ASUS RT-AC88U really slow 2.4 GHz speed

[haihane]

i just bought this on 24th August 2018, while i moved the older RT-AC87U to my office (it's time the office had an upgrade too).

but recently, this new router of mine has been giving me problem, on a 2.4 GHz wifi network, i get speedtest download like 4 mbps at best.
on 5 GHz, i get my full allocated 30 mbps down.
for the above, i used both my phones to test it.

so far, what i've tried:
- Factory Defaulted it (both restore and initialize button)
- changed SSID
- unplugged the LAN devices from router's butt, and rerunning the speedtest (to the same effect. 2.4 GHz connection speed is still ****).
- my grandma downstairs is complaining she cannot stream youtube smoothly, the pressure is on me. (i need 2.4 GHz to penetrate all the way to ground floor, RT-AC87U did it without breaking any sweat, why couldn't this be the same?)

and for the love of god, this damn thing costs like 450 SGD.
any ideas? please help?
a brand new router shouldn't behave like this, even my 3 year old RT-AC87U kicks this new router's ass with half its eyes closed.

[haihane]

i do get one to one replacement for this thing right? i have the box, the purchase receipt, and even the plastic wrapping this thing up all neatly tucked inside the box where it came from.

the 2.4 GHz speed clearly isn't normal. the coverage is much lesser than my old RT-AC87U.
i bought this thing at singapore, but i've since went back to my home country (Indonesia). where do i send this for a one to one replacement?

thankfully i can reuse this ancient piece of linksys router from office back at home in the meantime.

(in the meantime, until i do such, i shall just tinker around by swapping antenna parts to other ports, and see if anything improves).

[haihane]

tried swapping antenna around, with Wifi Analyzer android app open, then running speedtest, **** speed.
next, tried detaching all the antennas. had a look at wifi analyzer graph: wtf, the singal stength graph didn't even change much. i'm literally 2 metres away from the router at this point. you don't need me to tell you the 2.4 GHz speedtest result (spoiler alert: speed's still ****)

decided to consult online user manual, found the tiny little red button at the back of router.
pressed and held it for 10 seconds, then released it.
assumed factory reset.

i did the most basic setup: keyed in new admin password, SSID password, next next next.
waited for wifi to show up, connected my phone to 2.4 GHz. what you see below is the "clean format" speed, as clean as it can be:



and, IF i connect to 5 GHz wifi:



i don't want this worthless piece of half baked Router.
it's 04:40 a.m., i'm beyond pissed on something i should just set, plug, play, and forget.
if this is software issue, FOR GODS' SAKES, FIX IT AND GIVE ME NEW FIRMWARE, ASAFP.

if this is hardware issue, I WANT MY REPLACEMENT! NOW!

[haihane]

God, i am MAD. i'll hunt down ASUS service center in the morning and shove this **** back at them.

[haihane]

Ladies and Gentlemen, i have quite a story to tell:

i did mention previously the wifi still somewhat worked, right?
today i woke up, i ran a quick speedtest on 2.4 GHz band, meh, okay, crap speed (i get it).
time to look for the service center from the address i got from asus site.
i found it, walked in, and asked if they accept ASUS Router Warranty repairs.
gave them the serial number, they keyed in my serial number to their PC, and told me lots of stuff, but there's only few things i remembered:
- this RT-AC88U is classified as Local Warranty, not Global Warranty (i cannot bring this router here to service)
- this place i went to, apparently is an "ASUS Authorized Service Partner", not a Repair Center. the nearest RC (Repair Center) is located at Pekanbaru (OH HELL NO, too far). in a way he's hinting that i'm SOL, that i have few other options:
a. call this service hotline (1500-128)
b. take a trip to singapore, go back to the shop and ask for a one-to-one replacement.

during lunch break, i decided to call that number. he asked me the serial number, i provided him that (it's convenient to have this jotted down).
the guy was very polite (great CS training), i almost felt bad having to complain to him about the router. the CS dude tried to guide me through router reset procedures, and asking things like how many wifi connections there were (standard CS stuff, i don't blame him). to try to save both his and my time, i told him what i've done, including the Wifi analyzer app i used to test signal strength and that i'm literally metres away from the router.

the CS guy on the phone told me the same thing the authorized service partner told me, that i had to send this back to the shop where i purchased this from.
sighing a defeated tone, i thanked him and voted highly on the quality of service i received (but my problem's not solved yet).

i went ahead to finish my work today, got home, and guess what? NO WIFI! both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz crapped itself!
as if somewhat fortunately (the only silver lining in this series of misfortunes), LAN port still works. i'm typing this diary with the "trusty" RT-AC88U. 

i'll pack this router early in the morning and off i go to Singapore and ask for replacement.
pics coming up!

[panzlock]

haihane wrote:
Ladies and Gentlemen, i have quite a story to tell:

i did mention previously the wifi still somewhat worked, right?
today i woke up, i ran a quick speedtest on 2.4 GHz band, meh, okay, crap speed (i get it).
time to look for the service center from the address i got from asus site.
i found it, walked in, and asked if they accept ASUS Router Warranty repairs.
gave them the serial number, they keyed in my serial number to their PC, and told me lots of stuff, but there's only few things i remembered:
- this RT-AC88U is classified as Local Warranty, not Global Warranty (i cannot bring this router here to service)
- this place i went to, apparently is an "ASUS Authorized Service Partner", not a Repair Center. the nearest RC (Repair Center) is located at Pekanbaru (OH HELL NO, too far). in a way he's hinting that i'm SOL, that i have few other options:
a. call this service hotline (1500-128)
b. take a trip to singapore, go back to the shop and ask for a one-to-one replacement.

during lunch break, i decided to call that number. he asked me the serial number, i provided him that (it's convenient to have this jotted down).
the guy was very polite (great CS training), i almost felt bad having to complain to him about the router. the CS dude tried to guide me through router reset procedures, and asking things like how many wifi connections there were (standard CS stuff, i don't blame him). to try to save both his and my time, i told him what i've done, including the Wifi analyzer app i used to test signal strength and that i'm literally metres away from the router.

the CS guy on the phone told me the same thing the authorized service partner told me, that i had to send this back to the shop where i purchased this from.
sighing a defeated tone, i thanked him and voted highly on the quality of service i received (but my problem's not solved yet).

i went ahead to finish my work today, got home, and guess what? NO WIFI! both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz crapped itself!
as if somewhat fortunately (the only silver lining in this series of misfortunes), LAN port still works. i'm typing this diary with the "trusty" RT-AC88U. 

i'll pack this router early in the morning and off i go to Singapore and ask for replacement.
pics coming up!

That's a long story. Must I read it all?

Alright, I have no solutions to any of your quandaries, be they technical or social, but I suppose I can make you feel better.

Just today I had a streak of bad luck that would make lightning strike survivors say, "That poor *******". The week started off well enough with a sudden upsurge in the stocks I currently hold. So well, in fact, that I considered taking up a new drug addiction and propositioning a high priced call girl online. But this morning I begin my routine stock performance review and sure enough, red, red, red, red, red...all bleeding like a quintet girl band on synchronized menstrual cycles.

Then I get a call from the post digging company I hired to dig my fence posts that they're on their way. So I leave work to meet them, provide them with locate information, quick meet and greet, we exchange our most recent experiences from various categories, have a quick chuckle and I race back to work. Then I have to go back to pay and I discover that they cut a phone line during the dig. Sure enough, no internet. Call the ISP and they tell me I'll get a call back from them in up to 48 hours (worst case).

In the span of time it takes the Earth to rotate around its axis, or a mayfly to live its entire life I suddenly began hemorrhaging money and I have zero entertainment. To complement my troubles I was hit with a physical ailment, as well. I seem to have pulled something a few days ago and today it turned into back spasms. This rules out any potential activity with a professional bedroom acrobat even if I had the money to pay for, or internet to order, her services.

So now, instead of running free like any man should, I have to stay at home...with NO internet...which means NO entertainment of any kind...and sit there......with the wife.........and talk.

Oh, and I got Rick rolled, again.

[haihane]

The champ,


The Champ's box


Pls, champ, just last until gaming time tonight. or i be flippin tables.
┻━┻ ︵ヽ(`Д´)ﾉ︵ ┻━┻

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

[haihane]

at least you have a wife.
i have no wife, no wifi either! 

Update: Wifi is still down.
i have this long ass router system log filled with nothing but this:


up until today, wifi has not been found yet 
(P.S.: i read your story. i guess it's time to say: cool story, bro...?)

[MasterC]

Tried different Control Channels (Wireless section)?

[haihane]

MasterC@ASUS wrote:
Tried different Control Channels (Wireless section)?

hello MasterC, for a while i thought i was on my own here .
Control Channel, the [Auto], or 1-9 ?
yah, i did, before the wifi died entirely 

i used a torchlight and looked through the vent holes at the bottom of the router, i didn't see anything outta the blue. didn't smell anything weird either.
got me head scratching, really.

for your sake, i did take the router out from the box and reassembled it to test one last time, including the instructions in the mail from asus customer service center (the CS person in the mail gave me 3 solution types, tried all three to no avail):
- after the factory reset, and then going through the connection wizard (nothing fancy, didn't even enable QoS), the wifi didn't show up in my phone.