Issues after latest firmware updates? RT-AX88U & RT-AC86U(node)

[L&LD]

The smart switches we use each need to be removed and re-added to their app interface, along with HomeKit and Amazon Echo, to work. Those, too, need to be completely nuked in order to work properly when changing SSIDs. Then each device needs to be re-added to its respective group, automation routine, and scene since it's "new."

I assure you this process takes a minimum of 10 minutes per device (and more, depending on the smart home setup piece, and we have nearly two dozen of them). This represents only one class of the wifi components of our smart home. In all, 60+ devices connected in our home.

Your methodology may have been relevant 10 or more years ago; today, it's impractical.

You may be correct for your particular network environment. Possibly, you have too much going on for the expected output?

I haven't been doing this for 10 years yet.

Everything I suggest is what RMerlin and other members have previously stated to work for them in many scattered posts throughout the forums. I have merely consolidated that advice and added a few of my own tricks I've picked up in the few years since proving how well they work on many different networks.

 

[RMerlin]

The main reason why changing the SSID is sometimes suggested is that some clients will store some low-level details related to the SSID. When doing a major changes on the router's end (such as changing router, or going through a major technical change like changing to a new driver that adds significant features to the router), you might need for your clients to fully forget that SSID and erase those stored parameters. Some clients have a simple "forget" option to delete it, however it's not always the case. Changing the SSID is the sure way of achieving this, and ensuring your clients starts with a fresh AP profile for its connections.

If your clients can be told to fully forget a previous AP, then you can go down that route. If not, changing SSID might be the simplest way to achieve it.

This is just for basic troubleshooting. When dealing with wifi-related problems, people always blame the router, when in the vast majority of cases, the issue lies with the clients. Ensuring these start with a fresh connection profile is a frequent solution to connectivity issues.

The addition of OFDMA support, MU-MIMO, 802.11v and 802.11k are all major features that were added with this new driver.

 

[JohnB_123]

@JohnB_123 I hope you find your network stable and fast again.

What I see is that you are changing many things at once and possibly restoring old configuration files to your new routers? This is a sure way to need to reconfigure everything properly and manually, sooner, rather than later.

Spent most of yesterday essentially proving this theory wrong. These are simply bad firmware releases.

Asus RT-AX88U Firmware 3.0.0.4.384_7968

 

[L&LD]

You have not proved anything wrong at all, and it doesn't seem like you have not tried any of the suggestions made either?

While I do not rule out bad firmware releases that do come infrequently, you do not seem willing to attempt to do the necessary work to bring your network back to a good/known state with up-to-date firmware.

Simply put; what has worked in the past (your, currently working setup,) is not an indication of whether any new future firmware is considered working (or not) when used with those old settings. WiFi (and network security) is an evolving matter. Try to choose to not sit still in time and consequently be left behind.

There is no placebo effect here on my part and I don't claim that any of those processes will definitely fix anything. But it may apply to you by stubbornly sticking to 'what works'.

What fully sanitizing your network will do is give you a clean canvas to do real troubleshooting with. Instead of just stating a firmware is 'bad' and then finding others that seem likely to have also done very little or not enough to isolate the actual problem instead.

This isn't meant to convince you either way. I just want to share where my intentions (and suggestions) are coming from.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and all the best for 2020!

 

[CBR1000RR]

So I started having issues again. Tried a bunch of different firmwares including the one from last June. Still buggy. We put in an Arlo door cam yesterday and it was up and down a few times throughout the day which made me start to wonder if the router has some hardware thats going (or gone) bad.

I recently purchased a 2nd ax88u that I was going to use for a node so I've put that in place of my main ax88u. I'll see what happens. If this one works ok, then I'm guessing my other one has bad hardware. I bought the original one the week they came out so its only about 14 months old. Anyone know the warranty period? I think I read 2 years.

 

[LimJK]

Anyone know the warranty period? I think I read 2 years.

Hi,
I see 3 years Warranty on my box

 

[RMerlin]

Warranty may very between countries.

 

[CBR1000RR]

Hmm... one thing I hadn't thought of (but should have) was to check what control channel both the 2.4 and 5 Ghz networks were on. I live in a town home community and just from my house, I can pick up like a dozen other networks. The new router is working fine for now but thats something I'll have to check if I run into issues again. I'm running some scans from my Mac and Linux laptop and I'm seeing quite a bit of congestion on certain channels (which the new 88u isn't on).

Unfortunately, I already did a reset on the older 88u so not sure what channel it had been on.

 

[JohnB_123]

Haven't seen a single post on this forum or elsewhere of someone who had trouble with this latest 7968 firmware build who was somehow able to fix and/or pinpoint why it slows down or drops out.