New error message on AX-88U

[Ola Malmstrom]

Everything now seems to be working apart from an annoying message once every second in the log file:

"Aug 30 07:27:19 RT-AX88U-A8B8 acsd: acs_update_oper_mode(290): eth6 read oper_mode failed with -22"

eth6 is as far as I understand the 2.4 GHz band. However this still seems to work fine. What does the error message mean? Do I have some kind of HW issue?

I am running Merlin FW version 384.19 with Skynet, Scribe, Uiscribe. I also have 2 VPN servers running to connect to remote devices.

 

[MaziahBebop]

I notice in the older thread @Vexira suggested you change from aggressive/normal to continuous mode under WAN settings. Did you give that I try yet? In your older thread you only mentioned trying normal mode, not continuous yet.
Also curious, what do you have plugged into the USB ports? Any wireless dongle attached or any other attachments to the USB ports?

 

[Ola Malmstrom]

I have tried both "Normal" and "Continuous" - I get the same error message. Still no disconnect though.

I have a USB stick formatted as EXT4 in the port on the backside with a 2 GB swap file needed for scribe / Skynet.

Nothing in the front slot.

 

[MaziahBebop]

Looking through the source tree on Github for your error, that part of the code I found was buried deep in the Broadcom drivers.

Code path: bcmdrivers/broadcom/net/wl/impl63/main/components/apps/acsdv2/acs.c

/* Marks c_info->bw_upgradable to TRUE if bw_cap is higher than current channel bandwidth.
* Avoids when dyn160 or other forms of OMN are in progress.
* Returns zero on sucess, non-zero (negative) values on error.
*/
int
acs_update_bw_status(acs_chaninfo_t * c_info)
{

        //...Snipped out some code from here

    /* if oper_mode fetch fails, do not allow BW upgrade */
    if (acs_update_oper_mode(c_info) != BCME_OK) {
        ACSD_INFO("%s could not update oper_mode\n", c_info->name);
        return BCME_ERROR;
    }
        //...Snipped some more from here 
}

And from acs_scan.c:

/*
*    acs_scan.c
*
*      This module will initiate the escan and try to get the escan results
*      from driver/firmware for all the channels.
*/


if (type == ACS_SCAN_TYPE_CI) {
        /* Before allowing CI scan verifying the txrx_score(tx+inbss), and txop value.
         * If sum of tx_score and txop is greater than threshold (ACS_CHANIM_TX_AVAIL),
         * then don't initiate scan as it is a good channel.
         * But ignore the score if bw_upgradable is true.
         */
        bool is_good_ch = ((tx_score + c_info->channel_free) > c_info->acs_chanim_tx_avail);

        acs_update_bw_status(c_info);

So I'm thinking this might not be a Merlin specific issue. A few suggestions:

• Post screenshots of your Wireless -> General tab and Wireless Professional tabs from the WebGUI, see if forum users can troubleshoot the settings
• Reboot the router (if you haven't already)
• Disable any scripts and services you're running through AMTM or on JFFS
• Reset most settings back to default
• Disable 2G WiFi radio (just for testing, not permanently)
• If every other option fails, backup settings and factory reset.

 

[Ola Malmstrom]

Thanks!! Yes, I also suspected something non-Merlin. But it seems to be related to the JFFS partition.

• Screenshots posted (see below)
• Disabled the 2.4 GHz band
• Disabled Skynet, removed Scribe, uiscribe
• Rebooted
• After 15 minutes without the error message, I enabled the 2.4 GHz band.
• After another about 30 minutes with the 2.4 GHz band enabled, the annoying message reappeared.
• Disabled the 2.4 GHz band again. The message disappeared.
• Enabled the 2.4 GHz band again. Will wait until tomorrow before I continue.

Reading through the log file, I can see that the re-start is done through a JFFS script. I will now get a new USB stick as preparation to replace the old one.

What is the correct format mode for the USB stick? FAT? Ext 3 or Ext 4? I assume it should be mounted as USB2.

 

[MaziahBebop]

So with your feedback, and the comments in the source code, one possible source of the issue is updating the operation mode of the wireless radio, possibly the 2G radio. Next troubleshooting features to isolate:
In the Wireless -> general tab:

• 2.4Ghz
  • 802.11ax / Wi-Fi 6 mode - Disable
  • Wi-Fi Agile Multiband - Disable
  • Protected Management Frames - Disable
  • Control Channel - Auto
  • Extension Channel - Auto
• 5Ghz
  • Wireless Mode - Auto
  • 802.11ax / Wi-Fi 6 mode - Disable
  • Wi-Fi Agile Multiband - Disable
  • Protected Management Frames - Disable
  • Channel Bandwidth - Enable 160 Mhz = No (un-check the box)
  • Control Channel - Auto
  • Extension Channel - Auto

Those are all the default router settings from the factory. Start by implementing all the settings at once. If the log messages go away, then re-enable the settings you need, one at at time.

 

[Ola Malmstrom]

Thanks Maziah!

Started by changing the 2.4 GHz band settings only. After about 35 minutes, the message has still not re-appeared.

I'll wait until tomorrow morning (right now it is 1 AM so time to go to bed....) to see if it still works then.

Question 1: If the error message goes away by disabling an AX feature, doesn't this imply that there is an error in the FW or possibly even in the HW that should be reported to ASUS?

Question 2: Seems like the AUTO option doesn't work that well. I get channel 10, but there are three other SSIDs on channel 11. Shouldn't one of the channels 1-5 have been selected instead (since there is nothing there at all)? I'll wait until tomorrow to see what has happened during the night.

 

[MaziahBebop]

Thanks Maziah!

Started by changing the 2.4 GHz band settings only. After about 35 minutes, the message has still not re-appeared.

I'll wait until tomorrow morning (right now it is 1 AM so time to go to bed....) to see if it still works then.

Sounds good. Wishing you luck with it.

Question 1: If the error message goes away by disabling an AX feature, doesn't this imply that there is an error in the FW or possibly even in the HW that should be reported to ASUS?

I was under the impression that compatibility issues were still common, partly because of the message that appears next to the setting ("If compatibility issue occurs when ..."). I am wondering how many AX devices you have connected to the 2.4Ghz wifi, and if the log message occurs only when certain AX devices are connected? (So... it could be a client device driver conflicting with your AX radio).

Question 2: Seems like the AUTO option doesn't work that well. I get channel 10, but there are three other SSIDs on channel 11. Shouldn't one of the channels 1-5 have been selected instead (since there is nothing there at all)?

Auto might not be great long term, but because its a factory default setting, I thought it would be okay just for the testing period. Looking forward to finding out more about your logs when you wake up. Hoping for the all-clear.

 

[Ola Malmstrom]

The whole night went through without the message.

Changed control channel to 3. After 45 minutes, the message reappeared. Changed back to AUTO, and the message disappeared again. No other changes done.

Could of course be due to people moving around in the house

 

[MaziahBebop]

The whole night went through without the message.

Changed control channel to 3. After 45 minutes, the message reappeared. Changed back to AUTO, and the message disappeared again. No other changes done.

I feel like it's looking good for the 2.4G Wifi channel Auto / manual select being the source of your log message, but also, the isolation is not complete yet. With AX still enabled on 5G that's still a possible source of the log messages. Can you run a further test period with both 2.4G and 5G AX disabled?

 

[Ola Malmstrom]

No further messages yet, so I followed your instructions for the 5 GHz band as well.

Will wait until tonight to see what has happened. If all is OK then, I will set the 2.4 GHz channel manually and wait until tomorrow morning for the result.

The upgrade path was Merlin .17, then .18 and finally .19. All upgrades went without any problems.

 

[MaziahBebop]

Hi Ola, a few interesting things to share:

• My logs last night filled up with messages every second (actually 3 separate messages per second for 5 hours). I'll tell you partly why in a minute.
• The log messages were not the same as, but probably related to yours:
  • "acsd: eth6: acs_csa_handle_request(384): eth6 err from dcs_handle_request: -22"
• For those 5 hours I had a Wireless Scheduler activated (in the Wireless -> Professional tab), which switched off my wifi radios for the night while I slept. Actually that's what I have every night, I just didn't check the logs in early morning before.
• So this acsd eth 6 error Im seeing on my AX88U is only occuring when I have my wifi radios disabled by the scheduler.

Also something else I'm trying out: setting my 2.4G channel manually to 3 to see if my logs become like yours. I was on Auto until now, and never saw those messages, so lets see. My final observation; you were correct in saying that eth6 is related to 2.4G radio. So I guess you can return your 5G settings to however you like because it shouldn't be affecting the eth6 log messages. Will let you know if my router produces the same messages as yours with manual channels selected, but that will be about 6 hours from now because there are no 2.4G client devices on the network until I get home later.

 

[Ola Malmstrom]

Interesting thanks!!

Just came back from a late movie and checked the status. The eth6 message hasn't reappeared.

So I manually set channel 3 for the 2.4 GHz band. Will see tomorrow if something has happened during the night. Interestingly the channel selected by the AUTO setting was 5 this time, not 10 as yesterday.

 

[Ola Malmstrom]

In the morning the annoying message was there again. So I reset to AUTO, and the selected channel is now 8. Will wait until this afternoon before doing anything else.

 

[MaziahBebop]

I had my 2.4G control channel set manually to channel 3 all day and my log has not filled up with too many messages. I got this one occasionally: "acsd: eth6: COEX: downgraded chanspec 0x1805 (3) to 0x1003 (3): channel 1 used by exiting BSSs". Not too concerned about that one, but I do prefer Auto setting, so I will switch it back to auto soon (give it a few more hours just in case message appears).

Here is my theory:

• When the user locks the 2.4G Wifi radio, there will be a flood in the log of messages from "ascd: eth6 ... something something err something: -22"
• For me, it happened when I locked the radio off by using the Scheduler (Wireless->Professional tab")
• For you it happened when you locked the control channel
• Why it happens for each router differently, probably different firmware upgrade history, or different AMTM scripts history
• How to solve? Maybe change log level? I know it says "err" but is it a real error message? Otherwise, factory reset maybe an option.

[Edit]

Including some differences in my setup to yours:

Just for fun, maybe try disabling IGMP Snooping, WMM-NoAck, OFDMA MU-MIMO. Then re-enable your manual control channel. See if it was one of these settings that made it error out so much
Could even be this one:

 

[Ola Malmstrom]

Thanks! Interesting to learn something new! I have tried to understand the settings where your and mine differs. Seems like your are more suitable for me so I changed mine to match yours. I have been running like this with control channel set to AUTO most of the day without the error message coming back.

Just reset the control channel to 3. We'll see tomorrow what the result is.

Just a question: I see that you have set your Tx Power adjustment to fair. Why is that? I have done the same thing for the 2.4 network on one of my APs (an AC87U) at the other end of the house to keep it from interfering with the main router (the AX88U).

 

[Ola Malmstrom]

Hah!! Just checked the status after about 30 minutes.... The error message re-appears!

So I just reset the control channel to AUTO. The channel was changed by the router to 13 and the message disappeared again.

Will still see where we are tomorrow morning.

 

[MaziahBebop]

Thanks! Interesting to learn something new! I have tried to understand the settings where your and mine differs. Seems like your are more suitable for me so I changed mine to match yours. I have been running like this with control channel set to AUTO most of the day without the error message coming back.

Just reset the control channel to 3. We'll see tomorrow what the result is.

Just a question: I see that you have set your Tx Power adjustment to fair. Why is that? I have done the same thing for the 2.4 network on one of my APs (an AC87U) at the other end of the house to keep it from interfering with the main router (the AX88U).

Hi Ola, it's been good reading all your replies. I learnt some new things also. Not any real big reasons for the fair setting, maybe get a longer lifetime of use from the radios, keep the temperature down, house is not huge etc.

[edit]
@Ola Malmstrom, any conclusion you want to add in here for anyone who stumbles on this thread with the same problem? I'm still not decided, since I have the same router, but unable to replicate the error with my settings yet.

 

[jorritsmit]

having the same issue on my RT-AX58U (but for eth5) will start changing settings and report back what i found

 

[Ola Malmstrom]

I had another problem where the connection to my ISP was lost regularly. After discussions with the help desk, I made a complete reset of the router. Cleared NVRAM, everything. Then started from scratch. Entered all settings manually. The connection problem disappeared and all was fine.

Then one day I noticed that a lot of my neighbors were using the same 2.4 GHz channel as I was. My router was set to AUTO on the 2.4 GHz band. So I re-set the channel to 3. Guess what? The message "Aug 30 07:27:19 RT-AX88U-A8B8 acsd: acs_update_oper_mode(290): eth6 read oper_mode failed with -22" started to re-appear every second after a couple of hours!

So I set the channel back to AUTO again - and the error message vanished.

I have had this setting for three weeks now without any problems or any new mysterious messages.