Firmware Update for AX86U (8-31-2021)

[wmmallette47]

You can find the best channel to use with a WIFI scanner. Several available for Android devices. For Windows PC's Tarlogic makes a good free scanner: https://www.acrylicwifi.com/en/
The key is to choose between channels 1, 6 or 11 that has the least number of overlapping radios. Also use 20 MHz bandwidth especially if you are in a congested WIFI neighborhood. If you can't see the smoke from your neighbors fire any channel is OK.

Dual Band SmartConnect uses the same SSID and passphrase for both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. That way your clients can choose which band they want to use. Also, should you use a DFS channel on 5 GHz and that gets bounced by RADAR the clients will switch to the 2.4 GHz band and keep working. Some will advise against SmartConnect but it has worked wonderfully for me.
You should also use a fixed channel for th e5 GHz band.

Would this necessarily require that my 2.4 and 5 GHz bands have the same SSID name? I changed it on a suggestion of a member here not long ago to solve an issue. Haven’t had a problem since then.

 

[Tech9]

Keep SmartConnect disabled for best performance results and better clients management, @wmmallette47- it's disabled by default in Asuswrt. Connect slow 2.4GHz devices to 2.4GHz SSID, faster 5GHz devices to 5GHz SSID. Use any 2.4GHz channel with higher bandwidth available - no one around you follows 1-6-11 rule. It's valid only when you control all the APs around, in conference halls, warehouses, etc. Your router can deal with interference well and will push higher throughput on "non-standard" channels. Avoid DFS channels for more stable Wi-Fi. Avoid 160MHz wide 5GHz channels, they require DFS use. Test lower 5GHz channels first - 36-40-44-48. Most ISP equipment prefers or comes locked to channel 36, try 40-44 and you may get better throughput, depending on your Wi-Fi environment. Best channels in my area are 4 @20MHz and 40 @80MHz, for example. Don't follow blindly other people recommendations, do your own research, experiment. Once you find your best channels, don't change them often. Hold your ground and neighbors' equipment on Auto will move away. Most equipment around you is perhaps on Auto. Most Internet users don't know what Wi-Fi channel is.

 

[bbunge]

Would this necessarily require that my 2.4 and 5 GHz bands have the same SSID name? I changed it on a suggestion of a member here not long ago to solve an issue. Haven’t had a problem since then.

Come into the modern age. Dual Band SmartConnect does work well. Others may disagree but it works for me and I have a vast range if WIFI clients!

 

[wmmallette47]

Keep SmartConnect disabled for best performance results and better clients management, @wmmallette47- it's disabled by default in Asuswrt. Connect slow 2.4GHz devices to 2.4GHz SSID, faster 5GHz devices to 5GHz SSID. Use any 2.4GHz channel with higher bandwidth available - no one around you follows 1-6-11 rule. It's valid only when you control all the APs around, in conference halls, warehouses, etc. Your router can deal with interference well and will push higher throughput on "non-standard" channels. Avoid DFS channels for more stable Wi-Fi. Avoid 160MHz wide 5GHz channels, they require DFS use. Test lower 5GHz channels first - 36-40-44-48. Most ISP equipment prefers or comes locked to channel 36, try 40-44 and you may get better throughput, depending on your Wi-Fi environment. Best channels in my area are 4 @20MHz and 40 @80MHz, for example. Don't follow blindly other people recommendations, do your own research, experiment. Once you find your best channels, don't change them often. Hold your ground and neighbors' equipment on Auto will move away. Most equipment around you is perhaps on Auto. Most Internet users don't know what Wi-Fi channel is.

Honestly, wireless traffic where I am is low. My nearest neighbor is a quarter mile and even then, there are only 4 or 5 houses total.

 

[Tech9]

Others may disagree but it works for me

Works for you because your ISP is slow and you don't need performance, just a connection.

My nearest neighbor is a quarter mile and even then, there are only 4 or 5 houses total.

You can use the channels you want then. Most people are restricted by crowded Wi-Fi around.

 

[supe]

Thought i would post in this thread, as the issue I experience occurs with this latest release as well.
I get slow upload speeds within my LAN from my computer(Wifi) to my NAS(wired) if I enable Traditional QOS. There is another thread where people report experiencing slow upload speeds albeit they seem to be referring to WAN from LAN.

 

[kibosh]

I decided to go back and try this firmware again. The last time I installed it using the firmware automatic upload page which I never do (I was sitting outside and was too lazy to get in front of the laptop so I used the webui on my iPhone). I downloaded the firmware from ASUS and uploaded it manually and oddly it seems the disconnect issues I was experiencing before are gone. Has anyone else ever experienced any oddities with the automatic download and application of firmware? This was the first time I had ever used it and apparently it will be my last!

One minor observation with this firmware: any kernel messages in the log do not respect your time zone setting. In my case, all entries are 4 hours in the future.

 

[KevTech]

Thought i would post in this thread, as the issue I experience occurs with this latest release as well.
I get slow upload speeds within my LAN from my computer(Wifi) to my NAS(wired) if I enable Traditional QOS. There is another thread where people report experiencing slow upload speeds albeit they seem to be referring to WAN from LAN.

Might be working as it should since traditional QoS disables hardware acceleration.

I think adaptive QoS does not.

 

[supe]

Might be working as it should since traditional QoS disables hardware acceleration.

I think adaptive QoS does not.

I'm not sure hardware acceleration is needed for LAN traffic. but none the less this does not affect the rt-ax68u I had, so it must be something else.

 

[renegadeavenger]

I decided to go back and try this firmware again. The last time I installed it using the firmware automatic upload page which I never do (I was sitting outside and was too lazy to get in front of the laptop so I used the webui on my iPhone). I downloaded the firmware from ASUS and uploaded it manually and oddly it seems the disconnect issues I was experiencing before are gone. Has anyone else ever experienced any oddities with the automatic download and application of firmware? This was the first time I had ever used it and apparently it will be my last!

One minor observation with this firmware: any kernel messages in the log do not respect your time zone setting. In my case, all entries are 4 hours in the future.

So far has your 2.4ghz been stable so far? Its weird because I "thought" I redownloaded it as a zip and flashed it, but I was still having the 2.4ghz disconnects after 12-24 hours. The first time I flashed, was also through automatic update/browser.

 

[kibosh]

Yes. I have been disconnect free for a couple of days now. I was actually experiencing disconnects on both 2.4 and 5 ghz bands. Really odd.

 

[bbunge]

One minor observation with this firmware: any kernel messages in the log do not respect your time zone setting. In my case, all entries are 4 hours in the future.

I see the same time offset for kernel messages. Four hours + is Zulu time. It is the same as you are a bit due North of me and across the deepest Great Lake.

 

[bbunge]

I enabled DoT on the AX86u and when I try and open the YouTube app on my PS5, I get no internet connection message and the app won't open. All other apps open fine, except for YouTube. Is this normal?

No. What upstream resolvers are you using?

 

[tallytr]

Too many weird error messages in my log after upgrading.
Went back to 3.0.0.4.386_44130 and now all good again, I will wait...

 

[kibosh]

Ya, the log is definitely noisier than the last firmware version. Every hour I get a whole whack of "WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)" logs for what looks like every wireless device attached. Also, today after 7 days of no issues (that I am aware of) all of my 5 Ghz devices dropped all at once. The last version seems much more stable.

 

[Datalink]

Have a look at the following thread. Maybe what you're seeing with the dropped devices is a continuation of the problem outlined in this thread:

Asus RT-AX86U Disconnection Issue

Hi, Beginner here with basic knowledge. New to the forum but have been lurking around for a solution. I purchased an Asus RT-AX86U 3 weeks ago. However, the connection just randomly drops sometimes and has been quite an annoyance watching streams, gaming or online school. For example, I am...

www.snbforums.com

If you're still experiencing wifi drops with this version, it doesn't give me any hope that Asus has resolved the problem. I've given up using my AX86U for wifi purposes for now due to the wifi drops. My AC86U, with the same devices is rock solid, in terms of its performance as a wifi access point. No drops seen .....

 

[kibosh]

I was also experiencing much of what was described in that thread as well. I even went back to my trusty ac86u for a while. But when 44130 came out I tried it and it seemed to resolve all wifi drop issues for me. This latest version unfortunately seems to be a slight regression.

 

[Paliv]

I flashed this firmware last week and did a reset and re-setup on my AX86U and thankfully haven't had any drops or noticeable issues. I don't bother with the logs unless I notice an issue. I only know enough to think there's a problem when there's not. So I leave it alone.

 

[tallytr]

re-flashed with latest firmware and now less log spam Worked just fine before as well, I should just ignore that darn log (OCD) ;-)

 

[Treklof]

Hallo everbody,
I´m having a hard time with the RT-AX86U_3.0.0.4_386_45375-Update. It busts the Mesh-GUI and I can not optimize or change the mesh anymore.
When I use the general "Network Map" menu (on the left) I can see my three AiNodes. The AiMesh is functioning! But it can not be changed due to the disfuntional Mesh-GUI.
I did a Reset and a clean Installation of the mesh twice. Same Problem. When I roll back to 44130 its all fine again.
Any recommendations? Probably I shoud try a hard Reset. Anybody having the same experience?
BTW: I got the 45375-Update at first for my RT-AX88U and had no Problems then.