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AX86u - Disable Runner (but not Flow Cache)?

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The_Mongoose

New Around Here
Hi all,

AX86U running Merlin 386.1b3.

Apologies as I know similar discussions have come up before, but all the advice I read (Enable adaptive QOS, Traffic analyzer stats, Parental Controls, etc) doesn't seem to work. Runner stubbornly stays enabled. I can knock it out by enabling traditional QOS, but that kills Flow Cache too and cuts my speeds down to 250 mbps vs the 500+ I can get with both enabled.

I'm trying to test if Runner could be behind constant drops that are limited to 1:1 video calling (FaceTime, Duo, etc). Multi-party video apps do much better (Meet, Teams, etc), but still show signs of instability. The problems exist on stock firmware as well.

Would love a GUI-based idea but am totally prepared to try through SSH or other means, I would just need some noob guidance (logging into the router through SSH is as far as I've dared to go so far).

Thanks!
 
Are you rebooting after you enable those features? Are you waiting at least 10 to 15 minutes for the router to settle down after the reboot?

The options to enable/disable those hardware acceleration features are not available on the newer hardware/firmware anymore.
 
Are you rebooting after you enable those features? Are you waiting at least 10 to 15 minutes for the router to settle down after the reboot?

The options to enable/disable those hardware acceleration features are not available on the newer hardware/firmware anymore.

I did after the first couple attempts, but then read elsewhere on the forums that runner no longer needs a reboot to enable/disable. That may no longer be true, of course, so when I get a chance I'll be more diligent about rebooting.

I did note that activating traditional QOS did disable it without a reboot (but unfortunately took down Flow Cache at the same time).
 
I believe QoS for the RT-AX86U is still broken in RMerlin 386 b1,b2 and b3 releases so far - a possible exception for his "experimental" b4 where some indicate that QoS works for the first time [because the required Trend Micro stuff was ported to b4]. I found it works in b4 ... but there are other buggy issues still to be sorted.
https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=!AGY2taGX02nVmWA&id=CCE5625ED3599CE0!1427&cid=CCE5625ED3599CE0

I have reverted to Asus Stock firmware - release version 3.0.0.4.386.41535 - and have Adaptive QoS with Manual settings at 95% of full speed. It's the first Stock Firmware where I have ever had triple A+ ratings on DSLReports.

I wait patiently for RMerlin to use the GPL from the above stock firmware to build his release version 386 for our router - when the magic with add-ons will be restored :cool: .
 
I believe QoS for the RT-AX86U is still broken in RMerlin 386 b1,b2 and b3 releases so far - a possible exception for his "experimental" b4 where some indicate that QoS works for the first time [because the required Trend Micro stuff was ported to b4]. I found it works in b4 ... but there are other buggy issues still to be sorted.
https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=!AGY2taGX02nVmWA&id=CCE5625ED3599CE0!1427&cid=CCE5625ED3599CE0

I have reverted to Asus Stock firmware - release version 3.0.0.4.386.41535 - and have Adaptive QoS with Manual settings at 95% of full speed. It's the first Stock Firmware where I have ever had triple A+ ratings on DSLReports.

I wait patiently for RMerlin to use the GPL from the above stock firmware to build his release version 386 for our router - when the magic with add-ons will be restored :cool: .

The problem with stock, for me, is that for my attempted fix to work I need to know the status of both Runner and Flow Cache, and stock firmware doesn't provide the status page. I don't really need QOS to work, really, just for something to take down runner without taking down Flow Cache. Maybe once some of the features you mention make it into rMerlin, they'll be able to do that.
 
The options to enable/disable those hardware acceleration features are not available on the newer hardware/firmware anymore.
Not in the GUI but you can disable or enable them with commands.
Commands to enable:
runner enable
fc enable

Commands to disable:
runner disable
fc disable

You can check them with these commands and if they are 0 then they are enabled.
If they say 1 they are disabled

f2ec55e5f3c114d9329ff0b7ef74a1d3.jpg
 
Not in the GUI but you can disable or enable them with commands.
Commands to enable:
runner enable
fc enable

Commands to disable:
runner disable
fc disable

You can check them with these commands and if they are 0 then they are enabled.
If they say 1 they are disabled

View attachment 29220

Thank you! Looks like that's done it. Now I can test this vs. my other theory....that STUN, which FaceTime relies on, is getting messed up by symmetric NAT. Hopefully one or the other fixes this...craziest issue I've ever dealt with.

Thanks again.
 
A quick follow-up: This didn't solve the problem, sadly. Disabling Runner, switching NAT to Fullcone, adaptive QOS....nothing helped, P2P video chat still disconnects at random, with nothing in the log to really explain it. And it did the exact same thing on my AC86U, so it's not a specific hardware thing.

However, I did note a ton of " kernel: nf_conntrack: expectation table full " errors in the log, so I followed the scripting instructions at the thread below. I set the max to 480 (was at 112).
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/solved-syslog-flooded-with-nf_conntrack-errors-rt-ax88u.62501/

This is the first thing I've done that appears to have impacted the issue. We are still seeing the occasional dropout, but they appear to be much slower to occur. Still not great but maybe a step in the right direction....I'm thinking of just putting an EdgeRouter X in front of everything and give it NAT control to see if that fully resolves this.
 
If i connect any iphone (tested on 6s Plus and 7) or android phone (tested on samsung s9 and samsung s21 ultra) to either WiFi or Ehternet ports on RT-AC86U on merlin 386.3_2.

1. Flow Cache: Enabled
All phones get 3Mbit/s download and very low upload, 120ms ping.

2. Flow Cache: Disabled
All phones get 300Mbit/s (my max) internet connection without a glitch 3ms ping.

3. Runner is not important, nothinhg changes if it's on or off.

4. If i am testing speed and web pages response time on PC via ethernet ports, with flow cache enabled speed stays at 300mbit, no drops.


Is this a bug in flow cache ?
Picture (with flow cache enabled):
IMG_2611.jpg


I created a script, on startup after firewall run:
fc disable

Now speeds are normal again straight line at 300mbit/s even after reboot.
 
Last edited:

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