Interrupted connections on ZenWiFi AX (XT8)

[Claira42]

Went right back to that firmware

Have you refreshed the router? Any problems?

 

[gz2021]

Have you refreshed the router? Any problems?

I use the devices as access points only, not a router. So far so good (been in a class streaming all day with no drops)

 

[Cmax932]

My experience to date.
I bought XT8 pair about 3 weeks ago and updated to the latest firmware (45898) as part of the setup process.
I was initially using 5Ghz backhaul and we were getting numerous dropouts, I think some where even to devices wired to both main and remote XT8 nodes.
4 days ago I enabled 1Gbps Ethernet backhaul and moved all wired ethernet connections to to dedicated switches (I have 4 switches).
Now my setup is main XT8 node wired to Internet modem and one ethernet to an external switch (which has 3 other switches wired from this one). The remote XT8 only has 1 wired connection to one of the previously mentioned switches wired to its WAN port, which also provides the backhaul connection.
A diagram would be better here.

Net result, we’ve not experienced any network drop outs so far with no buffering from TVs or Fire Sticks. My MacBook Pro no longer looses conection to Buffalo NAS. My connection to Philips Hue hub is now stable and connects much quicker.
All I have done is changed to Ethernet backhaul which freed up an additional 5Ghz band plus I made sure no wired connections go directly into a XT8. Nice and stable for now.

 

[iamchris]

I found this thread searching for the frequent disconnections. One thing I would like to add that I haven't noticed stated here is that the main router is still accessible. I have a Raspberry Pi plugged into it which is acting as a DNS server, and another server. They are both unreachable by IP, but the router they're connected to can still be pinged.

main XT8 <==> ethernet <==> DNS & DHCP server, application server
WiFi backhauled XT8 <==> ethernet <==> my laptop

I will be flashing to 42095 after making this post. If there are no future edits, you may assume the issue is fixed.

 

[Mikeyboyeee]

If you're flashing back to a very old firmware, the issue certainly isn't fixed.

 

[iamchris]

If you're flashing back to a very old firmware, the issue certainly isn't fixed.

I think it's quite obvious I wasn't saying that Asus fixed the issue.

The point I was making is that it's a slightly different issue than the one noted in the original post, and it's also been resolved by flashing to an old firmware version.

 

[ilzed]

Has anyone tried out the latest version 3.0.0.4.386.45934 yet?

 

[markm75]

I still have issues even with 42095 though i didnt do a factory reset, not sure if that matters? And if it does, can you just restore settings from a newer one ontop?

issues like 2.4 not going as far, and, "unable to obtain ip address" on wireless phones.

Is it possible to find an even older firmware? 42095 is as far back as the website goes?

 

[Deleted member 22630]

Has anyone tried out the latest version 3.0.0.4.386.45934 yet?

During the installation of my new ZenWifi AX set a couple of days ago, I upgraded to 45934. After configuring everything, I started running into this problem of frequent dropouts of my 2.4GHz webcams, plus a 2.4GHz P1-reader (smart energy meter reader). After trying numerous settings without success, I found something that so far seems to have resolved the issue... On the ASUS router web config, go to "Wireless", then select the "Roaming Block List" tab... there I added the devices which were having problems and after several hours have not had them drop.

UPDATE 1:
A day later, and the cams have remained connected. However... The ESP8266-based P1-reader however, became unreachable after about 8 hours, so it doesn't appear to be a roaming issue. It's located about 30 cm from the main ZenWifi unit, so weak signal strength can't be an issue. That said, the maker of the unit said there had been anecdotal reports of the reader having problems if the signal strength is too strong. The P1 is connected according to the ZenWifi unit, but I'm unable to access it via its internal web-server or telnet server. All other 2.4Ghz devices seem to be working fine, and if I switch the 2.4GHz radio on the ZenWifi off and on, then I am able to reach the P1 again, and I know it hasn't roamed (because it's on the Roaming Block List), so it seems there's some issue in the wifi chip of the P1-reader... perhaps compatibility in modulation mode (turbo) or universal beamforming? Hmmm... I'll try setting those to standard settings to see if that helps, and report back later.

UPDATE 2:
Good news: a day later, and the ESP8266-based P1-reader has remained reachable. I'll continue testing for another day, then post my settings if everything is still working.

UPDATE 3:
Another day later, and all my webcams remained connected and the ESP8266-based P1-reader has remained reachable. (I forgot to mention: the solar panel converter also remains connected.)

Here are the settings I used:
Firstly, I cleared the "Roaming Block List" which I mentioned above - turns out I had no need for it after all. Then, for the 2.4GHz band only, I have the following settings on the "Professional" tab. In particular, note that I disabled Roaming Assistant, set the modulation to max MCS 7, and disabled Beamforming. On the "General" tab, I set the 2.4GHz band to a fixed channel (in my case, 6), and 20Mhz.

 

[RogerSC]

I still have issues even with 42095 though i didnt do a factory reset, not sure if that matters? And if it does, can you just restore settings from a newer one ontop?

issues like 2.4 not going as far, and, "unable to obtain ip address" on wireless phones.

Is it possible to find an even older firmware? 42095 is as far back as the website goes?

If this is still an issue, I would do a reset to factory defaults and manually reconfigure my mesh. This has always worked for me, started doing that when I had problems after flashing. To just avoid wasting time chasing those problems, I always create a clean start after flashing.

By the way, I also have 25079 and 26044...if this would help you, start a conversation with me.

 

[Embattle]

I've been suffering something that sounds similar, in essence one XT8 is connected to my NAS and my computer is connected to another but during music play back from my NAS via WMP I find it'll stop playing as if it has lost the server temporarily it can also happening during video playback as well.

 

[Embattle]

So this is from the log, although this was nearly an hour before my music paused:

Dec 13 18:17:45 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(508): eth4: Disassoc 0E:A2:F4:62:B7:37, status: 0, reason: Disassociated because sending station is leaving (or has left) BSS (8), rssi:0
Dec 13 18:17:45 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(508): eth4: Disassoc 0E:A2:F4:62:B7:37, status: 0, reason: Disassociated because sending station is leaving (or has left) BSS (8), rssi:0
Dec 13 18:17:45 roamast: [EXAP]Deauth old sta in 0 0: 0E:A2:F4:62:B7:37
Dec 13 18:17:45 roamast: eth4: disconnect weak signal strength station [0e:a2:f4:62:b7:37]
Dec 13 18:17:45 roamast: eth4: remove client [0e:a2:f4:62:b7:37] from monitor list
Dec 13 18:20:34 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(527): eth4: Auth 0E:A2:F4:62:B7:37, status: Successful (0), rssi:0

 

[childersa]

During the installation of my new ZenWifi AX set a couple of days ago, I upgraded to 45934. After configuring everything, I started running into this problem of frequent dropouts of my 2.4GHz webcams, plus a 2.4GHz P1-reader (smart energy meter reader). After trying numerous settings without success, I found something that so far seems to have resolved the issue... On the ASUS router web config, go to "Wireless", then select the "Roaming Block List" tab... there I added the devices which were having problems and after several hours have not had them drop.

UPDATE 1:
A day later, and the cams have remained connected. However... The ESP8266-based P1-reader however, became unreachable after about 8 hours, so it doesn't appear to be a roaming issue. It's located about 30 cm from the main ZenWifi unit, so weak signal strength can't be an issue. That said, the maker of the unit said there had been anecdotal reports of the reader having problems if the signal strength is too strong. The P1 is connected according to the ZenWifi unit, but I'm unable to access it via its internal web-server or telnet server. All other 2.4Ghz devices seem to be working fine, and if I switch the 2.4GHz radio on the ZenWifi off and on, then I am able to reach the P1 again, and I know it hasn't roamed (because it's on the Roaming Block List), so it seems there's some issue in the wifi chip of the P1-reader... perhaps compatibility in modulation mode (turbo) or universal beamforming? Hmmm... I'll try setting those to standard settings to see if that helps, and report back later.

UPDATE 2:
Good news: a day later, and the ESP8266-based P1-reader has remained reachable. I'll continue testing for another day, then post my settings if everything is still working.

UPDATE 3:
Another day later, and all my webcams remained connected and the ESP8266-based P1-reader has remained reachable. (I forgot to mention: the solar panel converter also remains connected.)

Here are the settings I used:
Firstly, I cleared the "Roaming Block List" which I mentioned above - turns out I had no need for it after all. Then, for the 2.4GHz band only, I have the following settings on the "Professional" tab. In particular, note that I disabled Roaming Assistant, set the modulation to max MCS 7, and disabled Beamforming. On the "General" tab, I set the 2.4GHz band to a fixed channel (in my case, 6), and 20Mhz.

View attachment 37643
View attachment 37644

I just got my XT8 a few weeks ago and am having the same issue with IoT devices dropping on 2.4. I'm giving this a shot and have my fingers crossed! 2.4 is limited to my IoT devices and guests, so none of these changes should have a major affect other than (hopefully) fixing the problem.

 

[camiloiv]

I just got my XT8 a few weeks ago and am having the same issue with IoT devices dropping on 2.4. I'm giving this a shot and have my fingers crossed! 2.4 is limited to my IoT devices and guests, so none of these changes should have a major affect other than (hopefully) fixing the problem.

Wondering if it worked for you.

I have not been able to move away from 3.0.0.4.386_42095-gcd938f7 ( I have it if anyone needs it) without running into the issues you described

 

[Ramsete2]

Wondering if it worked for you.

I have not been able to move away from 3.0.0.4.386_42095-gcd938f7 ( I have it if anyone needs it) without running into the issues you described

I'm still stick with 42095 firmware version.
Hoping that ASUS will solve this problem a.s.a.p.

 

[trek]

I noticed this issue in my case is caused by IOT device, this device does not like when it is disconnected from WiFi network by router itself, I tested it several times. Features that do this is binding device to particular node or roaming feature, so I put this device in roaming block list and I do not bind this device. I would recommend to hard reset network with defaults and if devices disconnect still with those settings put them on 2.4GHz network without WiFi 6 or connect some separate old router and create separate WiFi network for these devices that disconnect.

 

[childersa]

So, after following the information posted by @sowen

During the installation of my new ZenWifi AX set a couple of days ago, I upgraded to 45934. After configuring everything, I started running into this problem of frequent dropouts of my 2.4GHz webcams, plus a 2.4GHz P1-reader (smart energy meter reader). After trying numerous settings without success, I found something that so far seems to have resolved the issue... On the ASUS router web config, go to "Wireless", then select the "Roaming Block List" tab... there I added the devices which were having problems and after several hours have not had them drop.

UPDATE 1:
A day later, and the cams have remained connected. However... The ESP8266-based P1-reader however, became unreachable after about 8 hours, so it doesn't appear to be a roaming issue. It's located about 30 cm from the main ZenWifi unit, so weak signal strength can't be an issue. That said, the maker of the unit said there had been anecdotal reports of the reader having problems if the signal strength is too strong. The P1 is connected according to the ZenWifi unit, but I'm unable to access it via its internal web-server or telnet server. All other 2.4Ghz devices seem to be working fine, and if I switch the 2.4GHz radio on the ZenWifi off and on, then I am able to reach the P1 again, and I know it hasn't roamed (because it's on the Roaming Block List), so it seems there's some issue in the wifi chip of the P1-reader... perhaps compatibility in modulation mode (turbo) or universal beamforming? Hmmm... I'll try setting those to standard settings to see if that helps, and report back later.

UPDATE 2:
Good news: a day later, and the ESP8266-based P1-reader has remained reachable. I'll continue testing for another day, then post my settings if everything is still working.

UPDATE 3:
Another day later, and all my webcams remained connected and the ESP8266-based P1-reader has remained reachable. (I forgot to mention: the solar panel converter also remains connected.)

Here are the settings I used:
Firstly, I cleared the "Roaming Block List" which I mentioned above - turns out I had no need for it after all. Then, for the 2.4GHz band only, I have the following settings on the "Professional" tab. In particular, note that I disabled Roaming Assistant, set the modulation to max MCS 7, and disabled Beamforming. On the "General" tab, I set the 2.4GHz band to a fixed channel (in my case, 6), and 20Mhz.

View attachment 37643
View attachment 37644

So after doing the same configuration, I have not had issues with my IoT devices disconnecting. I have had very stable and reliable internet on all devices. This seems to be a good fix and I am on the most recent firmware.

 

[ZxIRAX]

I've been experiencing the same very frustrating issues. Constant dropouts of IoT devices, phones.. basically anything on wireless - more so on the 2.4Ghz. I am currently on 3.0.0.4.386_45934 (I'd rather have the latest firmware with it containing patches for a number of vulnerabilities.) and have had the same issues on the last 3 versions. I have tried a hard reset of the main router and mesh (wired backhaul) - reinstalled the latest firmware and reconfigured everything from scratch - nothing has worked.

I've applied the settings advised by Sowen below and confirmed by childersa. I will report back in the next few days to advise if it's worked. Some of the settings mentioned below are restricting some of the more powerful features of the device, but I'd rather have a stable connection between my devices than performance, until Asus resolve the issues with their firmware.

Fingers crossed!

During the installation of my new ZenWifi AX set a couple of days ago, I upgraded to 45934. After configuring everything, I started running into this problem of frequent dropouts of my 2.4GHz webcams, plus a 2.4GHz P1-reader (smart energy meter reader). After trying numerous settings without success, I found something that so far seems to have resolved the issue... On the ASUS router web config, go to "Wireless", then select the "Roaming Block List" tab... there I added the devices which were having problems and after several hours have not had them drop.

UPDATE 1:
A day later, and the cams have remained connected. However... The ESP8266-based P1-reader however, became unreachable after about 8 hours, so it doesn't appear to be a roaming issue. It's located about 30 cm from the main ZenWifi unit, so weak signal strength can't be an issue. That said, the maker of the unit said there had been anecdotal reports of the reader having problems if the signal strength is too strong. The P1 is connected according to the ZenWifi unit, but I'm unable to access it via its internal web-server or telnet server. All other 2.4Ghz devices seem to be working fine, and if I switch the 2.4GHz radio on the ZenWifi off and on, then I am able to reach the P1 again, and I know it hasn't roamed (because it's on the Roaming Block List), so it seems there's some issue in the wifi chip of the P1-reader... perhaps compatibility in modulation mode (turbo) or universal beamforming? Hmmm... I'll try setting those to standard settings to see if that helps, and report back later.

UPDATE 2:
Good news: a day later, and the ESP8266-based P1-reader has remained reachable. I'll continue testing for another day, then post my settings if everything is still working.

UPDATE 3:
Another day later, and all my webcams remained connected and the ESP8266-based P1-reader has remained reachable. (I forgot to mention: the solar panel converter also remains connected.)

Here are the settings I used:
Firstly, I cleared the "Roaming Block List" which I mentioned above - turns out I had no need for it after all. Then, for the 2.4GHz band only, I have the following settings on the "Professional" tab. In particular, note that I disabled Roaming Assistant, set the modulation to max MCS 7, and disabled Beamforming. On the "General" tab, I set the 2.4GHz band to a fixed channel (in my case, 6), and 20Mhz.

View attachment 37643
View attachment 37644

 

[fairmarketvalue]

I'd like to add my voice to this growing chorus. I am running firmware 3.0.0.4.386_45934 in a two-unit XT8 mesh arrangement with wireless backhaul. The remote node communicates with the router wirelessly. I have a Synology NAS connected to the remote node by ethernet. I also have a PC connected by ethernet to the same remote node. Since installing 45934, I can't seem to back up my PC's hard drive - the backup software starts properly, but I keep ending up with an error message that tells me the backup was aborted because of a network error. Based on what I've read above, it looks like my Mesh system firmware may be the culprit. However, as a neophyte, I'm asking whether I should try to cure this issue by installing the 42095 firmware, even though both the NAS and the PC to be backed up are connected via ethernet. Also, if that would be worth a try, where would I find the 42095 firmware to download? Would it still be on the Asus support site? Thanks in advance for any help, and Happy Christmas to all!!

 

[fairmarketvalue]

Update to my previous post above: I did not downgrade but I disabled the Roaming Assistant feature from both nodes of my Asus ZenWiFi mesh system (on both the 2.4 and 5 Ghz channels) and uninstalled the Synology Drive Client from both my desktop and laptop machines. With fingers crossed, I launched Macrium Reflect and was able to image both disks successfully. So I either had a firmware problem with the Asus nodes, and/or Synology Drive Client was attempting to take over the network to scan and back up files. I suspect the issue is with the Asus firmware, since everything else seems pretty stable right now. However, since I'm a glutton for punishment, I'll take the post-Christmas break to re-install the Drive Client software and see if things still remain stable. As a non-STEM guy, I'm amazed at the complexity of these systems and consider it wonderous they even work at all!! I hope you all had a Happy Christmas, and wish for you a safe, happy, healthy and prosperous 2022. I'll be looking forward to your comments on this forum in 2022 as well.