RT-N66U & RP-AC66 - router needs a reboot every other day

[nephilim]

I have been using my RT-N66 behind a cable modem (100Mbit connection, bridge mode) for the past years (most of the time until now using Merlin's firmware) and it ran perfectly. Recently, I added a repeater in order to have a stronger signal in the 2nd floor of the house and this is when I ran into trouble. I will skip the exercise with a TP-Link repeater (just gave me 30Mbit/s) and directly jump to the current setup.

I got an RP-AC66 and chose the expressway mode (5GHz). The main clients of the repeater are an iMac (2011, El Capitan) and a Sony Xperia Z2 (4.4.4). The clients can always connect to the repeater. The repeater pretty much always says that the 5GHz connection to the router is rock solid (450Mbps). The 5GHz and the green 5GHz LED on the RP's front confirms this. I usually get the full 12MB/s from the outside world.

After about 1-2 days the setup starts acting in a weird way. The Z2 will reconnect to the repeater every few minutes. The iMac cannot access websites anymore. Pinging google.com from a terminal on the iMac shows that the IP address is obtained but all I see are timeout messages. Pinging google.com from the repeater' s web interface works. Accessing the router's config interface does not work. The Z2 then would be unable to get a DHCP response from the router. Signal strength of router and repeater are fine all the time. Sometimes waiting helps - usually I need to reboot the RT-N66. Based on my very limited knowledge I would assume that the repeater is fine. That's why I am posting here.

Do you have any suggestions what to check and/or change?

Cheers,
Torsten

 

[Motomoto]

try this procedure called NVRAM reset (Applicable for ASUS Routers only)

*CAUTION: This will revert the router back to main factory settings and you'll need to re-setup the router

1. Turn off the router by pressing the power button
2. While the router is off press and hold at the same time the power button+wps button for 10 secs
3. the router will turn on then lights will blink for a couple of minutes
4. In accessing the routers GUI you can do it via wired/wireless

Wireless:
1. Connect to either ASUS/ASUS5G
2.Once connected at times the routers GUI will automatically open if not open a browser then on the address bar type in: 192.168.1.1 and you'll be routed to setup the router.

Wired: (Ethernet connection)
1. If the routers GUI did not open automatically open a browser and on the address bar type in 192.168.1.1 and you'll be routed to setup the router.

If your are still getting the same issue after doing the procedure , update the firmware of the router then if still the same call asus support to process an RMA.

MotoMoto
Asus Tech Support

 

[nephilim]

Thanks for the advice! I followed your steps... but with slightly changed boundary conditions. I read a lot about issues with the RT-N66 and even more about the RT-AC68 being a fairly stable router, which btw would fit nicely to the RP-AC66 I have. So I decided to give the AC68 a try. It works as a charm but I still ran into situations where after a couple of hours I had no WAN connection and needed to reconnect to either the repeater or the router to fix it. I saw that the AC-68 has such a better coverage compared to the N-66 that on the 2nd floor the AC-68's signal would be stronger than the RP-AC66 on the same floor. Hence I decided to clear the N66's NVRAM (thanks again for the procedure) and put it into repeater mode, replacing the RP-AC66 on the 2nd floor. It connects to the AC68 via 5GHz and achieves a 450Mbps link. Signal coverage is a LOT better compared to the AC66, so this will go back to amazon. I ran an ssh file transfer from a client (connecting via 2,4GHz to the N-66) to a laptop connected to an ethernet port on the AC68 and achieved a constant bitrate of 155Mbps for 10minutes. Not sure if it could better but I am feeling happy right now. All I need now is that the disconnects won't happen again!

EDIT: corrected new router model - it's the AC68 and NOT the AC87

 

[Paualsh112]

This guide will discuss how to reset the Asus RT-N66U router. A lot of you may be confused about the difference between resetting and rebooting. Unfortunately these two words are sometimes used interchangeably. Rebooting a router consists of cycling it's power by turning it off or unplugging it for a time and then turning it back on or plugging it back in. This will solve some lesser problems you may be having with your wireless router. A reset is different. A reset will erase all your configurations you have ever made to your router and revert the device to factory settings . do you have any suggestions ?