My Experiance with the RT-AC87U And No It's not Good

[nyxagamemnon]

Lets get started shall we!


So currently I'm using 2 RT-AC68R's One in repeater mode and one as a router and using Merlins .45 build!


Day 1 the AC68'rs had some issues but no where near the amount of the 87U which now I'm probably going to have to return the router since it's giving me an insanely hard time setting it up and not working as it should.

So let the problems be listed!


1. Constant disconnect on 5Ghz band when making changes to the router.
2. Constantly getting stuck on "applying settings and doing nothing.
3. Constantly Saying settings were applied with progress bar and then does nothing.
4. 5Ghz radio takes an insanely long time to become active after a reboot.
5. Trying to use another Asus router in bridge mode or any other (Now the aforementioned 68R causes issues where the interface will not load on the 68r even with device discovery. After reboots you can connect but as soon as you try to do anything interface will constantly just saying connecting never getting to it. On both routers.

6. Trying to run a HD Home Run Prime after wasting about 1 hour when it should take me 2 min to configure the router etc The utility finds the tuners etc okay good? Nope soon as I try to view any TV it will just do nothing then the 5Ghz band will drop, Tuners will never be found again and also connecting to the router will be disrupted and can't access the interface.

7.Random interface slowdowns/speed ups when trying to make changes.

8. Too sick to list all the other garbage software issues.


I only have to say this asus what kind of idiotic developers do you have working on these routers? Why don't you test it in real enviroments connecting to your other routers as well? How can you launch something that is THIS Bad that you can't do anything with it but watch it.


I have since just plugged in my 68R and will probably just return this pos router and actually buy a competitors solution that I can actually setup and get it to work.

Also here's something else you should have designed this router to go vertical for better heat dissipation.

When the router is horizontal the surface it's sitting on gets extremely hot and becomes a hotplate and the heat has no where to escape too.

If I were you I'd be more clever and design some heat pipes with exterior aluminum fins like you have on your GPU's and come up with a Vertical setup that not only looks sick but doesn't act like a heat brick.


You want to talk pm me.

 

[mromero]

Lets get started shall we!

Also here's something else you should have designed this router to go vertical for better heat dissipation.

When the router is horizontal the surface it's sitting on gets extremely hot and becomes a hotplate and the heat has no where to escape too.

If I were you I'd be more clever and design some heat pipes with exterior aluminum fins like you have on your GPU's and come up with a Vertical setup that not only looks sick but doesn't act like a heat brick.

You want to talk pm me.

I've been reading some forum posts about the ASUS RT-AC87U overheating due to poor design and no ventilation on top and not able to sit it vertical like the N-66U. I think this will lead to early failures of this new modem, or at least unexpected reboots and random problems due to over heating.

Has someone come up with a work around like drilling holes in the top of the case or a cheap stand to make it sit vertical for better heat dissipation?

Not everyone can afford to run the A/C in the southwest 24/7.

Our Cisco Enterprise router has an internal fan that comes on when the local temp goes up.

Maybe Asus could come up with a similar solution?

Or is there space for customers to retrofit an internal fan?

 

[RMerlin]

My flat RT-AC87 runs cooler than my standing RT-AC68, so I disagree with the claim that this causes any overheating issue. A chip rated for running at 120-130C is perfectly fine if it runs at 85C. Just because it feels warm does not mean it's abnormally warm.

I used to have a video card whose GPU would hit over 100C under load, and it was perfectly fine. It all depends on the temperature at which a given chip is rated to operate.

 

[LoneWolf]

To the OP: Which firmware version are you running on the RT-AC87U?

 

[mromero]

My flat RT-AC87 runs cooler than my standing RT-AC68, so I disagree with the claim that this causes any overheating issue. A chip rated for running at 120-130C is perfectly fine if it runs at 85C. Just because it feels warm does not mean it's abnormally warm.

I used to have a video card whose GPU would hit over 100C under load, and it was perfectly fine. It all depends on the temperature at which a given chip is rated to operate.

Are you by any chance testing the RT-AC87 in populous areas such the American south west, Florida or any of the tropical paradises?

 

[RMerlin]

Are you by any chance testing the RT-AC87 in populous areas such the American south west, Florida or any of the tropical paradises?

I'm in Montreal, where it can reach 32-34C during the summer, and I have no AC.

Beside, the location doesn't change the fact that the AC87U runs cooler than the AC68U here. I haven't moved between the two routers...

Asus definitely improved the thermals on the AC87U - they even published heat maps of the router on their website showing the details they have put in the cooling solution design.

 

[dfran1]

I'm in Montreal, where it can reach 32-34C during the summer, and I have no AC.

Beside, the location doesn't change the fact that the AC87U runs cooler than the AC68U here. I haven't moved between the two routers...

Asus definitely improved the thermals on the AC87U - they even published heat maps of the router on their website showing the details they have put in the cooling solution design.

I totally agree with Merlin, my 68r ran hotter for sure.

The OP is (was) running merlins 45 built according to his post, seems he has time to complain, but no time to update to the latest, that has been out for a week.


EDIT: Also I do not see any of his problems (tho I don't do his #5) on the latest merlin firmware, AND my wife uses an iPad 1 on my 5 GHz wifi from the RT-AC87R without any issues streaming dish network from hard wired dish box to the iPad, and I have about 5 total devices on the 5GHz now all performing just fine, THAT NO, I REPEAT NO OTHER ROUTER HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO FOR ME!!!!!!! including my older RT-AC66R and RT-AC68R!!!!! (No I don't own any others as in the past I have had just horrendous luck with).

This is the best router I have ever had and is actually quite stable and useable with the latest firmware. Something the others never did in such a short time. Range on the RT-AC87R is double the distance + on 5GHz for me, that is the major reason why the 68R 5GHz band never got used, I lost connection to the 68R just halfway thru my house.

 

[benposton]

2. Constantly getting stuck on "applying settings and doing nothing.
3. Constantly Saying settings were applied with progress bar and then does nothing.

I ran into these right off the bat. Was using Firefox and immediately switched to Chrome and haven't had the issues in that browser. Could just be some plugins we have in common.

 

[EnigmaFX]

same issues more or less

I have 3 of these routers in a 8100Sqft home 1 main and 2 set up as hardwired AP's im running the latest available firmware (FW Rev 3.0.0.4.376.2678) the 5ghz on all of them is intermittently slow and the main router constantly locks up and will not allow access to my internal network(My LAN) or the Internet (The WAN) this happens anywhere from 4 and 10 times a day depending on the load and requires a Physical reboot , prior to purchasing these i was running the same 3 router config but with the RT-AC68U with absolutely no issues i spent close to $1100 on these 3 routers and as you can see from the pictures here --> http://d.pr/i/mGCv I have taken a lot of time to upgrade from my previous 68U's and incorporate them into my network, i want to love them i really do but need them to work! asus needs to squash these bugs and fix these issues this is a premium product to $330 a pop CAD i expect SOME issues when jumping on board early but this is nonsense seriously wow

 

[EnigmaFX]

On another note

mod, have you tried Asuswrt-Merlin on these --> http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showthread.php?t=19113

wondering if its worth the update regardless of the "beta" status as it seems asus builds are beta them selfs :| ?? anyone else tried? whats the consensus?

 

[mromero]

I need to contradict Merlin here.

No temperature gauge but simply placing my hand flat on top of the AC87R, it gets very uncomfortable after about 30 seconds. With the RTn66U, no.

This non-empirical test done at 29 centigrade room temperature.

I think many of the testers and reviewers would do a better job of reviewing this router, like taking lab tests of outside and inside temperatures. Most of the reviews I see these days are simplistic with many not even bothering to tear down the router and take their own images, or being stymied by some glue ;o)

I'm in Montreal, where it can reach 32-34C during the summer, and I have no AC.

Beside, the location doesn't change the fact that the AC87U runs cooler than the AC68U here. I haven't moved between the two routers...

Asus definitely improved the thermals on the AC87U - they even published heat maps of the router on their website showing the details they have put in the cooling solution design.

 

[RMerlin]

I need to contradict Merlin here.

No temperature gauge but simply placing my hand flat on top of the AC87R, it gets very uncomfortable after about 30 seconds. With the RTn66U, no.

You are comparing a single core 600 MHz CPU with a dual core 1 GHz CPU. Of course the AC87U will run warmer than the N66 - this is perfectly normal, and I never said otherwise. I was saying that it runs cooler than the RT-AC68U, which is a comparable platform.

 

[DaveMishSr]

You are comparing a single core 600 MHz CPU with a dual core 1 GHz CPU. Of course the AC87U will run warmer than the N66 - this is perfectly normal, and I never said otherwise. I was saying that it runs cooler than the RT-AC68U, which is a comparable platform.

I agree with Merlin. The 87 runs cooler than the two 68's I have owned.

 

[mromero]

I agree with Merlin. The 87 runs cooler than the two 68's I have owned.

Never bothered to jump to the 68s.

Compared to our Cisco Enterprise routers, the 87 is a hotplate.

The 87 looks sexy but the Ciscos with their boxy metal cases are way more cool from a maintenance point of view and these little monsters are tanks!

 

[Guibs]

Never bothered to jump to the 68s.

Compared to our Cisco Enterprise routers, the 87 is a hotplate.

The 87 looks sexy but the Ciscos with their boxy metal cases are way more cool from a maintenance point of view and these little monsters are tanks!

Which cisco are we comparing with here? You are also comparing a business product with a home product. I wouldn't be suprised if the cisco enterprise is much more expansive too.

I run enterprise equipment at work here as well (we are mostly motorola) and even if the thing is stable like hell, the cost is not even comparable and the feature are also very different. A single selft controlled AP on motorola is like 1000$ compared to a 200$ asus router...

 

[nyxagamemnon]

The 87U does overheat especially if your in a warmer climate I'm in California so were getting 90-110F temps here. The horizontal design is a big failiure the heat has no where to dissipate but into the surface below it which causes it to get even hotter.

The 5Ghz band on this router is just bad the more and more I used the router the more I wanted to throw it out the window. It got the point of basically on any device when I try to do something it just "Hangs" for like 1-3 min before it even loads a webpage when I'm browsing or trying to do anything. And it's sequential meaning the next site same thing. I removed the 87U put back the 68R and none of these issues exist.


The constant "hanging" and dropping out is getting tiresome.


Trying to do a Google search just stuck there ........ 1-3 min later loads

Click next site stuck there 1-3 min later loads.


The chipset of the 5Ghz band the Quantenna chipset and whatever layer they wrote that has to pass info through the Broadcom side isn't doing a real good job at it.



Anyway this router is unusable at the moment with it's current design/implementation.

 

[nyxagamemnon]

I'm in Montreal, where it can reach 32-34C during the summer, and I have no AC.

Beside, the location doesn't change the fact that the AC87U runs cooler than the AC68U here. I haven't moved between the two routers...

Asus definitely improved the thermals on the AC87U - they even published heat maps of the router on their website showing the details they have put in the cooling solution design.

They might have improved the internal design sure but where does the heat go when you have it resting on a desk? Um.. inside and your desk gets insanely hot then causes a hot plate effect.

If they were both suspended in mid air okay but how is the positioning? If there's better internal heat sink design okay and it dissipates more heat ok? But where does that heat go oh wait right into the surface it's sitting on causing that surface to get even hotter which then negates the fact. If the router was Vertical it would have no choice but to dissipate most of it's heat into the surrounding air.

 

[EnigmaFX]

The 87U does overheat especially if your in a warmer climate I'm in California so were getting 90-110F temps here. The horizontal design is a big failiure the heat has no where to dissipate but into the surface below it which causes it to get even hotter.

The 5Ghz band on this router is just bad the more and more I used the router the more I wanted to throw it out the window. It got the point of basically on any device when I try to do something it just "Hangs" for like 1-3 min before it even loads a webpage when I'm browsing or trying to do anything. And it's sequential meaning the next site same thing. I removed the 87U put back the 68R and none of these issues exist.


The constant "hanging" and dropping out is getting tiresome.

Trying to do a Google search just stuck there ........ 1-3 min later loads

Click next site stuck there 1-3 min later loads.


The chipset of the 5Ghz band the Quantenna chipset and whatever layer they wrote that has to pass info through the Broadcom side isn't doing a real good job at it.



Anyway this router is unusable at the moment with it's current design/implementation.

I own 3 of them and i am miserable right now SAME thing constant hangs rebooting them on average 10 time a day iv opened a support ticket with asus if they don't release a FW to address this asap im gone i will return them nyxagamemnon are you using merlins FW or Asus stock mate?

 

[TopQuark]

To the OP,

I had exactly the same problem on my 87R initially and it turned out my port number conflicts with what I have already in the network. I have over 40 devices so I lost track.

Can you double check this isn't what is happening in your case? After I fixed it, everything run smoothly. Very smoothly in fact. In my case, it was a user error.

 

[TopQuark]

I need to contradict Merlin here.

No temperature gauge but simply placing my hand flat on top of the AC87R, it gets very uncomfortable after about 30 seconds. With the RTn66U, no.

This non-empirical test done at 29 centigrade room temperature.

I think many of the testers and reviewers would do a better job of reviewing this router, like taking lab tests of outside and inside temperatures. Most of the reviews I see these days are simplistic with many not even bothering to tear down the router and take their own images, or being stymied by some glue ;o)

Definitely not scientific and a simplistic way of testing it. It could also mean that the AC87R is drawing heat out whereas the RTN66U keeps heat in.