RT-AX86U - 2.4 Ghz Network is NOT working anymore (was working before)

[OzarkEdge]

If the problem comes back, some of you have suggested to replace the router. In my case I have 2 of them. Which one of the 2 is the one to be replaced? How to conclude that?

I would recommission the router with minimal configuration from scratch (nothing connected but your admin PC) and if it doesn't work normally, then troubleshoot/replace that.

OE

 

[reddeath]

I have removed the AX88 from mesh and configured it in AP mode. 2.4G clients connected right away.

Would that indicate that the main AX6000 has the problem? I don't understand how that works exactly, even if the main router has broken wifi chip, why would the node not connect the clients? Clients are just next to the node.

 

[vincom]

Ac86u, 2.4 is been a problem for awhile, even on my ac66u had issues I just didn't think it was a router problem, but it is.
Symptom, can connect to 2.4ghz but it has no internet access, only solution is to restart 2.4 radio or a full router reboot which I do via the router scheduler.

It's so random it's hard to know what's causing it, I thought it was the fault of the devices connecting to the routers 2.4 band but after rebooting router the "no internet Access" problem went away.

To reaffirm, there was no issues with the 2.4ghz connection to devices, the problem is they have no internet access, most of my 2.4 band devices are on static IP addresses.

I have yet to find a resolution......and it's been years, if it wasn't for Merlin's fw I would of tried some other brand of router, I actually did try pfsense years ago but my hardware then was lacking.

Actually it just happened again and I'm considering trying pfsense again or other comparable router software and making the ac86u the wifi ap and seeing if it loses the internet connection on the 2.4 band.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Ac86u, 2.4 is been a problem for awhile, even on my ac66u had issues I just didn't think it was a router problem, but it is.
Symptom, can connect to 2.4ghz but it has no internet access, only solution is to restart 2.4 radio or a full router reboot which I do via the router scheduler.

It's so random it's hard to know what's causing it, I thought it was the fault of the devices connecting to the routers 2.4 band but after rebooting router the "no internet Access" problem went away.

To reaffirm, there was no issues with the 2.4ghz connection to devices, the problem is they have no internet access, most of my 2.4 band devices are on static IP addresses.

I have yet to find a resolution......and it's been years, if it wasn't for Merlin's fw I would of tried some other brand of router, I actually did try pfsense years ago but my hardware then was lacking.

Actually it just happened again and I'm considering trying pfsense again or other comparable router software and making the ac86u the wifi ap and seeing if it loses the internet connection on the 2.4 band.

I'd bet the AC86U hardware is failing, like it does.

OE

 

[Tech9]

I'm considering trying pfsense again

Get proper APs with VLAN support. Otherwise your configuration options will be limited. Home AIO routers don't make good APs to VLAN capable router/firewall. Budget options from Cisco, Ubiquiti, Zyxel, TP-Link, etc. start from about $100 for AX1800 class. You need PoE switch as well.

 

[juanantonio]

Good afternoon everyone.

Sadly, I've had the same problem as the one reported here.

My 2.4 GHz network seem to be working, but none of my devices can see it, neither, obviously, can connect to it.

The thing is that I had see some strange log entries that repeat hundred of times, and although I've search for info about them, I couldn' find a solution.

The entries are:

Apr 16 13:43:07 kernel: wl0: fatal error, reinitializing, total count of reinit's[25]
Apr 16 13:43:07 kernel: CSIMON:  CSIMON[1.1.0] Initialization
Apr 16 13:43:07 kernel: CSIMON: M2M usr already registered ...

Repeated endlessly.

I've tried some of the advices on this same thread with no luck, My 2.4 GHz SSID seems to appear a moment on my phone's Wifi networks screeen and after that, it vanishes completely.

Could someone help me to find a solution for this?

Thank you in advance.

Edit: I've tried to put up my Guest Wifi Network, which runs on 2.4 GHz too, with no results at all.

 

[Tech9]

If it does the same thing on stock Asuswrt as well - it's perhaps hardware issue.

 

[L&LD]

Use the link below to capture an instance of where your router/network is at now.

Is it a good idea to keep up with Firmware updates?

I have had issues in the past when updating firmware and Internet speed, But it may have just been a fluke, Should I keep up with the updates? If so On all routers or the nodes as well? What about ones acting as access points? Thanks

www.snbforums.com

Update to the latest firmware available for your router (your signature is showing very old versions).

Perform a full reset to factory defaults (I suggest multiple methods: Reset, WPS methods and also via the GUI, making sure to check the 'Initialize all settings...) button too).

Do not import any old saved backup config file. Do not plug in any USB drive that has previously been used for amtm/scripts (at least, not before plugging into a PC and formatting it as NTFS).

Perform a minimal and manual configuration (see links below for the M&M Config and other guides).

Now, test. Do you see that it is the same outcome? If so, more digging needs to be performed.

L&LD

www.snbforums.com

Am I all set to start fresh with the latest stable release? And a request for L&LD...

After creating the checklists two weeks ago to save the pages with settings, I've made all the screenshots (I think at least) of all the relevant guides written by @L&LD and the very useful tip by @netware5. The only thing is, those guides are great, except when you'll be offline at least for a...

www.snbforums.com

 

[Kado]

Hello,

I'm kinda the new 2.4G radio victim here, radio goes crazy where it disappears and it comes back, it seems any USB 3.0 device causes this but I need a pen/micro sd card to use advanced stuff with the router, if I set usb to 2.0 the radio keeps working.
Even noticed a AndroidTV box connected to the ISP router loosing connectivity once to the internet when I connected the pen which makes no sense (Asus router is using bridge mode port from ISP router).
Tried two micro sd card adapters and one pen with same results, this is after a factory reset with minimal setup.
This did not happen before and warranty is about to expire at the end of the month, should I try to RMA this?

 

[OzarkEdge]

Hello,

I'm kinda the new 2.4G radio victim here, radio goes crazy where it disappears and it comes back, it seems any USB 3.0 device causes this but I need a pen/micro sd card to use advanced stuff with the router, if I set usb to 2.0 the radio keeps working.
Even noticed a AndroidTV box connected to the ISP router loosing connectivity once to the internet when I connected the pen which makes no sense (Asus router is using bridge mode port from ISP router).
Tried two micro sd card adapters and one pen with same results, this is after a factory reset with minimal setup.
This did not happen before and warranty is about to expire at the end of the month, should I try to RMA this?

One possible source of trouble is USB3.x EMI... the higher speed data comms generates EMI that interferes with the 2.4GHz frequencies. If so, this is not a defect you can request an RMA for.

You may not ever be able to insert your device directly into the router USB port and run it at 3.x speeds. Assuming it is your device that is noisey at 3.x speeds, you could try using a well-shielded USB3.x rated extension cable to move your device away from the router's 2.4 radio/antennas. And/or use a less noisey device (better design/shielding... not as cheaply made?) You've already discovered that you can use USB2.x mode on the router to lower the speed/noise... but nobody wants to go slower! Another option is to not use the 2.4 radio, if you don't need it... but your noisey device could still interfere with something, like nearby cordless peripherals that use the 2.4GHz spectrum (headphones, mice, whatever). Radio is hard; noise is harder!

And, a cheap device could just be a bad actor... generating EMI when it should not. You could try a different device/solution... your call. Just don't blame the router until you know more about the trouble. Try some cause and affect tests to sort though it.

One more thing... devices connected directly to the router can suck heat out of the router, run hotter, and die sooner. So, not the most optimum configuration despite being simple/direct/compact.

OE

 

[Tech9]

Tried two micro sd card adapters

I can confirm this is more device related issue and less USB port related. Because this topic comes quite often I actually did some tests some time ago with different routers and devices and got completely different results just changing the device. It wasn't that bad as you describe, but worse SNR ratio was affecting the usable range for 2.4GHz devices. Disconnections may happen somewhere around the edges of coverage area.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Disconnections may happen somewhere around the edges of coverage area.

Exactly the issue I had with an attached HDD chassis. My 2.4 client would suffer at the edge of coverage... noise overcame signal.

OE

 

[Tech9]

This is exactly how I tested the theory - a client on the edge connected to a router with/without active USB 3.0 device. The keyword is "active" and it may create a lot of headache. Just plugged in is okay. Hard to troubleshoot intermittent issues start when data transfer starts.

 

[Kado]

One possible source of trouble is USB3.x EMI... the higher speed data comms generates EMI that interferes with the 2.4GHz frequencies. If so, this is not a defect you can request an RMA for.

You may not ever be able to insert your device directly into the router USB port and run it at 3.x speeds. Assuming it is your device that is noisey at 3.x speeds, you could try using a well-shielded USB3.x rated extension cable to move your device away from the router's 2.4 radio/antennas. And/or use a less noisey device (better design/shielding... not as cheaply made?) You've already discovered that you can use USB2.x mode on the router to lower the speed/noise... but nobody wants to go slower! Another option is to not use the 2.4 radio, if you don't need it... but your noisey device could still interfere with something, like nearby cordless peripherals that use the 2.4GHz spectrum (headphones, mice, whatever). Radio is hard; noise is harder!

And, a cheap device could just be a bad actor... generating EMI when it should not. You could try a different device/solution... your call. Just don't blame the router until you know more about the trouble. Try some cause and affect tests to sort though it.

One more thing... devices connected directly to the router can suck heat out of the router, run hotter, and die sooner. So, not the most optimum configuration despite being simple/direct/compact.

OE

This might be a combination of EMI and device age as these things did not happened when the device was new, the adapter and sd card are the same as before.
I'm using some generic micro sdcard adapter, tested a different Ugreen adapter and also a Kingston 64GB DataTraveler pen (brand new), all with same results, 2.4 gHz WiFi disappears and reappears at random even if I'm near the router (2m), USB 2.0 mode fixed this, may also try the shielded cable if I can find a decent one.

Using USB 2.0 should not be a major issue as the pen is for Entware and related stuff, for high volume data I have a NAS.

I can't drop 2.4 gHz as many IoT devices I use only support that unfortunately.
As for temps should not be an issue as I have two 140mm Noctua fans blowing in the back of the router, similar setup I had for my previous RT-AC68U because of 90c CPU temps, this is overkill for this RT-AX86U though.

@Tech9 Range was not an issue here as even at close range there was no WiFi.

I now completed the setup and set again the wifi network name so all devices would connect and had a "Jun 16 02:26:37 RT-AX86U-2F78 kernel: wl0: fatal error, reinitializing, total count of reinit's[1]", maybe it got overwhelmed and crashed.
This also happened a few months ago but some reboots and factory resets "fixed" it, I was now getting mad as the warranty is about to expire and my previous devices still works fine in a friends house.

This device may eventualy transform into an AP as I'm planning into getting one of those N100 2.5G mini PC's and using ONPsense or simmilar (might be overkill for what I need though).

Thanks for the tips.

Kado

 

[Tech9]

Range was not an issue here

use advanced stuff with the router

Your first troubleshooting step is to remove all the "advanced stuff" and try again. I personally test Asus routers on stock Asuswrt firmware only. Got tired of threads about something not working in Asuswrt-Merlin, but whoever has the issue just forgot to mention the scripts on top, two incompatible with each other and two unsupported from 384 firmware base. Unspecified "advanced stuff" - you're on your own.

 

[OzarkEdge]

I started a data backup to HDD and then went riding on the mower.

OE

This might be a combination of EMI and device age as these things did not happened when the device was new, the adapter and sd card are the same as before.
I'm using some generic micro sdcard adapter, tested a different Ugreen adapter and also a Kingston 64GB DataTraveler pen (brand new), all with same results, 2.4 gHz WiFi disappears and reappears at random even if I'm near the router (2m), USB 2.0 mode fixed this, may also try the shielded cable if I can find a decent one.

Using USB 2.0 should not be a major issue as the pen is for Entware and related stuff, for high volume data I have a NAS.

I can't drop 2.4 gHz as many IoT devices I use only support that unfortunately.
As for temps should not be an issue as I have two 140mm Noctua fans blowing in the back of the router, similar setup I had for my previous RT-AC68U because of 90c CPU temps, this is overkill for this RT-AX86U though.

@Tech9 Range was not an issue here as even at close range there was no WiFi.

I now completed the setup and set again the wifi network name so all devices would connect and had a "Jun 16 02:26:37 RT-AX86U-2F78 kernel: wl0: fatal error, reinitializing, total count of reinit's[1]", maybe it got overwhelmed and crashed.
This also happened a few months ago but some reboots and factory resets "fixed" it, I was now getting mad as the warranty is about to expire and my previous devices still works fine in a friends house.

This device may eventualy transform into an AP as I'm planning into getting one of those N100 2.5G mini PC's and using ONPsense or simmilar (might be overkill for what I need though).

Thanks for the tips.

Kado

Something else may be going on there besides USB3.x EMI. The 2.4 signal should not disappear. Perhaps something messing with the router's DC power. wl0 may be 2.4GHz related(?) Intermittant hardware trouble can be tricky to isolate.

OE

 

[Kado]

Your first troubleshooting step is to remove all the "advanced stuff" and try again. I personally test Asus routers on stock Asuswrt firmware only. Got tired of threads about something not working in Asuswrt-Merlin, but whoever has the issue just forgot to mention the scripts on top, two incompatible with each other and two unsupported from 384 firmware base. Unspecified "advanced stuff" - you're on your own.

I tested the router behavior after a factory reset, firmware reflash then factory reset again, only after this I did the initial setup then I connected the sdcard adapter without any sdcard inside, 2.4 radio went dark immediately, and the rest of the issues I reported before.

I had a similar situation a few months ago where I also reverted back to stock firmware to test and it was behaving in a similar fashion, before the radio would hold for a while then disappear, flashed Merlin again and let it sit for a while after setup and did not had any problems until now.

The "advanced stuff" is done only I see that the router is fine and is just Entware, Skynet, Diversion, and a few log related extras.

@OzarkEdge Yes, wl0 is 2.4 radio, I'll redo the test with stock firmware when possible.

 

[Tech9]

hen I connected the sdcard adapter without any sdcard inside, 2.4 radio went dark immediately

Something is not working properly around this adapter. Router's USB port is not really compatible with all USB devices. If it causes strange issues - replace it with something else. USB enclosure with small SSD inside is a popular solution around.

 

[OzarkEdge]

I tested the router behavior after a factory reset, firmware reflash then factory reset again, only after this I did the initial setup then I connected the sdcard adapter without any sdcard inside, 2.4 radio went dark immediately, and the rest of the issues I reported before.

I had a similar situation a few months ago where I also reverted back to stock firmware to test and it was behaving in a similar fashion, before the radio would hold for a while then disappear, flashed Merlin again and let it sit for a while after setup and did not had any problems until now.

The "advanced stuff" is done only I see that the router is fine and is just Entware, Skynet, Diversion, and a few log related extras.

@OzarkEdge Yes, wl0 is 2.4 radio, I'll redo the test with stock firmware when possible.

It does not feel firmware-related from here. Sounds like you are working the problem.

OE

 

[pieter532]

I got the same issue after connecting a HDD with USB-C (HDD side) <=> USB-A cable (ASUS side) to my ASUS RT-AX88U. No more 2.4 GHz.

I changed the USB-cable and also a longer one. And got my 2.4GHz back with USB mode 3 configured.