Strange issue with 2.4GHz wifi on RT-AC86U

[jata]

Hi all - I hope to get some help on this but i think i have tried everything (and failed)...

Situation is:

• long-term user of RT-AC86U with merlin
• Running 348.18 everything fine
• 2 weeks ago noticed wifi printer wasn't working (my only 2.4Ghz device)
• investigated and noticed that couldn't connect anything to the 2.4Ghz wifi

So I decided to do a factory reset following the nuclear reset instructions and loaded the stock asus firmware but I still had the same issue.

Then i did another nuclear reset but have used the merlin 348.19 beta 2 fw and completed the minimum config/setup with my 2.4 and 5GHz on separate SSIDs with fixed channels and the suggested wifi config (diasbled universal beamforming and airtime fairness). Unfortunately I still have the issue. Current status is:

• using clean merlin 348.19b2 fw
• used unused SSID - following instructions around naming for SSID and pwd
• I successfully connected my iphone to the 2.4Ghz network once but it gets disconnected after approx 30 seconds
• after this disconnect, i can't connect again and the error message on my phone is that the password is incorrect
• if I change the password for the 2.4GHz network I can successfully connect again once for 30 seconds...

Has anyone seen anything like this before?

I have logging tuned to max and happy to post if that would help troubleshooting.

I am can also ssh into the device to get more info if helpful (but I will need a little assistance as i'm not an expert).

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

 

[Neil62]

Hi all - I hope to get some help on this but i think i have tried everything (and failed)...

Situation is:

• long-term user of RT-AC86U with merlin
• Running 348.18 everything fine
• 2 weeks ago noticed wifi printer wasn't working (my only 2.4Ghz device)
• investigated and noticed that couldn't connect anything to the 2.4Ghz wifi

So I decided to do a factory reset following the nuclear reset instructions and loaded the stock asus firmware but I still had the same issue.

Then i did another nuclear reset but have used the merlin 348.19 beta 2 fw and completed the minimum config/setup with my 2.4 and 5GHz on separate SSIDs with fixed channels and the suggested wifi config (diasbled universal beamforming and airtime fairness). Unfortunately I still have the issue. Current status is:

• using clean merlin 348.19b2 fw
• used unused SSID - following instructions around naming for SSID and pwd
• I successfully connected my iphone to the 2.4Ghz network once but it gets disconnected after approx 30 seconds
• after this disconnect, i can't connect again and the error message on my phone is that the password is incorrect
• if I change the password for the 2.4GHz network I can successfully connect again once for 30 seconds...

Has anyone seen anything like this before?

I have logging tuned to max and happy to post if that would help troubleshooting.

I am can also ssh into the device to get more info if helpful (but I will need a little assistance as i'm not an expert).

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Have you tried using the ASUS restoration tool for the 86U? Maybe worth a try.

 

[jata]

Does anyone think it is worth restoring to an older merlin firmware (if there is one quite recent before significant changes to wifi code/drivers/blobs etc)?

 

[jata]

Have you tried using the ASUS restoration tool for the 86U? Maybe worth a try.

no I haven't but I will try anything! Thanks for the assistance

 

[tyreman]

Where is the router vs the equipment connected? router downstairs
Install the printer software and should be good to go
I have a brother and no issues
if you tried asus fw still no go? and router is fine that sort of says its printer issue or how its setup including positioning in building with router
as far as iphones some settings may have to be disabled or tweaked to get them to work reliably often

 

[OzarkEdge]

Does anyone think it is worth restoring to an older merlin firmware (if there is one quite recent before significant changes to wifi code/drivers/blobs etc)?

Have you tested with another 2.4 client?

Given the longtime/old AC86U (they have suspect hardware) and a 2.4 issue, I would suspect hardware failure or issue with current firmware. So yes, revert to stock firmware 81858... if that doesn't work, it may be the hardware.

Downgrading will require a reset before you login to the webUI because Asus added login encryption in more recent firmware. You should reset anyway before configuration from scratch.

OE

 

[jata]

thanks everyone for your suggestions.

I have done a restore using the restore utility and it didn't help.

my last test is going to be going back to the 81858 firmware and i will report back.

Note that my main finding so far is that the 2.4 wifi refuses to connect with any client. When i use my phone to connect the error is incorrect password - but the password is correct. 5Ghz wifi works fine.

I have no interference as there is very little congestion where I live and everything was working fine until suddenly dying...

my router is less than 2yrs old - do you think ASUS will do a RMA replacement (in Australia)?

 

[jata]

so my wife is getting very annoyed with me stuffing around with the wifi router all weekend...

Have now tried the stock 81858 firmware (and latest stock firmware a few times). Also tried a couple of merlin firmwares and each time doing the nuclear resets. exactly same issue across all firmware versions.

Issue is only on the 2.4ghz network but i need 2.4 for our wifi printer so that is it for my rt-ac86u - unless i can get it repaired by asus. Annoying as it is an expensive router and I was loving the merlin firmware and all the addons available through this community.

I have gone back to my trusty apple airport extreme bought in 2009 (so the N model not AC) and this thing is still working fine.

 

[ugandy]

i started getting this problem with 384.19, but rolling back to 384.18 appears to have fixed it

 

[B16B]

i have the exact same issues.

1. 2.4Ghz client suddenly disappeared, tried to connect from my android phone but nothing happened. solution: reboot the router
2. The router does not complete it's reboot cycle, i need to manually power cycle the device.

This is an AC86U running 384.19. But i started noticing this issues since 4-5 months back.

 

[fredsundy]

so my wife is getting very annoyed with me stuffing around with the wifi router all weekend...

Have now tried the stock 81858 firmware (and latest stock firmware a few times). Also tried a couple of merlin firmwares and each time doing the nuclear resets. exactly same issue across all firmware versions.

Issue is only on the 2.4ghz network but i need 2.4 for our wifi printer so that is it for my rt-ac86u - unless i can get it repaired by asus. Annoying as it is an expensive router and I was loving the merlin firmware and all the addons available through this community.

I have gone back to my trusty apple airport extreme bought in 2009 (so the N model not AC) and this thing is still working fine.

Try to disable Protected Management Frames on 2.4 wifi tab. It solved some issues like printer connection. It was variabily connected and now it is very stable ( even if I have to reboot the router for other reason )

 

[Aldione]

I have roughly the same issue with my AC86U node. I noticed the following:
- After a few days, the node's 2.4ghz stops working (there are no longer any 2.4 ghz connections to the node after 2 days or so)
- A reboot is the only thing that fixes this
- Have tried using the latest "stock" Asus firmware along with merlin 348.18

I did put in place a reboot script on the node, which reboots every 2 days at 3am, which works, for the most part, however I noticed that every once in awhile, after it reboots, the router does not complete it's reboot cycle. Meaning, that after it starts it's reboot, the LED lights power off and they stay off, so the reboot never completes.

Any thoughts?

EDIT: I just reverted to stock firmware 81858 as mentioned by @OzarkEdge I will see what happens in the next few days.

Did you fix it with reverted to stock firmware 81868?

 

[jata]

Nope. My issue was that the 2.4ghz died in my RT-AC86U. I now have a RT-AX58U and it is working great.

 

[Aldione]

Nope. My issue was that the 2.4ghz died in my RT-AC86U. I now have a RT-AX58U and it is working great.

Well, maybe your ac86u would be change for a new model to solved it. I now have the problem that my 2.4ghz doesn't work after 1 week or something like that, but I just need to do is restart my router and start to work again.

 

[cooloutac]

same problem here, returning.

 

[cooloutac]

Nope. My issue was that the 2.4ghz died in my RT-AC86U. I now have a RT-AX58U and it is working great.

I had the ax58u and like an idiot i replaced it for the ac86u. I might try that one out again and just give up on fast vpn. which is probably what the gov't and the bootlickers want anyways... to keep us all vulnerable.

What I noticed right away, right out the box, was the ac86u ran about 10 degrees hotter and used around 10% more memory, compared to the ax58u i tried and my ac66u_b1. That was a red flag right there...

 

[jpthsd]

this is old blog but it's recently happening to my AiMesh Node AC86U, the 2.4Ghz stops accepting wifi connection or if some 2.4Ghz wifi client connected and didn't connect to any Internet at all although said connected 2.4Ghz to the AC86U node.

5Ghz client works perfectly on that AC86U AiMesh node, no issue! I think of disabling the 2.4Ghz on the AC86U AiMesh.

What I am not sure if the AiMesh node AC86U uses or has its own dedicated 5Ghz for Backhaul AiMesh rather than sharing with 5Ghz Wifi client interface given it has 5Ghz 4x4? Anyone?

----------------------------------------------
Update
I just contacted Asus Tech Support, they suggested me (at least in my case the AC86U AiMesh Node 2.4Ghz dropping/disconnecting/no-Internet for 2.4Ghz Wifi client while connected to the AC86U AiMesh Node) , changing the bandwidth of 2.4Ghz to 40Mhz (dual bandwidth might cause issue during the bandwidth switching) while keeping the control channel on like channel 1, 11 or 6 and see if it's improved. Otherwise, contact them next time for RMA'ing for repairing!

40Mhz Bandwidth for 2.4Ghz will give it shorter range but faster connection. Beside, disable 20/40Mhz auto-switch bandwidth will help the unit reduce the operational overhead. ( I do not enable Trendmicro protection aka AiProtection nor Traffic analyzer, Adaptive QoS, VPN ...I keep my system very simple and dedicated to have Internet network connection)

You might try it as your case as well!

 

[Pergola Fabio]

I have roughly the same issue with my AC86U node. I noticed the following:
- After a few days, the node's 2.4ghz stops working (there are no longer any 2.4 ghz connections to the node after 2 days or so)
- A reboot is the only thing that fixes this
- Have tried using the latest "stock" Asus firmware along with merlin 348.18

I did put in place a reboot script on the node, which reboots every 2 days at 3am, which works, for the most part, however I noticed that every once in awhile, after it reboots, the router does not complete it's reboot cycle. Meaning, that after it starts it's reboot, the LED lights power off and they stay off, so the reboot never completes.

Any thoughts?

EDIT: I just reverted to stock firmware 81858 as mentioned by @OzarkEdge I will see what happens in the next few days.

Hi, that's interesting, I also need to reboot the node sometimes, after about 2-3 weeks, no 2.4 is able to connect, wrong password... Sometimes all clients are extreem slow ,like download speed of 0,1 mbit ..

Reboot and fixed , only on 2.4...

So how did you implement that reboot script for the nodes? Reboot main router is easy, there is a scheduler for that,. It it doesnt reboot the node..

Thnx for it

 

[Pergola Fabio]

Try to disable Protected Management Frames on 2.4 wifi tab. It solved some issues like printer connection. It was variabily connected and now it is very stable ( even if I have to reboot the router for other reason )

This setting, anyone tried it? Does it help?

 

[Ramz]

I have the same problem 2.4ghz shows but nothing connects to it. When it does It keeps dropping.