AiMesh disconnecting after a few minutes

[Magister]

I have a RT-AX86U and a RP-AX56 as a mesh (wifi backhaul). It works like this for a year. It looks like that since I flashed 388.2_2 that I have problem with the mesh.
At startup, LED on the mesh is solid white, I can ping it, it has an IP address, it is in the DHCP leases and Wireless log with a very good signal, it has same FW for years.

But, in the AiMesh topology, after a few minutes it says:

Connection Quality
Disconnected

I rebooted it, I factory reset the mesh to reconnect to it, it still happens. The mesh appears as green/connected in the topology for a couple of minutes then go in disconnected mode.

Then the mesh is blinking blue. It looks like I can still ping it however for a few minutes, then it disappears from dhcp/wireless list.

Log was filling with:

May 17 13:26:56 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth6: Deauth_ind 04:42:1A:BA:94:81, status: 0, reason: Previous authentication no longer valid (2), rssi:-51
May 17 13:27:31 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(530): eth6: Auth 04:42:1A:BA:94:81, status: Successful (0), rssi:0
May 17 13:27:31 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(559): eth6: Assoc 04:42:1A:BA:94:81, status: Successful (0), rssi:-50
May 17 13:27:35 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth6: Deauth_ind 04:42:1A:BA:94:81, status: 0, reason: Previous authentication no longer valid (2), rssi:-51
May 17 13:27:35 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth6: Deauth_ind 04:42:1A:BA:94:81, status: 0, reason: Previous authentication no longer valid (2), rssi:-51
May 17 13:28:29 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(530): eth7: Auth 04:42:1A:BA:94:84, status: Successful (0), rssi:0
May 17 13:28:29 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(559): eth7: Assoc 04:42:1A:BA:94:84, status: Successful (0), rssi:-55
May 17 13:28:33 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth7: Deauth_ind 04:42:1A:BA:94:84, status: 0, reason: Previous authentication no longer valid (2), rssi:-55
May 17 13:28:33 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth7: Deauth_ind 04:42:1A:BA:94:84, status: 0, reason: Previous authentication no longer valid (2), rssi:-55
May 17 13:28:57 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(530): eth7: Auth 04:42:1A:BA:94:84, status: Successful (0), rssi:-55
May 17 13:28:57 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(559): eth7: Assoc 04:42:1A:BA:94:84, status: Successful (0), rssi:-55
May 17 13:29:01 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth7: Deauth_ind 04:42:1A:BA:94:84, status: 0, reason: Previous authentication no longer valid (2), rssi:-55
May 17 13:29:02 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth7: Deauth_ind 04:42:1A:BA:94:84, status: 0, reason: Previous authentication no longer valid (2), rssi:-54

 

[bbunge]

Have you tried the stock Asus firmware on the AX86U? Oh, there is no 382.2_2 firmware...

 

[Magister]

It's 388.2_2, I fixed it in original message

 

[wrink]

I had the same exact problem, with a AX-58U as main router and RP-AX56 as its sole mesh node. When it happened, the issue looked so bad that I suspected the RP-AX56 hardware was the root cause. Multiple factory resets, reboots and re-connections as AIMesh node did not help.

It was working fine before the 388.2_2 upgrade from 388.2, it struck me, as I read this thread.

I went back to 388.2 and the problem completely disappeared, and have had no issues for at least half a day. Most definitely can't be a hardware issue, if things can get so much better with reversion to older firmware.

Very likely it was a regression bug introduced in 388.2_2 - given the above experience so far. Even though AI mesh portion is supposed to be closed-source binaries, it does very much look like Merlin's minor changes somehow introduced a bug. I don't think I should've upgraded needlessly anyway.

 

[frca]

I have the exact same setup (though I have 2 RP-AX56) and the exact same issue. The issue randomly started happening last night/this morning as far as I can tell. I tried factory resetting both units and upgrading RT-AX86U to 3.0.0.4.388_23285 but I'm still having the same issues. If you find anything out, let me know!

 

[guruabyss]

I'm having the same issue and do are alot of others all around the same time... not weird at all. Adding the thread here: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/asus-aimesh-node-rp-ax56-keeps-disconnecting.85031/

Here are two other threads with the same topic on different forums:

ASUS Gaming Routers Forums Thread: https://rog-forum.asus.com/t5/gamin...-rp-ax56-keeps-disconnecting/m-p/930168#M5309
Tom's Hardware Thread: https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/asus-aimesh-node-rp-ax56-keeps-disconnecting.3807656/

 

[To the ocean]

hey guys, I found the FAQ from ASUS can work!
First, save profile: https://www.asus.com/tw/support/FAQ/1001376/
Second, perform a hard reset: https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1039074/
Third, re-upload the profile saved by the first step

I use this way to fix my RT-AC86U, I think it could save your RT-AX86U too.

 

[Magister]

Ok so a lot of people have the exact same problem at the same time, Asus bug on the RP-AX56 as people have different routers?

EDIT: it looks like it's an asus problem that affect about every routers

https://twitter.com/x/status/1659031695721627650

Technical details: asd seems to be a security daemon that looks for on-device malware & other bad stuff. It regularly fetches definition files, blockfile and chknvram. The latest file, chknvram20230516, appears to be corrupt. asd can't gracefully handle that

So this is why even an old RP-AX56 with a 2021 firmware will crash. About every ASUS router (not on Merlin) are crashing.

 

[Magister]

Factory reset the RP-AX56 this morning and re-linked it, I connected on it to check the infamous ASD log:

1525496705[register_feature] blockfile registered
1525496705[register_feature] chknvram registered
1525496705[register_feature] misc registered
1525496705[are_all_sig_file_valid] Local version file is invalid!
1525496705[init] Remove all invalid files
1684416346[check_version_from_server] Check server at Thu May 18 13:25:46 2023
1684416350[update_signature_in_feature] Update sig in feature(blockfile)
1684416352[update_signature_in_feature] Update sig in feature(chknvram)
1684416352[check_version_from_server]update version file

It seems the culprit, invalid chknvram20230516 file, is now replaced with chknvram20230518 on my setup and log file does not fill JFFS nor take 100% CPU.
I guess ASUS fixed their file...

 

[Maneck Bodhanwaka]

Factory reset the RP-AX56 this morning and re-linked it, I connected on it to check the infamous ASD log:


It seems the culprit, invalid chknvram20230516 file, is now replaced with chknvram20230518 on my setup and log file does not fill JFFS nor take 100% CPU.
I guess ASUS fixed their file...

How'd you ssh into the RP-AX56? Sorry for sounding like a noob. Have never done this before. My repeater has the same issue and the LED goes red a minute after starting up.

I've already reset it but once I add it to my AIMesh the LED goes red and I'm unable to SSH into it.

 

[RejZoR]

Oh my god, I'm having this issue, too. Weird thing is, after updating my RT-AX58U to 388.2_2, all was fine, but then after 2 days, CONSTANT disconnects. Ridiculous. What changed suddenly after working fine for 2 days? And now it's disconnecting every 5 minutes after I reboot the node.

 

[RejZoR]

Reverted RT-AX58U to Merlin 388.2 and my RP-AX56 keeps disconnecting. What the frack?!

 

[wrink]

Reverted RT-AX58U to Merlin 388.2 and my RP-AX56 keeps disconnecting. What the frack?!

Reverting to 388.2 for my RT-AX58U has led to 1 day, 7 hour rock solid stability for me.

Did you factory reset and re-add the RP-AX56 it to the AX-58u as a mesh node after the 388.2 reversion ?

 

[Magister]

I have not reverted nor reseted my RT-AX86U, I just removed the mesh node from it. Then I reseted the RP-AX56 to factory reset, and re-add it from my router. May 16 or 17 it crashed/disconnect after a few minutes, but starting from May 18 it is solid because it took the new file.

@Maneck Bodhanwaka When you start your mesh you may only have a few minutes to access it before it disconnect because of this problem, hence the need to reset it. I access my router via ssh with a key (not a password). When you add mesh, it automatically copy your settings and your key to the mesh, so I can just ssh to the mesh (check its IP in the router) with the same key. I don't know if it works the same for password or telnet.

 

[RejZoR]

Reverted to stock ASUS firmware and I think I'm just gonna leave it this way.

 

[wrink]

Merlin 388.2 also running fine - its just that 388.2_2 has inherited Asus’ bug and thus the problem

i never had to ssh into rp-ax56 or change any file or even factory reset the rt-ax58u - just revert to 388.2 on the rt-ax58u, factory reset and re-add the rp-ax56 as aimesh node - to have complete stability

 

[Magister]

The problem was ASUS own file chknvram20230516 that got downloaded by ASD and was faulty, whatever your firmware revision or router. Starting from May 18 the right file chknvram20230518 is downloaded and everything reworks by itself

 

[RMerlin]

Merlin 388.2 also running fine - its just that 388.2_2 has inherited Asus’ bug and thus the problem

Again, almost no change in 388.2_2 versus 388.2. There was absolutely no new Asus code merged in it.

Your issue has nothing to do with the 388.2_2 release.

 

[wrink]

i see. For me, the reversion to 388.2 must have coincidentally exactly timed with Asus’ file changes, so it looked to me like the fw reversion fixed the issue. Thanks Merlin, for chiming in

 

[guruabyss]

Did two factory defaults to the AiMesh Node: RP-AX56 (Firmware: 3.0.0.4.386_42862-ga9f43cc) (Product Link: https://a.co/d/1fL9diz). and now the network is fully back up.