GT-AXE16000 - Signature 2.382 Causes (Ethernet AiMesh) Instability.

[jzchen]

After updating the Signature from 2.380 to 2.382 my RPs, one RP-AX58 and one RP-AX56 node, quite frequently disconnect.  They do not appear to “self heal” like they used to by reconnecting wirelessly/through WiFi, they just drop.  Sometimes this requires me to power cycle the RP to get it back online, and just now I needed to power cycle the GT-AXE11000 node I have on the 2nd floor.  At times I’ll lose WiFi altogether on my oldish iPhone X…

I’m still trying to confirm that the Signature update is the cause but out of caution try to avoid updating to 2.382 for now, at least on the GT-AXE16000!

[jzchen]

To troubleshoot last night before I went to sleep I flashed beta 9.0.0.6.102.4856.  I was awaken from sleep by the house alarm beeping due to disconnect from security monitoring, which is connected to my network via ethernet.  I then downgraded to release 3.0.0.4.388.23012.  I started a 12 hr Feedback, and power cycled my RP-AX56 to bring it back online.

It seems to be behaving since.... 

[jzchen]

When I came back home and had time to attend to the network yesterday afternoon, one RP was offline, I forget exactly which one, (which I unplugged and plugged it back in).  Then just prior to the Feedback log finishing the 12 hours, the other one dropped.  I power cycled that one as well.

After reporting to the moderator as tech support doesn't usually seem to understand the comments I put, I upgraded my primary router, and moved the AXE16000 to be a node.  No node dropping with 2.382 on this router, at least for maybe 6 hours that the network has been up.

[Tommy87]

Same happened with my RT-AC87U, since the auto update of the Signature version to 2.382 my router become untrustable.
How can an untested buggy software be deployed to everyone's routers, it's a shame!!!

[jzchen]

I just realized this afternoon, because I set up an AXE11000 with Frontier fiber replacing the eeros.  There was no Signature Check because I had not enabled AiProtection.  I suspect if you turn off AiProtection the instability will go away, (along with the protection it provides).

I’ll update as soon as I see a new Signature version as I check frequently.  (It is stable on a GT-BE98 Pro interestingly).

[jzchen]

2.384 is now available.  My AXE16000 is now a node but just in case anyone else is suffering from issues with 2.382...

[Saltgrass]

I just realized what you meant by a Signature version.  Mine just went to 2.384 but the firmware version is the same.  Your setup is much more complicated that mine, but my mesh nodes are stable.  I don't have AiProtection turned on either.

Maybe your situation ties back to the problem with the Traffic Analyzer.  

[jzchen]

Did you turn AiProtection on just to download the latest signature, then turn it back off?  After a hard reset of the AXE11000 then set up with Frontier I was confused that the option to check for signature updates was not there.  It took me a good few minutes to realize AiProtection is off after a factory/hard reset (aka by default).  I do have AiProtection turned on but I do not follow everything the scanner suggests to do for safety:  I keep enabled access from WAN, guest login for SAMBA, (very) weak WPA Shared Pass Key, and (very) weak router log in password, (although I don’t agree that that one is actually weak at all).

I like it because it is free, as opposed to other manufacturers who charge a fee (for similar offerings).

BTW- I remember you prefer 2 5 GHz channels, and I saw that Netgear Orbi 970 has a 5k Mbps 5 GHz-1 and 8k Mbps 5 GHz-2, net total throughput 27k Mbps.  Although I am really not fond of the dedicated router and dedicated node design, I think that is the highest 5 GHz throughput available, because 5 GHz can not have a single 320 MHz channel due to something else, (I guess airplanes,) splitting the spectrum…

[Saltgrass]

I don't think I download it, but it was added around 8 a.m on the 9th.  I have never had the AiProtection enabled, is that what the signature version is for?

I don't "like" 2.4 GHz channels, but I have some loT devices which use that network.

If you are referring to a 320 MHz channel, you must be looking at the Wi-Fi 7 situation.  Some normal things, like weather radar, can cause interference, which is why there is an option to include or exclude DFS channels.

Newegg has an auto-notify for the BE98 Pro.  I may not be getting it now because some of the components, Multi-Link, is not supposed to be available until Windows 24H2, which may be Windows 12.  Pretty much the same situation that was seen with Wi-Fi 6e.  Or it could be the 15th Gen processor, which is going to be different.

[jzchen]

Yes sorry I wasn’t clear.  The Signature is for AiProtection, which includes some sort of anti-virus function.  If you don’t want it on then I suggest checking because if it was updated then it is very likely on…

Netgear has 

5GHz-1 (4x4/240MHx, 4K-QAM): 8,647Mbps, Dedicated Backhaul

5GHz-2 (4x4/160MHz, 4K-QAM): 5,765Mbps

I wasn’t referring to 2.4 GHz.  I hope ASUS adopts the 8647 Mbps 240 MHz bandwith at some point, although Qualcomm says that is supposedly available in China (only).  Not sure what is going on with that.

The GT-BE98 Pro has a single 5 GHz channel 5764 Mbps throughput, but two 11520 Mbps 6 GHz channels…