AC68U - dual WAN stability: ISP's DHCP did not function properly

[texashoser]

Has anyone gotten dual WAN (in failover mode) to work properly on the 68U?

In dual WAN mode, the primary interface drops 1-4 times a day with the following error message:

WAN(0) Connection: ISP's DHCP did not function properly.

I'm running the latest version of Asus firmware and reflashing, powering down the primary WAN modem (for 10 minutes) does nothing. If I turn off dual WAN mode, then presto, no more errors and no more drops. My old linksys router router dropped the WAN connection once a year or so...

Moreover, I get these error messages outside of the windows where the router should be making DHCP requests/renewals in the first place.

 

[microchip]

Not sure if this will work but have you tried port forwarding ports 67 and 68 (UDP) to the router's address (eg, 192.168.1.1) ?

 

[texashoser]

Not sure if this will work but have you tried port forwarding ports 67 and 68 (UDP) to the router's address (eg, 192.168.1.1) ?

I saw this mentioned in another thread, but never really saw any results. At most this would be a fix to a bug because forwarding DHCP traffic coming in from the WAN side to the internal LAN IP of the router really shouldn't achieve/do anything.

Looking at other threads, it seems pretty much everyone trying to use dual WAN is seeing the same thing. Without dual WAN working properly, this router is a boat anchor for me.

 

[texashoser]

Update: Asus wants to perform another factory reset...

In case this helps anyone else out, here are more details of the specific configuration:

Primary WAN connection is plugged into WAN port
Secondary WAN connection is plugged into LAN port 1
Both WAN connections are set to Automatic ISP (DHCP) with Enable WAN,NAT, UPnP, connect to DNS server automatically, no authentication, and DHCP query normal mode.

On the Dual WAN config, it''s set to failover with allow fallback and enable watchdog is turned on.

 

[texashoser]

Got to love Asus Technical support. Their latest reply was to send dual WAN documentation that's available via their FAQ. This after I already documented my configuration...

 

[microchip]

Got to love Asus Technical support. Their latest reply was to send dual WAN documentation that's available via their FAQ. This after I already documented my configuration...

They're mindless monkeys sitting all day before computers. They call them "customer support"

 

[texashoser]

Still pretty frustrated at the bugs in dual WAN functionality...

Since I have public static IP's assigned to my Uverse connection, I went ahead and set it up as the primary WAN connection on the Asus router and switched the connection type in the WAN settings on the Asus router to static IP. Worked for a while and then I started to get the following errors:

WAN(0) Connection: Detected that the WAN Connection Type was PPPoE. But the PPPoE Setting was not complete.

Well, that's awesome... The Uverse modem doesn't even support PPPoE on the LAN side: Just DHCP or static.

And, as expected, when I turn off dual WAN support, the WAN connection remains rock solid - no errors.

 

[texashoser]

Dual WAN functionality still unstable and same errors are happening with Merlin's latest load.

 

[texashoser]

Overclocking doesn't help anything... Just FYI.

Submitted screen shots and system log to Asus.

 

[texashoser]

Update:

Asus engineering provided me with a beta release today that is supposed to address dual WAN operation and issues with Uverse connections (nothing detailed as to what the Uverse fixes are...).

I installed and four hours later experienced the same PPPoE error message and disconnection of the primary Uverse WAN, failover to the secondary Time Warner WAN, and then fallback to the Uverse WAN.

To be fair, I didn't do a factory reset after installing the beta firmware. I've done that now, but I'm not hopeful...

 

[texashoser]

Beta FW does not fix the WAN disconnects caused by PPPoE and DHCP errors (at least this is how the errors are logged) caused when dual WAN with failover is configured along with watchdog enabled.

Gary has a working setup, but he's got it in load balance mode (which doesn't incorporate a watchdog). Perhaps the beta load targeted load balancing...

Waiting on engineering for a failover-specific fix.

 

[floorguy]

ok well I understand bits and pieces...enough to get myself into trouble really if i start messing with settings...

anyway, I came across this post in my net search for my issue....which is the same as yours...Mine is the AC66R Best buy Special (which wont be happening again)

drops and sometimes comes back on its own, and sometimes I have to reset it, or unplug it...1 time it even locked me out of my own PW to get back to the console....(that was )

So dual WAN??? does this mean it running both 2.4 and 5??

this disconnecting thing started about 1.5 mths ago, and i bought it the very end of Dec.....

Why now would it start this crap??

Also of note, i had the older firmware when it started, and now have the latest. So its not a firmware # issue....at least I dont think....


Sooooo what we continue to have this thing drop connection when ever it feels like it??? tell they figure it out.. I am sorry but I dont pay $170 to be a beta tester...nor can we afford to have it crash and drop phone calls, or no calls (voip) or in the middle of various work type things...

and i dont particularly want to deal with stupid CS people, that say "did you unplug it?"

 

[floorguy]

so i read some more and my dual wan was off....

but as i read else where, I am confused what dual wan is for??? Sounds like it is used to bring in another source of connectivity.....

like i said challenged on a few things...I just want a plug and play version with great range

 

[Nerre]

You seem to be confusing things there, WAN is for Wide Area Network (i.e. the internet), as opposed to LAN (Local Area Network).

So yes, Dual WAN means "two different connections to the internet".

I thin you may confuse it with WLAN (Wireless LAN)?

Using both 2,4 GHz and 5 GHz is generally called "dual band".

 

[floorguy]

You seem to be confusing things there, WAN is for Wide Area Network (i.e. the internet), as opposed to LAN (Local Area Network).

So yes, Dual WAN means "two different connections to the internet".

I thin you may confuse it with WLAN (Wireless LAN)?

Using both 2,4 GHz and 5 GHz is generally called "dual band".

ok Thanks...

so does this mean I am getting hiccups from the Cable company (internet provider)?

or is it in the router thats causing the disconnects??

 

[texashoser]

ok Thanks...

so does this mean I am getting hiccups from the Cable company (internet provider)?

or is it in the router thats causing the disconnects??

Posting the logs will help others diagnose your issue.

 

[texashoser]

Still waiting on an update from Asus/Gary...

 

[texashoser]

Never received any further update from Gary or engineering. Have asked if the newly released (and buggy) firmware addresses this issue (yes, I know it's not mentioned in the release notes).

 

[texashoser]

Still haven't heard back from Asus recently on this issue, but it appears the latest factory load (3.0.0.4.376_3626) has improved the "DHCP did not function properly" error I receive when running the router in dual WAN mode with watchdog enabled.

Instead of getting this error and the WAN interfacing resetting 3-4 times a day I'm seeing it once every two days or so and have gone three days in a row without seeing it.

Perhaps it's just coincidence...

 

[texashoser]

Latest update doesn't fix this issue.

Asus technical support and Gary have stopped responding to my requests. Guess this isn't going to get fixed...