RT-AC66U - Disappointing so far...

[vdemarco]

Going to bump this because I see the drop in 5G performance. Windows reports 300mb but then drops to 144 . now this is just in "status" but it also drops a bar on the signal strengtt. And I'm sitting 10 feet away from the router. I live on 4 acres of land--I can barely pick up the wifi of my neighbor--sometimes. So don't get a lot of other wifi traffic here.

Like it has been suggested hitting "apply" on the the "professional settings" tab bumps it right back up . .

. .why does this have any effect? I'm not changing any settings. Is this a defacto reboot?

I'm running 3.0.0.4.372_0-ga8208f0 (something I think Merlin linked).

I'm attaching 4 screen grabs of the wifi settings for both 2.4 and 5.

I get this on all of my macs at home on .270. So its definately a router problem and not a client problem.

resetting the wireless fixes the issue (hitting "apply")

 

[taedan]

Running 372 for 5+ days and not seeing the problems reported for 5 GHz. I have an old WNDA3100 adapter connected consistently at 243~300 Mbps one floor above the router. inSSIDEr shows -35 dbm about 5 ft from the router on Channel 36+40, link score 100 (on an old HP laptop on the same floor as the router).

Performance far exceeds that of an E4200 V1 running tomato, which this ASUS router replaced.

 

[Grievous Angel]

I get this on all of my macs at home on .270. So its definately a router problem and not a client problem.

So what's the consensus here? Is this something intrinsic to the hardware, or is there hope that a software/firmware fix is on the horizon? More than a little disturbing that the last non-beta firmware is from January.

I'm running some super-beta voodoo: 3.0.0.4.372_0-ga8208f0

 

[Grievous Angel]

Running 372

The same one that Merlin posted? 3.0.0.4.372_0-ga8208f0 (?)

Edit: I can't seem to find the link to this version again. I might want to fool around with some of Merlin's releases--but I want a backup to this if I want to go back. WHERE DID I FIND THIS? Search function not giving any hits.

 

[taedan]

The same one that Merlin posted? 3.0.0.4.372_0-ga8208f0 (?)

Yes. It's the one Merlin posted. BTW, I bought this unit as a recertified one from Newegg. After flashing to 372, I cleared nvram using Telnet command. I also power cycled it. Don't know if that made a difference.

 

[sm00thpapa]

Does rebooting to factory spec clear the nvram? I have no clue what telnet is.

 

[Grievous Angel]

Does rebooting to factory spec clear the nvram? I have no clue what telnet is.

If you are on windows, it's something you have to enable. Then you can telnet to your box, log in with your router's admin/pw, and issue commands.

Google "telnet clear nvram ac66u"

I just did all of that--exported my settings, cleared the nvram, did a hard reboot, and reloaded my settings.

Will report my own findings later.

 

[taedan]

Does rebooting to factory spec clear the nvram? I have no clue what telnet is.

Do this before and after flashing using putty.exe (google):

nvram unset login_ip_str
nvram unset login_timestamp
nvram unset login_ip
nvram commit

mtd-erase -d nvram
reboot

After flashing and clearing nvram using above commands, power cycle router by turning off for 30 seconds and plugging it back in.

 

[Grievous Angel]

Do this before and after flashing using putty.exe (google):

nvram unset login_ip_str
nvram unset login_timestamp
nvram unset login_ip
nvram commit

mtd-erase -d nvram
reboot

After flashing and clearing nvram using above commands, power cycle router by turning off for 30 seconds and plugging it back in.

What's the idea about clearing it BEFORE you flash? And I need to find that 372 file again if I'm going to do that . . do you have a link to it?

Nevermind. Found it. On another site: http://www.mediafire.com/folder/81k6gwkfpb6jw/Asus

 

[taedan]

What's the idea about clearing it BEFORE you flash? And I need to find that 372 file again if I'm going to do that . . do you have a link to it?

It's in this thread. http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showthread.php?t=11171

I like to clear nvram before and after as a standard practice I learned from dd-wrt. Also, telnet needs to be enabled on the router using the GUI in Administration-system for telnet to work.

 

[Grievous Angel]

Aight I cleared the NVRAM (with your steps) before and after I reflashed that 372 firmware.

We shall see.

 

[vdemarco]

So what's the consensus here? Is this something intrinsic to the hardware, or is there hope that a software/firmware fix is on the horizon? More than a little disturbing that the last non-beta firmware is from January.

I'm running some super-beta voodoo: 3.0.0.4.372_0-ga8208f0

I am hoping that the new firmware due out soon will fix these issues. (I hope)
(Not 372, but the new version from Asus, Merlin can only fix so much, i believe that all of these issues are with wifi drivers, which are not available to merlin to look at)

 

[Grievous Angel]

I am hoping that the new firmware due out soon will fix these issues. (I hope)
(Not 372, but the new version from Asus, Merlin can only fix so much, i believe that all of these issues are with wifi drivers, which are not available to merlin to look at)

I thought the 372 version wasn't Merlin's . . but rather a beta slipped out to someone by someone at Asus.

Merlin's last release on his site is in the 35* range.

But yeah, a nice, stable official release would be nice. Then something from Merlin with his cool enhancements (like the client list) would be the cherry on top.

 

[vdemarco]

I thought the 372 version wasn't Merlin's . . but rather a beta slipped out to someone by someone at Asus.

Merlin's last release on his site is in the 35* range.

But yeah, a nice, stable official release would be nice. Then something from Merlin with his cool enhancements (like the client list) would be the cherry on top.

Merlin seems to be working on a 372 update (check out github https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin/branches)

but once again he can only fix so much. None of this is meant to badmouth merlin, his fixes make the router much better.

Like you said, a stable official release is what we all really need.

 

[RMerlin]

I thought the 372 version wasn't Merlin's . . but rather a beta slipped out to someone by someone at Asus.

That beta was actually given to me by Asus, and I was told I could share it with people suffering from the Ethernet latency issue which they had fixed in that build.

 

[Grievous Angel]

Ok, as a data point--

--after about 12 hours (overnight) my speed, per Windows, was waffling from 144 to about 300 on the 5G channel. This is after applying that 372 firmware again and doing the NVRAM rigmarole before and after.

After doing the "professional settings apply" it of course is restored.

nSSIder after the reapply shows about a -39 signal with no overlaps (149+153, link score 100).

However the Roku 3 has a 5g band at channel 165 (this is for the wifi remote, as I understand it). Technically not an overlap, but it's close. Should I move my Router 5G channel around to distance it from the Roku? How about physical distance? The roku sits about 2 feet from the Router. Any effect possibly?

 

[TonyH]

Hi,
Exactly, speaking of tweaks, it involves logical methology. Before starting out,
state your object(what you want to achieve?) make up a list of things to try and write them down in order, as going down the list tick them off noting the result. This way wasting time like going around circles is minimized. I spent almost all my career in comm. and large scale system tech support. I have seen so many people doing things(trouble-shooting) without a clear cut plan.

 

[TonyH]

Hi,
To the OP, what is your object from new router? Have you a list of plans of attack to reach the object? Have you gone down the list one by one recording the result? Any more new ideas to try came about? Still object is not met? Hope you are not going around in circles repeating same thing over and over. When written record is not kept of what you are doing it can happen resulting in wasted time. Practice logical methology.
I was in data comm., large scale system tech support in my working days. I have come across many people in the business not practicing logic causing lots of wasted time leading no where.

 

[roscolo]

Hi,
Exactly, speaking of tweaks, it involves logical methology. Before starting out,
state your object(what you want to achieve?) make up a list of things to try and write them down in order, as going down the list tick them off noting the result. This way wasting time like going around circles is minimized. I spent almost all my career in comm. and large scale system tech support. I have seen so many people doing things(trouble-shooting) without a clear cut plan.

Thank you. You just nailed the primary cause for the majority of calls...and repeat calls....and more repeat calls to tech support.

 

[mikeg]

I myself come from many years working with IBM:s communicatons sw. I have a
very strong feeling that Asus does not have a check list to test the functions when they upgrade and fix the firmware on their routers.

Hi,
Exactly, speaking of tweaks, it involves logical methology. Before starting out,
state your object(what you want to achieve?) make up a list of things to try and write them down in order, as going down the list tick them off noting the result. This way wasting time like going around circles is minimized. I spent almost all my career in comm. and large scale system tech support. I have seen so many people doing things(trouble-shooting) without a clear cut plan.