pioneer_sti
New Around Here
UPDATE: After playing with settings found a way to get it working, but not ideal. More info 3 post down
Hi,
Hopefully someone here can help with this issue. In a nut shell, cable connected (LAN) devices are always at full speed but wireless will just drop way down in speed requiring a reboot. Wireless speed could stay high for 1 hour or 2 days, but will drop within 48 hours.
For reference I have tried 'out of the box' firmware, latest stock ASUS firmware and latest Merlin. Also after reading my second email, please note the old RT-N16 is still providing normal wireless 5 days later.
Sorry for the long first post, but I figure all the facts would be helpful. At this stage, I'm thinking it's time to throw this router in the garbage, unless one of the great minds here can solve the mystery.
Below is the first email I sent to ASUS:
Problem: Wifi slows down randomly. It will be at full 50 Mbps, and then in usually a day or 2 (sometimes less) will drop to between 0.5 to 3 Mbps. While this is happening, anything connected via cable to the LAN outputs has full speed of 50 Mbps, eliminating ISP bandwidth issues as a problem. I have an RT-N10P (serial ********) that I have since placed right next to the RT-AC66R, and even when RT-AC66R has slow wifi the RT-N10P (connected via LAN to RT-AC66R) has fast wifi, so location or interference is not an issue. A reboot (or occasionally 2 or 3) is required to get back the correct speed wifi.
I also have an ASUS RT-N16 (serial ********), and neither that nor the RT-N10P when it was running stock Asus firmware and now Tomato by Shibby have ever had any wifi issues.
This seems to be an old problem as can be seen from this thread on http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showthread.php?t=9765
The RT-AC66R has been upgraded to firmware 3.0.0.4.376_2524.
Looking forward to suggestions to fix this issue, and no longer have to doing twice daily speed tests and almost once daily reboots.
For reference, I did try setting the router to a single channel (Channel 1, as it was always free with inSSIDer checks), but the problem still occurs.
Their reply:
I remember that the bandwidth tends to vary in speed for various reasons, the main one is the number of connected to your modem speed that makes you 54Mbps devices is the most you can get to have, but if you have a width of less than performing a test strip so you mark your connection only.
I'll share the link to downloading the manual from your device and verify your information.
http://www.asus.com/Networking/RTAC66R/HelpDesk_Manual/
My Reply Back (3 days ago no reply yet..
):
Unfortunately I doubt this has anything to do with connections. When the speed tests are performed the ONLY devices on the router (and modem) are the PC doing the test connected to LAN 1 and the cell phone doing the wireless test, and neither is downloading any data, nor are they doing the speed tests at the same time. There is NOTHING else using any bandwidth, or even connected.
As I have two ISPs (using two different modems) in two different rooms I chose to conduct a test over the last 48 hours. To make the below easier to understand we will call one pair Room 1 and ISP 1 and the other pair Room 2 and ISP 2.
Initially the RT-AC66R was connected to ISP 1 in Room 1, and as mentioned would randomly suffer from slow wireless speeds (0.5 to 3.0 Mbps) while the LAN connections still showed full speed of (50 Mbps). The wireless would remain low until a reboot was performed, after which wireless speed would immediately be back up to the full 50 Mbps.
For well over a year I have had the RT-N16 connected to ISP 2 in Room 2 and that router has never suffered a drop in speed over the wireless connections. That connection is a max of 8 Mbps, and wireless tests always show speeds of around 8 Mbps.
Over 48 hours ago I switched the two routers around, so that the RT-AC66R is now on ISP 2 in Room 2, and the RT-N16 is now on ISP 1 in Room 1. The RT-N16, 48 hours later is still showing full 50 Mbps over the wireless connection. The new RT-AC66R, which has been moved to Room 2, has suffered twice in 48 hours from a loss of wireless speed, and required rebooting to gain back full wireless speed (speeds dropped to between 0.2 to 1.2 Mbps). So twice in 48 hours the RT-AC66R loss wireless speed on a connection and in a room that the RT-N16 has run for a year without a single issue. Add to that the RT-N16 is working perfectly for over 48 hours on the ISP, and in the room, that the RT-AC66R could not go more than 48 hours without losing wireless speed.
Both the RT-AC66R and the RT-N16 are running the Asus default settings. The only thing changed in the setup is the login and the network key. All other settings are default. The only setting I ever changed on the RT-AC66R was to change to channel 1 to see if that solved the problem.
Now let's add one more fact. The little RT-N10P was initially providing the wireless connected to ISP 1 in Room 1, but it's signal strength wasn't quite enough, which was the reason for buying the RT-AC66R. So for 4 weeks the RT-N10P in Room 1 was working perfect with no loss in wireless speed, yet the RT-AC66R couldn't work for more than 48 hours without losing wireless speed.
That means two Asus routers can work perfectly in a location that the RT-AC66R can't work perfectly.
One other thing worth mentioning is that the RT-AC66R tends to get quite hot, whereas both the RT-N16 and the RT-N10P are usually just a bit warm. Room temperature is usually 26ºC (79ºF).
With all due respect, when you reply please do not waste my time with a link to the manual. I have taken the trouble to do extensive testing to describe the issue and help you evaluate the situation, therefore please do one of the three in your next reply, so we don't have to trade 20 emails back and forth with the same end result.
1. Provide me with a possible solution to the specific issue to correct the router's failure to maintain a proper wireless speed.
2. I bought the router in Canada (Best Buy) but I live in Barbados, so provide me with information on how and where to send the router in for inspection, repair or replacement.
3. Advise me as a loyal Asus customer that you can help me no further, and I will 'bin' this router and purchase a different one.
Hi,
Hopefully someone here can help with this issue. In a nut shell, cable connected (LAN) devices are always at full speed but wireless will just drop way down in speed requiring a reboot. Wireless speed could stay high for 1 hour or 2 days, but will drop within 48 hours.
For reference I have tried 'out of the box' firmware, latest stock ASUS firmware and latest Merlin. Also after reading my second email, please note the old RT-N16 is still providing normal wireless 5 days later.
Sorry for the long first post, but I figure all the facts would be helpful. At this stage, I'm thinking it's time to throw this router in the garbage, unless one of the great minds here can solve the mystery.
Below is the first email I sent to ASUS:
Problem: Wifi slows down randomly. It will be at full 50 Mbps, and then in usually a day or 2 (sometimes less) will drop to between 0.5 to 3 Mbps. While this is happening, anything connected via cable to the LAN outputs has full speed of 50 Mbps, eliminating ISP bandwidth issues as a problem. I have an RT-N10P (serial ********) that I have since placed right next to the RT-AC66R, and even when RT-AC66R has slow wifi the RT-N10P (connected via LAN to RT-AC66R) has fast wifi, so location or interference is not an issue. A reboot (or occasionally 2 or 3) is required to get back the correct speed wifi.
I also have an ASUS RT-N16 (serial ********), and neither that nor the RT-N10P when it was running stock Asus firmware and now Tomato by Shibby have ever had any wifi issues.
This seems to be an old problem as can be seen from this thread on http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showthread.php?t=9765
The RT-AC66R has been upgraded to firmware 3.0.0.4.376_2524.
Looking forward to suggestions to fix this issue, and no longer have to doing twice daily speed tests and almost once daily reboots.
For reference, I did try setting the router to a single channel (Channel 1, as it was always free with inSSIDer checks), but the problem still occurs.
Their reply:
I remember that the bandwidth tends to vary in speed for various reasons, the main one is the number of connected to your modem speed that makes you 54Mbps devices is the most you can get to have, but if you have a width of less than performing a test strip so you mark your connection only.
I'll share the link to downloading the manual from your device and verify your information.
http://www.asus.com/Networking/RTAC66R/HelpDesk_Manual/
My Reply Back (3 days ago no reply yet..
):Unfortunately I doubt this has anything to do with connections. When the speed tests are performed the ONLY devices on the router (and modem) are the PC doing the test connected to LAN 1 and the cell phone doing the wireless test, and neither is downloading any data, nor are they doing the speed tests at the same time. There is NOTHING else using any bandwidth, or even connected.
As I have two ISPs (using two different modems) in two different rooms I chose to conduct a test over the last 48 hours. To make the below easier to understand we will call one pair Room 1 and ISP 1 and the other pair Room 2 and ISP 2.
Initially the RT-AC66R was connected to ISP 1 in Room 1, and as mentioned would randomly suffer from slow wireless speeds (0.5 to 3.0 Mbps) while the LAN connections still showed full speed of (50 Mbps). The wireless would remain low until a reboot was performed, after which wireless speed would immediately be back up to the full 50 Mbps.
For well over a year I have had the RT-N16 connected to ISP 2 in Room 2 and that router has never suffered a drop in speed over the wireless connections. That connection is a max of 8 Mbps, and wireless tests always show speeds of around 8 Mbps.
Over 48 hours ago I switched the two routers around, so that the RT-AC66R is now on ISP 2 in Room 2, and the RT-N16 is now on ISP 1 in Room 1. The RT-N16, 48 hours later is still showing full 50 Mbps over the wireless connection. The new RT-AC66R, which has been moved to Room 2, has suffered twice in 48 hours from a loss of wireless speed, and required rebooting to gain back full wireless speed (speeds dropped to between 0.2 to 1.2 Mbps). So twice in 48 hours the RT-AC66R loss wireless speed on a connection and in a room that the RT-N16 has run for a year without a single issue. Add to that the RT-N16 is working perfectly for over 48 hours on the ISP, and in the room, that the RT-AC66R could not go more than 48 hours without losing wireless speed.
Both the RT-AC66R and the RT-N16 are running the Asus default settings. The only thing changed in the setup is the login and the network key. All other settings are default. The only setting I ever changed on the RT-AC66R was to change to channel 1 to see if that solved the problem.
Now let's add one more fact. The little RT-N10P was initially providing the wireless connected to ISP 1 in Room 1, but it's signal strength wasn't quite enough, which was the reason for buying the RT-AC66R. So for 4 weeks the RT-N10P in Room 1 was working perfect with no loss in wireless speed, yet the RT-AC66R couldn't work for more than 48 hours without losing wireless speed.
That means two Asus routers can work perfectly in a location that the RT-AC66R can't work perfectly.
One other thing worth mentioning is that the RT-AC66R tends to get quite hot, whereas both the RT-N16 and the RT-N10P are usually just a bit warm. Room temperature is usually 26ºC (79ºF).
With all due respect, when you reply please do not waste my time with a link to the manual. I have taken the trouble to do extensive testing to describe the issue and help you evaluate the situation, therefore please do one of the three in your next reply, so we don't have to trade 20 emails back and forth with the same end result.
1. Provide me with a possible solution to the specific issue to correct the router's failure to maintain a proper wireless speed.
2. I bought the router in Canada (Best Buy) but I live in Barbados, so provide me with information on how and where to send the router in for inspection, repair or replacement.
3. Advise me as a loyal Asus customer that you can help me no further, and I will 'bin' this router and purchase a different one.
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