Merlin, I really like your improvements to the Asuswrt firmware; you’ve added some very nice features! I use my ASUS RT-AC68U as a basic router with 4 wired and 8 wireless client devices. I’ve been using stock versions of Asuswrt firmware since I purchased it, but finally decided to try your firmware starting with 374.41 beta2 and now the 374.41 released version.
Client used for testing: Dell XPS-9100 with an ASUS PCE-AC68 Adapter (5GHz band)
Beamforming: Turned on for both the Router and Adapter
Other than Wireless setup, most router default settings are retained.
I noticed with 374.41 beta2 that the 5GHz band signal strength at my test computer was 10dBm weaker measured with inSSIDer and the PCE-AC68 Utility. Also, instead of 5 full bars in the Windows Wireless Network Connection Status window there were only 4. And, the detected Link Rate with both the Windows and PCE-AC68 utilities was lower than those observed with the 374_5047 firmware; typically 702Mbps instead of 877.5Mbps. I performed a soft reboot as well as a power off/on reboot and the signal and Link Rate degradation didn’t change. I reflashed 374_5047 and both signal strength and Link Rates improved to the previous levels and remained so.
With your release of 374.41 I decided to test the released version and flashed the new firmware yesterday. The result was that after completing my setup; signal strength and Link Rates were initially the same as with 374_5047. However, after about 8 hours I noticed that both the windows and PCE-AC68 utilities reported signal strength to be 10dBm lower, but Link Rates were still at 877.5Mbps. I decided not to make any changes to the router and see if things returned to normal on their own, but this morning I observed the same degraded signal levels. So, I then performed a soft reboot of the router through the GUI and signal strength improved to its previous level.
5GHz band Signal Strength monitored by the ASUS PCE-AC68 Utility:
When good: -49 to -50dBm
When bad: -59 to -60dBm
The XPS-9100 is located 38 feet from the RT-AC68U’s location and presents the greatest challenge for link rates, received signal strength, and signal quality. This device is separated from the router’s location by a thick interior wall and a cabinet at both the router and client ends. The RT-AC68U is mounted 10 feet above the floor.
My standard procedure for flashing any new firmware, perhaps overkill, is to reset the router to factory defaults, flash the new firmware, perform another reset to factory defaults, setup my configuration, and then perform a router reboot.
I will continue to monitor the signal strength and Link Rates; but if they degrade again, is there anything you’d like me to try.
Update 1: It happened again a few minutes ago after 10 hours and 50+ minutes since my reboot this morning that cleared the problem. 5GHz signal strength degraded by 12dBm from -49dBm to -61dBm monitored by the PCE-AC68 utility. This entry appeared in the System Log around the same time as the degradation of 5GHz signal strength. I don't know if the two things are related or not.
Apr 21 21:52:18 rc_service: httpd 525:notify_rc restart_wlcscan
Update 2: Apparently that line in the System Log is written anytime a Site Survey is performed by entering the Site Survey screen from the Wireless Settings section. To see if this had anything to do with the issue I’m seeing, I performed a reboot via the GUI and signal strength returned to normal. I then went into the Site Survey screen, which performed a scan and within 10-20 seconds the signal strength bars in the notification area dropped from 5 to 4 and the PCE-AC68 utility showed -61dBm signal strength, down from -49dBm. So, for me, this issue is repeatable; I’ve performed this sequence three times with the same results every time. Hope this helps!
. You know I appreciate your work and help. What if the USA and/or Canadian locales were similarly affected 
