RT-AC68U / RT-AC68P / RT-AC1900 / RT-AC1900P

[lepa71]

Back to the basics:
Guideline in case of unexplained router behavior:

1. If there are, disconnect all USB devices.
2. Install the latest available firmware version.
3. Reset to factory defaults.
4. Do not load an old configuration backup file.
5. Manual configure the router with the bare minimum, as:
   • Router Login Name.
   • Router Login Password.
   • WAN Connection Type, and what is required to connect to the Internet.
   • Wireless SSID's and WPA Pre-Shared Key's.
   • Leave everything else default.
6. Test the router behavior:
   1. Test with a wired connection first.
   2. Test with a wireless connection.
7. After the above works all well you can consider more manual router configuration changes.

Notes to the above guideline:

• Restoring a configuration backup might bring back old issues, that is why the manual configuration is advised.
• While making configuration changes: write them down so you do have a list of changes you made from factory defaults.
• Whenever you restore a configuration backup: only restore the backup to exactly the same firmware branch and version as it was made with.

Then specially for the RT-AC68U I experienced those setting are best:

• Advanced Settings - Wireless - Professional - 2.4 GHz:
  • Modulation Scheme: Up to MCS 7 (802.11n)
  • Airtime Fairness: Disable
  • Explicit Beamforming: Disable
  • Universal Beamforming: Disable
• Advanced Settings - Wireless - Professional - 5 GHz:
  • Airtime Fairness: Disable
  • Universal Beamforming: Disable

I followed your guide but I still have speed issues with my AC68 as a media bridge on Asus official fw. I only get 25/20 Mbps when I connect to AC68 by wire whereas my internet speed is 300/20
Do I need to do the items below before switching AC68 into media bridge mode?

Then specially for the RT-AC68U I experienced those setting are best:

• Advanced Settings - Wireless - Professional - 2.4 GHz:
  • Modulation Scheme: Up to MCS 7 (802.11n)
  • Airtime Fairness: Disable
  • Explicit Beamforming: Disable
  • Universal Beamforming: Disable
• Advanced Settings - Wireless - Professional - 5 GHz:
  • Airtime Fairness: Disable
  • Universal Beamforming: Disable

 

[wouterv]

The Media Bridge setup does not give you many wireless settings, you can only specify the SSID of the router you want to connect to.
What firmware is in the router and in the media bridge?

These settings are for the RT-AC68U Router:

• Advanced Settings - Wireless - Professional - 2.4 GHz:
  • Modulation Scheme: Up to MCS 7 (802.11n)
  • Airtime Fairness: Disable
  • Explicit Beamforming: Disable
  • Universal Beamforming: Disable
• Advanced Settings - Wireless - Professional - 5 GHz:
  • Airtime Fairness: Disable
  • Universal Beamforming: Disable

In the Media Bridge make these settings:

 

[lepa71]

My main router is a Asus ax3000 running merlin's latest. The AC68 is running stock as of right now. The only way I was able to get full speed via media bridge-connected devices was to run John's fork based on older version of merlin's fw.

 

[wouterv]

I can imagine you run in a conflict between the AX and AC based routers.
Do you connect the Media Bridge at 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz?

 

[lepa71]

I can imagine you run in a conflict between the AX and AC based routers.
Do you connect the Media Bridge at 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz?

I use 5 Ghz but I this is the issue with asus fw base change. John's fork is based on 385 and the new base is 386. I have tried too many things but none of them work. I thought I would give it another try. Oh well.

 

[Tech9]

John's fork is based on 385

John's fork was based (no update for >1 year) on much older 374 base.

[Fork] Asuswrt-Merlin 374 LTS Overview

ASUSWRT-MERLIN 374 LTS This is an LTS (Long Term Service) fork of Asuswrt-Merlin based on 374.43_2. This older code base has a history of being very stable, and some of the older code components may perform better in some environments. It may be a good choice for those who desire a 'set it and...

www.snbforums.com

 

[lepa71]

John's fork was based (no update for >1 year) on much older 374 base.

[Fork] Asuswrt-Merlin 374 LTS Overview

ASUSWRT-MERLIN 374 LTS This is an LTS (Long Term Service) fork of Asuswrt-Merlin based on 374.43_2. This older code base has a history of being very stable, and some of the older code components may perform better in some environments. It may be a good choice for those who desire a 'set it and...

www.snbforums.com

You are right. It was based on an even earlier baseline. My mistake.

 

[anotherengineer]

what about this guy??

ASUS RT-AC67P AC1900 WiFi Router Dual Band Wireless Internet Router; Easy Setup; VPN, Parental Control; AiRadar Beamforming - Micro Center

Get it now! Powered by 5G Wi-Fi and 256QAM technology, the 802.11ac chipset gives the RT-AC67P faster wireless speeds than N technology. At 2.4 GHz, it reaches 600 Mbps, while on the 5GHz band it blazes to 1300 Mbps. The upgraded bandwidth has the higher capacity you need to increase WiFi...

www.microcenter.com

 

[Tech9]

This guy has nothing to do with AC68U and variants. It's a MediaTek based router.

Internal Photos Internal Photos

fcc.report

 

[anotherengineer]

This guy has nothing to do with AC68U and variants. It's a MediaTek based router.

Internal Photos Internal Photos

fcc.report

Ahhh. That would explain why it’s so cheap. On sale $60 CAD now. But it is an ac1900 though correct??

 

[Tech9]

It's cheap, but has much newer and better AC radio with MU-MIMO. There is one RT-AC65P with AC Wave 2 radio with MU-MIMO, also MediaTek. I don't know how Asus versions perform, but other routers based on the same SoC trash some higher-end Asus routers in range and speed to single client.

 

[anotherengineer]

It's cheap, but has much newer and better AC radio with MU-MIMO. There is one RT-AC65P with AC Wave 2 radio with MU-MIMO, also MediaTek. I don't know how Asus versions perform, but other routers based on the same SoC trash some higher-end Asus routers in range and speed to single client.

For $60 and currently supported with FW probably a good replacement for the n66u AP in my garage.

 

[Tech9]

But it is an ac1900 though correct??

Yes, similar to even cheaper and excellent range TP-Link Archer C80. The same MediaTek MT7762N AC Wave 2 + MU-MIMO. TP-Link even goes a step further with very good quality printed PCB antennas. Basic firmware, but with what's needed for a basic router + Access Point mode.

 

[wouterv]

RT-AC67P added in the table of the first post.

 

[Tech9]

RT-AC67P added in the table of the first post.

The three last ones (AC86U, AC67P, AX86U) are completely unrelated to AC68U hardware. They don't belong to this list. If you want to compare/include the plastic shape similarities - AC65P is also very similar design, but also unrelated:

RT-AC65P｜WiFi Routers｜ASUS Global

ASUS has a range of wireless routers suitable for every purpose. Whether it's for your home, for business trips, or for any other need or environment, there's an ASUS router for you.

www.asus.com

The one you are missing is RT-AC67U model sold in some countries as 2-pack "mesh" system. It's rebranded RT-AC66U B1 model.

AiMesh AC1900 WiFi System (RT-AC67U 2 Pack)｜Whole Home Mesh WiFi System｜ASUS Middle East

ASUS AiMesh WiFi routers and WiFi systems let you create a mesh network with no dead zones, using any AiMesh-capable ASUS routers. Their superb performance and rich features makes them the perfect solution for advanced users.

www.asus.com

You're also missing DSL-AC68U and 4G-AC68U models.

DSL-AC68U｜Modem Routers｜ASUS Global

Experience DSL-AC68U's unmatched dual-band Wi-Fi & robust security features that elevate your daily tech interactions. Discover more!

www.asus.com

Modem Routers - All series｜ASUS Global

www.asus.com

 

[anotherengineer]

The three last ones (AC86U, AC67P, AX86U) are completely unrelated to AC68U hardware. They don't belong to this list. If you want to compare/include the plastic shape similarities - AC65P is also very similar design, but also unrelated:

RT-AC65P｜WiFi Routers｜ASUS Global

ASUS has a range of wireless routers suitable for every purpose. Whether it's for your home, for business trips, or for any other need or environment, there's an ASUS router for you.

www.asus.com

The one you are missing is RT-AC67U model sold in some countries as 2-pack "mesh" system. It's rebranded RT-AC66U B1 model.

AiMesh AC1900 WiFi System (RT-AC67U 2 Pack)｜Whole Home Mesh WiFi System｜ASUS Middle East

ASUS AiMesh WiFi routers and WiFi systems let you create a mesh network with no dead zones, using any AiMesh-capable ASUS routers. Their superb performance and rich features makes them the perfect solution for advanced users.

www.asus.com

You're also missing DSL-AC68U and 4G-AC68U models.

DSL-AC68U｜Modem Routers｜ASUS Global

Experience DSL-AC68U's unmatched dual-band Wi-Fi & robust security features that elevate your daily tech interactions. Discover more!

www.asus.com

Modem Routers - All series｜ASUS Global

www.asus.com

Ya. I guess it depends if it’s an AC68 router thread or an AC1900 thread?

 

[Tech9]

I believe it's an AC68U and variants thread.

 

[wouterv]

The main goal was to focus on the RT-AC68U router and it's variants.
Gradually lookalikes and re-packed versions where added because they raise questions anyway.
ASUS makes life hard for this thread with the endless number of router types and variants, I figured long ago it is impossible to make this a flawless thread.
The hardcore basics are: RT-AC68U | RT-AC66U B1 | RT-AC1900U.
I updated the first post "back to basics".

 

[Tech9]

I see an error:

RT-AC66U B1, also known as RT-AC1750 B1 or RT-AC67U - it is AiMesh compatible. It's even sold in pairs as a mesh kit in some places. See above.

 

[wouterv]

That glitch must have been there for while, it is corrected.