Frequently disconnected from wifi (disconnect weak signal strength station)

[sumasage]

Hi all,

I am running two RT-AC68U in AiMesh and getting very frequent wifi disconnection. At first i thought it was the google casting service is causing the problem. This was recently reported in most tech sites. After updated the phone with the fix from google i'm still getting the disconnection. Looking at the general system log i see a lot of disconnection due to weak signal (disconnect weak signal strength station). Please see the log posted below.

I tried to disable the "roaming assistant" but it doesnt seem to make the difference. From few others posts in the forum seem like that option is "broken" in the current firmware. Both routers are running latest firmware - 3.0.0.4.384_20287.

What else can i do to fix it? Will be happy to post up log file (just need instruction on how to do it)

Thanks.

Jan 29 17:11:03 ddns update: asusddns_update: 0
Jan 29 17:11:03 ddns: ddns update ok
Jan 29 17:11:12 crond[289]: time disparity of 504010 minutes detected
Jan 29 17:11:31 roamast: eth1: add client [xx:xx:e2:4a:56:a1] to monitor list
Jan 29 17:11:41 roamast: eth1: add client [xx:xx:d8:a3:04:a8] to monitor list
Jan 29 17:12:24 roamast: discover candidate node [xx:xx:A9:85:77:F8](rssi: -53dbm) for weak signal strength client [xx:xx:D8:A3:04:A8](rssi: -62dbm)
Jan 29 17:12:24 roamast: eth1: disconnect weak signal strength station [xx:xx:d8:a3:04:a8]
Jan 29 17:12:24 roamast: eth1: remove client [xx:xx:d8:a3:04:a8] from monitor list
Jan 29 17:15:54 roamast: discover candidate node [xx:xx:A9:85:77:F8](rssi: -52dbm) for weak signal strength client [xx:xx:3D:13:5D:DF](rssi: -57dbm)
Jan 29 17:15:54 roamast: eth1: disconnect weak signal strength station [xx:xx:3d:13:5d:df]
Jan 29 17:15:54 roamast: eth1: remove client [xx:xx:3d:13:5d:df] from monitor list
Jan 29 18:55:42 roamast: eth1: add client [xx:xx:3d:13:5d:df] to monitor list
Jan 29 19:11:45 roamast: discover candidate node [xx:xx:A9:85:77:F8](rssi: -51dbm) for weak signal strength client [xx:xx:3D:13:5D:DF](rssi: -59dbm)
Jan 29 19:11:45 roamast: eth1: disconnect weak signal strength station [xx:xx:3d:13:5d:df]
Jan 29 19:11:45 roamast: eth1: remove client [xx:xx:3d:13:5d:df] from monitor list
Jan 29 19:11:52 roamast: eth1: add client [xx:xx:3d:13:5d:df] to monitor list
Jan 29 19:16:00 roamast: discover candidate node [xx:xx:A9:85:77:F8](rssi: -51dbm) for weak signal strength client [xx:xx1:3D:13:5D:DF](rssi: -62dbm)
Jan 29 19:16:00 roamast: eth1: disconnect weak signal strength station [xx:xx:3d:13:5d:df]
Jan 29 19:16:00 roamast: eth1: remove client [xx:xx:3d:13:5d:df] from monitor list
Jan 29 19:53:27 roamast: eth1: add client [xx:xx:ca:d3:f4:f0] to monitor list
Jan 29 19:54:10 roamast: discover candidate node [xx:xx:A9:85:77:F8](rssi: -62dbm) for weak signal strength client [xx:xx:CA:D3:F4:F0](rssi: -71dbm)
Jan 29 19:54:10 roamast: eth1: disconnect weak signal strength station [dc:ef:ca:d3:f4:f0]
Jan 29 19:54:10 roamast: eth1: remove client [xx:xx:ca:d3:f4:f0] from monitor list
Jan 29 19:57:07 roamast: eth1: add client [xx:xx:ca:d3:f4:f0] to monitor list
Jan 29 19:57:35 roamast: discover candidate node [xx:xx:A9:85:77:F8](rssi: -63dbm) for weak signal strength client [xx:xx:CA:D3:F4:F0](rssi: -73dbm)
Jan 29 19:57:35 roamast: eth1: disconnect weak signal strength station [xx:xx:ca:d3:f4:f0]
Jan 29 19:57:35 roamast: eth1: remove client [xx:xx:ca:d3:f4:f0] from monitor list

 

[KevTech]

Try disabling Airtime Fairness too.

 

[arthurlien]

Hi all,

I am running two RT-AC68U in AiMesh and getting very frequent wifi disconnection. At first i thought it was the google casting service is causing the problem. This was recently reported in most tech sites. After updated the phone with the fix from google i'm still getting the disconnection. Looking at the general system log i see a lot of disconnection due to weak signal (disconnect weak signal strength station). Please see the log posted below.

I tried to disable the "roaming assistant" but it doesnt seem to make the difference. From few others posts in the forum seem like that option is "broken" in the current firmware. Both routers are running latest firmware - 3.0.0.4.384_20287.

What else can i do to fix it? Will be happy to post up log file (just need instruction on how to do it)

Thanks.

Jan 29 17:11:03 ddns update: asusddns_update: 0
Jan 29 17:11:03 ddns: ddns update ok
Jan 29 17:11:12 crond[289]: time disparity of 504010 minutes detected
Jan 29 17:11:31 roamast: eth1: add client [xx:xx:e2:4a:56:a1] to monitor list
Jan 29 17:11:41 roamast: eth1: add client [xx:xx:d8:a3:04:a8] to monitor list
Jan 29 17:12:24 roamast: discover candidate node [xx:xx:A9:85:77:F8](rssi: -53dbm) for weak signal strength client [xx:xx:D8:A3:04:A8](rssi: -62dbm)
Jan 29 17:12:24 roamast: eth1: disconnect weak signal strength station [xx:xx:d8:a3:04:a8]
Jan 29 17:12:24 roamast: eth1: remove client [xx:xx:d8:a3:04:a8] from monitor list
Jan 29 17:15:54 roamast: discover candidate node [xx:xx:A9:85:77:F8](rssi: -52dbm) for weak signal strength client [xx:xx:3D:13:5D:DF](rssi: -57dbm)
Jan 29 17:15:54 roamast: eth1: disconnect weak signal strength station [xx:xx:3d:13:5d:df]
Jan 29 17:15:54 roamast: eth1: remove client [xx:xx:3d:13:5d:df] from monitor list
Jan 29 18:55:42 roamast: eth1: add client [xx:xx:3d:13:5d:df] to monitor list
Jan 29 19:11:45 roamast: discover candidate node [xx:xx:A9:85:77:F8](rssi: -51dbm) for weak signal strength client [xx:xx:3D:13:5D:DF](rssi: -59dbm)
Jan 29 19:11:45 roamast: eth1: disconnect weak signal strength station [xx:xx:3d:13:5d:df]
Jan 29 19:11:45 roamast: eth1: remove client [xx:xx:3d:13:5d:df] from monitor list
Jan 29 19:11:52 roamast: eth1: add client [xx:xx:3d:13:5d:df] to monitor list
Jan 29 19:16:00 roamast: discover candidate node [xx:xx:A9:85:77:F8](rssi: -51dbm) for weak signal strength client [xx:xx1:3D:13:5D:DF](rssi: -62dbm)
Jan 29 19:16:00 roamast: eth1: disconnect weak signal strength station [xx:xx:3d:13:5d:df]
Jan 29 19:16:00 roamast: eth1: remove client [xx:xx:3d:13:5d:df] from monitor list
Jan 29 19:53:27 roamast: eth1: add client [xx:xx:ca:d3:f4:f0] to monitor list
Jan 29 19:54:10 roamast: discover candidate node [xx:xx:A9:85:77:F8](rssi: -62dbm) for weak signal strength client [xx:xx:CA:D3:F4:F0](rssi: -71dbm)
Jan 29 19:54:10 roamast: eth1: disconnect weak signal strength station [dc:ef:ca:d3:f4:f0]
Jan 29 19:54:10 roamast: eth1: remove client [xx:xx:ca:d3:f4:f0] from monitor list
Jan 29 19:57:07 roamast: eth1: add client [xx:xx:ca:d3:f4:f0] to monitor list
Jan 29 19:57:35 roamast: discover candidate node [xx:xx:A9:85:77:F8](rssi: -63dbm) for weak signal strength client [xx:xx:CA:D3:F4:F0](rssi: -73dbm)
Jan 29 19:57:35 roamast: eth1: disconnect weak signal strength station [xx:xx:ca:d3:f4:f0]
Jan 29 19:57:35 roamast: eth1: remove client [xx:xx:ca:d3:f4:f0] from monitor list

Can you send your contact info to me by PM ?

 

[sumasage]

Can you send your contact info to me by PM ?

Not sure you to do the PM but i started a "conversation" with you.

 

[sumasage]

I looked at the settings more carefully last night and i didnt change a setting right. I thought the assistant roaming is "universal" but it actually is separate for the 2.4ghz and 5ghz. Previously i only turned it off for the 5ghz antenna and not very many devices were connected to 5g network. I turned assistant roaming off for the 2.4 ghz as well and the disconnections improved substantially. I also turned the airtime fairness off for both frequencies as well.

Will report back on result.

 

[Treadler]

Disable Airtime Fairness, Roaming Assistant, Multi-User MIMO & Universal (Implicit) Beamforming - for both bands.
Set 2.4 channel width to 20.

 

[sumasage]

Disconnections still happens but a bit better than before. Will try the recent firmware update.

 

[Ronald Schwerer]

Disconnections still happens but a bit better than before. Will try the recent firmware update.

If you disable Roaming Assistant you pretty-much turn off AiMesh's handoff. Might as well not even have it. On your 2.4Ghz wifi try lowering the RA cutoff to -70dB. You might get an occasional disconnect, but AiMesh will still work. After a while you can try raising it a little for better hand-off performance. Keep in mind that it is supposed to disconnect when mobile devices move around.

BTW, I assume this log only shows the main router's eth1 & eth2 activity. So You are not seeing what is happening on the node(s). Anyone know if this is correct? My reasoning is as I move my phone around the home, I can see it disconnect, but my phone is still connected to an SSID with a good signal. So I'm assuming it is the node's.

 

[sumasage]

I thought the mesh hand off suppose to be smoother than that. But I don't think my problem is related "hand off". I have the main router at the north end of the house (bed room) and node at a the south end (kitchen). I get disconnects at both ends of the house multiple times while staying stills (browsing in bed, sitting at dinner table, etc.).

So if it is disconnect during hand off then i can only imagine that signal strengths of both router and node overlaps and it hand off back and forth resulting in disconnects. If this is the case then it would be better to run two seperate routers than mesh.

 

[arthurlien]

I thought the mesh hand off suppose to be smoother than that. But I don't think my problem is related "hand off". I have the main router at the north end of the house (bed room) and node at a the south end (kitchen). I get disconnects at both ends of the house multiple times while staying stills (browsing in bed, sitting at dinner table, etc.).

So if it is disconnect during hand off then i can only imagine that signal strengths of both router and node overlaps and it hand off back and forth resulting in disconnects. If this is the case then it would be better to run two seperate routers than mesh.

You can try to adjust RA threshold or disabled RA. than see the issue still happen or not.

 

[Vincent Wong]

I have an RT-AC5300 as a main AIMESH Router, and two new units of RT-AC68U running the latest AIMESH routers. I would like to report what I am seeing:
1. Adding the RT-AC68U as AIMESH Node was terrible, I had tried like 20 times before it succeeded, each time failing at 50-56% applying settings level. I was so surprise that it finally succeeded, I had not change any settings ... such search and add, fail, rinse repeat. While the second unit had much better success when I used a different method. I switched it first over to AP mode, then changed the default IP to one manually assigned, then upgraded the firmware, connected to it and changed it AIMESH node, then adding the node.

2. Performance is so far inconsistent, one of the units keeps going OFFLINE, I had to powercycle to reset the unit to bring it back online.

3. Users performance isn't fantastic .. reporting slow internet speeds.

Question: Is there any where while the RT-AC68U is in AIMESH Node can be configured for "smart connect" for when to drop a client while the client is roaming? I can setup for the main RT-AC5300 router, but for the AIMESH nodes I do not seem to be able to find a way to configure that.

 

[OzarkEdge]

I have an RT-AC5300 as a main AIMESH Router, and two new units of RT-AC68U running the latest AIMESH routers. I would like to report what I am seeing:
1. Adding the RT-AC68U as AIMESH Node was terrible, I had tried like 20 times before it succeeded, each time failing at 50-56% applying settings level. I was so surprise that it finally succeeded, I had not change any settings ... such search and add, fail, rinse repeat. While the second unit had much better success when I used a different method. I switched it first over to AP mode, then changed the default IP to one manually assigned, then upgraded the firmware, connected to it and changed it AIMESH node, then adding the node.

2. Performance is so far inconsistent, one of the units keeps going OFFLINE, I had to powercycle to reset the unit to bring it back online.

3. Users performance isn't fantastic .. reporting slow internet speeds.

Question: Is there any where while the RT-AC68U is in AIMESH Node can be configured for "smart connect" for when to drop a client while the client is roaming? I can setup for the main RT-AC5300 router, but for the AIMESH nodes I do not seem to be able to find a way to configure that.

The RT-AC68U does not support SmartConnect i.e. band selection/steering within a node.

SmartConnect is not the same as RoamingAssist i.e. node selection/steering by the AiMesh system.

The jump to AiMesh firmware seems to be sensitive to less than a clean install. It's hard to argue this in view of all of the unknowns, so I can only suggest you consider if you should try a clean install again. I put some install notes together for reference... maybe they will help you to consider re-installing from scratch: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/o...-supported-products.44375/page-14#post-381537

For instance, if it takes 20 times to add a node that keeps failing to add at the same point, then I'd back off and start over, and not expect a troubled install to yield a working system. (A node should add the first time.)

One thing I've been wondering about after discovering all of these wireless devices broadcasting their own WiFi Direct AP, often at more power than the resident WiFi signals, particularly HP wireless printers... could people be trying to add AiMesh nodes sitting in front of multiple nodes in waiting and/or their WiFi Direct-enabled printers, etc? Maybe there is just too much WiFi radio bouncing around while trying to add nodes... and afterward.

OE

 

[Vincent Wong]

The RT-AC68U does not support SmartConnect i.e. band selection/steering within a node.

SmartConnect is not the same as RoamingAssist i.e. node selection/steering by the AiMesh system.

The jump to AiMesh firmware seems to be sensitive to less than a clean install. It's hard to argue this in view of all of the unknowns, so I can only suggest you consider if you should try a clean install again. I put some install notes together for reference... maybe they will help you to consider re-installing from scratch: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/o...-supported-products.44375/page-14#post-381537

For instance, if it takes 20 times to add a node that keeps failing to add at the same point, then I'd back off and start over, and not expect a troubled install to yield a working system. (A node should add the first time.)

One thing I've been wondering about after discovering all of these wireless devices broadcasting their own WiFi Direct AP, often at more power than the resident WiFi signals, particularly HP wireless printers... could people be trying to add AiMesh nodes sitting in front of multiple nodes in waiting and/or their WiFi Direct-enabled printers, etc? Maybe there is just too much WiFi radio bouncing around while trying to add nodes... and afterward.

OE

Hi OE,

Thanks for replying my post. The RT-AC68U going offline is so far observable due to AIMESH Node not on wired backhaul. I have done all forms of resets downgrading the firmware then test running and then upgrading again using the latest driver. I can tell you there is nothing wrong with the way I upgrade the firmware, not it makes any difference - there is no such thing as a "clean install" since there is nothing we install on the router other than the firmware given by Asus; configuration files get deleted with a hard reset anyway.

All I can say is, I swapped my "good" unit that did not disconnect with the "bad" unit. The only difference is connected wired to one of the LAN ports, while the "bad" unit was standalone connected wirelessly. After the swap, the "bad" unit no longer goes "offline", and the "good" unit now goes off line. I don't think it is the range. All units are within 20 feet of each other, the reason why I have them is because I have a lot of brick walls in between, AC signals are weaken when they pass thru brick walls; if not I would not have been bothered with adding 2 more new wireless routers as my AIMESH.

The offline AIMESH unit, is powered, the led lights for 5Ghz and 2.4GHz are lighted up, and it gets very hot. I do think it is a firmware issue possibly a bug that causes the AIMESH router to unable to communicate with it.

Also I can say the AC5300 AIMESH firmware isn't very good. After 24 hours of testing my AC5300 went haywire and needed a reboot; there may be a memory leak somewhere in the programming.

The RT-AC68U Aimesh node goes offline after 3-4 hours. So Asus if you are reading this, please test this out. The Aimesh node standalone connected wireless goes offline by itself after 3-4 hours running. This means it is not usable, if it goes offline with no way of waking it or reconnecting via WOL or something. This happens with clients connected to it, the clients gets bumped to the RT-AC68U on the wired backhaul or to the main router AC5300 when it goes offline.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Hi OE,

Thanks for replying my post. The RT-AC68U going offline is so far observable due to AIMESH Node not on wired backhaul. I have done all forms of resets downgrading the firmware then test running and then upgrading again using the latest driver. I can tell you there is nothing wrong with the way I upgrade the firmware, not it makes any difference - there is no such thing as a "clean install" since there is nothing we install on the router other than the firmware given by Asus; configuration files get deleted with a hard reset anyway.

All I can say is, I swapped my "good" unit that did not disconnect with the "bad" unit. The only difference is connected wired to one of the LAN ports, while the "bad" unit was standalone connected wirelessly. After the swap, the "bad" unit no longer goes "offline", and the "good" unit now goes off line. I don't think it is the range. All units are within 20 feet of each other, the reason why I have them is because I have a lot of brick walls in between, AC signals are weaken when they pass thru brick walls; if not I would not have been bothered with adding 2 more new wireless routers as my AIMESH.

The offline AIMESH unit, is powered, the led lights for 5Ghz and 2.4GHz are lighted up, and it gets very hot. I do think it is a firmware issue possibly a bug that causes the AIMESH router to unable to communicate with it.

Also I can say the AC5300 AIMESH firmware isn't very good. After 24 hours of testing my AC5300 went haywire and needed a reboot; there may be a memory leak somewhere in the programming.

The RT-AC68U Aimesh node goes offline after 3-4 hours. So Asus if you are reading this, please test this out. The Aimesh node standalone connected wireless goes offline by itself after 3-4 hours running. This means it is not usable, if it goes offline with no way of waking it or reconnecting via WOL or something. This happens with clients connected to it, the clients gets bumped to the RT-AC68U on the wired backhaul or to the main router AC5300 when it goes offline.

Both AC68Us getting very hot and going offline when in the wireless backhaul location sounds like a problem alright.

By clean install, I mean to be sure that the AiMesh firmware is reset to factory defaults as is explained here https://www.snbforums.com/threads/faq-nvram-and-factory-default-reset.22822/

20 feet node-to-node seems close to me... I can connect (barely) to 2.4 GHz from my neighbor's house 200 feet away through his wood siding and my brick walls.

OE

 

[Vincent Wong]

I am sad to report my time with AIMESH is short. The software is unusable. My users keep complaining that the performance has gotten progressively worst since I switch to Aimesh.

I have reconfigured the RT-AC68u as repeaters instead. So far the performance and stability is way better than Aimesh. It does come with its own limitations such as it cannot have a wired backhaul.

When adding the wired backhaul it appears that the RT-AC68u’s dhcp server tries to take over my main RT-AC5300 router causing internet disconnects. Once I unplug it from the Lan port it works fine.

I believe this is a bug. As a repeater it is configured with a static IP. And the DNS and gateway points to my main router. Repeater node should not have DHCP running but it is running.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[OzarkEdge]

I have an RT-AC5300 as a main AIMESH Router, and two new units of RT-AC68U running the latest AIMESH routers. I would like to report what I am seeing:
1. Adding the RT-AC68U as AIMESH Node was terrible, I had tried like 20 times before it succeeded, each time failing at 50-56% applying settings level. I was so surprise that it finally succeeded, I had not change any settings ... such search and add, fail, rinse repeat. While the second unit had much better success when I used a different method. I switched it first over to AP mode, then changed the default IP to one manually assigned, then upgraded the firmware, connected to it and changed it AIMESH node, then adding the node.

There is only one method for installing an AiMesh node. You must upgrade the firmware to AiMesh version, factory default reset that AiMesh firmware to clear the NVRAM, and then configure the router node to add the remote node(s). The remote node(s) you add must be in AiMesh factory default condition.

There is only one way to wire an AiMesh remote node backhaul to the router node. You must wire the remote node WAN to the router node LAN. You can daisy chain one remote node WAN to one remote node LAN. 4 remote nodes max.

Maybe this will help someone willing to do it.

OE

 

[Vincent Wong]

There is only one method for installing an AiMesh node. You must upgrade the firmware to AiMesh version, factory default reset that AiMesh firmware to clear the NVRAM, and then configure the router node to add the remote node(s). The remote node(s) you add must be in AiMesh factory default condition.

There is only one way to wire a remote node backhaul to the router node. You must wire the remote node WAN to the router node LAN. You can daisy chain one remote node WAN to one remote node LAN. 4 remote nodes max.

Maybe this will help someone willing to do it.

OE

Thanks OE. I am already doing all that is with the firmware reset.


As for the wan port in for the remote node. Just tried it. It works with the repeater mode with no conflict like it previously did when I used the regular Lan port.

It my network map the same device shows up as both wired and wireless with two different MAC addresses.

At the moment I am achieving a single SSID wireless network using the RT-AC68u as repeaters instead of aimesh nodes. Then one would wonder why do we even need aimesh at all? I can see clients connecting to my repeaters and able to roam as well.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[OzarkEdge]

At the moment I am achieving a single SSID wireless network using the RT-AC68u as repeaters instead of aimesh nodes. Then one would wonder why do we even need aimesh at all? I can see clients connecting to my repeaters and able to roam as well.

Time will tell!

OE

 

[OzarkEdge]

As for the wan port in for the remote node. Just tried it. It works with the repeater mode with no conflict like it previously did when I used the regular Lan port.

It my network map the same device shows up as both wired and wireless with two different MAC addresses.

At the moment I am achieving a single SSID wireless network using the RT-AC68u as repeaters instead of aimesh nodes. Then one would wonder why do we even need aimesh at all? I can see clients connecting to my repeaters and able to roam as well.

I thought repeater mode was wireless only. The Ethernet connection is not required/used. AiMesh would permit using a wired backhaul.

OE

 

[Vincent Wong]

I thought repeater mode was wireless only. The Ethernet connection is not required/used. AiMesh would permit using a wired backhaul.

OE

Apparently after 1 hour of connecting the wired backhaul to the repeater. It crashed. I have now reverted to just wireless connection for the repeater.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk