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Does the RT-AC86U still shut off during reboot?

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JT Strickland

Very Senior Member
Does anybody know if Asus finally addressed this bug? I apologize if this has been answered, but I couldn't find any info on it.
I am always hesitant to reboot because of this, but mine hasn't died during reboot for some time, and I am hoping it is fixed.
 
Does anybody know if Asus finally addressed this bug? I apologize if this has been answered, but I couldn't find any info on it.
I am always hesitant to reboot because of this, but mine hasn't died during reboot for some time, and I am hoping it is fixed.
Mine has never had that issue, it reboots just fine
 
Mine has never had that issue, it reboots just fine

Yes, there was a thread several pages long about two years ago with a lot of discussion on it.
The general consensus was it was an ASUS bug.
Sometimes, mine (and others) would just shut off when rebooting. Not all the time, just occasionally.
Mine hasn't in 6 months or so I guess. I hope it it fixed.
 
Does anybody know if Asus finally addressed this bug? I apologize if this has been answered, but I couldn't find any info on it.
I am always hesitant to reboot because of this, but mine hasn't died during reboot for some time, and I am hoping it is fixed.

I've never seen this issue with 8 different RT-AC86Us, and there really hasn't been a buzz about it around here. Sounds rather one or two off.

If you are not seeing it now, I'd forget about it.

OE
 
I have two RT-AC86U routers and have only encountered this issue one time when initially setting up the 2019 model. The 2020 model made in Taiwan has never failed to reboot remotely.
 
I didn't make this up. It may just have to do with Chinese models.

The following link isn't the thread I was talking about, because I haven't found it yet, but thelonelycoder mentions it in the third post down:

Mine has shut off on more than a half dozen occasions during a normal reboot in the last couple of years. I have watched the lights go off and not come back on until I power cycle it. If nobody else is experiencing it, then it is obviously fixed, but I am not one or two bricks short of a load.
 
I've never seen this issue with 8 different RT-AC86Us, and there really hasn't been a buzz about it around here. Sounds rather one or two off.

If you are not seeing it now, I'd forget about it.

OE

Here it is, 16 pages:

 
Here it is, 16 pages:


That's not the point. Nobody is doubting your experience. We are only sharing ours to add to yours. The issue is not universal, has not generated much discussion here, and has not affected you in some time. My advice was to not worry about since it may no longer affect you. But feel free to keep searching for validation if it will make you feel better about it. I can't offer more than I know.

OE
 
Then I will leave it be. The only reason I was asking was for when my wife is having issues watching some streaming content or something similar, I could perhaps reboot the router with the Asus app on my phone remotely. If it shuts off, then I have to get out of bed, get dressed, walk over to the office, turn off security, go in and turn the router back on, then turn security back on, and come back and try to go back to sleep. If I had the assurance it was fixed, then she might not have to wait until the next morning. I go to bed early. She is a night owl.
thanks for responding to my post,
jts
 
Don't worry about the 'what if's'. :)

If/when it happens (and it hasn't happened on any of my customers' RT-AC86U's for an exceptionally long time now), just have a nice step-by-step guide of things to do so she can restart it herself.
 
Don't worry about the 'what if's'. :)

If/when it happens (and it hasn't happened on any of my customers' RT-AC86U's for an exceptionally long time now), just have a nice step-by-step guide of things to do so she can restart it herself.

I wish. She's a lot more lost on a router than I am. Give her a sewing machine, though, and she can make that thing sing.
 
Then I will leave it be. The only reason I was asking was for when my wife is having issues watching some streaming content or something similar, I could perhaps reboot the router with the Asus app on my phone remotely. If it shuts off, then I have to get out of bed, get dressed, walk over to the office, turn off security, go in and turn the router back on, then turn security back on, and come back and try to go back to sleep. If I had the assurance it was fixed, then she might not have to wait until the next morning. I go to bed early. She is a night owl.
thanks for responding to my post,
jts

Should the issue return, buy a new router... the network is everything.

OE
 
Should the issue return, buy a new router... the network is everything.

OE
What would you recommend to replace the AC86U? My WAN port is fried from lightning storm, and I need to replace it before something else quits.
I would prefer to control the replacement instead of being forced into it.
 
If you're not using a VPN (and not expecting to in the future, even an OpenVPN Server connection back to your own network when out), an RT-AX58U.

If you do need the AES-NI hardware-accelerated VPN speeds the RT-AC86U has, then the RT-AX86U/RT-AX88U is the only other choice to make. :)
 
What would you recommend to replace the AC86U? My WAN port is fried from lightning storm, and I need to replace it before something else quits.
I would prefer to control the replacement instead of being forced into it.

I'll defer to @L&LD 's advice beyond the AC86U, although I like the 'feel' of moving from the AC86U to AX86U, if now.

OE
 
I don't see a lot of difference between them, same processor, same memory. I like the extra LAN ports on the AX88U, but I haven't priced them yet.
My AC86U could still be used for a node I reckon.
 
They are similar and they each have their strengths.

Major differences:
The RT-AX88U:
  • 4 more LAN Ports (also important if you want to use two ports to connect to a NAS, etc.).
  • The 2.4GHz radio is a 4x4:4 design.
  • 63MB JFFS partition size on 386.1 firmware.
The RT-AX86U:
  • A 2.5GbE Port for WAN or LAN use. Can also be used for a wired connection between two RT-AX86U's in AiMesh mode.
  • Noticeably lower latency for local LAN, web browsing, NAS access, and other general network use.
  • 47MB JFFS partition size on 386.1 firmware.
  • The 2.4GHz radio is a 3x3:3 design.
  • Significantly less expensive than the RT-AX88U.
Asus RT-AX86U review: The best Wi-Fi 6 router for the money - CNET

The RT-AC86U can be used as an AiMesh node, of course. But as this would be an AX and AC Wi-Fi class mashup, it may not be the best idea for the long term.

You'll either be crippling the capabilities of the AX router (assuming your devices can connect with those options 'on') or, cause instability when the AX router tries to pass the wireless settings to the AC router when in AiMesh mode.

I would say use them both for now (possibly with the 'AX86U in AC class Wi-Fi mode). But be ready to jump to an RT-AX58U or better when you can sell your 'AC86U at a fair price. Then the network will be as stable and performing as well as it can, particularly over a wired backhaul connection to the AiMesh node.
 
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Yeah, man, I think the RT-AX86U is my next main router. I don't think we have any clients that use the Wifi 6 yet, but I'm not sure. I would like to be ready. Until then I could run it in AC class like you said, then get something for a node that is on the same platform as a replacement. I do have an ethernet cable for backhaul.

I don't think I would be comfortable selling the RT-AC86U with the WAN port fried, although it is working OK now in Dual WAN mode, using a USB LAN port for the WAN. Maybe in a garage sale. If TheLonelycoder and others hadn't told me what to do and how to configure it, I would have bought another router then. And it probably wouldn't have been an AX model.

Today the AX86U is just under $250 on Amazon, the AX88U is just under $320. I don't think it would be worth the difference to me. FWIW, the '86 has a 4.7 star rating, the '88 has a 4.4, but it probably don't mean a whole lot. There were a lot of bad reviews for the RT-AC86U on there when I bought it a couple years ago.

I appreciate the help, responses, and advice. I will take it all into thoughtful consideration.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas.
jts
 
And a wonderful Christmas to you too friend!
 

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