Fried/ Bricked RT-AX86U or?

[JT Strickland]

Bad electrical storm today, apparently damaged my primary router, or maybe killed it. About a month old . It was behind a UPS but I guess it came in through one of the ethernet lines. Power light and two ethernet port lights come on, then it starts over after a little while. I assume it's rebooting, but I am unable to access it or the network.

I have another AX86U that I was using as an Aimesh node, so I guess I'll try it as primary. I have an RT-AC86U that lightning took the WAN port out on and I used with a "dual" WAN, but everything else was working OK a month ago. Trouble is, I don't know how to configure it as a node without a wan port. Only alternative left for a network quickly is a RT-AC68U for my node or access point, but I'll have to mix AC with AX, don't know how that will go. I have to have a node or AP to reach the house.

Anybody have any suggestions? This is a sad day at my house.
thanks,
jts

 

[bbunge]

Bad electrical storm today, apparently damaged my primary router, or maybe killed it. About a month old . It was behind a UPS but I guess it came in through one of the ethernet lines. Power light and two ethernet port lights come on, then it starts over after a little while. I assume it's rebooting, but I am unable to access it or the network.

I have another AX86U that I was using as an Aimesh node, so I guess I'll try it as primary. I have an RT-AC86U that lightning took the WAN port out on and I used with a "dual" WAN, but everything else was working OK a month ago. Trouble is, I don't know how to configure it as a node without a wan port. Only alternative left for a network quickly is a RT-AC68U for my node or access point, but I'll have to mix AC with AX, don't know how that will go. I have to have a node or AP to reach the house.

Anybody have any suggestions? This is a sad day at my house.
thanks,
jts

One recommendation for you is to use just WPA2 in the main WIFI. The AC86U should be a good WIFI node. If you use the AC68U as a node you might consider using separate SSID's.

 

[JT Strickland]

One recommendation for you is to use just WPA2 in the main WIFI. The AC86U should be a good WIFI node. If you use the AC68U as a node you might consider using separate SSID's.

Can I re-assign the WAN to a LAN port that will survive a factory reset so I can use the AC86U as an Aimesh Node?

 

[bbunge]

Can I re-assign the WAN to a LAN port that will survive a factory reset so I can use the AC86U as an Aimesh Node?

I do not have a way to test this right now but you may be able to set up a node via WIFI then plug Ethernet into a LAN port. An AiMesh node is a souped up access point and the firewall and etc. is disabled to make the device basically a 5 port switch. It may not get an IP address, though. If it works you are money ahead.

 

[JT Strickland]

I do not have a way to test this right now but you may be able to set up a node via WIFI then plug Ethernet into a LAN port. An AiMesh node is a souped up access point and the firewall and etc. is disabled to make the device basically a 5 port switch. It may not get an IP address, though. If it works you are money ahead.

I will give it a try and post what I find.
thanks,
jts

 

[JT Strickland]

I do not have a way to test this right now but you may be able to set up a node via WIFI then plug Ethernet into a LAN port. An AiMesh node is a souped up access point and the firewall and etc. is disabled to make the device basically a 5 port switch. It may not get an IP address, though. If it works you are money ahead.

I have been unable to configure the LAN as a WAN yet, so wireless backhaul only. I will continue to look for solutions.
Still doing damage control. So far I've lost a router, two 5 port switches, a wyze cam, and a tablo to lightning.

 

[SoCalReviews]

As you know all the lighting has to do is strike a nearby electrical transformer to cause that type of damaging voltage surge. If you haven't already done and you really want to make a change for the next time it could happen then now could be the right time to re-do the grounding for your entire home. Run low gauge (6 or 8) solid copper grounds from the electrical panel ground and neutral to multiple eight foot long grounding rods and to the cold water main at the house water main entrance pipes. Properly ground your water heater. You can run industrial grounded or isolated ground outlets (look up isolated grounded outlets) in the home that you use for your critical computer and/or electronics. If you using cable for internet make sure it has it's own ground that is also connected to the electrical main ground. Consulting an electrician for the work would be strongly advised.

The consumer grade UPS equipment usually isn't good enough for this kind of event. Use a top grade UPS (APC is a good brand) on that outlet with the critical computer/electronics (don't use for laser printers). It still might not completely stop the kind of damage you experienced but it would help. Doing some or most of the above will also lower the noise on the circuits for your entire house which prolongs the life of all your computer and electronics (especially the power supplies).

I had an problem years ago at an apartment/condo with ceiling heat going on and off that created drops and surges that was damaging my desktop computer and television components. I ended up buying the best audio/video surge protection equipment I could find at the time along with enterprise grade UPS equipment from APC for the computers and it actually worked as a good temporary solution. Good luck.

 

[JT Strickland]

As you know all the lighting has to do is strike a nearby electrical transformer to cause that type of damaging voltage surge. If you haven't already done and you really want to make a change for the next time it could happen then now could be the right time to re-do the grounding for your entire home. Run low gauge (6 or 8) solid copper grounds from the electrical panel ground and neutral to multiple eight foot long grounding rods and to the cold water main at the house water main entrance pipes. Properly ground your water heater. You can run industrial grounded or isolated ground outlets (look up isolated grounded outlets) in the home that you use for your critical computer and/or electronics. If you using cable for internet make sure it has it's own ground that is also connected to the electrical main ground. Consulting an electrician for the work would be strongly advised.

The consumer grade UPS equipment usually isn't good enough for this kind of event. Use a top grade UPS (APC is a good brand) on that outlet with the critical computer/electronics (don't use for laser printers). It still might not completely stop the kind of damage you experienced but it would help. Doing some or most of the above will also lower the noise on the circuits for your entire house which prolongs the life of all your computer and electronics (especially the power supplies).

I had an problem years ago at an apartment/condo with ceiling heat going on and off that created drops and surges that was damaging my desktop computer and television components. I ended up buying the best audio/video surge protection equipment I could find at the time along with enterprise grade UPS equipment from APC for the computers and it actually worked as a good temporary solution. Good luck.

Yes, but I had the equipment plugged into UPC's. I think that it may have ran the underground ethernet cable between my home and nearby office, which runs alongside the power supply in a separate conduit, although it is still intact. I am uncertain how to properly ground the ethernet cable(s), or if this is even part of the problem. I am going to start with grounding the small electrical panel in my office and look into the other grounding methods you mentioned.
thanks for the help,
jts

 

[SoCalReviews]

If needed there are numerous help videos (on YouTube and others) you can find online that explain how to ground your electrical mains. It's not that difficult or expensive to purchase the materials and its easy to drive the eight foot long grounding rods into the ground near the main panel(s) (I used a sledge hammer and a ladder when I did it).

Since it is electrical work consulting an electrician is what I originally advised above. Always think safety first with any electrical work. If you haven't done it before and have a friend or neighbor who has done it that would be very helpful.

The Ethernet cables are another thing. CAT7 and CAT8 cables have foil and/or braided sheilding that extends to the connectors which I believe ground to the sockets on the routers/switches/etc.. but their ability to ground massive voltage surges like that from lightning is limited. There might be a way to ground your Etherent cable or at least to ground the shielding with special inline grounding devices (see here) and check out here but I haven't done it before.

I am not sure if this was adequately commented about in previous member's suggestions but If you have a frequent problem with lightning strikes in your area you could use wireless AC or AX instead of hard wiring Ethernet cable to create an open line break at one one or more stages and isolate the rest of your equipment (for example your desktop computers). It would keep future voltage surge damage from spreading through all the rest of your hard wire Ethernet connected devices.

 

[JT Strickland]

Thanks, an inline grounding device from the ISP's cable might just stop it. I will also check into your other suggestions.

It wasn't a large surge either time, but enough to take out my routers, switches, cam, and tablo recorder. I have a call in to the ISP also to see what they recommend in addition to other preventative measures.
thanks again,
jts