RT-AX86U - Internet crapping out after using Homepod Mini's

[mac.mc78]

I purchased the RT-AX86U about 2 weeks ago and haven't had any trouble until this past weekend, and now it seems be to be occurring regularly. The router is running the latest firmware from Merlin (386.2_4).

What I can say is that all of the times the internet has stopped working (and I cannot even ping out using the Asus' internal network tools) was within a few minutes of using the Homepod Mini's (for airplaying sound from my Apple TV, OR from asking it to turn the lights off or what the weather was going to be like tomorrow). It hasn't happened at any other time. A simple router reboot fixes the issue.

I'm seeing the following entries over and over in the log, and they are related to the two Apple Homepod Mini's I have:


Jun 3 13:46:08 kernel: CONSOLE: 073341.711 wl1: wlc_ampdu_recv_addba_resp: x.x.x.x.x.x: Failed. status 1 wsize 0 policy 0
Jun 3 13:46:10 kernel: CONSOLE: 073343.653 wl1: wlc_ampdu_recv_addba_resp: x.x.x.x.x.x: Failed. status 1 wsize 0 policy 0

This error message will repeat over and over and over until eventually the internet craps out. (I replaced the mac address of the 2 devices with the x's)

If I unplug the homepods, the issue doesn't appear to come back. I can replug the homepods back in after a short period of time, and nothing the internet remains stable until I again use the Homepods.

Can anyone shed any light as to what could be going on here?

I can provide a larger log if needed.

Thanks!

 

[HTBruceM]

Potential workaround (not a real fix)... Avoid the 5Ghz band for Homepods.

If you have separate SSIDs for 2.4Ghz vs. 5Ghz bands, then just connect your Homepods to the 2.4 band SSID.
If you have the same SSID for both 2.4 and 5, then try putting a MAC Filter on your 5GHZ band to reject the MAC addresses of your Homepods. That should force them to connect to the 2.4 band.

In THIS thread, someone had a similar error message and they were able to workaround it this way.

 

[mac.mc78]

Potential workaround (not a real fix)... Avoid the 5Ghz band for Homepods.

If you have separate SSIDs for 2.4Ghz vs. 5Ghz bands, then just connect your Homepods to the 2.4 band SSID.
If you have the same SSID for both 2.4 and 5, then try putting a MAC Filter on your 5GHZ band to reject the MAC addresses of your Homepods. That should force them to connect to the 2.4 band.

In THIS thread, someone had a similar error message and they were able to workaround it this way.

Thanks! I'll give that a try!

Much appreciated!

 

[HTBruceM]

The MAC filter is under Advanced Settings, Wireless, on the Wireless MAC Filter tab.

Edit: Forgot to mention... please keep the forum updated on what you discover. It helps others who are in a similar situation.

 

[mac.mc78]

The MAC filter is under Advanced Settings, Wireless, on the Wireless MAC Filter tab.

Edit: Forgot to mention... please keep the forum updated on what you discover. It helps others who are in a similar situation.

SO far, so good - I haven't seen any repeats of those entries since i filtered the MAC's for those two devices to the 2.4ghz band.

I'll keep tabs on it over the next few days and will report back.

Thanks so much for all your help!

 

[mac.mc78]

So, some more news -

This morning while I was still sleeping, a family member was up around 7:00 am and said the internet crapped out again around 730 ish.

I can see several log entries at 6:25 am, and 7:25 am then again around 8:25 am of the following now:

Jun 4 06:25:11 hostapd: eth6: STA x:x:x:x:x:x WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN) (the mac has been replaced with X's)

Several of the clients are attempting to reconnect during that :25 minute after the hour.

This corresponded to when the internet crapped out for them.

Its funny, because all of the mac addresses belong to devices on the 2.4ghz side.

Can anyone tell me what is happening at that point?

Here's everything that's happening in that 6 o clock time frame (mac addresses have been substituted)

Jun 4 06:02:53 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(505): eth6: Auth X:X:X:X:X:X, status: Successful (0)
Jun 4 06:02:53 hostapd: eth6: STA x:x:x:x:x:x IEEE 802.11: associated
Jun 4 06:02:53 kernel: CFG80211-ERROR) wl_cfg80211_change_station : WLC_SCB_AUTHORIZE sta_flags_mask not set
Jun 4 06:02:53 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(534): eth6: Assoc x:x:x:x:x:x, status: Successful (0)
Jun 4 06:02:53 hostapd: eth6: STA x:x:x:x:x:x RADIUS: starting accounting session 7D04C1B09D006A03
Jun 4 06:02:53 hostapd: eth6: STA x:x:x:x:x:x WPA: pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
Jun 4 06:02:53 dnsmasq-dhcp[2252]: DHCPREQUEST(br0) 192.168.225.78 x:x:x:x:x:x
Jun 4 06:02:53 dnsmasq-dhcp[2252]: DHCPACK(br0) 192.168.225.78 x:x:x:x:x:x Kims-AppleWatch
Jun 4 06:05:58 kernel: CONSOLE: 131859.958 wl1: r0hole: tx_exp_seq 0xb75, seq 0xb76
Jun 4 06:20:38 kernel: CONSOLE: 132736.985 wl1: wlc_recv: dropping a frame with invalid src mac addressx:x:x:x:x:x
Jun 4 06:20:38 kernel: CONSOLE: 132736.985 Unexpected RX reason 22 {if=wl1 fc=0040 seq=1fd0 A1=ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff A2=x:x:x:x:x:x}
Jun 4 06:20:38 kernel: CONSOLE: 132737.005 wl1: wlc_recv: dropping a frame with invalid src mac addressx:x:x:x:x:x:83
Jun 4 06:20:38 kernel: CONSOLE: 132737.005 Unexpected RX reason 22 {if=wl1 fc=0040 seq=1fe0 A1=ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff A2=x:x:x:x:x:x:83}
Jun 4 06:25:10 hostapd: eth6: STA x:x:x:x:x:x WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Jun 4 06:25:10 hostapd: eth6: STA x:X:x:X:x:x WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Jun 4 06:25:10 hostapd: eth6: STA x:x:x:x:x:x WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Jun 4 06:25:10 hostapd: eth6: STA x:x:x:x:x:X WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Jun 4 06:25:10 hostapd: eth6: STA x:x:x:x:x:x WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Jun 4 06:25:10 hostapd: eth6: STA x:x:x:x:x:x WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Jun 4 06:25:10 hostapd: eth6: STA x:x:x:x:x:x WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Jun 4 06:25:10 hostapd: eth6: STA x:x:x:x:x:x WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Jun 4 06:25:10 hostapd: eth6: STA x:x:x:x:x:x WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Jun 4 06:25:10 hostapd: eth6: STA x:x:x:x:x:x WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Jun 4 06:25:10 hostapd: eth7: STA x:x:x:x:x:x WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Jun 4 06:25:10 kernel: CONSOLE: 133007.250 txrep:802.1x
Jun 4 06:25:10 hostapd: eth7: STA x:x:x:x:x:x WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Jun 4 06:25:10 kernel: CONSOLE: 133007.660 txrep:802.1x
Jun 4 06:25:11 hostapd: eth6: STA x:x:x:x:x:x WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Jun 4 06:25:11 hostapd: eth6: STA x:x:x:x:x:x WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Jun 4 06:25:12 hostapd: eth6: STA x:x:x:x:x:x WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)

 

[HTBruceM]

Jun 4 06:20:38 kernel: CONSOLE: 132736.985 wl1: wlc_recv: dropping a frame with invalid src mac addressx:x:x:x:x:x
Jun 4 06:20:38 kernel: CONSOLE: 132736.985 Unexpected RX reason 22 {if=wl1 fc=0040 seq=1fd0 A1=ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff A2=x:x:x:x:x:x}
Jun 4 06:20:38 kernel: CONSOLE: 132737.005 wl1: wlc_recv: dropping a frame with invalid src mac addressx:x:x:x:x:x:83
Jun 4 06:20:38 kernel: CONSOLE: 132737.005 Unexpected RX reason 22 {if=wl1 fc=0040 seq=1fe0 A1=ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff A2=x:x:x:x:x:x:83}

Sorry but I don't have the necessary Wi-Fi expertise to know what this means. But it doesn't look good.
I wonder if it's an incompatibility with randomized MAC addressing...
Wi-Fi privacy - Apple Support

Found this too:
[Wireless] Why do I see my device multiple times on the device list of the Router App/Web GUI? | Official Support | ASUS Singapore

BTW this feature completely blows the MAC filter out of the water... since the device constantly rotates it's MAC with a new random MAC address every so often. This article suggests is can be disabled on a per-network basis. But the messages Apple provides are meant to scare people into NOT doing it.
How MAC Address Randomization Can Affect the Wi-Fi Experience (elevensoftware.com)

I can't think of any other reason why the router would think there is an "invalid src mac address".

 

[mac.mc78]

Sorry but I don't have the necessary Wi-Fi expertise to know what this means. But it doesn't look good.
I wonder if it's an incompatibility with randomized MAC addressing...
Wi-Fi privacy - Apple Support

Found this too:
[Wireless] Why do I see my device multiple times on the device list of the Router App/Web GUI? | Official Support | ASUS Singapore

BTW this feature completely blows the MAC filter out of the water... since the device constantly rotates it's MAC with a new random MAC address every so often. This article suggests is can be disabled on a per-network basis. But the messages Apple provides are meant to scare people into NOT doing it.
How MAC Address Randomization Can Affect the Wi-Fi Experience (elevensoftware.com)

I can't think of any other reason why the router would think there is an "invalid src mac address".

I'm going to turn off the MAC randomization on the iphone/ipad's in my house and see where we get with that. Hopefully that'll fix the issue.

Thanks again for your help!

 

[mac.mc78]

Just to follow up on this thread, I decided last Saturday to do a factory reset, and started fresh. Created a new network, didn't change ANY settings (apart from some key security settings) and left all the Trend stuff turned off.

Routers been runniung for 6 days with no issues. Not a single issue.. Used all the devices in the house, no problems.

Plus, I now have IMPECCABLE reach with the router - much better than I did before.

My suggestion to people is don't mess with channel settings or anything else. Leave it at the basic setup after flashing to Merlin and factory resetting, and go from there.

 

[HTBruceM]

Routers been runniung for 6 days with no issues. Not a single issue.. Used all the devices in the house, no problems.

That's awesome, I'm glad you got it resolved. I'm sorry if I took you down rat-hole. Factory reset is a good first step to any oddball issue.

I don't think you mentioned which factory FW version you were running when you loaded the Merlin FW.... Do you remember?

 

[mac.mc78]

@HTBruceM Don't think that at all - I appreciated all the help.

I do not unfortunately. I upgraded to merlin right out of the box - it was the first thing I did when I booted the router up.

 

[HTBruceM]

I do not unfortunately. I upgraded to merlin right out of the box - it was the first thing I did when I booted the router up.

Oh ok. There are notes around this forum that suggest a factory reset is recommended if you are coming from a factory version that is one or more major steps below the new Merlin version. I can't remember the exact numbering example that was given, but there you go And they also suggest that you not reload a saved config file in the same scenario.