XT8 appears as RT-AX95Q instead of ZenWifi AX in web GUI and will not mesh

[woozy-wave]

I have a pair of hardware version 1 ZenWiFi XT8 units.

I was having a hard time updating one unit's firmware past version 3.0.0.4.386.25790 (which may be the version it came with). Following suggestions, I did a hard reset of the units in an attempt to update the firmware.

However, after the hard reset, the unit that had a hard time with firmware updating identifies itself now as RT-AX95Q whereas the other unit remains ZenWiFi AX. (See attached screenshots from the web GUI.) Further, the RT-AX95Q unit does not have an AiMesh option and the ZenWiFi AX unit cannot detect it as a mesh node.

In case it matters. I used the Mac version of the ASUS Firmware Restoration app and updated the RT-AX95Q unit manually with the most recent version of firmware 3.0.0.4.388_24621.

Anyone has any suggestions on how to get the RT-AX95Q unit to play nice?

Edit: typo.

 

[jksmurf]

Interesting way it identifies itself via two IDs! Asus…

If you’re willing to try Merlin, there’s a Gnuton version for the XT8/RT-AX95Q. Maybe that will help get your Mesh, stability (and sanity) back?

EDIT; link to the list of gnuton releases.

 

[woozy-wave]

Interesting way it identifies itself via two IDs! Asus…

If you’re willing to try Merlin, there’s a Gnuton version for the XT8/RT-AX95Q. Maybe that will help get your Mesh, stability (and sanity) back?

@jksmurf I am guessing that involves another round of hard reset and using the firmware restoration app to upload the Merlin firmware on both units? Do you know if one can still use ASUS's iOS app to manage the network with Merlin?

 

[jksmurf]

@jksmurf I am guessing that involves another round of hard reset and using the firmware restoration app to upload the Merlin firmware on both units? Do you know if one can still use ASUS's iOS app to manage the network with Merlin?

As regards reset, a hard reset is strongly recommended after a change from stock to any alternative FW. I say “alternative” but it’s very much Asus-with-enhancements.

As regards mechanism for updating, you should just be able to update over what you have now, using the WebGUI. Worst case, use the FW restoration utility but it’s not normally necessary.

As regards the App, while I do use it to look at the network from time to time, I believe Merlin has noted on a number of occasions it is not supported due to incompatibilities arising from changes to the stock FW made by AsusMerlin, so unfortunately you’d probably lose some of that functionality, if it’s important to you. I’ll see if I can find the statements on it. It’s closed source proprietary I believe.

EDIT; see this thread on compatibility between AsusMerlin and the App. It seems that it retains “85% -90% functionality” according to one user, so it may well be sufficient for your purposes.

 

[woozy-wave]

I use the web GUI to upload the ASUS Merlin firmware. It updated fine, but still did not show the AiMesh option.

I then tried to use an older version (3.0.0.4.386.45898) of the firmware, the oldest I can find on ASUS website. The firmware change worked, but it is still identified as RT-AX95Q and no AiMesh option.

Interestingly, when the router is on 3.0.0.4.386.45898, I cannot get it to update to the latest firmware again.

This is all baffling.

 

[jksmurf]

Hmm. It does seem problematic, but thank you for trying it out all the same. You did do a hard reset of both units following FW update, correct?

What mode are you using btw?

I don’t have XT8s, but it seems that one of the units in the pair is designated as the Router and the other one the Node?

Looking at this thread, is this something FW version wise (Main and Mesh node being different) that you could try (depending on AIMESH or AP mode)?

Turttle commented 3 weeks ago​

I can confirm the latest release 3004.388.7_1-gnuton1, still has the reporte bug when the system is set to Access Point (AP), but the AI mesh system works if the system is set to default setting Router after factory resetting both main and mesh

Turttle commented 3 weeks ago​

Additional update, if the Main node is downgrade to 3004.388.5_0-gnuton1 and the mesh node are kept at 3004.388.7_1-gnuton1, the AI mesh works fine and is able to connect in AP mode and using ethernet backhaul configuration.

EDIT; btw a lot of folks in this forum have success with AIMESH by having stock FW on the node and Merlin on the Router (Main) unit.

 

[woozy-wave]

Yes, I did hard reset the unit after each FW update.

The first screenshot is the ZenWiFi XT8 unit. It shows wireless router/ AiMesh router mode.

The second screenshot is the RT-AX95 unit. It misses AiMesh mode.

Thank you for the GH reference! I will take a closer look at the thread. One thing it jumps out at me when I did a quick scan is the reference to "dirty NVRAM flash," as opposed to a "clean NVRAM upgrade." Do you by any chance know the difference off the top of your head? I can look it up if not.

One thing that also worries me a bit is that I am not using a wired setup. I will have to read the thread more closely to see how it affects me.

 

[jksmurf]

Yes, I did hard reset the unit after each FW update.

The first screenshot is the ZenWiFi XT8 unit. It shows wireless router/ AiMesh router mode.

The second screenshot is the RT-AX95 unit. It misses AiMesh mode.

As above I’m not familiar with the XT8s and I don’t know what it looked like originally, but being a Main/Node pair, could it be that the node doesn’t need to show Mesh, just as long as it’s able to be one?

i.e. as long as the node shows up under the AIMesh menu in the Main unit, does it matter if there is no menu in the node itself?

Thank you for the GH reference! I will take a closer look at the thread. One thing it jumps out at me when I did a quick scan is the reference to "dirty NVRAM flash," as opposed to a "clean NVRAM upgrade." Do you by any chance know the difference off the top of your head? I can look it up if not.

Not off the top of my head, sorry. It’s 4:30am here (couldn’t sleep) so I will let you find it . Actually I’m guessing it’s just flashing over existing FW without doing a hard reset before or afterwards, that is referred to in this forum as a “dirty” upgrade.

The nvram is reset (cleaned out if you will), when you do a hard reset. When you don’t reset it, the information in the nvram is retained and might be “dirty”.

One thing that also worries me a bit is that I am not using a wired setup. I will have to read the thread more closely to see how it affects me.

If you can, maybe set it up that way initially, then with the mesh backhaul menu in Auto (not Ethernet), take away the cable and see if it stays connected, but reverts to wireless mesh ? The GH thread does start off specific to AP mode and wired connections, but folks testing various FW combinations seem to suggest that Mesh works, hence my (somewhat desperate) suggestion.

I edited one of the posts above to let you easily find other versions of gnutons FW.

 

[jksmurf]

The first screenshot is the ZenWiFi XT8 unit. It shows wireless router/ AiMesh router mode.

The second screenshot is the RT-AX95 unit. It misses AiMesh mode.

As above, the fact the XT8 unit shows an AIMESH menu suggets it is the main router and the lack of the same menu in the AX95 unit suggests it’s actually the node and does not need that menu?

I’m guessing that when you set up the AIMESH node pairing to the main unit, you should never see that Router mode menu. This is my experience with my various mesh pairing. If however you set up the AX95 as an AP to the main unit, you will continue to see that menu, but will have selected AP.

 

[woozy-wave]

Thank you again, @jksmurf! I will do as you suggested tomorrow. I am on the other side of the world from you and my family is coming home. I suspect they will not appreciate the WiFi winking in and out of existence while I work on this.

 

[woozy-wave]

As above, the fact the XT8 unit shows an AIMESH menu suggets it is the main router and the lack of the same menu in the AX95 unit suggests it’s actually the node and does not need that menu?

I’m guessing that when you set up the AIMESH node pairing to the main unit, you should never see that Router mode menu. This is my experience with my various mesh pairing. If however you set up the AX95 as an AP to the main unit, you will continue to see that menu, but will have selected AP.

As far as I can tell, the two units do not know each other existed. So I am not entirely sure your hypothesis applies in this case. The set up screens/workflows are different when you after the hard reset. For the ZenWiFi XT8 unit, I could use it as the router in a AiMesh system or any of the other options. For the RT-AX95Q unit, the choices are more limited, and notably without the AiMesh related options.

I will try the hardwired mesh setup and/or setting the RT-AX95Q in the AP mode and see how that works!

 

[jksmurf]

For the ZenWiFi XT8 unit, I could use it as the router in a AiMesh system or any of the other options. For the RT-AX95Q unit, the choices are more limited, and notably without the AiMesh related options.

I probably worded it rather poorly but this was actually the very point I was trying to make. With the menus you’ve ended up with, yes, in theory the XT8 could act as the main router to any Asus unit capable of acting as a mesh node.

However the theory is simply that the lack of such a menu in the one now named RT-AX95Q means that it cannot act (is unable?) to act as the main router in a main/node pairing, only as a node (if the main router can find it). Hence why I was wondering if these are sold as a pair with a fixed main/node functionality. This wouldn’t mean the RT-AX95Q is a dumb node, it could even act as a router by itself (or an AP) just without AIMesh capabilities.

Normally when you pair these things you hard reset the one intended as a node and let the main router unit “find it”, via the main router’s AIMesh menu, so you never see (or even care) that it (the node) has such a menu or not (or any menu for that matter).

Anyway this is all hypothetical, because IF the original FW showed both units (being XT8s) having an AIMesh menu then that blows my hypothesis out of the water. You will have a better idea if that was the case or not but this review from 2020 says you can (should be able to) select either of the units as the main router. Despite it being internally identical to the XT8, the fact that one of your units seems to have had a mid-life crisis and now wants to be known as a RT-AX95Q doesn’t change that. Apologies, a big unnecessary diversion born out of desperation.

So, back to some fundamentals:

Firstly, sorry to ask again, but after each FW change you definitely did a hard reset right? The method using the WPS button appears to be the most robust.

Second, it seems that the original FW had some stability (and security) issues but that the more recent FW has resulted in other issues such as you are experiencing. I’m hoping my FW revision suggestion above regarding the most recent entries from the GH site gives you a pairing that “works”, even if you have to end up nominating the one that does have the AIMesh menu as the main router. There are other “stable” FW suggestions for the XT8/RT-AX95Q in this forum.

Lastly, here’s a wild thought for you, looking at a limited number of cases where the AIMesh menu disappeared on ASUS routers that are not specifically related to he RT-AX95Q unit, it seems that this is a potential indicator of a failing 2.4Ghz radio. I think however, that the probability that it is related to the FW is far higher than this theory, although it remains a possibility.

Good luck!

 

[woozy-wave]

Anyway this is all hypothetical, because IF the original FW showed both units (being XT8s) having an AIMesh menu then that blows my hypothesis out of the water. You will have a better idea if that was the case or not but this review from 2020 says you can (should be able to) select either of the units as the main router. Despite it being internally identical to the XT8, the fact that one of your units seems to have had a mid-life crisis and now wants to be known as a RT-AX95Q doesn’t change that. Apologies, a big unnecessary diversion born out of desperation.

I am pretty sure that this is the case since the RT-AX95Q unit is what I used to use as the main router for several years until I did a hard reset a week or so ago.

Firstly, sorry to ask again, but after each FW change you definitely did a hard reset right? The method using the WPS button appears to be the most robust.

Yes, I did. I understand the need for thoroughness for things like this. I appreciate you take the time to verify!

Second, it seems that the original FW had some stability (and security) issues but that the more recent FW has resulted in other issues such as you are experiencing.

The RT-AX95Q unit, which then served as the main router, was on the old firmware. The issue I am facing I believe started when I first hard reset it. Now the unit has the latest firmware as well as the latest version of the ASUS Merlin firmware and the oldest version of firmware I could find on ASUS's website. None of it managed to get the AiMesh option back.

Lastly, here’s a wild thought for you, looking at a limited number of cases where the AIMesh menu disappeared on ASUS routers that are not specifically related to he RT-AX95Q unit, it seems that this is a potential indicator of a failing 2.4Ghz radio.

This does seem like a possibility, but it is also the least satisfying one, since it means there is not much I can do.

I am going to add the RT-AX95Q unit as an AP node; we will see how that works.

 

[jksmurf]

I am pretty sure that this is the case since the RT-AX95Q unit is what I used to use as the main router for several years until I did a hard reset a week or so ago.

Ok

Yes, I did. I understand the need for thoroughness for things like this. I appreciate you take the time to verify!

The RT-AX95Q unit, which then served as the main router, was on the old firmware. The issue I am facing I believe started when I first hard reset it. Now the unit has the latest firmware as well as the latest version of the ASUS Merlin firmware and the oldest version of firmware I could find on ASUS's website. None of it managed to get the AiMesh option back.

So the GH version combo of gnuton FW referred to by that Tuttle guy didn’t work in AImesh mode for you either? Asking in case th older gnuton was older than the oldest Asus now offer or at least different enough to make it work.

This does seem like a possibility, but it is also the least satisfying one, since it means there is not much I can do.

Yup

I am going to add the RT-AX95Q unit as an AP node; we will see how that works.

Maybe try the gnuton combo in AIMesh before going to the AP option?
You’re just following the ASUS method of hard resetting one router and searching via the AIMesh menu (Ethernet cable preferred initially) for the node?

Was thinking overnight that if these two don’t work with each other as a main/mesh pair, whether you could try someone’s main Asus router to see if they both add as mesh units to that main unit. If yes consider a decent AX class main router and then you have two decent nodes. My two XD6 units are both nodes to my RT-AX86U Pro e.g. Just a way not to waste them as a last resort, but only when you have exhausted FW options.

 

[jksmurf]

Hi again,

Sorry to bombard you with notes on this router, but I have a little bit of free time at the moment and it's like a little treasure hunt that I just want to solve .

I was going to buy a pair of XT8's myself at one stage, researched them a lot, but opted for the XD6's instead as I was always going wired.

Anyway, your comment about your units "firmware past version 3.0.0.4.386.25790 (which may be the version it came with)" above had me thinking 'what if' there was an earlier FW, or another FW (that was not gnuton's, but there's no harm on having a look at his older ones too), that made your AIMESH menu come back? Note as a caveat that even if it does, it might be a rubbish FW...

So I went to the ASUS site to see what there was available and I went to the US and UK sites to see if there was any difference (there does not seem to be, the download sites appears to be the same all over).

I also trawled (primarily) the snbforums for XT8 releases and discussions.

Combining these sources, this is what is currently available for download (one or two that were referenced by snbforum posters were not found).
I have added the direct links for ease of download.

CURRENT OFFICIAL ASUS FW
ASUS XT8 HW Ver 1.0	ASUS XT8 HW Ver 2.0
3.0.0.4.388.24621 - 19/03/2024	3.0.0.4.388.24621 - 19/03/2024
3.0.0.4.388.24609 - 26/01/2024	3.0.0.4.388.24609 - 31/01/2024
3.0.0.4.388.23285 - 15/05/2023	3.0.0.4.388.23285 - 15/05/2023
3.0.0.4.388.23012 - 12/04/2023	3.0.0.4.388.23012 - 12/04/2023
3.0.0.4.388.22525 - 14/02/2023	3.0.0.4.388.22525 - 14/02/2023
3.0.0.4.388.22068 - 21/12/2022	3.0.0.4.388.22068 - 21/12/2022
3.0.0.4.388.21617 - 21/11/2022
9.0.0.4.388.21101 - 27/10/2022 - Beta
3.0.0.4.388.21099 - 03/10/2022
3.0.0.4.386.49873 - 04/08/2022
9.0.0.4.386.48966 - 27/05/2022 - Beta
3.0.0.4.386.48706 - 03/05/2022
9.0.0.4.386.46980 - 22/02/2022 - Beta
3.0.0.4.386.46061 - 14/01/2022
3.0.0.4.386.45934 - 03/11/2021 **
3.0.0.4.386.45898 - 06/10/2021 **

** If your router's production year is 2022 or above, DO NOT downgrade to this version. Please check the back label for the production year. [ Presumably HW Ver. 1]

OFFICIAL SOURCES:

https://www.asus.com/supportonly/asus zenwifi ax (xt8)/helpdesk_bios/

https://www.asus.com/networking-iot.../helpdesk_bios?model2Name=ASUS-ZenWiFi-AX-XT8

OLDER ASUS FW NO LONGER ON ASUS FORMAL SITE BUT STILL WITH ASUS DIRECT LINKS

ASUS XT8 HW Ver 1.0 (Assumed)

3.0.0.4.386.26044 - Ref in Dec 2021

3.0.0.4.386.42095 - Ref in Jul 2021

3.0.0.4.386.41793 - Ref in Jul 2021

3.0.0.4.386.25790 - Ref in Sep 2020

3.0.0.4.386.25524 - Ref in Oct 2020

UNOFFICIAL (SNBFORUM's) SOURCES:

This Jul 2020 post refers to a 39386 beta and a 24926 working version. I tried the dlcdnets path with 900438639386, 900438639386-gab07b3f, 24926 and 24926-g3b4fcd but none of them work.

This Sep 2020 post, which predates the current list, has a link to a 3.0.0.4.386.25790 (date unknown) and cites it is on the Win7 List. I have looked at all the WinX dropdowns but there do not seem to be any FW files there, just restoration utilities.

This Sep 2020 post refers to a version 25525 (different from 22525 official); that 25525 version appears to be unobtanium based on a "XT8" AND "25525" search; typing 25525 into the 25790 link above yields a 404 error. I am assuming it is a 386 variant and tried substituting 9004 (vs 3004) in https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/wireless/ZenWiFi_XT8/FW_ZENWIFI_XT8_900438625525.zip but no luck.

This Oct 2020 post refers to a version 25524; along with another post says 25524 "it appeared on European Sites only". In Oct 2020 someone received their XT8 factory installed with that 25524 version. I found the link, as tabled above.

This Dec 2020 post refers to version 41157. I tried the dlcdnets path with both the 9004 (beta) and the 2004 variant paths for 41157 but neither of them work.

This Jan 2021 post refers to a 26044 version. I found the link, as tabled above.

This Feb 2021 post refers to a 41793 version. I found the link, as tabled above.

This Jul 2021 post refers to version 42095. I found the link, as tabled above.

This Sep 2021 post refers to a 45879 version. I tried the dlcdnets path with both the 3004 and 9004 (beta) variant paths for 45879 neither of them work.

Best case one of these gets you up and running again. Might help some other folks too.

k.