Update - Resolved - RT-AC86U issues with 2.4ghz WiFi band - stopped working and even bricked my eufy cameras

[mdover]

Here's a very odd one. I found a work around, but wasted 2-3 hours I won't get back! We've all been there...

Here's what's going on, wondering if anyone might know what the issue is?

I have a RT-AC86U running Merlin on the latest iteration. My printer has been connected on my network through a wireless connection for 2-3 years without issue. Suddenly the connection dropped permanently.

I've rebooted the router, my PC, the printer - nothing helps. And what's really odd is my SSID is showing up in duplicate on the network list on the printer. When I try to connect to either network with the same name I get an error can't connect check security settings.

The issue must be somehow tied into my SSID showing in duplicate but I don't know why.

I have a second router as a backup in the house that I was able to seamlessly connect to, so I think the issue is the ASUS.

I did find a workaround. I setup a guest network on the ASUS and limited it to only the 2.4 ghz band (I'm suspecting the dual SSID on my main network could relate to the dual bands operating) and it worked immediately and flawlessly. So I'll leave good enough alone as it seems to be working properly now, but I'm wondering if anyone might know what's going on and how I might fix it. Maybe the issue is tied into the node - the node also broadcasts an SSID, and for the guest network I limited connections to the router (and not the node).

Guesses anyone? Not sure if its a printer issue or a router issue, but I've only seen duplicate SSIDs on the printer and no other devices - so I guess its the printer. The guest network work around saved me from buying a new printer, so I guess the time spent was worth it.

 

[ColinTaylor]

"The node"? So you have another device as an AiMesh node or an access point with the same SSID?

 

[mdover]

"The node"? So you have another device as an AiMesh node or an access point with the same SSID?

Aimesh node which I assume must also broadcast a SSID.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Aimesh node which I assume must also broadcast a SSID.

So you have two different devices broadcasting the same SSID but each will have a different BSSID. In the past I've seen old IoT devices display this as two SSIDs with the same name.

Can't really guess what might have happened but it sounds like a printer issue.

 

[Sonyrolfy]

Maybe you have MAC Filter enebaled ?

 

[OzarkEdge]

Here's a very odd one. I found a work around, but wasted 2-3 hours I won't get back! We've all been there...

Here's what's going on, wondering if anyone might know what the issue is?

I have a RT-AC86U running Merlin on the latest iteration. My printer has been connected on my network through a wireless connection for 2-3 years without issue. Suddenly the connection dropped permanently.

I've rebooted the router, my PC, the printer - nothing helps. And what's really odd is my SSID is showing up in duplicate on the network list on the printer. When I try to connect to either network with the same name I get an error can't connect check security settings.

The issue must be somehow tied into my SSID showing in duplicate but I don't know why.

I have a second router as a backup in the house that I was able to seamlessly connect to, so I think the issue is the ASUS.

I did find a workaround. I setup a guest network on the ASUS and limited it to only the 2.4 ghz band (I'm suspecting the dual SSID on my main network could relate to the dual bands operating) and it worked immediately and flawlessly. So I'll leave good enough alone as it seems to be working properly now, but I'm wondering if anyone might know what's going on and how I might fix it. Maybe the issue is tied into the node - the node also broadcasts an SSID, and for the guest network I limited connections to the router (and not the node).

Guesses anyone? Not sure if its a printer issue or a router issue, but I've only seen duplicate SSIDs on the printer and no other devices - so I guess its the printer. The guest network work around saved me from buying a new printer, so I guess the time spent was worth it.

One possibility...

So, was working and now new/weird issue with Aimesh AC86U node not connecting a wireless printer. If the printer works with other APs, like it does now with a guest network on the main router only, I would suspect the AC86U hardware, known to burn out... keep an eye on it for more strange behavior and plan for your network without it.

OE

 

[follower]

Here's a very odd one. I found a work around, but wasted 2-3 hours I won't get back! We've all been there...

Here's what's going on, wondering if anyone might know what the issue is?

I have a RT-AC86U running Merlin on the latest iteration. My printer has been connected on my network through a wireless connection for 2-3 years without issue. Suddenly the connection dropped permanently.

I've rebooted the router, my PC, the printer - nothing helps. And what's really odd is my SSID is showing up in duplicate on the network list on the printer. When I try to connect to either network with the same name I get an error can't connect check security settings.

The issue must be somehow tied into my SSID showing in duplicate but I don't know why.

I have a second router as a backup in the house that I was able to seamlessly connect to, so I think the issue is the ASUS.

I did find a workaround. I setup a guest network on the ASUS and limited it to only the 2.4 ghz band (I'm suspecting the dual SSID on my main network could relate to the dual bands operating) and it worked immediately and flawlessly. So I'll leave good enough alone as it seems to be working properly now, but I'm wondering if anyone might know what's going on and how I might fix it. Maybe the issue is tied into the node - the node also broadcasts an SSID, and for the guest network I limited connections to the router (and not the node).

Guesses anyone? Not sure if its a printer issue or a router issue, but I've only seen duplicate SSIDs on the printer and no other devices - so I guess its the printer. The guest network work around saved me from buying a new printer, so I guess the time spent was worth it.

What is the printer model number?

 

[mdover]

One possibility...

So, was working and now new/weird issue with Aimesh AC86U node not connecting a wireless printer. If the printer works with other APs, like it does now with a guest network on the main router only, I would suspect the AC86U hardware, known to burn out... keep an eye on it for more strange behavior and plan for your network without it.

OE

I think your right. The network does seem to randomly crash after about 24 hours, so I've set it to reboot middle of the night and that seems to have fixed that issue. And it was working fine and one day just stopped without any setting changes.

 

[mdover]

What is the printer model number?

Canon MF260

 

[mdover]

Anyone seeing issues more broadly with this router these days - particularly on the 2.4 ghz band? Now it won’t connect to my eufy cameras any longer. The cameras see the network, but when I go to enter the network password it tells me the password was incorrect and then it bricks the camera permanently. So my two original cameras are bricked (they worked before the firmware update) and the two replacements Eufy sent me are bricked as well.

The only common thread between the cameras and my printer that won’t connect to the router is they both work exclusively on the 2.4 ghz band and won’t connect on the mixed 2.4ghz/5ghz network I’m running.

Either my modem has failed, or something in the firmware has changed how the modem is operating as both devices (printer and eufy) worked prior to my latest update.

 

[sfx2000]

Are you using any "interesting" characters in your SSID or WPA2 passphrase?

FAQ - Reserved Characters/Names - SSID/Passwords/Hostnames/Domains

Maintaining/updating this list - I've tried to capture most of the characters/words/ranges to avoid - if there are more, please reply to this thread and I'll update the list... Changelist 08/9/22 - update for Thread IOT reserved HLD's (.home, .service) 08/11/19 - quick update about reserved...

www.snbforums.com

 

[mdover]

Are you using any "interesting" characters in your SSID or WPA2 passphrase?

FAQ - Reserved Characters/Names - SSID/Passwords/Hostnames/Domains

Maintaining/updating this list - I've tried to capture most of the characters/words/ranges to avoid - if there are more, please reply to this thread and I'll update the list... Changelist 08/9/22 - update for Thread IOT reserved HLD's (.home, .service) 08/11/19 - quick update about reserved...

www.snbforums.com

No, just numerical. I’ve decided I’ll reset the modem to factory next week and go from there.

 

[mdover]

OK - here's my update, might be of interest to some, perhaps Mr. Merlin himself.

I have two routers same model, one I use as my main and the other a node. I realized all my devices on the 2.4 ghz band stopped working. I finally gave up trying to trouble shoot and just reset both to factory and started fresh. I updated settings and so on incrementally and kept testing the connection with the 2.4 ghz devices and they were fine.

Then I uploaded a backup of my prior settings and it stopped working again, so I went back to where I was prior to that specific upload (I saved a config of where I was at just in case) and the radio started working again. I was doing all this on the router that was previously a node - so it was my other router. So my best guess at this point is there was either something in my settings or in a firmware update that impacted the functionality of the 2.4ghz mode/band. I don't have many devices that use that exclusively, but the ones that did were no longer working. Now they work again.

Unfortunately, somehow whatever the issue was bricked a couple of my eufy cameras. Eufy sent me replacements and they got bricked in the setup process. They'd see my network and when I added my network password they wouldn't connect and instead they'd go into an endless loop and become inaccessible and non-resetable.

Moving forward, I don't think I'll update the firmware unless there is a real compelling reason, and I've turned all auto updates off. I have no idea if it was a firmware driven failure or if it corrupted on its own - but something was up.

When I installed Merlin again, I used a version that was a few months old - just in case one of the newer versions was the cause of the issues. And then for good measure I'm not really that adept with MobaXterm so it took me far longer than it should of to get wan-event up and running again. But It's all done now.

Just sharing this in case its of interest to any of you, or helpful to someone down the line.

 

[L&LD]

It seems to me that your old configurations are invalid. The new firmware just 'enforces' it more.

Yes, this is a workaround.

I would have stopped when you did the full reset, reconfigured the fresh routers manually, and left well enough alone since it was working as expected and on the latest and most secure firmware available.

Note; to me, it is bad form to edit a primary post. The following replies seem disconnected now and useless for anyone reading in the future. I don't know who would keep reading to the end.

 

[mdover]

It seems to me that your old configurations are invalid. The new firmware just 'enforces' it more.

Yes, this is a workaround.

I would have stopped when you did the full reset, reconfigured the fresh routers manually, and left well enough alone since it was working as expected and on the latest and most secure firmware available.

Note; to me, it is bad form to edit a primary post. The following replies seem disconnected now and useless for anyone reading in the future. I don't know who would keep reading to the end.

Noted - was just trying to be helpful.

And as for the root cause, not sure if it happened on its own or was event driven, but at least it doesn’t seem like my hardware failed. It looks like the 2.4ghz radio has failed on a quite a few based on a search I did. This seems programming driven.

 

[L&LD]

Or, settings driven (and/or interactions between old/new firmware which you verified that the full reset and manual configuration fixed).