AC86U - update from 384.13 to 384.14 beta 3 - hangs

[L&LD]

@Kingp1n, the devices need to be rebooted, not the router.

 

[st3v3n]

Kernol (re#5), a good procedural write-up, along the lines of L&LD's and what I've sometimes attempted to explain that we use with all of our routers. Between this and L&LD's nuclear method, these just almost always work for our 86Us, provided one is patient and sticks with all the steps. Somtimes (re Hardcat, #16) after a FW update, one of our routers did return with the address of .50, but replaced it, performed a un-powered/cold reset/reboot and went forward, not to be repeated. The others stay on 192.168.1.1 after updates. The 86 is a lovely and finicky beast at times. Ours have their own UPS battery backUPS, and each has it's own physical flipper switch in the power distribution box, which has saved us a lot of grief. I don't miss fumble-fingering the power cable/button or un-plugging/re-plugging the wall-wart from the AC socket and the distribution box accomplishes the same thing.

The newer 86U's we have are ready to go from a cold start in 3 minutes, I keep a seperate and empty browser for woking with the routers. All of our gear is powered completely down (and removed from power at night until morning) which seems to keep the RAM use low.

Re Kingp1n's #20, it reminded me of an instance when the static IP assigned to a device in LAN>DHCP failed to hold and/or re-populate as it should. The first couple of AC86Us we bought last year refused to upgrade to Merlin, wouldn't hold assigned static IPs and had other problems so I returned them back to Amazon after futzing with them a week; the new ones have had no problems.

The only time I've run into a static IP not sticking lately was with in our new Samsung 4K/HDR10 set, at first it balked at accepting a DNS address different from what Samsung had set at the factory, and it didn't want to save inside the openvpn tunnel. After using much the same routine as updating the routers (twice) the new DNS address finally held in the TV and it stayed and streamed beautifully in the VPN tunnel. We don't normally stream using the set's innards, the AppleTV 4K/HDR and Roku Ultimate 4K/HDR10 do a better job. Good thread, cheers and Merry Christmas to all.

 

[princi]

Then you did not do a full reset to factory defaults.

I went back to confirm and guess what I discovered.

After doing a full factory reset, both 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.50.1 can be used!! Although, it defaults to using router.asus.com

However, after doing the quick setup, only 192.168.1.1 continues to work. 192.168.50.1 is no longer reachable.

Whilst this clarifies the misunderstanding, I still have the same problem.

 

[princi]

Problem solved.

Tried many things, eg. stopped using an expired version of WinRAR to unzip the file, unplugged the power cable just in case residual power was preventing a full reset, downloaded the firmware again.

Was even patient, allowing time for the GUI / file system to settle down.

Was about to stand on one leg, turn 3 times while clapping - and only then clicking on OK....

...when it finally worked.

 

[st3v3n]

Princi, glad you got it working.

 

[TheLyppardMan]

L&LD, i haven't done a nuclear reset yet on my RT-AC86U router, however, I have done a full reset from the GUI which does reset my IP address back to 50.1. After setting up my router back up...by this time, normally all my devices have been assigned an automatic IP address. My question is, when I'm trying to restore my dhcps (static IPs) using Xtrenk's guide. Although the dhcp staticip addresses do populate, they never get assigned the static ip's that I want even after rebooting the router. Is there a way to force the static ips to be assigned again?

Strange, because I've had several RT-AC86U's and all have defaulted to 192.168.1.1 after a full reset. The only router I have come across that defaults to 192.168.50.1 is the RT-AX88U I have now.

 

[Deleted member 22229]

The AX58U also defaults to 192.168.50.1

 

[L&LD]

The 192.168.50.1 'default' may be regional.

 

[TheLyppardMan]

The AX58U also defaults to 192.168.50.1

Maybe it's the plan to use 192.168.50.1 for all the new AX routers. I wonder why they changed it? Could it be to try to make it more secure by not using the much more common 192.168.1.1? I changed my RT-AX88U to something totally different anyway so it's only an issue for me if I do a complete reset, which I hope won't have to be too often.

 

[Deleted member 22229]

Not sure of there reasons it is strange. But as you stated for us savy people we just change it to what ever we want anyway.

 

[st3v3n]

Re # 26 and 29, we had a couple of 86Us a while back that I ordered for a former client, and they hadsimilar issues out of the box. Both refused to hold the upgrade to Merlin or stay on 192.168.1.1. but the was before the days of the nuclear reset options.

Amazon immediately replaced them and there were no further problems; a few batches of any model seems to leak out now and then, but all of the other Asus models I've ever owned or worked on have been solid as a rock, all running Merlin.

A bit off topic query, if any who have owned both the 88u and Rt-AC5300 would care to compare/comment on the quad core CPU capabilities/qualities and wired throughput; am thinking about snagging one of the quad core Asus models for a personal wi-fi router while prices are somewhat lower than usual. Thanks, S.

 

[Vexira]

The 192.168.50.1 'default' may be regional.

I have it with my AX88U, the IP address change might be default to Ax units

 

[K-2SO]

My RT-AC86U on last 2 Asus stock FW defaults on 192.168.50.1 too. It was 192.168.1.1 before.

 

[st3v3n]

Just my hunch, since I don't run the factory/stock firmware, but after all of the units I've worked with are updated/upgraded to Merlin, during the initial configuration phase I've changed the 'new' Asus stock default IP back to the old 192.168.1.1 (or whatever address the client wants) then save and reboot the router, and it just holds. Hopefully Asus hasn't decided to emulate MS, ie, 'Hey owners, y'all just let us take care of this for you fellas' because. If that were the case, it would be sad if it led to the engineers or company eventually hard-coding their address of choice into the field.

After all these years, it doesn't wouldn't make sense to do it that way, as there will always be the need for someone to want a different gateway or IP address due to technical issues or personal preference. Cheers.

 

[L&LD]

Almost every customer I have I put them on a new LAN IP range. Anything other than 192.168.1.1, 192.168.50.1, or the defaults for 172.16.x.x and 10.0.x.x too.

I never had any issues in many years doing so. And one of the reasons I do so is to not be able to mistakenly assume which customer's network I'm working on.

 

[st3v3n]

L&LD, Agreed, after awhile it's a blur and easy to forget which rig belongs to whom. Pretty much retired but before I did, I always videoed setups or the more complicated work. I got old but the work never does.
Wonder, how you like your AX88U, was considering an RT88 or RT-AC5300

 

[L&LD]

@st3v3n

I really like the RT-AX88U and believe it to be the best performing and most reliable/stable router I've had that RMerlin supports.

The RT-AC5300 I would only consider today if the price was substantially less than the RT-AX88U, and even then, I might keep saving.

 

[st3v3n]

Currently the RT-88 about $100 less than the RT-AC3500, and I could build a couple more SFF Intel PfSense boxes with 4 port Intel NICs I built a PfSense box with an 8-core AMD chip, though it ran like bulldozer I had to retask it.

I don't game so the AX88 or the RT-AC5300 would likely be more than I need. The RT-AC88 with the 1.4 cpu is about what the RT-86 used to cost though it's relative as they're new yet five years old. Perhaps they'll reduce it in one of their spring offering as they've done the past couple of years. Many thanks