Posted: Thu May 06, 2021 6:53 Post subject: Reliability problems with ASUS RT-AC88U
I'm using my RT-AC88U since quite some years as my main router without major problems and updating DDWRT from time to time. Also using some more DDWRT routers as access points. Over the last few months i see the RT-AC88u is getting more and more unreliable. The 2.4 GHz WLAN interface disappears from time to time. With builds from last 2-3 months the interface is not available most of the time. Only very few times it is still there. When the 2.4GHZ disappears the configuration of the 5GHz is messed up since configuration is partially taken from first WLAN interface. if i install an build from last year the 2.4GHZ is present and after upgrading to a more recent build it is also present but likely disappears after one of the next reboots.
The second issue i can see after some time the router does not take new connections and is also not accessible anymore via the GUI or SSH. Existing established connections like Skype, WhatsApp, streaming are still continue to work. This could happen after a few hours or even some days of operation. The router is not overclocked or running exceptional hot (CPU 80.8 °C / WL0 48.5 °C / WL1 49.0 °C). Not sure if it is slowly dying or it is an problem with more recent DDWRT builds.
Im not using the experimental build. To workaround this problems i have scheduled a weekly reboot. But this also does not work very well since the lookup is happening sometimes only a few hour after the reboot. Does anybody here has the RT-AC88U reliably running with one of the recent build or can recommend one build wich is running reliably on his unit for a longer time (weeks, months)?
I don't like to spend money on a new unit before knowing my hardware is bad. Not sure if i should invest in a new RT-AC88U or if the is actually a more appropriate option in this class. looks to be newer ASUS units are not supported and there are not to many valid other options for an more powerful router?
Any feedback would be much appreciated. _________________ Asus AC-RT88U (Gateway, asus_rt-ac88u-firmware_52459.trx)
Asus AC-RT88U (AP, asus_rt-ac88u-firmware_52459.trx)
Asus AC-RT68U (AP, asus_rt-ac68u-firmware_52459.trx)
Asus AC-RT66U (AP, dd-wrt-52459-Asus_RT-AC66U.trx)
Linksys E3000 (AP, dd-wrt.v24-52459_NEWD-2_K3.x_mega-e3000.bin)
Linksys E4200 V2 (openwrt-18.06.5-kirkwood-linksys_viper-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin) not used at the moment
The power supply might not be able to deliver enough anymore.
Since WiFi Chipsets tend to need quite some current, this might result in hardware malfunctioning and those chipsets powering off.
If old firmware, that used to work also does have these problems --> I'd go ahead and try a new supply.
@Zyxx good advice. For the moment I also disabled both WLAN interfaces since my access points can compensate for this. I will see if I find a matching power supply or be able to open the existing one to check for bad capacitors. _________________ Asus AC-RT88U (Gateway, asus_rt-ac88u-firmware_52459.trx)
Asus AC-RT88U (AP, asus_rt-ac88u-firmware_52459.trx)
Asus AC-RT68U (AP, asus_rt-ac68u-firmware_52459.trx)
Asus AC-RT66U (AP, dd-wrt-52459-Asus_RT-AC66U.trx)
Linksys E3000 (AP, dd-wrt.v24-52459_NEWD-2_K3.x_mega-e3000.bin)
Linksys E4200 V2 (openwrt-18.06.5-kirkwood-linksys_viper-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin) not used at the moment