RT-AX92U not working with two out of three Broadlink devices on IHC

[Justin Dighton]

Hello everyone,

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer and please ask any questions if I haven't been thorough enough with my description of the issue.

I've had a connection issue for a few months between my RT-AX92U routers and a couple of Broadlink devices (learning remotes essentially), and I'm positive it's a router settings issue.

Basically I cannot get two of my three Broadlink devices to connect to Broadlink's IHC (Intelligent Home Centre) android app. I emailed Broadlink but they were unable to help me. I did my best looking for help on Google but router settings are beyond my level of understanding. I tried a few different settings but just couldn't resolve the issue. I then gave up, as the too difficult light came on, but a few months down the line I'm ready to give it another go.

I've had a Broadlink RM2+ and two RM Minis for a couple of years and used to use them to control various devices around the home. I followed Paul Hibbert's excellent YouTube video 'How to Control Practically Anything with Alexa' and everything worked brilliantly until I replaced my old TP-Link Archer C7 router with a pair of RT-AX92U routers that are connected via an ethernet backhaul. The routers have the latest firmware - 3.0.0.4.384_7977-g37f230a.

Since replacing the router I can only connect one of the three devices, one of the two RM Minis. The other Mini and the RM2+ just won't connect to the IHC app no matter what I try.

Every other wired and wireless device I have has connected to the new routers without issue.

I did a little research and discovered that the RM remotes have to be on a dedicated 2.4Ghz network. My router uses a smart connect system where it chooses whether a device will connect to its 2.4 or 5Ghz network. However, the working Mini was happy to connect using the smart system.

Just in case the router's smart system was causing an issue I created a dedicated 2.4Ghz guest network and tried again. I also used a simple password as I'd read special characters might cause issues. Again the same Mini was happy to connect but the other two won't.

I have tried the IHC app and the IHC app for EU (the one I'm currently using) but both are the same.

I followed the guide in the IHC app to try an alternative way of connecting the RM units to my wifi network but that doesn't work either.

I have taken the two devices that I cannot connect to my new router, the RM2+ and an RM Mini, to a relative's address and was able to connect both of them to their wifi router on the first attempt, so they definitely both still work.

While I was there I tried to update each devices' firmware. Both units are saying they're up to date.;-

RM2+ firmware v20028
RM Mini firmware v20029

However, my other RM Mini, the one that is connected to my new router says its firmware is v56. I cannot appear to be able to choose a firmware to install and I don't understand why each unit has updated to a different firmware.

In fact, I've just this minute used my wife's phone to create a wifi hotspot, and have been able to connect all three RM units to it using the IHC app on my phone. I've checked the firmware of each unit and they're still up to date as before. This has me absolutely convinced my issue is nothing more than something within my routers' settings, I just have absolutely no idea what!!

Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated as I just can't figure it out.

Thank you very much for reading

Justin

 

[Gouldin]

Can you post a screenshot of the basic and advanced settings for the 2.4ghz network?

I currently have around 60 devices connected over all 3 bands, may be able to compare configs and help out.

 

[Justin Dighton]

Hi Gouldin and thanks for your reply.

I too have a lot of devices connected to the router and everything works perfectly, with the exception of just two of the Broadlink devices. It's so odd that it's only these two devices that are having issues and yet they will connect to different routers.

I've uploaded some settings pictures below. I couldn't see an advanced options tab but found professional, if that's the same thing?

Thanks again for your help.

Justin

 

[Gouldin]

Only thing I could suggest to be fair would be:

Set channel to 1, 6 or 11. (Not sure if smart connect will allow that?)

Preamble to short.

Disable Roaming Assist - I found in the past it interfered with smart connect and other oddities.

Enable IGMP Snooping.

 

[Justin Dighton]

Hi Gouldin.

I've just tried those settings thanks but unfortunately the same two units still won't connect. Smart connect did allow me to change the channel by the way.

Thanks again for your help

Justin

 

[ROM64]

Hi.

I suggest you deactivate "Airtime Fairness". Surely it is what is generating your problem.

 

[Justin Dighton]

Hi ROM64,

thanks for the suggestion. I'm at work at the mo but will hopefully get a chance to give that a go tonight.

It's not something I've heard of before but I've just Googled it and it's under Professional Settings apparently.

I'll let you know the outcome but thanks again for your help.

Justin

 

[Justin Dighton]

Hi Gouldin & ROM64,

I disabled Airtime Fairness last night but unfortunately that wasn't the solution, but thanks anyway as it was worth a try.

It became apparent a couple of days ago that there might not actually be a solution after all and perhaps there's just a conflict between the firmware on my two wayward RM units and my router.

I tried rolling back the firmware on the two RM units and connected them to a different router having downloaded older firmware versions, but that wasn't successful and the firmware version didn't change.

I also downloaded an older version of the IHC (Intelligent Home Centre) app as I'd read that might work, but again no joy.

So, as a bit of a gamble I'd ordered a replacement RM Pro+ and RM Mini3 from Amazon that arrived yesterday. I tried the Airtime Fairness setting first but once that hadn't been successful I crossed my fingers and opened the RM Pro+. Boom, success! And then success with the RM Mini3! Both units connected first time.

So, I've absolutely no idea what the issue was and can only assume that firmware versions v20028 and v20029 aren't compatible with my router.

The firmware versions of the new units are different and I won't be updating them just in case.

Anyway, thanks to both of you for offering help, it's greatly appreciated.

Justin

 

[rvn]

Hi, I'm so glad I found this post, because I have a similar issue.

I just bought a BroadLink RM PRO Plus hub and when I tried it to connect to my wifi, it did not find the device.
My router is also an ASUS, model RT-N18U 2.4GHz 600Mbps. So, I got another Broadlink RM device, the first one I sent it back. Same issue with the new one.

The guys from where I bought them said that they tested each one of the returned devices and all work for them. So, clearly it is an issue with the router. But, my router connects a lot of "made in china" stuff, some quite cheap, so what the heck?!

So, I think the issue is also on Asus part, thinking that they have some security protocols (idk) that prevents some devices from connecting.

Now I ordered the new Broadlink model 2020, version RM4 Pro, let us see...

 

[rvn]

Ok, so the actual cause of the issue described by me was in fact the "long" (mearly 2 meters" distance between the Broadlink device and my ASUS router. When I placed the new Broadlink RM4 Pro close to the ASUS router, it connected.

Kinda stupid, but that was it.
On the bright side, I have now the latest model