Huge Bufferbloat with ASUS RT-AX86U and installed the latest Merlin Firmware. 500mbps up/down connection

[JWoo]

Agree with @bbunge Kill the QOS. You don't need QOS, which was really designed to prioritize bandwidth amongst devices sharing a lower speed connection.

And for the record, most gaming is NOT very bandwidth intensive. As an example, the Sony PS5 only "requires" 3 Mbps. @Incubus32 if you have a 500 Mbps connection after an upgrade, I would first suggest to reboot your premise equipment such as a cable modem or ONU so your faster settings in a config file are downloaded from your ISP. If you are already realizing the 500 Mbps then you do not need to do this. From your description of a symmetrical connection, it sounds like you have fiber. Fiber has low latency so you should score an A on bufferbloat.

I will also say that QOS is an inherently STUPID function for faster connections because most ISPs over dimension your speeds to avoid subscriber complaints. As an example, my 600 Mbps connection is set to a bit over 700 Mbps by my ISP. If I were using QOS I would never know this. So turn off the QOS and unburden your router and your connection. This will probably fix your problem.

 

[Incubus32]

Agree with @bbunge Kill the QOS. You don't need QOS, which was really designed to prioritize bandwidth amongst devices sharing a lower speed connection.

And for the record, most gaming is NOT very bandwidth intensive. As an example, the Sony PS5 only "requires" 3 Mbps. @Incubus32 if you have a 500 Mbps connection after an upgrade, I would first suggest to reboot your premise equipment such as a cable modem or ONU so your faster settings in a config file are downloaded from your ISP. If you are already realizing the 500 Mbps then you do not need to do this. From your description of a symmetrical connection, it sounds like you have fiber. Fiber has low latency so you should score an A on bufferbloat.

I will also say that QOS is an inherently STUPID function for faster connections because most ISPs over dimension your speeds to avoid subscriber complaints. As an example, my 600 Mbps connection is set to a bit over 700 Mbps by my ISP. If I were using QOS I would never know this. So turn off the QOS and unburden your router and your connection. This will probably fix your problem.

Yes! I couldn't agree more as well. With that kind of fiber line, In a perfect world we shouldn't use QOS. This also I was trying to say to my ISP. I just don't get why it's there so much packet loss when I am attaching a router after my ISP's provided modem/router.
They also switched this from route to bridge mode, so it will give me a public IP instead. But here relies this persistent packet loss. I don't understand when only 1 computer is connected and nothing else, I don't experience any weird packet loss at all.
I tried hooking up my two ASUS routers [GS-AX3000 and RT-AX86U] they both experience the same issue. I tried different cables but still the same.

We only have one 4k TV and I don't think we can even saturate our 500mbps line anytime. So I was thinking, maybe the ISP line don't like different requests at the same time?
What is more surprising is, I tried my ASUS router with wifi radio off and only my PC is connected. Guess what? Packet loss still waiving at me lol.

 

[bbunge]

There is a 386.5 beta 2 for the AX86U that fixed some things related to QOS.

 

[Incubus32]

Hey guys! Just a quick update. I think I already solved this packet loss issue.

I disabled the ff router features:

1. Traffic Analyzer - Statistic
2. QoS - WAN/LAN Bandwidth Monitor - Apps analysis
3. QoS - Web History

I have no frequent packet loss when these features are turned off. Kinda weird but it does fixed my issue.

I'm a happy kid again

 

[Smokey613]

I discovered a long time ago to never use anything that required enabling anything related to the TrendMicro engine on Asus routers. It always negatively impacted the performance. Just my personal experience.

 

[Tech9]

It always negatively impacted the performance.

Performance impact is expected, but it impacts the stability as well. This is my personal experience from testing multiple Asus routers.

 

[Incubus32]

I didn't realized that those 3 are turned on by default.

That's why when I tested with my GS-AX3000 and AX86U I experienced the same issue.

But now I know! At last after digging into this for almost 2 weeks now lol.

 

[Tech9]

didn't realized that those 3 are turned on by default.

Are you sure? After factory reset, all TrendMicro components are turned off by default on all Asus routers I have available for testing.

 

[Incubus32]

Are you sure? After factory reset, all TrendMicro components are turned off by default on all Asus routers I have available for testing.

Yessir! It's been countless of times I've been flashing my RT-AX86U with merlin/stock firmware and doing a factory reset after each flash.

Never look at those 3. And just realized that they are turned on.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Yessir! It's been countless of times I've been flashing my RT-AX86U with merlin/stock firmware and doing a factory reset after each flash.

Never look at those 3. And just realized that they are turned on.

Very strange. I've never found any of those options to be enabled after a factory reset. It would make no sense for them to be enabled because you have to accept the licence agreement before you can use them. If you're not seeing that agreement it would imply that your factory reset didn't work.

 

[Incubus32]

Oh okay. I also realized that after each reset and flash - I've been checking this box.

 

[Incubus32]

Very strange. I've never found any of those options to be enabled after a factory reset. It would make no sense for them to be enabled because you have to accept the licence agreement before you can use them. If you're not seeing that agreement it would imply that your factory reset didn't work.

View attachment 39894

Jeez, I think that was it. I'm always ticking the check box after each reset. lol. Thank you!

 

[Tech9]

This box doesn't preserve TrendMicro on/off status. It just clears the logs. After factory reset TrendMicro engine is always off.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Jeez, I think that was it. I'm always ticking the check box after each reset. lol. Thank you!

That makes even less sense. Ticking that box (and then clicking on Restore) not only resets the settings but erases any historical data stored on the router.

 

[Incubus32]

That make even less sense. Ticking that box not only resets the settings but erases any historical data stored on the router.

Hmm But it does say "initialize all the settings" It will clear the previous logs of all Trendmicro stuff, but maybe that's it.

I will reset one more time and see

Thank you so much guys.

 

[Tech9]

Yes, the initial state is disabled. You can preserve or discard the data stored.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Some of the TM stuff gets enabled indirectly when setting things elsewhere, such as for guest network band limiter.

The way the Hard Reset FAQ reads, Restore w/Initialize is a hard reset(?).

OE

 

[Tech9]

Some of the TM stuff gets enabled indirectly when setting things elsewhere

You'll know about it. It displays the data collection agreement screen first.

 

[OzarkEdge]

You'll know about it. It displays the data collection agreement screen first.

Right... but a user could gloss over that (like we do) and not put two and two together to realize they just enabled that other QoS they never look at. There has to be some explanation for TM components being enabled after a reset since we know they normally are not.

OE

 

[Tech9]

There has to be some explanation for TM components being enabled after a reset since we know they normally are not.

They are not. I can demonstrate with the same AX58U router. Bandwidth Limiter doesn't need TM engine, as far as I remember. It's like part of Traditional QoS. May hurt WAN-LAN bandwidth though - incompatible with NAT acceleration. This is something Asus doesn't warn users about.