GT-AX11000 - Totally unreliable 2.4Ghz

[Andrew_2468]

Hi All,

I have an issue with my GT AX11000 router. My router is having issues connecting to pretty much all of my 2.4GHz devices. I have a number of them.
I use the Sonoff Smart switches for various lights and devices around the house. In addition to the smart switches I have a number of Google Smart speakers too.
This issue is intermittent, it may work mostly fine for a week or so. But when you monitor the Network map you can actually see the devices connect and disconnect.
In other instances sometimes NONE of my 2.4GHz devices will connect?
It is like the 2.4GHz radio is on the fritz.

Not even my laptop or cellphone can see the 2.4GHz wireless.

No amounts of reboots, fiddling with settings etc seem to have any affect.
Been on the forums here and on SNB, tried different wireless settings. Still no effect.
Such as:
* Turn off WiFi 6
* Turn off Agile multiband
* Change channel
* Change bandwidth
* Turn off roaming assist ( This helped somewhat as the 2.4Ghz range apparently is poor (But its fine on my cheapie ISP router??))
* Turn off beam forming
* Fiddle with Smart connect either on or off or some variation of this
* I have use the smart connect on all 3 bands, turned smart connect off entirely ( Had 3 separate bands) or had a 2.4GHz band and then smart connect on the
2x5Ghz bands.
* And others I cant even remember
Suffice it to say there has been a fair amount of poking.

Last time when the router would not pick up ANY 2.4GHz equipment, and nothing helped in desperation I did a reset of the device and configured it again manually.
It worked mostly fine for a day or so and then back to its old tricks again where nothing would stay connected for any decent amount of time!?

I have gone through 3 routers (same model) over the last 2 years each time swapped out under a warranty RMA with the supplier.
Each router has had this very same issue.
2.4Ghz is just totally unreliable. I know lots of other forum posts have issues on speed with 2.4Ghz, not an issue here, but constantly my smart speakers or smart switches are unavailable. Essentially anything on the 2.4GHz band.

This issue beyond infuriating.
I have tried multiple firmware version over the last 2 + years, so perhaps not a firmware issue or it is and just not been fixed over the years.

I am lucky enough that I do not have immediate neighbours being in a free standing house. But I still have checked the WiFi channels for congestion there isnt.
My one neighbour's WiFi network is visible but on a different channel (CH2 and mine is CH10 or CH11) and its very low on signal strength, and I have set the WiFi channels manually and tried different variations.

There are no other wireless devices in my house. This is the only router I have powered on.

To troubleshoot the issue further, I dug out my ISP provided router a TpLink Archer C20. Edited its setup to the below.
2.4GHz WiFi is active.
5Ghz is off
DHCP is off and everything else is as it was when it was powered off 2 + years ago.
Plugged a cable into the AX11000 and into a open LAN port on the C20 (Not the WAN port)

On the AX1100
Turned off the 2.4GHz radio in the professional section.

As soon as the TpLink powered on ALL my 2.4Ghz devices are available.?

Please if you have any ideas, share them with me. Perhaps I have missed something?
I am at my wits end. A router at this price point cannot be this useless.

Almost at the point where I am considering installing the Merlin firmware on it to test if this resolves the issue, OR smashing it with a mallet!
But not keen on either as the retailer may take offence and block a further swap out.

Btw: 5Ghz is fine works with no issues.

Thanks all.
My Current firmware on the unit is: 3.0.0.4.386_46065

Footnote, I have included some images of the devices connected and then shortly thereafter with them not connected. Also a screen grab of the log. Forum wouldn't allow a log upload as an attachment.

[Saltgrass]

Does the TP-Link show its connection speeds?

Different routers may have different antenna configurations as far as orientation and internal or external. If you can't move the router from its present location, perhaps shutdown the computer and monitors sitting next to it and see if anything changes. Even such things as microwave ovens and wireless phones using the 2.4 GHz range can affect your environment.

I think you said this is your second AX11000. Getting one bad device is understandable. Getting two bad ones puts suspicion on your configurations. If you were to get a third one and it had the same problem then more than likely it would be your situation.

With which retailer are you dealing? If it was a local store, maybe they could test it for you. I try to buy these devices straight from ASUS because I always wonder if other retailers might be selling refurbished versions of the device.

I can't think of anything else you could do to troubleshoot. Let us know what happens.

[ahfoo]

2.4 GHz always the the most congested. May be lot of inteference occur within your premises or neighborhood. Even microwave turn on at time will also cause my 2.4GHz to degrade perforamances. Check your 2.4Ghz connection dbm.

[mustangtom]

I suggest running an app like NetSpot on your smartphone or on a laptop to see how many other 2.4GHz channels are being seen from your neighborhood. You might be clashing with your neighbor's channel, which will cause performance and stability issues. Test it next to your router that is having the issue, as well as testing it at other ends of your home to see neighboring signals.

[Andrew_2468]

Thanks all for the info. but I have run those checks using an app on my mobile.
I do not have congestion of note at home. I stay in a free standing house with a fair amount of distance between myself and my neighbors. Whilst yes i can see a neighbors WiFi or two it is a distant signal. Quite low if you look back at the signal strength images from earlier posts.
I have also had my old faithful TPLink router in the same spot as the AX11000 and no issues at all.
Also before I got the Ax11000 I had a Netgear Nighthawk R7000 which also sat in the same spot on my desk. No issues except for coverage. Which is why i forked out for the AX11000.
I am at a loss as to why 3 devices all exhibit some form of this weird WiFi issue.

Yes there are other possible causes for interference, A microwave downstairs in the kitchen, but not on often enough to cause this, only 2 adults in the house.
No wireless door bells, heck I dont even have a wireless printer.

Out of ideas really.

[jzchen]

As noted in your first post you set up your old router in conjunction with the ASUS:

DHCP on the TP-Link is OFF. How are all the 2.4 GHz devices getting assigned an IP address? As I understand it's modem - TP-Link - ASUS?

I have been reading up on the C20 did you have smart connect enabled on it?

802.11ax/WiFi6 have you tried enabling it?

[Andrew_2468]

@jzchen,

The C20 is a pretty old unit, perhaps 5 plus years with a locked firmware.
So no smart connect or anything fancy there.

I have turned off DHCP on the Tplink, DHCP is enabled on the AX11000. The 2.4Ghz devices connect to the Tplink and get an IP from the Asus.
As for the WiFi 6 mode, yup, tried a number of times with various settings. No change worth noting unfortunately.

I finally go so sick of the issue, I have given the Asus Merlin 386.5_2 a go.
I let it use the settings as the original firmware, no 2.4 devices at all are connecting ( there was a scent of 2 devices that connected for a second and then vanished). I then did a reset and reconfigured the router again from scratch.
Unfortunately the same issue.

Attached is an image showing the wireless log which shows that the devices and duration of connection. It looks like the total connection time overall not current connection time.

In other news, the device is not overheating, the WiFi is running at 41 deg and the CPU is 62deg Celsius.

[Saltgrass]

Andrew_2468 wrote:
@jzchen,

Attached is an image showing the wireless log which shows that the devices and duration of connection. It looks like the total connection time overall not current connection time.

In your attachment, both of your 5 GHz radios are showing a device with a Rx rate of 6 Mbps. All of the devices show the same connection time. Do you have any idea why they are showing such a low rate with the strong signal? Have you tried moving them around to see if that changes?

The only one that shows normally is the N350, so what type of device is that?

[Andrew_2468]

Right, Boy oh Boy!!
Finally some news!

But first an answer to the question previously. N350 is my work laptop. The other 2 devices showing on my 5Ghz are cellphones, I can only assume the slider scale of the rates increasing when in use and the low rates when on idle is for power saving features on the cellphones.

Now the revelation.
I had installed Merlin, and was testing. I had the same issue.
Had given up for the night and powered off my laptop and my monitors. Reached down to pick up my cell phone, which still had my Asus Router app open.
I noticed that ALL my WiFi devices were back online ?????
:cool:

Thought that was weird, cool but weird.
So the laptop is interfering with the WiFi? So I powered on my screen. and refreshed the Asus app on my phone whilst I plugged the laptop back in.
And the WiFi devices all fell away!
So it wasn't the laptop, it is my Monitor!
An incredulous revelation. I mean since when does a monitor put out any form of interference at least on a WiFi spectrum or similar?
I have a Lenovo Legion Y27gq-20 27"
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/accessories-and-software/monitors/gaming/65ecgac1us

I powered my laptop on and my other screen ( I have a 27" Lenovo and a 24" Samsung in addition to the laptop screen) leaving the Lenovo off.
WiFi worked as expected. I can even see my 2.4Ghz WiFi on the list of available networks - Previously you didn't even see that.

Turn the monitor on, the devices slowly all disappear from the connected list. After a while there are none left.
if the router is power cycled with the monitor ON, you get nothing on 2.4Ghz.
If the monitor is off when the router is power cycled the devices come on but is erratic to non functional when the monitor is powered on.

I ran this past some of my fellow developer friends at work and no one could believe that this was the cause.
We were chatting about what could cause this, and does the router and monitor share the same power feed, same plug point etc.
They do, all my office setup runs through a APC UPS and a large battery bank as the city power here is prone to load shedding.
Then what else could be plugged in.

Well, I have a USB 3.0 hub plugged into one of the monitors USB 3.0 plug.
This is the model I have https://www.unitek-products.com/products/usb3-0-4-port-hub

If I unplug it, the issue goes away! 😄
The USB ports on the Lenovo are on the same side that the router is on, the hub is plugged into that and hangs down under the monitor.
The Hub then sits next to the router antenna. :rolleyes:

So thankfully its not the monitor -- well it could be.
It could be that there is some form of interference with all the onboard wizardry for the GSync and related circuitry in the monitor Or perhaps a bad ground or similar.
Then the cable and the hub act as a resonator??
Or perhaps the Unitek Hub is just not so well made?
I did plug the Hub into my laptop directly and didn't seem to cause and issue. But further testing is needed. The hub was 40 cm away from the router when I did a quick test.

I also think I need to leave it like this for a few more days for some more longer term tests. I realized this only about a day ago.
Hot damn, never ever thought that this could be a cause for weird WiFi. But I don't think I will be using this hub anymore.

But apparently USB 3.0 has been an issue for 2.4Ghz
Check these URLS
https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/wireless-witch-the-truth-about-usb-30-and-wi-fi-interference
and
https://medium.com/ghostbar/your-usb-3-0-hub-is-killing-your-wifi-some-of-them-yes-a3c343dc4000

The take away sentence is:

In a nutshell - the noise from USB 3.0 interferes with the 2.4 GHz signal. However, the wireless industry is proactive about the problem. Just about all of the router makers I spoke with that offer routers with USB 3.0 ports have those ports shielded to alleviate that interference

So what a ride. 2.5 years of weirdness and irritation caused by a USB 3 hub.
Just wow.

Thanks all for the help and time taken to respond.
Appreciate it. I will test more and feedback later!

[jzchen]

Looking for FCC IDs immediately comes to mind...

EDIT- (Hope you've wrapped the USB hub in layers of Al tin foil by now. I'd give it a few layers for good measure).

[ARGlock]

Stumbled across this thread.  I am having somewhat similar issues with the 2.4Ghz from my AX11000.  I am unable to manually connect to 2.4Ghz on my iPhone when I force it to use 2.4Ghz.  Also, other devices which use 2.4Ghz exclusively (robot vacuum, garage door) are not connecting.  Another symptom is that even 5Ghz connections will drop off occasionally.

Unfortunately, I cannot recall when this started.  My AX11000 was moved to a temporary location whilst we do some renovations in the house--it is possible the problem started close to when the AX11000 was relocated.  My AX11000 is the center of a mesh set up with 4 X ZenWiFi nodes set up in AiMesh.  So this is a deviation from the Andrew_2468's scenario.  Each of the nodes is using wired backhaul so they are each connected to the AX11000 not piggybacking from one to another like they might using wireless backhaul.  I find it difficult that all 4 of the ZenWiFi nodes is having trouble transmitting 2.4Ghz--I would not expect a problem with the AX11000 to be affecting the transmission of signal from the nodes.

I have done a full factory resent of the entire Asus network environment and the problems still occur.

I have since installed a Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 mesh router + 2 satellites in parallel to my Asus set up.  All of my devices (phones, robot, garage door opener) are connected to the Orbi network without problem and is very stable.

I have limited options to locate the AX11000 during my renovations but may try to find another location.