RT-AC86U 2.4GHz problems

[plasma888]

Hi all,

My 2.4GHz wifi keeps dropping sometime in minutes of rebooting the router. The longest time it was up was 6hrs. When it goes down, there's always a "kernel: DUMP CONSOLE:" "PHYTX error" in the log and it also shows the 2.4GHz at channel 0 in the GUI at the wireless logo in the top left corner.

I have done the usual 20MHz, Control Channel 1, 6 and 11, disable Airtime Fairness, Multi-User MIMO Explicit, Beamforming, Universal Beamforming and USB3.0.

I have also flash the firmware to earlier version, Format JFFS partition and did many resets and reboots but I still have the same problem.

Attached are some pics and the log file of the most recent wifi drop after a firmware flash. Hope someone here can help me solve this problem.

Thanks and Regards,
plasma

 

[CaptainSTX]

Hi all,

My 2.4GHz wifi keeps dropping sometime in minutes of rebooting the router. The longest time it was up was 6hrs. When it goes down, there's always a "kernel: DUMP CONSOLE:" "PHYTX error" in the log and it also shows the 2.4GHz at channel 0 in the GUI at the wireless logo in the top left corner.

I have done the usual 20MHz, Control Channel 1, 6 and 11, disable Airtime Fairness, Multi-User MIMO Explicit, Beamforming, Universal Beamforming and USB3.0.

I have also flash the firmware to earlier version, Format JFFS partition and did many resets and reboots but I still have the same problem.

Attached are some pics and the log file of the most recent wifi drop after a firmware flash. Hope someone here can help me solve this problem.

Thanks and Regards,
plasma

They problem you are experiencing is unfortunately not that uncommon. Read the hundreds of reviews on Amazon complaining of exactly the same thing. The most amazing thing is that some people having the 2.4Ghz radio issues still give this router two or three stars. The issue you are having is more than likely bad hardware.

I personally have RMAed three AC86s. The last one had the channel 0 issue. I'm awaiting my fourth AC86 which ASUS pulled from their smoldering pile of returns. I all I can hope for is that I get lucky and this time get a unit that works because it was returned as a result of operator error and not because of defective ASUS hardware.

Good luck and welcome to ASUS RMA purgatory.

 

[curlysir]

Very common problem https://www.snbforums.com/threads/major-issues-w-rt-ac86u.56342/

I also have bought and returned 3 AC86's recently from Amazon for problems with the 2.4 and 5 band. They were used very good and were in very good physical condition, but on 2 of them the 2.4 band was dead on arrival and on the other the 5.0 band died within a week.. I also have an AC86U that I bought new in September 2018 that has been trouble free.

Good luck.

 

[DarkKnight75]

No issues with my AC86U purchased new 4 months ago (build date was Oct 2018).

 

[CaptainSTX]

No issues with my AC86U purchased new 4 months ago (build date was Oct 2018).

What are the first alpha characters in your serial number? Just hoping that the latest recycled unit that ASUS sends me falls within your your blessed production run.

JAIAHN - Purchased New Feb - Failed May
K41AHN - Replacement Unit - Bad on arrival - ASUS it after repairing , dead radio out of box
JB1A24 - Replacement unit scheduled to arrive 8/21/19

No doubt the majority of the AC86s live up to their reputation and perform flawlessly but unfortunately for some of us it seems a larger than expected percentage have hardware issues that no number of "nuclear resets" or firmware recoveries can fix. The AC86 gets 28% one star ratings on Amazon as compared to 18% for the AC68. The most common problem reported for all one, two and three star reviews is the 2.4 Ghz radio failing. And by failing I mean that there isn't any signal or the router needs to be constantly rebooted to get the 2.4Ghz radio on air.

IMHO ASUS compounds the problem by thinking that by wiping down returned units with their magic cloth and then flashing the latest firmware is a fix for routers with more serious issues. All of the replacement units I have received to date have had issues on arrival and/or not stable including a dead 2.4Ghz radio. Unfortunately for ASUS's reputation other people receiving routers under ASUS's RMA program have had a similar experiences.

 

[OzarkEdge]

What are the first alpha characters in your serial number? Just hoping that the latest recycled unit that ASUS sends me falls within your your blessed production run.

JAIAHN - Purchased New Feb - Failed May
K41AHN - Replacement Unit - Bad on arrival - ASUS it after repairing , dead radio out of box
JB1A24 - Replacement unit scheduled to arrive 8/21/19

No doubt the majority of the AC86s live up to their reputation and perform flawlessly but unfortunately for some of us it seems a larger than expected percentage have hardware issues that no number of "nuclear resets" or firmware recoveries can fix. The AC86 gets 28% one star ratings on Amazon as compared to 18% for the AC68. The most common problem reported for all one, two and three star reviews is the 2.4 Ghz radio failing. And by failing I mean that there isn't any signal or the router needs to be constantly rebooted to get the 2.4Ghz radio on air.

IMHO ASUS compounds the problem by thinking that by wiping down returned units with their magic cloth and then flashing the latest firmware is a fix for routers with more serious issues. All of the replacement units I have received to date have had issues on arrival and/or not stable including a dead 2.4Ghz radio. Unfortunately for ASUS's reputation other people receiving routers under ASUS's RMA program have had a similar experiences.

My six working 86U S/Ns, production year 2018:

(2) J2IAHN
(1) J5IAHN
(1) J6IAHN
(2) J7IAHN

OE

 

[CaptainSTX]

My six working 86U S/Ns, production year 2018:

(2) J2IAHN
(1) J5IAHN
(1) J6IAHN
(2) J7IAHN

OE

Thanks for the info. Have my fingers crossed.

 

[curlysir]

My J61AHN has been trouble free since September 2018. Hope I don't jinx it by posting this. Wish I had recorded the SN of the 3 I purchased and returned to Amazon.

 

[CaptainSTX]

My J61AHN has been trouble free since September 2018. Hope I don't jinx it by posting this. Wish I had recorded the SN of the 3 I purchased and returned to Amazon.

Thanks.

 

[rk8531]

Mine running solid since last 10 months.

 

[CaptainSTX]

Mine running solid since last 10 months.

If you have a chance post the first part of your serial number so perhaps I or someone else can determine which production lots are less likely to have problems.

Thanks.

 

[rk8531]

If you have a chance post the first part of your serial number so perhaps I or someone else can determine which production lots are less likely to have problems.

Thanks.

Serial No- JAIAHN00xxxx
FW No- 3.0.0.4.384
HW No- R 1.5
Year of Production- 2018

Edit- I am running Merlin firmware since day 1 and is using all the default settings.

Hope this helps.

 

[CaptainSTX]

Serial No- JAIAHN00xxxx
FW No- 3.0.0.4.384
HW No- R 1.5
Year of Production- 2018

Edit- I am running Merlin firmware since day 1 and is using all the default settings.

Hope this helps.

Thanks.

 

[CaptainSTX]

I received my replacement today and it has been running for three whole hours. Have a video stream going on each of the radios plus another one on Ethernet.

Based on a very small sample (8) all the trouble free AC86s are in the J series which my replacement one is in also. However the original AC86 I purchased in Feb - 2019 was also a J series so who knows.

Does anyone have an AC86 that isn't in either the Jxxxxxxx or Kxxxxxx series?

Does anyone have an AC86 that was manufactured in a year other than 2018? If yes what is the first part of the serial number? For those of you that haven't looked at the back your your AC86 lately the year of manufacturing is the last line on the label.

Thanks.

 

[Etcman]

I am having exactly the same issue. In one moment 2,4 ghz wifi drops. Shaking the Router helps that it works again, so it seems to be a hardware design failure in this model. I'm already having the third one with exactly the same issue. I repeat: Shaking helps. Maybe someone having this issue too can confirm this, as its that unbelievablie :-o

 

[CaptainSTX]

Until you get a unit that was manufactured in 2019 there is slim hope that your issue will be resolved as ASUS continues to send out other people's problem units which they returned without thoroughly testing the units.

Good luck it took me five tries to finally get a 2019 unit which works well however not as well/reliably as either my N66 or AC68.

 

[Etcman]

Until you get a unit that was manufactured in 2019 there is slim hope that your issue will be resolved as ASUS continues to send out other people's problem units which they returned without thoroughly testing the units.

Good luck it took me five tries to finally get a 2019 unit which works well however not as well/reliably as either my N66 or AC68.

I got a brand-new 2019 Model from the shop where I bought the original one as replacement, still the same issue :-(
Obviously I'll have to live with that or buy a second 2,4 ghz access point...

 

[Grisu]

Return it once more!
It has to work and maybe soon it will fail in other parts too.

 

[ligeza]

I've got two ac86u. First, bought almost two years ago, is working like a charm, the second one bought about month ago is probably with broken 2,4GHz, I'm still testing it ( AiMesh node ) and probably will send it to RMA.
SN: K6IM2400xxxx
Production Year: 2019

 

[CaptainSTX]

I got a brand-new 2019 Model from the shop where I bought the original one as replacement, still the same issue :-(
Obviously I'll have to live with that or buy a second 2,4 ghz access point...

For awhile based on Amazon reviews it appeared that ASUS might have resolved the 2.4 Ghz issue with the 2019 model and the one star reviews were purchasers whose units suffered what the purchaser considered a premature failure.

The nine one star reviews posted in December on Amazon now seem to be trending toward 2.4 Ghz issues. You would think that many of these purchasers would have received 2019 models so perhaps the radio issue really hasn't been resolved entirely.

The 2019 AC86 I have is performing well and seems for the most part stable. Not nearly as stable as my previous N66s or AC68s but good enough.

Get yourself another 2019 AC86 and see if you get lucky and get one with one has good radios.