Asus AX88u Strange behaviour after firmware update and main 2.4 ghz channel totally away ( GN 2.4 visible)

[Arnold_K]

My router rt-ax88u never had issues with this router until now.

Flashed Asus-Merlin 3004.388.10 alpha 1 no issues. After flashing Asus-Merlin 3004.388.10alpha 2 the issues occur.

My 2.4 ghz doesn’t come on.

Performed hard reset no result, at start up the 2.4 ghz wifi signal pops up and disappear.

Testing testing and testing no result.

Guest network created and the 2.4ghz GN works fine.

Creating 5 ghz guest network, 2.4 ghz network disappears.

Flashed Asus-Merlin 3004.388.10 beta one, no improvement.

I read a lot on SNB and I know there are radio issues with ASUS routers but the strangled thing is the following: the output of the wifi compared with my old RT-ac68u is very poor, and using a wifi scanner on my phone result into EDIGRAM as manufacture of my router ( never seen before).

(I am not able to place screenshts of these results, because the router I leave this disconnected)

My old router has to do now all the work (before I used this as a mesh-node)


Did some several flashes of older asus-merlin and asus original software but without result.



Anybody an idea what happening ?

 

[degrub]

You can try factory reset, power down, wait 10 min, power up, factory reset...repeat a few times. Go back to last known working firmware. Not alpha code.
Other option is to try recovery mode.
Manually config for testing.

CHeck the power brick while plugged in a while -30 min- hour . Cold ? Warm ? Hot ?

 

[Arnold_K]

You can try factory reset, power down, wait 10 min, power up, factory reset...repeat a few times. Go back to last known working firmware. Not alpha code.
Other option is to try recovery mode.
Manually config for testing.

CHeck the power brick while plugged in a while -30 min- hour . Cold ? Warm ? Hot ?

Thanks, I flashed the router with an old asusm old firmware but I also noticed a loose nut one of the antenna mountings. First what I saw was that 2ghz was visible but now 5ghz wasn't visible. I also performed a flash with the recovery tool. I'll try it later on next week but there is some progress.

 

[degrub]

a loose antenna might cause some issues, but should be across any ssid on that radio.

 

[Arnold_K]

a loose antenna might cause some issues, but should be across any ssid on that radio.

Yes indeed but the following occurs now when I follow your instructions.

At startup 2.4gh network is visible 5gh not visible.

When I give the channels different names like arnold24 and Arnold 5 then 5ghz sometimes pop up but after a while both channels are invisible.

Also seen now. I live in the Netherlands, my time differs from my location. I put nl.pool.ntp.org as time server and amsterdam, etc as location.

The rt-ac68u router doesn't give this message while it is the same network. The rt-ax88u which has the issues I configured as an ap at that ac router

 

[Ripshod]

I saw similar on my ol RT-AX88U.
Check the 5GHz MAC isn't zeroed out in the wireless log. How long are you waiting for 5GHz to come up (with certain wifi settings it can take 10 minutes)?

 

[Arnold_K]

Hi I noticed that the mac adres was not empty. In de syslog I saw that the router was mounting a disk and a little bot later unmount the disk.
Very strange because now dosknis attached.

I will try to do a couple of factory resets and make an screenshot, when the issue still occur

 

[Arnold_K]

there are strange issues with this router. now I have the 5g network running and 2.4 nothing. the location setting disapears but when I will start DDNS with a random name, the router display a unauthorized request whil my old ac68u runs like a sun ???, now I recieve this message

so making progres but I think I will buy a new router

 

[bennor]

View attachment 68182

First step, if you haven't done so already, when having weird issues with the router that you cannot otherwise troubleshoot is to perform a hard factory reset on the router followed by a manual configuration. If you have a USB drive attached to the router, remove the drive(s) and do not reattach until you have the router running properly without errors or issues.

Next, others have gotten the missing country code error and have had missing WiFi issue. There is huge thread about the country code and dead wifi:

Solved - RT-AX86U dead WiFi asking for country code?

Hey everyone So a friend of mine bought an used RT-AX86U and asked me to take a look at it because the wifi led are not lighting up and the SSIDs wont show up. Installing merlinWRT didn't fix it either. Looking at the wifi settings opens a popup asking for a country code and the channels are...

www.snbforums.com

Some solve it by flashing the latest stock Asus firmware for their router. Others have requested @ColinTaylor help to fix their issue.

Some might have had the problems start after being infected with malware through the AiCloud feature. Were you using AiCloud feature at any point in the past or current?

Malware damaging ASUS routers?

This malware damaging Asus routers has to be described in a sticky thread with a warning sign! Update: Asus is releasing patched firmware for multiple models. Check for firmware updates! The changelog for most firmware releases contains the following: 1. Strengthened input validation and data...

www.snbforums.com

 

[Arnold_K]

Hi, I used aicloud several years ago but now not anymore. I already flashed the router with the oldest firmware I could find, no usb or whattever attached at the router, so it will be an experimental router, I just ordered the asu-r-BE92u as replacement

 

[bennor]

I already flashed the router with the oldest firmware I could find...

Is that right, you flashed the oldest firmware you could find? If that is accurate, why flash the oldest firmware you could find and not the very latest from Asus?
Latest stock Asus firmware for the RT-AX88U is 3.0.0.4.388_24333, released 2025/09/01.

RT-AX88U｜WiFi Routers｜ASUS Global

ASUS gaming routers provide the very best gaming experience, with an arsenal of features and tools designed to improve online gaming performance and give you the competitive edge you need to win.

www.asus.com

Using older firmware, particularly firmware that is several years old, opens the router to unpatched vulnerabilities the later firmware patches.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

Is that right, you flashed the oldest firmware you could find? If that is accurate, why flash the oldest firmware you could find and not the very latest from Asus?
Latest stock Asus firmware for the RT-AX88U is 3.0.0.4.388_24333, released 2025/09/01.

RT-AX88U｜WiFi Routers｜ASUS Global

ASUS gaming routers provide the very best gaming experience, with an arsenal of features and tools designed to improve online gaming performance and give you the competitive edge you need to win.

www.asus.com

Using older firmware, particularly firmware that is several years old, opens the router to unpatched vulnerabilities the later firmware patches.

You are too kind. But hey, if you turn the old condom inside out you can use it a second time. Trying to explain it to people that resist common sense is not worth the effort.

 

[Arnold_K]

Is that right, you flashed the oldest firmware you could find? If that is accurate, why flash the oldest firmware you could find and not the very latest from Asus?
Latest stock Asus firmware for the RT-AX88U is 3.0.0.4.388_24333, released 2025/09/01.

RT-AX88U｜WiFi Routers｜ASUS Global

ASUS gaming routers provide the very best gaming experience, with an arsenal of features and tools designed to improve online gaming performance and give you the competitive edge you need to win.

www.asus.com

Using older firmware, particularly firmware that is several years old, opens the router to unpatched vulnerabilities the later firmware patches.

Thanks, I try to get this router back on track so I try everything. I did now a rescue with the latest firmware and I see now that both channels are running. but now only my ddns will not configue ( unauthorized request I receive as message) and my mesh network will not adding a node. but I am ready half a away.

I ssee my mac adres of the router is missing

 

[Arnold_K]

Thanks, I try to get this router back on track so I try everything. I did now a rescue with the latest firmware and I see now that both channels are running. but now only my ddns will not configue ( unauthorized request I receive as message) and my mesh network will not adding a node. but I am ready half a away.

I ssee my mac adres of the router is missing

HI all, thanks for the assistance, after reading a lot of threats it's obvious that the router (AX88U) is hit by that malware bug. the symptoms of my router all occur acoording these threats like, wifi loss, mac address al zero when I want use this router as a mesh node. hopefully a update will this recover soon because I want this router as mesh node. 1 question remaining, I used instant guard as vpn when I was into a public wifi, my question can I use this app stilll safely ?

 

[bennor]

hopefully a update will this recover soon because I want this router as mesh node.

See the previously provided link to the Malware discussion. In that discussion there is talk of how to recover the router that has been hit by malware.

Malware damaging ASUS routers?

This malware damaging Asus routers has to be described in a sticky thread with a warning sign! Update: Asus is releasing patched firmware for multiple models. Check for firmware updates! The changelog for most firmware releases contains the following: 1. Strengthened input validation and data...

www.snbforums.com

One or two users were helping in that discussion where helping users recover routers that were very corrupted. In other cases users reported flashing the latest (at that time) Asus firmware which had the firmware fixes to address the malware fixed their issue. One should probably do a hard factory reset on the affected router after flashing the very latest stock Asus firmware followed by a manual configuration (do not import a saved router.cfg file).

 

[Arnold_K]

Is that right, you flashed the oldest firmware you could find? If that is accurate, why flash the oldest firmware you could find and not the very latest from Asus?
Latest stock Asus firmware for the RT-AX88U is 3.0.0.4.388_24333, released 2025/09/01.

RT-AX88U｜WiFi Routers｜ASUS Global

ASUS gaming routers provide the very best gaming experience, with an arsenal of features and tools designed to improve online gaming performance and give you the competitive edge you need to win.

www.asus.com

Using older firmware, particularly firmware that is several years old, opens the router to unpatched vulnerabilities the later firmware patches.

I did not plae the router at the internet when I did that

 

[Arnold_K]

See the previously provided link to the Malware discussion. In that discussion there is talk of how to recover the router that has been hit by malware.

Malware damaging ASUS routers?

This malware damaging Asus routers has to be described in a sticky thread with a warning sign! Update: Asus is releasing patched firmware for multiple models. Check for firmware updates! The changelog for most firmware releases contains the following: 1. Strengthened input validation and data...

www.snbforums.com

One or two users were helping in that discussion where helping users recover routers that were very corrupted. In other cases users reported flashing the latest (at that time) Asus firmware which had the firmware fixes to address the malware fixed their issue. One should probably do a hard factory reset on the affected router after flashing the very latest stock Asus firmware followed by a manual configuration (do not import a saved router.cfg file).

Thanks, I did all these things allready but without positive result. I read also that the rt-ax88u router is not fixed yet, so I place the router in the corner on the 3th floor to pick it up when I have more time.

 

[bennor]

I read also that the rt-ax88u router is not fixed yet

Not sure what that means. Read where the RT-AX88U wasn't fixed? Several users report fixing their RT-AX88U in that Malware thread. Asus released RT-AX88U firmware last November (firmware 3.0.0.4.388_24221 2024/11/18) that addressed AiCloud, which was one of the vector points for the malware discussed in the Malware thread.

RT-AX88U｜WiFi Routers｜ASUS Global

ASUS gaming routers provide the very best gaming experience, with an arsenal of features and tools designed to improve online gaming performance and give you the competitive edge you need to win.

www.asus.com

 

[ColinTaylor]

Not sure what that means. Read where the RT-AX88U wasn't fixed? Several users report fixing their RT-AX88U in that Malware thread. Asus released RT-AX88U firmware last November (firmware 3.0.0.4.388_24221 2024/11/18) that addressed AiCloud, which was one of the vector points for the malware discussed in the Malware thread.

RT-AX88U｜WiFi Routers｜ASUS Global

ASUS gaming routers provide the very best gaming experience, with an arsenal of features and tools designed to improve online gaming performance and give you the competitive edge you need to win.

www.asus.com

I think he's referring to an updated firmware that repairs the malware damage. As far as I'm aware that's only available for the RT-AX86U, not the RT-AX88U.

 

[Arnold_K]

I think he's referring to an updated firmware that repairs the malware damage. As far as I'm aware that's only available for the RT-AX86U, not the RT-AX88U.

Yes thats correct