WRT1900 ACS V1 - Frustrated, Fed Up and Back on Stock

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wadeshuler
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 20 Aug 2017
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 4:02    Post subject: 1900ACS v1 is junk Reply with quote
I have the 1900 ACS v2. From what I learned, the v1 is a complete piece of junk! If I were to buy a new one right now, the Linksys - WRT32X AC3200 Dual-Band Wi-Fi Gaming Router with Killer Prioritization Engine

Originally I purchased the 1900 ACS v1 from Walmart not thinking, and it was the v1. Our iPhones would constantly lose connection. The wifi signal icon was full and fine, but the internet would just die on it. It also would be spotty on my MacBook. Basically anything WiFi.

I quickly did some digging (way back then) and discovered that I should have looked for the v2 model. I returned it to Walmart, and bought a v2 from BestBuy. I have owned it since.

---

I do agree with the quality of the DDWRT firmware releases, at least from an ACS v2 perspective. They are pretty bad.

I am still on Firmware: DD-WRT v3.0-r35898 std (05/07/1Cool. Every few months I look to see what update is out, the reviews on it, and determine if I want to muck with this stupid thing again. Though it has been 4-6 since I even looked now...

I was on a much older version, and everyone that came out forever it seemed, was junk on the 1900acs v2. I think it was like a year before a stable build for us came around. Then the same thing again, junk builds for a while..

I think I am going to wait until tomorrow and make my mind up which version I want.

I may have to just pick one out of a hat and cross my fingers.. These builds are landmines anymore.. I might also go back to stock if Linksys has a recent update. I don't like being super out of date due to security reasons, you just never know and I don't want to rock a vulnerable build for a year or more lol.

_________________
Router: Linksys 1900ACS v2
Firmware: DD-WRT v3.0-r33555 std (10/20/17)
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ddkt
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 17 Mar 2016
Posts: 41

PostPosted: Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:44    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'm not convinced that the hardware is the problem. I do agree that the software for the radios is junk and Linksys is at fault for choosing Marvell.

I picked up a Netgear R7800 as there are many more open source firmware choices. I'll just use this 1900 as a repeater. I'm anxious to try Kong's DD-WRT builds on the Netgear.
ellick
DD-WRT User


Joined: 28 Mar 2016
Posts: 265

PostPosted: Fri Jul 19, 2019 17:14    Post subject: Reply with quote
ddkt wrote:
I'm not convinced that the hardware is the problem. I do agree that the software for the radios is junk and Linksys is at fault for choosing Marvell.

I picked up a Netgear R7800 as there are many more open source firmware choices. I'll just use this 1900 as a repeater. I'm anxious to try Kong's DD-WRT builds on the Netgear.


Were you still having problems with the radios even after switching to openwrt? I haven't had problems with them though with an older build of dd-wrt I couldn't get the 5ghz radio to work at all.

I was looking at the netgear r7800 when I bought this WRT1900acs router. The price was just too high for me even for used ones on ebay.
ddkt
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 17 Mar 2016
Posts: 41

PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2019 11:49    Post subject: Reply with quote
ellick wrote:
ddkt wrote:
I'm not convinced that the hardware is the problem. I do agree that the software for the radios is junk and Linksys is at fault for choosing Marvell.

I picked up a Netgear R7800 as there are many more open source firmware choices. I'll just use this 1900 as a repeater. I'm anxious to try Kong's DD-WRT builds on the Netgear.


Were you still having problems with the radios even after switching to openwrt? I haven't had problems with them though with an older build of dd-wrt I couldn't get the 5ghz radio to work at all.

I was looking at the netgear r7800 when I bought this WRT1900acs router. The price was just too high for me even for used ones on ebay.


I was having trouble with slow speeds on the 5GHz radio even after switching to OpenWRT. It worked great for a few days, then slowed to a crawl. A reboot didn't fix it. I've had none of these problems with the stock FW.

I picked up the R7800 on Amazon Prime Day. Not cheap but I hope much less problematic.
SurprisedItWorks
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 04 Aug 2018
Posts: 1445
Location: Appalachian mountains, USA

PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2019 14:37    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'm baffled by this thread. I have dd-wrt on six WRT1900ACSv2 routers and have had no problems other than intermittent minor (easily fixed with a fan) heat-related problems on two of them. I've never had radios drop out or become weirdly slow.

On 5 GHz I use AC/N-Mixed and have many times seen forum comments to the effect that N-only has issues.

I've run releases 36698, 37736, 38159, 39144, 40009 with no real problems.

So is all the trouble and Marvell hate basically about the earlier and later models? Did I just get lucky when I got started with the WRT1900ACSv2? Or are we really to believe that somehow I had good results in a sea of bad in spite of so many routers and releases?

_________________
2x Netgear XR500 and 3x Linksys WRT1900ACSv2 on 53544: VLANs, VAPs, NAS, station mode, OpenVPN client (AirVPN), wireguard server (AirVPN port forward) and clients (AzireVPN, AirVPN, private), 3 DNSCrypt providers via VPN.
ddkt
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 17 Mar 2016
Posts: 41

PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2019 20:46    Post subject: Reply with quote
Maybe I'm just unlucky. A scan of the thread titles in this forum makes me think maybe not.

Mine is a V1, and some have said that the V2 is much improved. It's great that you're happy with your hardware and DD-WRT. I wasn't. This R7800 has been problem free, fast and has better coverage. Highly recommended.
ellick
DD-WRT User


Joined: 28 Mar 2016
Posts: 265

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 15:08    Post subject: Reply with quote
ddkt wrote:
Maybe I'm just unlucky. A scan of the thread titles in this forum makes me think maybe not.

Mine is a V1, and some have said that the V2 is much improved. It's great that you're happy with your hardware and DD-WRT. I wasn't. This R7800 has been problem free, fast and has better coverage. Highly recommended.


I think it's more likely dependent on your use and needs. I have the ACS v.1 too and besides the builds from a year or so ago where they had known problems with the radios, mine works fine.

The reason I say it's probably dependent on what you use and your needs is because the only thing I can even use the 5ghz radio for is a couple of roku TVs. They work just as well on the 2.4ghz channel and obviously the download speed requirements for a TV aren't as great.

Just out of curiosity, what devices do you use that connect to 5ghz and what speeds to you get on the ACS vs your new netgear?

Edit: I just did a test with my roku tv sitting within 6 feet of the router. On 2.4ghz, set to ch 6, I get 49 Mbps download speed. With the 5ghz radio, set to ch 149, I only get 34Mbps. So you may very well be right about the 5ghz radio on this router and it's just not something other people are noticing.

Edit 2: I played around more and changed the 5ghz channel width from Wide HT40 to VHT80 ext.ch, to UU (+6). Speed then jumped up to the same as 2.4 at nearly 50Mpbs. My issue with this is that sometimes the VHT80 setting works and other times it doesn't so I normally just leave it at HT40.

It would still be interesting to see some of your speed results in comparison to the new Netgear.
SurprisedItWorks
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 04 Aug 2018
Posts: 1445
Location: Appalachian mountains, USA

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 18:57    Post subject: Reply with quote
ellick wrote:
Just out of curiosity, what devices do you use that connect to 5ghz and what speeds to you get on the ACS vs your new netgear?

Edit: I just did a test with my roku tv sitting within 6 feet of the router. On 2.4ghz, set to ch 6, I get 49 Mbps download speed. With the 5ghz radio, set to ch 149, I only get 34Mbps. So you may very well be right about the 5ghz radio on this router and it's just not something other people are noticing.

Edit 2: I played around more and changed the 5ghz channel width from Wide HT40 to VHT80 ext.ch, to UU (+6). Speed then jumped up to the same as 2.4 at nearly 50Mpbs. My issue with this is that sometimes the VHT80 setting works and other times it doesn't so I normally just leave it at HT40.

I'm not the one you were asking, but just as a data point re the ACSv2, on 5 GHz VT80(UU) AC/N-Mixed I run mostly an Android TV and a Roku. The router's status page shows both connected at 780Mbps download speeds. My laptop is currently connected on 2.4GHz NG-Mixed at 270Mbps download speed. All three are in the same room as the router, so strong signals. I do have TurboQAM enabled in the router on both interfaces also.

Generally I have 20 or so devices connected to the router, with 10-12 of those wirelessly. Rokus, TVs, Apple TVs, computers (Windows, linux, Mac OS), network drives, printers, iPhones, and tablets. Pretty much all the usual suspects except no VoiP devices or IoT anything, and Android phones only when visitors are here. Never a problem with anything connecting except some old 2.4GHz G devices, in particular an ancient AirPlay speaker, which connects on the first try maybe 2/3 of the time and otherwise gets on OK after it's power cycled, and an ancient Brother printer, which was so awful at connecting that I finally strung an ethernet cable.

I have never tested the upper limits of speed, because my ISP service is only 200/10. On ethernet connections I have measured very nearly 200 Mbps download on dslreports.com/speedtest (bypassing the vpn). Generally everything but the TVs and streaming devices uses the router's OpenVPN/PBR system to NordVPN, where my net speed of connection through their server obviously depends on their server's mood but typically runs 25-65 Mbps download speed.

When I see the low speeds you folks are reporting with the ACv1 and ACSv1, I'm skeptical that the difference is all about the router model. Could funky wifi settings, weak signals, or interference from neighbors be bigger issues?

_________________
2x Netgear XR500 and 3x Linksys WRT1900ACSv2 on 53544: VLANs, VAPs, NAS, station mode, OpenVPN client (AirVPN), wireguard server (AirVPN port forward) and clients (AzireVPN, AirVPN, private), 3 DNSCrypt providers via VPN.
ellick
DD-WRT User


Joined: 28 Mar 2016
Posts: 265

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 19:35    Post subject: Reply with quote
SurprisedItWorks wrote:

I'm not the one you were asking, but just as a data point re the ACSv2, on 5 GHz VT80(UU) AC/N-Mixed I run mostly an Android TV and a Roku. The router's status page shows both connected at 780Mbps download speeds. My laptop is currently connected on 2.4GHz NG-Mixed at 270Mbps download speed. All three are in the same room as the router, so strong signals. I do have TurboQAM enabled in the router on both interfaces also.



Interesting. Could you post a screen cap of what you're looking at on the router's status page? My own tests were from the speeds showing on the roku tv's own connection test, not the router. I normally have my TV connected wired.

I'm on a 400/20 cable connection and routinely get full download speeds on dslreports.com.

This is with QoS turned on

SurprisedItWorks
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 04 Aug 2018
Posts: 1445
Location: Appalachian mountains, USA

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 19:59    Post subject: Reply with quote
ellick wrote:
...Could you post a screen cap of what you're looking at on the router's status page?
I'm phenomenally ignorant of screensaves and maniuplating the images (shrinking number of pixels, hiding MAC addresses, etc.), but here is the key wifi status info at this moment (when I am the only one home - the beauty of retirement - so the load is light).

Interface TXrate RXrate Info Signal Noise SNR
--------------------------------------------
ath0 866M 24M VHT80SGI -76 -96 20
ath0 866M 48M VHT80SGI -51 -96 45
ath0 144M 173M VHT20SGI -29 -96 67
ath1 216M 300M HT40SGI -48 -77 29
ath1.1 65M 24M LEGACY -44 -77 33
ath1.1 72M 24M HT20SGI -47 -77 30
ath1.3 72M 48M HT20SGI -56 -77 21

_________________
2x Netgear XR500 and 3x Linksys WRT1900ACSv2 on 53544: VLANs, VAPs, NAS, station mode, OpenVPN client (AirVPN), wireguard server (AirVPN port forward) and clients (AzireVPN, AirVPN, private), 3 DNSCrypt providers via VPN.
ellick
DD-WRT User


Joined: 28 Mar 2016
Posts: 265

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 21:18    Post subject: Reply with quote
SurprisedItWorks wrote:
ellick wrote:
I'm phenomenally ignorant of screensaves and maniuplating the images


I got what you're talking about now. We were measuring different things. I was measuring the Roku TV's actual download speed over the internet, not the wireless speed between the router and the roku.

A lot depends on the individual devices and their capabilities which was my point about the original poster's needs. He did point out that he gets much better speeds on his Netgear router though so something is going on. He and I both have the ACS v1 and you mention yours is the v2. They use different firmware.

Besides the roku tv's, I only have an old 7" Asus tablet and a printer that are connected wirelessly. The tablet can't even connect to 5ghz.
doniNZ74
DD-WRT User


Joined: 27 Apr 2016
Posts: 112
Location: Down down .... under

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 22:13    Post subject: Reply with quote
I heard that the 1900ACS v1 is exactly the same hardware as the 1900AC v2?

I have 1900AC v2 and dont have any of these problems. Great router with great wifi etc. Though I must admit that the later builds seem to be much worse with wifi , especially 5GHz. (Chromecast failing to connect)

My go to build at the moment is v3.0-r39800 std (05/15/19). Very reliable and had over a month uptime without any issues. I suggest you try that build, and wipe all config and start again.

_________________
Linksys WRT1900ACv2 - My new go to build: DD-WRT v3.0-r44048 std (08/02/20) - STABLE Smile

My WRT1900ACv2 has now been serving me for more than 5years Smile Most reliable router I have ever owned!
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