[buffalo0207]

I have an R8500 with the latest BS 42847 firmware. For the last few firmware updates, my wifi has stopped transmitting after installation. The Wireless SSID Broadcast in Wireless>Basic Settings is always set to enable.

For a while, I just left it. But recently, I found a way to get it working again, by installing a really old Firmware: DD-WRT v3.0-r30260 std (07/20/16), and then reinstalling my CFE. Method below...

https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1169279#1169279

The wifi then transmits again and I'm then able to reinstall the latest firmware without issues.

So really, I'd like to know why this issue is happening, and is there a faster way to get my wifi up and running after a firmware update without having to apply the brutal fix above everytime?

Thanks...

[kernel-panic69]

I don't quite understand why you would need to re-install the bootloader. Are you talking about nvram settings? The R8500 is problematic at best, but at least you found a working solution, whatever it exactly is.

[buffalo0207]

I don’t know why the boot loader needs to be reinstalled either, but although the method above works, is there not something that will manually restart the WiFi radios or something? Maybe there’s a line of code or a script that is quicker to get things working again without applying this long method above?

[buffalo0207]

Does anyone have an idea, or a faster solution to my issue?

[kernel-panic69]

After doing a little reading, I don't. Is this happening with every upgrade, or was this just random?

[buffalo0207]

Thanks for getting back.

It's been happening for the last few firmware updates since this year. I can't say exactly when, but probably firmwares dating back since February.

[tampora]

The version DD-WRT v3.0-r42287 std (02/06/20) seems to be the last version that works with my R8500, in case that helps. I have tried pretty much every release since then and no SSID is broadcast on any of them.

Hope this helps

[kernel-panic69]

It could be that the default setting is "off" and if the router has a button to turn the radio(s) off and on, then it needs to be cycled?

[buffalo0207]

Well, I discovered that the wifi radios stopped working if I did an nvram erase && reboot and then installed the latest update by CLI.

Now I just do a 'factory reset settings' and then upload the latest firmware using the GUI and now my wifi doesn't disappear.

[egc]

nvram erase should be done after upgrading to a recent build.
If you do that on builds from 2018 or earlier the result is unpredictable

[buffalo0207]

[egc]

The command changed so on earlier builds you might erase to much (or too little).
So go back to a working build (if necessary stock) and only after upgrading to recent builds do the nvram erase && reboot

[buffalo0207]

@egc

Thanks. I'm gonna try and revert back to stock firmware then and then back again to the latest ddwrt release.

[puremind]

The Nitro QAM (QAM1024) support option simply disappears (it doesn't appear at all) from the 3 wireless configs when this issue happens.

I wouldn't blame the R8500 for this, but the firmware breaks some config at some point.

[puremind]

And also, besides my method to fix issues with R8500 and ddwrt, this gets the very bad network wifi speeds resolved...

Follow my instructions on the topic to reflash the firmware version release 30260 first :
https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1169279#1169279

Then do CFE only if WIFI is not working at all.

I've upgraded today to release 44213

For whatever reason, WIFI speed were absolute rubbish unless you set these options like below for the 3 radios... then speeds go up all the way to ~650 MBits/sec


Hope this helps some more people out there