Asus Asus RT-AX88U with Apple HomeKit and Trend Micro

[Ruud]

Hello people,

After searching the internet for some solutions regarding my router I found this website, which looks awesome because it’s full of good information.

So I hope someone here can help me with a strange problem I have.

My hardware:
Asus RT-AX88U - Firmware Version:3.0.0.4.384_6436 (Asus)

I’ve already contacted Vanic. He’s a software engineer at Asus. Unfortunately Vanic needs some loggings which I can’t create.

Problem:
The problem I have with the RT-AX88U (and also with the RT-AC88U, my old router) are device connection problems with Apple HomeKit (using iOS 13.1, and on a iPad iOS 13.2 beta), only when I turn on the Trend Micro features. I don’t know exactly which option causing those problems, because it would take some time before the problems will start.

When I use the Trend Micro options and start HomeKit some of my devices will give ‘No Response’. Something similar you see when you don’t have an internet connection. I have a lot of HomeKit compatible devices, but devices from Netatmo give the most ‘No Response’ problems. Even more strange is when open HomeKit, and I see the ‘No Response’ message – and I let the HomeKit app open, then sometimes after 30-60 seconds it’s back online. If I don’t touch the app, sometimes 20 seconds later it gives the error again. Very strange behavior, and only when I use the Trend Micro features. Sure, I can turn them off, and all is ok, but I just like them to use.

Vanic ask me for loggings, but the logging keeps empty. Here’s what I did.

- Turned on the telnet option in the web interface of the router
- Installed Putty
- Connect to 192.168.50.1 Port 22, connection type Telnet
- Session logging: All session output
- Putty.log saved to desktop
- Start Putty, login
- Command: bwdpi get_vp 0

Results are only:

=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= PuTTY log 2019.10.08 14:34:58 =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=
RT-AX88U login: ruud2000
Password:
ruud2000@RT-AX88U:/tmp/home/root# bwdpi get_vp 0
---entry_cnt = 0 ---
---------------------------------

I must say I don’t have any experience with Telnet, but tried it with Tera Term as will, with the same empty log results. I also tried other commands like:

---------
bwdpi get_vp 2
shn_ctrl -a get_vp
shn_ctrl -a get_vp_v2
---------

All commands will give the same empty log.

So, I hope there’s someone here who would help me a bit, and/or will share some information about the Apple HomeKit while using Trend Micro. Maybe you have the same strange experiences like I have, or not. Just let me know. I’ve asked Vanic if the Merlin firmware can solve my problem. He said although the Merlin firmware has some great and powerful tools, the AiProtection can’t be changed.

Probably Vanic will also watch this thread, but if there is something that possible is interesting for him I will contact him.

If there is some more info you need, please let me know.

Greets,
Ruud

 

[Vexira]

Try flashing RMerlin firmware then preform a factory reset and manually reapply the settings.

 

[Makaveli]

You are using Stock asus firmware but posting in the asus Merlin firmware thread?

do as suggested above.

 

[Ruud]

Forgot to tell, but on my rt-ac88u I installed the Merlin firmware, but got the same results with HomeKit. Asus told me there isn’t any difference in the trend micro part of the firmware.


Verzonden vanaf mijn iPad met Tapatalk

 

[Greg72]

Homekit has issues period. I have one device that is only Homekit and stopped using it. I ended up going with Smartthings as my main hub with Leviton devices and Insteon on their own hubs, which yes, makes for a very noisy environment.

If your iPad is the Homekit Hub and it is disconnecting from Wifi when it goes into standby mode, you will need to get a Homepod to use as the hub.

If your Router ever gets rebooted, devices can stop connecting and you have to go in and reconnect them. It just happens to be a limitation of the software on the device not the router.

 

[coxhaus]

A couple of things, I have HomeKit installed on my AppleTV(4K) with a EVE switch and it has been working great for a week. I really like it. I have rebooted my wireless APs many times with no issues since I have been testing Wi-Fi calling. I do not have to reconnect anything in the HomeKit. As long as my wireless is up my iPhones can control it. I have a Cisco RV340 router, Cisco switches and Cisco wireless APs.

 

[jld368]

I have an AX88U running Merlin 384.13 and have had this issue with a few particular devices (mainly Wemo smart switches). I too run the Trend Micro protections but I just disabled the Infected Device Prevention and Blocking in the hopes that is the cause.

 

[Makaveli]

Maybe worth disabling AI Protection and running Skynet instead. Seems to be less problematic.