Struggling with Asus ZenWiFi BE30000 aka 3 node BQ16 Pro bundle

[Plak]

Interesting that the be95 is wifi oven. Seriously that is bit alarming if it gets that hot and a noisy fan.

Don't think i need that around my house then after all. No wonder they put them on sale. Probably not selling much or returned often. Dodged a bullet there. The be98 pro does produce a decent amount of heat as well but definitely not too hot to touch. I guess it will be better anyway running mainly the bq16 pros that run cool based on dongknows review. He was pretty happy with them and i trust his reviews. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Bandito]

Well, it’s been a few days on the latest BQ16 firmware and the system does seem to be better. I have not had to disconnect and reconnect to WiFi from my Apple devices since updating, so I’m cautiously optimistic that the isssue, whatever it was, is fixed. I read through the release notes and didn’t see anything that seemed applicable, but who knows how many under-the-hood fixes they did without documenting them.

Just to note for others that are concerned, ASUS has been releasing firmware updates for the BQ16s pretty much on a monthly basis and things are definitely improving as time goes on.

 

[skypx]

Well, it’s been a few days on the latest BQ16 firmware and the system does seem to be better. I have not had to disconnect and reconnect to WiFi from my Apple devices since updating, so I’m cautiously optimistic that the isssue, whatever it was, is fixed. I read through the release notes and didn’t see anything that seemed applicable, but who knows how many under-the-hood fixes they did without documenting them.

Just to note for others that are concerned, ASUS has been releasing firmware updates for the BQ16s pretty much on a monthly basis and things are definitely improving as time goes on.

I had random disconnects with IOS/iPadOS devices with all firmware versions prior to 3.0.0.6.102_36789. It would initially disconnect 1-4 days after connecting, so I would wait about 2 weeks to be sure it's fixed.

 

[skypx]

I switched the APs with firmware 3.0.0.6.102_36789 installed back to nodes yesterday to test if IOS/MacOS devices would randomly disconnect. I had 1 disconnection yesterday and 2 today. So firmware 3.0.0.6.102_36789 does not fix the issue.

 

[Stepalex]

I switched the APs with firmware 3.0.0.6.102_36789 installed back to nodes yesterday to test if IOS/MacOS devices would randomly disconnect. I had 1 disconnection yesterday and 2 today. So firmware 3.0.0.6.102_36789 does not fix the issue.

Unbelievable really, that the most expensive router system has such underlying issues with a premium and super popular brand like Apple.

 

[Plak]

Funny they put the be95 2 pack on sale again for $699 on amazon. That is a pretty steep discount. Pretty tempting.

 

[Bandito]

Yes, it’s a couple of weeks and I can confirm that the same issues are occurring with the router. It’s still appears that there is some sort of DNS issue though I have found that the router can become unreachable from the clients for whatever reason. A disconnect and reconnect will, however, fix the issue until it happens again. Weird.

 

[Plak]

I ended up trying out the bq16 pro from amazon. Holy hell was it a nightmare experience. You guys were not kidding. Random reboots, wifi clients disconnecting, dns isssues saying connected without internet. I could not add the 2nd bq16 pro mode no matter what I tried. Just kept on flashing blue and it kept not finding it. Maybe i got a bad unit but that left a very bad taste with me. It's going back to amazon this week and I am not touching that again for good.

I ended up upgrading both my be98 pros to latest asus firmware and they are proving to be even more excellent than I ever seen them perform. Finally MLO is supported on both units in aimesh and i can customize selecting different bands with ssid with the new network tab. Surprised at the difference suddenly I am seeing with the 6ghz band. As if AFC was added (i doubt). This firmware upgrade also brought on a challenge where both on the bq16 pro and be98 pro the 2.4 ghz IOT ssid just would not show up on my s22 ultra phone but all my other devices reconnected to it fine automatically. Kinda odd behavior. Maybe just need to let the system run on the new firmware for a while.

But yeah, bq16 pro not a fun ride. No thanks! Much happier with my be98 pros with latest firmware. None of those random reboots and wifi dropouts.

 

[Plak]

Interestingly when I turn off MLO my legacy IOT ssid always shows up now. Going to do a factory reset reconfigure things on my be98 pros. Probably a good idea anyway.

 

[A011528]

Sorry if this causes any confusion, but most of the issues described in this thread, I experienced with the BT98, not the BQ16. The BT98 had random reboots, Wi-Fi client disconnections, DNS issues, unexpected firmware updates (even though auto update was off), and lost configuration settings after reboots. At times, I couldn't even log into the device despite using the correct credentials and had to perform full resets periodically. For me, the BT98 was subpar.

The only significant issue I've had with the BQ16 was DNS dropping in the first few weeks. I think I traced it back to the DNS setting "Assign a DNS service to improve security, block advertisement and gain faster performance." They offer AdGuard and a few other options. Initially, after setting this up on my BQ16, I experienced intermittent drops and blamed my ISP.... However, the issue seemed to be that the DNS wouldn't stick in the configuration (even after saving and rebooting), often defaulting to something random. It eventually saved the setting after multiple attempts, and since then, I've had no further issues. I wonder if it has a conf save issue or appends vs overwrite, maybe even maintains prior entries.

Maybe give that setting a look, change it, Save it (multiple times) bounce the device see if that saves and solves the DNS.

 

[garysteel]

Sorry if this causes any confusion, but most of the issues described in this thread, I experienced with the BT98, not the BQ16. The BT98 had random reboots, Wi-Fi client disconnections, DNS issues, unexpected firmware updates (even though auto update was off), and lost configuration settings after reboots. At times, I couldn't even log into the device despite using the correct credentials and had to perform full resets periodically. For me, the BT98 was subpar.

The only significant issue I've had with the BQ16 was DNS dropping in the first few weeks. I think I traced it back to the DNS setting "Assign a DNS service to improve security, block advertisement and gain faster performance." They offer AdGuard and a few other options. Initially, after setting this up on my BQ16, I experienced intermittent drops and blamed my ISP.... However, the issue seemed to be that the DNS wouldn't stick in the configuration (even after saving and rebooting), often defaulting to something random. It eventually saved the setting after multiple attempts, and since then, I've had no further issues. I wonder if it has a conf save issue or appends vs overwrite, maybe even maintains prior entries.

Maybe give that setting a look, change it, Save it (multiple times) bounce the device see if that saves and solves the DNS.

Thanks for sharing (ref the BQ16 DNS aspect) I too have had a challenging time with my x2 BQ16s (once i understood Wifi7, MLO + older wifi standards for IOT) y only concern was Apple products were prone to stalling on the wifi and this may actually have been as you say a DNS issue (i could never find the culprit), symptoms was iphone, ipad or Macbook pro would appear to be connected to the Wifi but no internet response was seen ...DNS???.

I found that removeing my XT8 from the AIMesh significantly reduced this happening bu tthe wife was still saying it was dropping...when I initially got the BQ16s toplace the XT12 ( I really wanted the 10GB LAN/WAN as my Fibre service is 3Gb) it was noticable and I suffered what wif ewas complaining about but I'm not noticing it but she still says its disconnecting. I've never really used the WAN DNS service or assigned it..(currently default get from ISP).and I've also disable IPv6 to try and discount that as a cause.

I've now updated to the new firmware and will see how that fares...no issues so far with my kit or the Wife giving me it in the neck!! but will slowly start to introduce
-IPv6
-AiMESH to XT8's (unless someone warns specifically not too)
-in case of above I'd want to understand if I have ethernet backhaul and no other AiMesh how would i reintroduce the hidden backhaul 5GHz-2 band and set it up for the widest spread?
-MLO
-possible consider donating my constant SSID to all the IOT and setup up a MLO enabled SSID for modern kit. With only two Iphone 16s capable I think wifi 7/MLO maybe overkill for a wee while.

Thanks for reading
G

 

[Stepalex]

Everyone seems to discount MLO due to the lack of support by end clients, but isn't MLO one of the key benefits for the wireless backhaul itself? Dong Knows says in his review of BQ16 Pro 'MLO feature has only minor impacts on these clients' real-world speeds. Instead, it significantly increases the backhaul link's bandwidth of the broadcasters', and hails this model specifically for it.

How could Asus mess this magnificent piece of hardware so badly, given the many negative user reports(

 

[rtdent]

The iOS device "stall" behavior has been nagging me for weeks too. I *think* the issue is related to client roaming hand-off between between my two BQ16s, based on where in the house the stalls seem to happen, which is in the overlap between the two stations' broadcast regions in the middle of the house. Here are all the things I've tried so far:

• I've got 2.5Gb wired backhaul between the stations using a MoCA link, so have entirely disabled wireless backhaul
  • General > AIMesh > Topology > Mesh node > Management
    • Backhaul Connection Priority = 10G base-T WAN only
    • Enable Radio : 6 GHz-1 = OFF
• None of my client devices can actually do Wi-FI 7 yet, so I've disabled MLO and Wi-Fi 7 entirely
  • General > Network > Main Network > Network > General
    • Wifi 7 Mode = OFF
    • MLO Fronthaul for Clients = OFF
    • WiFi Band = 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz-2
  • Advanced Settings > Wireless > MLO
    • MLO = Off
• I tried disabling Roaming Assistant on all bands, but that didn't seem to help
  • Advanced Settings > Wireless > Professional
    • Roaming Assistant = DIsable (repeat for each band)
• Multiple firmware versions (currently on _36789)

Each time I make a change (including firmware updates) it *seems* better for a day or two, but the problem always comes back. Toggling Wi-Fi off and on at the affected iPhone or iPad immediately (but temporarily) resolves the connectivity issue. Maybe I'm not imagining the improvement, and there's a memory leak or similar issue that builds over time. I just enabled a nightly reboot schedule for the routers, so I'll see if that actually helps.

 

[garysteel]

I’m on the newly released 36801 for BQ16 (UK) do u have the BQ16 Pro’s as u mentioned u 6Ghz-2 rather than the 5Ghz-2… get you on the cross over as i have town house … main router on ground floor .. nothing on 1st and the ethernet bachaul is on 2nd floor …

 

[skypx]

The iOS device "stall" behavior has been nagging me for weeks too. I *think* the issue is related to client roaming hand-off between between my two BQ16s, based on where in the house the stalls seem to happen, which is in the overlap between the two stations' broadcast regions in the middle of the house. Here are all the things I've tried so far:

• I've got 2.5Gb wired backhaul between the stations using a MoCA link, so have entirely disabled wireless backhaul
  • General > AIMesh > Topology > Mesh node > Management
    • Backhaul Connection Priority = 10G base-T WAN only
    • Enable Radio : 6 GHz-1 = OFF
• None of my client devices can actually do Wi-FI 7 yet, so I've disabled MLO and Wi-Fi 7 entirely
  • General > Network > Main Network > Network > General
    • Wifi 7 Mode = OFF
    • MLO Fronthaul for Clients = OFF
    • WiFi Band = 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz-2
  • Advanced Settings > Wireless > MLO
    • MLO = Off
• I tried disabling Roaming Assistant on all bands, but that didn't seem to help
  • Advanced Settings > Wireless > Professional
    • Roaming Assistant = DIsable (repeat for each band)
• Multiple firmware versions (currently on _36789)

Each time I make a change (including firmware updates) it *seems* better for a day or two, but the problem always comes back. Toggling Wi-Fi off and on at the affected iPhone or iPad immediately (but temporarily) resolves the connectivity issue. Maybe I'm not imagining the improvement, and there's a memory leak or similar issue that builds over time. I just enabled a nightly reboot schedule for the routers, so I'll see if that actually helps.

After spending 2 months trying to figure out why IOS/iPadOS devices would randomly disconnect I realized the following. IOS/iPadOS devices will only randomly disconnect from a node. When connected to the router all IOS/iPadOS devices would stay connected without any issues. The only fix that has worked for me is to setup the nodes as APs. Keep in mind though, the APs need to be connected to the router via ethernet. It has been about a month since I have been using this setup and I have never experienced any disconnections while using IOS/iPadOS devices.

 

[A011528]

I have the BQ16 25000, same as @garysteel, as the "PRO" 30000 isn't available across EMEA as the bands are still being ratified. I have the benefit of being able to hardwire the devices vs use the wireless backhaul, but id recommend that if you can @Stepalex connect them using a cable (its worth the extra benefits). I do have a zone in my building that i know the signal is weak or destroyed and it causes the iPad to constantly drop and flip between 3 devices the BQ16 and another 2 x AP's, when this occurs, it looks like a solid connection but I get a DNS issue, the IPad's seem to go into a limbo state, where I need to toggle WIFI connection on / off for on an IPad for it to reconnect so similar to @rtdent, my WIN and Linux devices seem fine, ill test my daughters iPhone experience tonight (I've never tested that) as I have an Android and that seems fine..... maybe this is an Apple issue, but agree this feel like a handover issue. Also i steer away from IP6 (I've had far too many issues with that in the past).

@Plak on what device do you have AFC on, is this on the BQ16 30000? i don't see it on the 25000, i hope this wont being limited to the 30000 but also coming to the 25000

 

[Plak]

This is on the 2 pack BQ16 pro from amazon. So I ended up learning that all my issues got resolved by simply disabling MLO. With MLO turned on it was totally ruining everything. Any wifi device on 5 or 6 ghz would get "connected with no internet". I setup main unit and once MLO was turned off everything has been absolutely flawless for this whole week. The 2nd unit synced up just sitting next to it automatically. Then I just moved it downstairs to my 10 gig switch and enabled ethernet backhaul. It's funny just how poorly MLO is implemented in every asus router that it literally ruins everything being on. It still is very buggy and requires a lot of work. At least the latest asus firmware is running good on the be98 pro/bq16 pro. I am only running the two bq16 pro, nothing else.

I tested the 6ghz against my BE98 Pro from same location, same latest firmware, same wifi channels, same settings using openspeed test and wifiman, running on my PC with 10 gig nic (local lan speed test, don't like doing internet speed test since they are unreliable). Every test I did the BE16 Pro on my samsung ultra 22 showed better signal strength and speeds. So it definitely must have AFC but it's not advertised. And asus support has zero god damn clue about it either. If you ask any of their reps you will get different answers every time. If it didn't have AFC then my tests would be pretty much the same but they are not. I have until end of january to return it to amazon so we'll see if the BE98 pro will get firmware update to include AFC by supposedly end of this year from what I've read or heard. If it does and the performance is the same then I'll just return the bq16 pro to amazon.

The 2.4ghz and IOT network all showed up fine working with zero issues, zero disconnects. DNS is also working with no issues (using nextdns DOT). I only put the 2.4 ghz on 20mhz since that's how I always been running it to get less interference, using channel 1 that is less crowded in my area. 5ghz and 6ghz both have wifi 7 turned on and I didn't change any other settings. They are all on how it comes on by default. 5Ghz is on wpa2/wpa3 and 6ghz is on wpa 3 of course. My wifes 21 ultra connected fine to 5ghz and also the IOT network (don't need wife nagging about wifi not working! lol). So yeah looks like at least all good on my end as long as you immediately disable MLO once you setup the first router.

 

[garysteel]

After spending 2 months trying to figure out why IOS/iPadOS devices would randomly disconnect I realized the following. IOS/iPadOS devices will only randomly disconnect from a node. When connected to the router all IOS/iPadOS devices would stay connected without any issues. The only fix that has worked for me is to setup the nodes as APs. Keep in mind though, the APs need to be connected to the router via ethernet. It has been about a month since I have been using this setup and I have never experienced any disconnections while using IOS/iPadOS devices.

hi Skypx - quick question, if I setup my node as AP (hardwired to main router) I still have access to to plug my PC into that node for ethernet backhaul to main router as well as setting the AP to the same SSID as the main router. Got confused when seeing AP vs Bridge mode and alluding to AP will only provide Wifi not the ethernet connection/aspect.?

Thank in Advance

 

[skypx]

hi Skypx - quick question, if I setup my node as AP (hardwired to main router) I still have access to to plug my PC into that node for ethernet backhaul to main router as well as setting the AP to the same SSID as the main router. Got confused when seeing AP vs Bridge mode and alluding to AP will only provide Wifi not the ethernet connection/aspect.?

Thank in Advance

Yes, you can connect your PC to the AP without any issues. I currently have a NAS connected to one of them with jumbo frames enabled and it works great.

 

[garysteel]

Yes, you can connect your PC to the AP without any issues. I currently have a NAS connected to one of them with jumbo frames enabled and it works great.

Thanks that's really helpful - do you think it would be possible to also add an AiMESH capabile router XT12 or Xt 8 in AIMesh node...to a network with AP's?