds like the switch is the problem. Try another switch. Also check that an Ethernet cable is not working loose or a connector is bad.

 

[paul3000]

I'm thinking more information would be needed before any solid consideration and/or advice can be offered.

Describe your network topology and settings you've done to achieve your (also described) desired goal, please.

Attached a picture, I feel like I have a simple setup. Since I started experiencing these problems I have a completely new Raspberry Pi with a completely new image and install of Pi-Hole. I’ve run some new cables from the Router to the Network Switch (previously was a flat cable that looked like it may have had a small frayed piece. The PS5 and the Plex Server are new to my setup. Additionally my personal PCs are usually powered down, unless playing games on them. I’m not looking for anything special, I’m just looking for everything to work.

Someone previously had mentioned that it appeared like something on my network was basically DDOS’ing my router and then it shuts down the Ethernet. I wouldn’t even know where to start. I assume it has to be an Ethernet device.

 

[L&LD]

What type of switch are you using?

Does plugging the Pi-Hole directly into the router help?

Does unplugging the Hue Hub help?

Have you checked that the Ethernet cables used are good (by testing with new/others)?

 

[sfx2000]

Does plugging the Pi-Hole directly into the router help?

I agree here - if the Pi can be connected direct to the primary router...

 

[paul3000]

What type of switch are you using?

Does plugging the Pi-Hole directly into the router help?

Does unplugging the Hue Hub help?

Have you checked that the Ethernet cables used are good (by testing with new/others)?

Network switch is about 6 months old, DLink 8 Port unmanaged gigabit. I tested just unplugging most of the items off the network switch (except the pi hole, mesh router). Didn’t seem to change anything. I’ve always suspected the Hue Hub is the issue. I’ve swapped cables for it, and whitelisted Phillips domains just in case it is freaking out because it can’t phone home but to no avail. I have an extra Pi I was thinking about running home assistant on to remove the Hue hub from the equation.

 

[L&LD]

You didn't really test anything I suggested you do.

 

[paul3000]

You didn't really test anything I suggested you do.

Ha, sorry some things are in the basement versus my office. Doing some moving around now and I’ll just have to wait and see if it pops up again, since I can’t really predict when it will happen. I just had to reset the router two days ago.

 

[glens]

I can't decide if I would start by swapping out the Hue as you suggested or if I would swap in a different switch first.

Can you ping the (main) router from your "work PC" while this is happening, seeing it's got the most hops (and is that PC connected to the node via wire or radio)?

In the log snippet from your previous thread, what happened at 17:01, was that you unplugging / replugging an ethernet cable? Do you have a cat or other pet who might be disturbing a cable with an iffy connector? Virtually everything else in that log pertained to wireless operation.

 

[paul3000]

I can't decide if I would start by swapping out the Hue as you suggested or if I would swap in a different switch first.

Can you ping the (main) router from your "work PC" while this is happening, seeing it's got the most hops (and is that PC connected to the node via wire or radio)?

In the log snippet from your previous thread, what happened at 17:01, was that you unplugging / replugging an ethernet cable? Do you have a cat or other pet who might be disturbing a cable with an iffy connector? Virtually everything else in that log pertained to wireless operation.

Hue Hub is relatively new, I got a new one a while back when problems started surfacing. Work PC is a wired connection, which is connected to the Mesh router which is wired to the switch back to the router. Other work PC was wired to the router. Tried to ping but it’s all VPN so it didn’t work.

No animals or other potential things that would move connectors. Switch it out of the way from people being able to mess with it.

Looked at the log, I believe the timestamp was me physically unplugging and replugging the Ethernet cable. I believe I have a more recent log I pulled I can post.

 

[glens]

Would it be overly troublesome to swap positions / roles of the XT8s? Could maybe identify / isolate a router hardware problem or, hopefully, rule /that/ out.

Certainly, post up the log.

 

[follower]

Attached a picture, I feel like I have a simple setup. Since I started experiencing these problems I have a completely new Raspberry Pi with a completely new image and install of Pi-Hole. I’ve run some new cables from the Router to the Network Switch (previously was a flat cable that looked like it may have had a small frayed piece. The PS5 and the Plex Server are new to my setup. Additionally my personal PCs are usually powered down, unless playing games on them. I’m not looking for anything special, I’m just looking for everything to work.

Someone previously had mentioned that it appeared like something on my network was basically DDOS’ing my router and then it shuts down the Ethernet. I wouldn’t even know where to start. I assume it has to be an Ethernet device.

Is UPnP enabled at your router? I think the problem is Modem ----- Router or Pi.

 

[paul3000]

Is UPnP enabled at your router? I think the problem is Modem ----- Router or Pi.

Just disabled UPnP.

As of the other day I noticed that the app is saying I have a slower wired connection to my mesh router, not a gigabit connection. I tried a reboot of the router but no change. The port on the router shows a gigabit connection to the Ethernet switch. But apparently that connection from the Ethernet switch to the mesh router is slowed down to 100mbps. Would something else on the switch be slowing it down? Or is it just likely the switch is messed up?

I have not had issues with the Raspberry Pi (pi hole) since connected directly to the router. Same with the Hue hub, which was left connected to the router.

 

[glens]

apparently that connection from the Ethernet switch to the mesh router is slowed down to 100mbps

Confirm an alternate port on the switch functions correctly by other means first, then swap the feed to the node to that port and see if the trouble follows. If it does it's most likely the cable or one of its connectors.

 

[paul3000]

Confirm an alternate port on the switch functions correctly by other means first, then swap the feed to the node to that port and see if the trouble follows. If it does it's most likely the cable or one of its connectors.

Ok, switched the node from port 3 to 2. Checked and now connection is great. Went ahead and moved the feed over to 3, no change as of yet.

 

[paul3000]

So I occasionally have to do Ethernet musical chairs with my Ethernet switch. That resolves the wired Ethernet backhaul to my mesh router. Do I need a new switch or is it just something funky with using Ethernet backhaul and going through a switch instead of a direct connection to the main router?

 

[PRSXFENG]

I believe that AiMesh makes use of VLANs
Most dumb unmanaged switches shouldn't have issues with it...

Do check

[AiMesh] How to set up ASUS AiMesh or ZenWiFi Mesh Ethernet backhaul under different conditions ? (Advanced setup with network switch) | Official Support | ASUS Global

 

[L&LD]

Have you tried a network electrical reset?

Unplug every USB device connected, unplug every Ethernet cable, and unplug all power plugs from both the devices and the wall AC outlets. Do not forget to do the same with the modem/ONT too. Let the network stay in this powered-down state as long as you can. (Minimum 2 minutes, an hour+ is ideal, in my experience).

After leaving the systems off as long as you are able, power up things in order, beginning with the modem/ONT, waiting for it to fully power up, then each next piece of equipment as appropriate.

(e.g. next would be the main router, switches, nodes, NAS, printers/scanners, wired client devices, etc.).