One Solid Fix: Issues with Asus GT-AXE16000

[AlphaX]

Thanks to ASUS and Amazon, and a big headache, I found this forum!

As an attorney, I notice and am aware of the discussions regarding locked hardware and countries of authorized distribution. Sadly, some misinformation triggers some resolutions to be mistaken for illegal activity. This is not a post to hack or workaround, but to resolve a sad issue associated with Amazon and perhaps other retailers.
Amazon mixes inventory from multiple inbound sources, and getting a unit preloaded with firmware optimized for another country is possible. This does not mean the router is illegally licensed (although it can). In my case, my "open box" GT-AXE16000 was likely returned for this reason. Talking with ASUS, the firmware will lock out, change, or add options based on support within a given region. Thanks for their support.

1. My unit arrived and the EULA (End user license agreement) was for North America/USA.
2. My unit arrived with firmware version 3.0.0.4.388_24403 (the latest), although I did not note the longer number shown after this fix (3.0.0.4.388_24403-g48ccb61). My issue like other is I was NOT able to see or access the SSID for the 5GHZ-1 band, and some selections (namely control channel options) were not showing as they were following my steps to resolve.
3. Navigating to the US support site [https://rog.asus.com/us/support/download-center/], and not the general support site that the router interface may direct you to [https://rog.asus.com/networking/rog-rapture-gt-axe16000-model/helpdesk_download/] I downloaded and applied the firmware file.
4. Whether this was a corrupt firmware, different firmware, or the new load made some other change to allow proper use of the 5GHZ-1 band is up for guess, but it worked nonetheless.

While yes a manufacturer can restrict sales and support of certain products for a variety of reasons, I would suggest that if ASUS wanted to in this case, the US firmware would not load onto an unapproved device. While I did not ask ASUS, I do not know anything about devices that ship with a EULA from other countries.

I hope this helps someone else.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Navigating to the US support site [https://rog.asus.com/us/support/download-center/], and not the general support site that the router interface may direct you to [https://rog.asus.com/networking/rog-rapture-gt-axe16000-model/helpdesk_download/] you can find the firmware file (for the US!) It is named the same, but only on the US site will you get all the US features.

This is incorrect. The firmware you download from the US Asus site is exactly the same as the ones you can download from other country's Asus websites. There is no "US version" of the firmware. Compare the checksums of the two files you linked to, here and here. They are the same. The region is set on the device when it is manufactured and is not part of the downloadable firmware.

 

[Tech9]

I was NOT able to see or access the SSID for the 5GHZ-1 band

Not only the firmware is exactly the same, but also 5GHz_1 band channels are largely the same in multiple regions.

 

[AlphaX]

Well, what would you suggest the Asus tech did or advised in my session that would have corrected the issue? I don't dispute that two sites may have the same version and even the same code, but something was surely different in what was loaded before I received it and post install of the new file firmware download. The available settings as well as the viewing of the SSID sure changed.

 

[Tech9]

All the routers run the same firmware globally and the regional differences are hard coded in hardware. This is how it works regardless of what Asus tech told you. The routers as hardware are US, CA, CN, etc. country coded, not the firmware.

 

[OzarkEdge]

In my case, my "open box" GT-AXE16000

The first thing to do to properly commission the router, regardless of being new or previously used, is to review its firmware history to know what you are dealing with and for any special instructions.

Then install/upload the current firmware (re-install it on a used device), Hard Reset the firmware to its default settings, and configure the firmware minimally to establish a secure, basic network.

Then use the new network to confirm its basic operation. Once you trust it and feel confident in the new hardware to proceed, use the router's webUI to configure and build out your network to suit your needs, one step at a time to allow for easier troubleshooting, confirming as you go that all is well.

A few tips about commissioning ASUSWRT router firmware:

FW Reset FAQ

Reset button/webUI Restore/node removal clears settings in NVRAM; reboot restores fw defaults from CFE

Hard Reset via WPS button/webUI Restore+Initialize also clears data logged in /jffs partition

Once you have your new network configured and working well, document the non-default settings to more easily configure the next firmware from scratch, which is typically troubleshooting step one to be sure you are on a solid configuration and not spinning your wheels troubleshooting a confused or sloppy installation vs real trouble. Your OP issue is not real trouble.

OE