RT-AX86U - 5GHZ in WiFi 6 Enabled mode not accessible on my Acer Laptop

[GaBRiWaZ]

I've just bought the router above, my old router was Asus RT-AC68U without any similar problems.
My almost brand new gamer laptop is an Acer one (Acer Nitro 5 - AN515-57-749A) with a Killer AX1650x WiFi chip (802.11a/b/g/n/acR2+ax )

RT-AX86U Problem: If I disable WiFi 6 on 5GHz, SSID appears immediately on my laptop and I can connect to it without any problems. Turning it on again, 5GHz gone in a sec.

I followed everything on the link Asus provided (Compatibility issues FAQ) installed the Killer pack incl. driver, didn't help. Then I found some forums where people wrote uninstall that sh*t, so I removed everything with the Killer Removal Tool to try maybe it helps, then Wifi stopped working totally, no other driver option was available in the Win10 Pro as update.

I found a relevant topic on Reddit, done everything they suggest, no result

5GHZ Channel set to 40Hz, channel 36, so it's sure DFS channels are skipped.

Firmware is the latest one on the router.

Read a lots of forums in the past days, I'm giving up

Shame that I need to turn of Wifi 6 + 160mhz / DFS on a brutal router like this

I've attached the main 5G settings + the actual Professional settings, maybe it helps.

Any help would be really appreciated from the PRos here.

 

[OzarkEdge]

I've just bought the router above, my old router was Asus RT-AC68U without any similar problems.
My almost brand new gamer laptop is an Acer one (Acer Nitro 5 - AN515-57-749A) with a Killer AX1650x WiFi chip (802.11a/b/g/n/acR2+ax )

RT-AX86U Problem: If I disable WiFi 6 on 5GHz, SSID appears immediately on my laptop and I can connect to it without any problems. Turning it on again, 5GHz gone in a sec.

I followed everything on the link Asus provided (Compatibility issues FAQ) installed the Killer pack incl. driver, didn't help. Then I found some forums where people wrote uninstall that sh*t, so I removed everything with the Killer Removal Tool to try maybe it helps, then Wifi stopped working totally, no other driver option was available in the Win10 Pro as update.

I found a relevant topic on Reddit, done everything they suggest, no result

5GHZ Channel set to 40Hz, channel 36, so it's sure DFS channels are skipped.

Firmware is the latest one on the router.

Read a lots of forums in the past days, I'm giving up

Shame that I need to turn of Wifi 6 + 160mhz / DFS on a brutal router like this

I've attached the main 5G settings + the actual Professional settings, maybe it helps.

Any help would be really appreciated from the PRos here.

Did you reset the firmware before configuring it?

Try enabling 5.0 WiFi6/ax at 80MHz bandwidth and control channel 36-48 or 149-161 and wait for the router to broadcast the signal. A WiFi Analyzer app helps to see the signal... and all other WiFi around you.

OE

 

[bbunge]

Download for your Intel "Killer" https://www.intel.com/content/www/u.../intel-killer-wifi-6-ax1650-xw/downloads.html

It is probable that you set the AX86U to a DFS channel and the router will not clear it for RADAR. Any 160 MHz setting will use a DFS channel. I work around that by setting the 5 GHz to Auto channel at 20-40-80-160 MHz bandwidth. Sounds crazy and your gamer friends as well as some others here will say it won't work. But it does. I also use Dual Band SmartConnect. What happens when the router starts is it will choose an 80 MHz channel and check for RADAR. When the RADAR clears and there is a client that can use 160 MHz the router will switch up to 160 MHz. My router usually uses channel 44 or 48. Some times it will use a channel 149 or above but will switch to 44 or 48 at 160 MHz bandwidth. I have AC and AX clients that can and do use the 160 MHz bandwidth! I also have the WIFI set to use WPA2/WPA3-Personal.

 

[ColinTaylor]

It is probable that you set the AX86U to a DFS channel ...

He clearly states in the OP that he tried using channel 36 @ 40MHz to avoid DFS.

 

[GaBRiWaZ]

Did you reset the firmware before configuring it?

Try enabling 5.0 WiFi6/ax at 80MHz bandwidth and control channel 36-48 or 149-161 and wait for the router to broadcast the signal. A WiFi Analyzer app helps to see the signal... and all other WiFi around you.

OE

Hi,

No, I didn't reset it. When I started the router first time, I had already downloaded the newest firmware and installed it. Then I imported the AC68U config file (there was zero special configuration in it, just the 2 SSID-s + the IPs renamed to the names of the wifi-capable devices I have home (for easier recognization). I try your tip when I arrived home from the office, thank you! (I'm Hungarian, 3:22 PM here )

BTW I have an LG Oled 65C11 TV, Nintendo Switch for the kids, a Samsung Laser Printer, 3 Xiaomi mobiles, 2 Acer laptops, my desktop computer, Xiaomi Air Purifier, and Air Cleaner.

 

[OzarkEdge]

No, I didn't reset it. When I started the router first time, I had already downloaded the newest firmware and installed it. Then I imported the AC68U config file

Reset FAQ
Reset/Restore
Hard Reset/Restore+Initialize

So, start over and commission your NEW network/router from scratch. Do not load an old configuration or configuration from a different router/model/firmware. Reset the firmware to its default settings and then configure it from scratch.

OE

 

[GaBRiWaZ]

Reset FAQ
Reset/Restore
Hard Reset/Restore+Initialize

So, start over and commission your NEW network/router from scratch. Do not load an old configuration or configuration from a different router/model/firmware. Reset the firmware to its default settings and then configure it from scratch.

OE

Thanks for your help, I'm home now I read in other forums that people praising the config import thing, the best of all there was a guy who imported the config from the same exact router I had previously, and every devices worked like a charm. The same happened with me, after I turned off WiFi6 which is the plus in this router... So I paid for almost nothing. I ask everyone to stop using wifi in the evening and do the stuff you suggested me. Thanks for the guides too!

 

[OzarkEdge]

Thanks for your help, I'm home now I read in other forums that people praising the config import thing, the best of all there was a guy who imported the config from the same exact router I had previously, and every devices worked like a charm. The same happened with me, after I turned off WiFi6 which is the plus in this router... So I paid for almost nothing. I ask everyone to stop using wifi in the evening and do the stuff you suggested me. Thanks for the guides too!

The safe bet is to use/restore a saved configuration to the same hardware and firmware that created it, as for disaster recovery or to revert to a previous firmware install after determining a new firmware is unacceptable. The next safest bet is to use it to clone the exact same hardware and firmware. Otherwise, configure from scratch to be sure any subsequent troubleshooting is for a good reason and not just for a corrupt install.

OE

 

[GaBRiWaZ]

The safe bet is to use/restore a saved configuration to the same hardware and firmware that created it, as for disaster recovery or to revert to a previous firmware install after determining a new firmware is unacceptable. The next safest bet is to use it to clone the exact same hardware and firmware. Otherwise, configure from scratch to be sure any subsequent troubleshooting is for a good reason and not just for a corrupt install.

OE

I've done the factory reset (selected the option to clean the settings) and after the wifi configuration (same SSID,pass as previously, nothing else configured yet) almost all the devices connected to the router, BUT now with WiFi6 enabled Laptop wifi speed went up on 5Ghz 150-200 MBPS to 700-800MBPS, mobile phones the same! I have a third laptop which is a 15 years old Asus, renewed with SSD + 8G ram instead 4GB, works with 2.4 Ghz perfectly. The only one device is the Samsung C480W laster printer which not, but I've connected it to the router (2.4 Ghz) with WPS and the printer shown on his screen that connected to the 2.4 GHz SSID Wifi, but I don't see it in the clients.

Anyways, I'm supper happy with the result (even if printer not working yet on WiFi) if you're close to Hungary or here I send you some hand crafted hot sauce from our garden

 

[OzarkEdge]

I've done the factory reset (selected the option to clean the settings) and after the wifi configuration (same SSID,pass as previously, nothing else configured yet) almost all the devices connected to the router, BUT now with WiFi6 enabled Laptop wifi speed went up on 5Ghz 150-200 MBPS to 700-800MBPS, mobile phones the same! I have a third laptop which is a 15 years old Asus, renewed with SSD + 8G ram instead 4GB, works with 2.4 Ghz perfectly. The only one device is the Samsung C480W laster printer which not, but I've connected it to the router (2.4 Ghz) with WPS and the printer shown on his screen that connected to the 2.4 GHz SSID Wifi, but I don't see it in the clients.

Anyways, I'm supper happy with the result (even if printer not working yet on WiFi) if you're close to Hungary or here I send you some hand crafted hot sauce from our garden

Cool!

The printer may be another issue/topic to work.

Note that you can see client details in the Wireless Log (give it time to settle after wireless changes) to know connection/signal RSSI, bandwidth, mode (n, ac, ax) and link rate... gives you a good idea how your clients are connecting.

With 5.0 ax, use a non-DFS control channel to maintain compatibility with any older clients that can't see a DFS control channel. And if ax at 160MHz bandwidth has DFS issues that disrupt client connections, you may need to live with ax at 80MHz bw across non-DFS channels until you get a WiFi6e router with its 6.0GHz band that has a lot more space for 160MHz... and no DFS issues that I know of... and subject to radio regulations where you live.

OE

 

[GaBRiWaZ]

Cool!

The printer may be another issue/topic to work.

Note that you can see client details in the Wireless Log (give it time to settle after wireless changes) to know connection/signal RSSI, bandwidth, mode (n, ac, ax) and link rate... gives you a good idea how your clients are connecting.

With 5.0 ax, use a non-DFS control channel to maintain compatibility with any older clients that can't see a DFS control channel. And if ax at 160MHz bandwidth has DFS issues that disrupt client connections, you may need to live with ax at 80MHz bw across non-DFS channels until you get a WiFi6e router with its 6.0GHz band that has a lot more space for 160MHz... and no DFS issues that I know of... and subject to radio regulations where you live.

OE

Printer Problem Solved WPS (2 methods) tried out, router said process done, printer show it's connected to the 2.4Ghz wifi, but I never seen it in the network map as a client. Finally, I totally uninstalled the printer from the new desktop computer because I bought it a month ago and the router was replaced 3 weeks later. Then I added the printer again trough wifi and worked

Thanks for your help again OE!

 

[jsmiddleton4]

Windows 10 doesn’t support Wifi6E. You can tweak it to do so but you have to use a particular older driver set.

So IF you’re using Windows 10 and have not used the driver package that does work in Windows 10 you’ll be wasting your time.

I have an older Windows 10 laptop and put an AX210 in it. 6ghz not showing up. Started searching. It’s a common frustration and once I obtained the right driver set, works great. It connects in every room of my house and never drops below 1.8 gbs.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Windows 10 doesn’t support Wifi6E. You can tweak it to do so but you have to use a particular older driver set.

So IF you’re using Windows 10 and have not used the driver package that does work in Windows 10 you’ll be wasting your time.

I have an older Windows 10 laptop and put an AX210 in it. 6ghz not showing up. Started searching. It’s a common frustration and once I obtained the right driver set, works great. It connects in every room of my house and never drops below 1.8 gbs.

This topic was resolved a year ago and had nothing to do with Wi-Fi 6E. Both his router and his laptop's network card are Wi-Fi 6 devices.