RT-N66U: Slow wifi caused by 374 firmware

[CoderDude]

I recently tried upgrading my N66U from 3.0.0.4.270 to latest (3.0.0.4.374.979). This made wifi significantly slower. On 5GHz/40MHz, throughput from my desktop computer (using the Asus USB-N53 adapter) decreased from 65 Mbps to 23 Mbps.

I reverted back to firmware 3.0.0.4.276 (since 270 is no longer available for download) and things seem fine.

How can the performance of the 374 firmware be so much worse? I am using an Asus USB adapter, so I would expect this combination to be well tested by Asus before releasing new firmware.

 

[RMerlin]

I recently tried upgrading my N66U from 3.0.0.4.270 to latest (3.0.0.4.374.979). This made wifi significantly slower. On 5GHz/40MHz, throughput from my desktop computer (using the Asus USB-N53 adapter) decreased from 65 Mbps to 23 Mbps.

I reverted back to firmware 3.0.0.4.276 (since 270 is no longer available for download) and things seem fine.

How can the performance of the 374 firmware be so much worse? I am using an Asus USB adapter, so I would expect this combination to be well tested by Asus before releasing new firmware.

Wifi range has been reduced in 374 due to the switch to a newer driver that improved client compatibility.

Also, you should do a factory default reset when making such a major jump in versions, and manually reconfigure everything. Especially in this case as you are switching from the 5.100 driver to the 6.xxx version.

 

[mummel]

Wifi range has been reduced in 374 due to the switch to a newer driver that improved client compatibility.

Also, you should do a factory default reset when making such a major jump in versions, and manually reconfigure everything. Especially in this case as you are switching from the 5.100 driver to the 6.xxx version.

Mmmm RMerlin, I'm really hoping the switch to .276 fixes my problem. This seems like a common issue. Thanks man.

CoderDude, check my post:
http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showthread.php?t=14011

Is your link rate fluctuating at 5ghz?

 

[CoderDude]

CoderDude, check my post:
http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showthread.php?t=14011

Is your link rate fluctuating at 5ghz?

I reverted my router back to the 276 firmware, and I'm not going back to 374. So I don't know if my link rate was fluctuating or not.

 

[CoderDude]

Wifi range has been reduced in 374 due to the switch to a newer driver that improved client compatibility.

Also, you should do a factory default reset when making such a major jump in versions, and manually reconfigure everything. Especially in this case as you are switching from the 5.100 driver to the 6.xxx version.

If the new firmware requires a full reset, ASUS should be documenting this or doing it automatically. I just clicked "update firmware" in the router management web site and it didn't say anything about a full reset. I'm curious if a full reset would fix my wifi perf in 374, but I'm not willing to experiment on my router to find out. The 27X firmware has known excellent performance.

Based on my experience, I don't think ASUS should have publicly released the 374 firmware. Reducing wifi performance by 66% is not acceptable.

 

[mummel]

If the new firmware requires a full reset, ASUS should be documenting this or doing it automatically. I just clicked "update firmware" in the router management web site and it didn't say anything about a full reset. I'm curious if a full reset would fix my wifi perf in 374, but I'm not willing to experiment on my router to find out. The 27X firmware has known excellent performance.

Based on my experience, I don't think ASUS should have publicly released the 374 firmware. Reducing wifi performance by 66% is not acceptable.

Agreed. I didnt know about this issue. But besides all the bells and whistles and bug fixes new firmware can bring, whats the #1 thing wireless router owners care about? Well, wireless performance, and like you say, losing a 1/3 capacity is going to make customers very unhappy.

A sincere thanks for informing me about this. Im hoping it fixes my N66U.

 

[skihiker]

Got a new RT-N66U router from Newegg.

When running the Quick Internet Setup, I upgraded the firmware to 374. My laptop is 3 feet from the router and 5 ghz was 2 to 3 times slower than 2.4 ghz. Installed the 274 version and 5 ghz is about 30% quicker than 2.4 ghz. What is happening Asus?

 

[gpb500]

Got a new RT-N66U router from Newegg.

When running the Quick Internet Setup, I upgraded the firmware to 374. My laptop is 3 feet from the router and 5 ghz was 2 to 3 times slower than 2.4 ghz. Installed the 274 version and 5 ghz is about 30% quicker than 2.4 ghz. What is happening Asus?

Congratulations! Welcome to frustration. I haven't tried the 374 SDK 6 (the official Asus) but am running Merlin 374.34_2 SDK 5 and my 2.4 is averaging about 10Mbps or less (several devices tested...all G). A crappy old netgear router at my folks gets 18 to 19 Mbps on the same device (iPad 2). Tried lots of things to fix it...but no joy.

Edit: Typo of current f/w version above.

Addendum: Playing with the settings trying to get 2.4 to be a little faster than the sub 10Mbps...seems like any settings I change have no effect at all. Example...changing power setting from 80mw to 5mw...no difference. No difference in radio temperature either. Both radios still at 53C. And with my iPad sitting just a few feet away from the router, I get a lame -40db. Also, when running speedtest, and clicking refresh on the wireless log page, the connection speed is erratic varying from 65 (best) to 1 for both rx and tx fields. Rebooting, recycling power, etc make no difference.

I get a full 20+ mbps on 5Ghz which is my max bandwidth (d/l speed). Fun.

 

[sm00thpapa]

Been 3 months since Asus has screwed up wi-fi range with the SDK6 driver. Anyone know if Asus is working on a fix for a new SDK6 driver?

 

[NightOwl326]

Been 3 months since Asus has screwed up wi-fi range with the SDK6 driver. Anyone know if Asus is working on a fix for a new SDK6 driver?

This is why I cringe when people post about Netgear as if Asus is so much better when it comes to firmware. Kind of all the same... Put out a new product, and leave the older products in the dust! They all do it.

 

[sm00thpapa]

It seems to me that Asus recently has been releasing firmwares and products without fully testing them first.

 

[PhilM]

I just bought and set up my N66U on January 2nd. When I did the upgrade of the firmware during set up it only upgraded me to the 374.720 version, NOT the .979. I have had no problems with range or speed to date. The only issue I have run into is that I have one computer on another level of the house that can only connect to the internet if I use a guest network that is set up with WEP. I have tried WPA and WPA2, various configurations, but it will only connect to the router with local access, no internet.

I have tried just about every possible fix I have found by googling for a solution and it may just be that the wireless adapter is too old or incompatible? It is a Netgear WPN311 Rangemax on a Vista PC.

 

[wouterv]

I just bought and set up my N66U on January 2nd. When I did the upgrade of the firmware during set up it only upgraded me to the 374.720 version, NOT the .979. I have had no problems with range or speed to date. The only issue I have run into is that I have one computer on another level of the house that can only connect to the internet if I use a guest network that is set up with WEP. I have tried WPA and WPA2, various configurations, but it will only connect to the router with local access, no internet.

I have tried just about every possible fix I have found by googling for a solution and it may just be that the wireless adapter is too old or incompatible? It is a Netgear WPN311 Rangemax on a Vista PC.

Didi you try a WPA2 passphrase with Alphanumeric characters only (Az to Zz and 0 to 9, no spaces or odd characters), and limited to say 8 characters?
Maybe the one trouble computer has an outdated wireless driver.

[EDIT]
I just googled:
http://kbserver.netgear.com/release_notes/d102847.asp
Updated driver 4.0.0.1672 adds WPA2 support...in other words, older drivers do NOT support WPA2.

 

[PhilM]

I do have that driver installed for the Netgear adapter so it wouldn't appear to be due to an outdated driver. My WPA2 passphrase is strictly alphanumeric (no spaces nor symbols) but it is 12 characters long. Maybe to test to see if that is the reason I will add a guest network secured with WPA2 with a passphrase only 8 characters long.

EDIT: Shortening to 8 alphanumeric characters didn't work.

 

[wouterv]

The driver is from 2006 (the early days of WPA), and the release notes talk about WPA2-PSK, it does not specifically mention support for AES encryption. Maybe this old driver only support WPA2 with TKIP (which was a pre-version of the full WPA2 standard with AES encryption).
AsusWRT does not allow to select WPA2 with TKIP, which is correct.
E.g. DD-WRT allows WPA2 with TKIP, or AES or both (which is not strict according the current standard).

 

[PhilM]

I'll have to try using just WPA not WPA2 as TKIP + AES is an option.

 

[valerima]

alternative

http://victek.is-a-geek.com/downloads.html

why you do not want to try Tomato - Victek's fw.
It is stable now.

 

[PhilM]

I would prefer not to have to flash the router as the stock FW gives me all the flexibility I need at this point. I also don't think it is a router related issue as much as an adapter problem.

 

[PhilM]

I believe I have tried just about every security option there is and still the only internet connectivity I can get is when using WEP. Would the fact that I have another Guest Network set up, even though using a different SSID and authentication method and passpharase, somehow be affecting the issue?

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[wouterv]

I suggest to get rid of the old wireless adapter and try a more recent one with updated drivers, be sure it supports Vista.