Frustration with RT-BE88U and SmartDevices

[phillyaj]

After realizing my RT-AX86U couldn't handle my 2.5G WAN service, I decided to upgrade to the RT-BE88U. It handles the multi-gig service just fine and the upgraded processor is nice, however, I have been increasingly frustrated with the Smart Devices (IoT). Currently the only way I'm dealing is a nightly reboot of the BE-88U

My setup is an BE-88U as my main router, with 2 x AC68Us as AiMesh Nodes. I have numerous IoT devices (mostly 2.4Ghz), including Echos, plugs, switches, cameras, etc.. For some reason, numerous devices disconnect and don't stay connected. Here's what I tried...

**Previously I had my AX86U setup with separate 2.4 and 5 Ghz networks, with my IoT devices using the 2.4Ghz network.

- Initially I had MLO enabled, which doesn't allow for separation of the 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz SSID's. I reset some of the devices, connecting to the new network. Some devices work, some did not.
- I setup a dedicated IoT (2.4Ghz) network with very mixed results again. Some worked, some didn't....and the Mesh Nodes cannot deal with this separate network.

- Turned off MLO and went back to separate 2.4 and 5Ghz networks. I noticed that the "Guest Network Pro" now had a combined (2.4 and 5Ghz) network setup (the same SSID as my 2.4Ghz network??) that is listed as "Default IoT Network)...which was odd..but OK. Figured this work...Nope... Same thing. Very inconsistent and not stable.
- Deleted the Default IOT and setup a 2.4Ghz IOT network....Nope same disconnect and instability.
-Added the default IoT network (Combined 2.4 and 5Ghz) network back again....Still unstable.

***Intermission: Thinking it might be my AiMesh nodes (All of with used to work just fine previously), decided to power them off and/or reboot them during various tests. Same results.

- One thing I did notice is that although the WiFi turns off/On when you make changes, rebooting the router seems to make things better....for a while..

- Frustrated, last night I decided to do NIGHTLY (3AM) reboots and seeing how that works.

***This morning, I decided to turn off WiFI 7 Mode on both 2.4 and 5Ghz radios to see if that helps.

I did notice a SYSLOG entry that may or may not be related. Haven't researched it yet to see what that's all about.

Nov 25 08:40:36 kernel: CPU: 1 PID: 15780 Comm: dcd Tainted: P O 4.19.275 #1
Nov 25 08:40:36 kernel: Hardware name: Broadcom-v8A (DT)
Nov 25 08:40:36 kernel: pstate: 200f0010 (nzCv q A32 LE aif)
Nov 25 08:40:36 kernel: pc : 00000000f751c558
Nov 25 08:40:36 kernel: lr : 0000000080808080
Nov 25 08:40:36 kernel: sp : 00000000ff8df260
Nov 25 08:40:36 kernel: x12: 0000000000000000
Nov 25 08:40:36 kernel: x11: 0000000000000000 x10: 0000000000000008
Nov 25 08:40:36 kernel: x9 : 00000000000a73d0 x8 : 00000000f63fd008
Nov 25 08:40:36 kernel: x7 : 00000000000a78b6 x6 : 0000000000000000
Nov 25 08:40:36 kernel: x5 : 0000000000000007 x4 : 00000000fefefeff
Nov 25 08:40:36 kernel: x3 : 0000000000000000 x2 : 0000000000000000
Nov 25 08:40:36 kernel: x1 : 0000000000000107 x0 : 0000000000000000

Doing testing with a houseful of people is challenging, as everything you do (Adjustments, Add/Remove Guest networks) restarts the WiFi radios...and a Reboot is probably the best strategy. I REALLY want the BE-88U to work as SOLID as my AX-86U did!!!

 

[Jbennett360]

Can you try the basics without the mesh devices attached?

Turn off MLO and Wi-Fi 7
Separate the bands.
Connect to 2.4ghz

See if that works.

If it does

Then maybe try an IOT network.

Start simple and see if the basics work.

Your AC68U's are EOL and are WiFi 5 devices.