URGENT Help Needed: The MAC address which was previously for 5GHz WLAN, currently appears in 2.4GHz WLAN and NO MAC address appears for 5GHz WLAN

[sfx2000]

This is what happens when your 2.4GHz radio is not working any more. The GUI gets confused because it's not expecting this and puts the 5GHz settings in the 2.4GHz tab. Bottom line: It's broken.

Yep - and this goes back to UI because of quirks in the WL driver...

I've spent a fair amount of time in the last couple of weeks inside that webUI code and the broadcom driver - it's pretty ugly down there...

 

[sfx2000]

To help you a bit further - if you want to stay with Asus the cheapest router I would go with is RT-AX58U or also called RT-AX3000. The most common version sold now is V2. It has no current Asuswrt-Merlin firmware support, but seems like you run stock Asuswrt anyway. The same flat design router like your RT-AC66U B1, Gigabit ports, the same firmware features, will be performance upgrade + AX support. The cheapest Asuswrt-Merlin supported router I would go with is RT-AX86S. Very popular model router around is RT-AX86U. The newest hardware version of it and the cheapest from Pro series is RT-AX86U Pro model. You have to research your local market and see what fits in your budget.

Flint is pretty nice...

$99USD...

Flint (GL-AX1800) Wi-Fi 6 Home Secure Router

Flint (GL-AX1800) is a dual-band ultra-fast Wi-Fi 6 VPN encrypted router that runs on OpenWrt operating system, offering a fast, secure, and reliable network connection.

store-us.gl-inet.com

 

[Tech9]

The urgent help needed was in mid March. For someone familiar with Asuswrt UI another Asus router is a better fit and quicker fix. Otherwise Flint is nice. It would be better with 1GB RAM. The built-in AdGuard Home will be happier. It also has lower power output compared to other routers discussed here.

 

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The urgent help needed was in mid March. For someone familiar with Asuswrt UI another Asus router is a better fit. Otherwise Flint is nice.

I wasn't the one that refreshed the thread - and even now, Flint is a nice solution...

 

[Tech9]

I buy hardware from time to time just to see what it is. One of the reasons I did not buy Flint along with Brume 2 was short range complaints. FCC tests show maximum power output of 450mW on 5GHz and 390mW on 2.4GHz. The routers I was recommending above are more expensive, but with >800mW on both bands. Another reason was 512MB RAM and the use of AdGuard Home is limited. It's limited on 1GB RAM Asus models as well. It needs RAM.