Gaming on the AX86U is experiencing lag/stuttering.

[littlepopkaka]

My RT-AX86U is running the latest firmware,388.11. Previously, with my 200Mbps down / 30Mbps up broadband, enabling Adaptive QoS (AQoS) kept everything stable, including gaming. After upgrading to 500Mbps down / 40Mbps up, whenever someone downloads something (whether from Steam or a mobile app), the game experiences severe packet loss. I have to manually limit the bandwidth back to 200Mbps to make it run smoothly.
Doesn't Adaptive QoS (AQoS) still support hardware acceleration? Is it a bug, or is there some other issue? Could it be that the performance of the AX86U is inadequate?

Finally, I discovered that turning off all Trend Micro functions had the same effect as connecting my computer directly to the optical modem—download packet loss, but upload worked normally. It seems that Trend Micro's functions severely affect the router's forwarding performance. Now, I usually keep AQoS disabled to maximize bandwidth. When playing competitive games, I enable AQoS and limit the speed to 150 Mbps, which results in stable latency without worrying about occasional packet loss.

 

[Tech9]

Your router is capable enough for almost anything on 500Mbps ISP line. Adaptive QoS is Asuswrt feature, nothing to do with Asuswrt-Merlin. It's whatever came with the GPL from ASUS. You latency is really high. If your gaming PC/Console is not Ethernet connected - your testing is not valid. It can be environment change affecting Wi-Fi. Test wired only, no QoS and all Trend Micro components disabled. Withdraw the data sharing agreement, reboot. This is the perhaps the best configuration for gaming. Good luck!

 

[Tech9]

Previously, with my 200Mbps down / 30Mbps up

After upgrading to 500Mbps down / 40Mbps up

Check the modem stats as well. Sometimes after plan upgrade the errors and corrections rate increase. Depends on the connection quality - cable length and condition. You perhaps have DOCSIS 3.1 modem.

 

[littlepopkaka]

Check the modem stats as well. Sometimes after plan upgrade the errors and corrections rate increase. Depends on the connection quality - cable length and condition. You perhaps have DOCSIS 3.1 modem.

Using Ethernet network. I tried modem directly with the computer, and with Steam downloading at full speed in the background, the performance was still better than connecting through the router.

 

[Tech9]

Your router is running 3rd party firmware with unknown configuration.

In case of performance degradation the usual advice is to reset it and start over.

 

[killweav]

As I understand it, Adaptive QoS / Parental Controls / Apps Analysis and some Traffic monitoring requires the Trend Micro DPI (deep packet inspection) module loaded. This has been known to be buggy for a few years and I suspect is the bottleneck here. As previously suggested, disable and withdraw from AiProtection. You can still use device level QoS by assigning priority to devices and see if that suits your needs. If concerned about losing protection, you can replace it with other DNS filtering services. I use Control D. For 2 way IPS, at the IP level you can use Skynet or similar. I hope this helps. Disabling AiProtection will free up RAM on your router as well.

 

[Tech9]

You can still use device level QoS by assigning priority to devices and see if that suits your needs.

This is Traditional QoS feature. With QoS disabled does nothing.

For 2 way IPS, at the IP level you can use Skynet or similar.

Skynet is IP-blocker. Best for self limiting, mostly useless for protection.

 

[killweav]

This is Traditional QoS feature. With QoS disabled does nothing.



Skynet is IP-blocker. Best for self limiting, mostly useless for protection.

Unsure if you are saying with Adaptive QoS disabled that traditional QoS won't work. Traditional QoS works with Adaptive QoS disabled. It just won't use the DPI but will do MAC level. In other words you can still have QoS without using Trend Micro's DPI module.

 

[Tech9]

Traditional QoS works with Adaptive QoS disabled.

Traditional QoS is NAT acceleration incompatible. It will cut WAN-LAN throughput to about 300Mbps. The OP has 500Mbps ISP service, this is 40% bandwidth loss. Doesn't seem like good option. Same with Cake.

 

[killweav]

Traditional QoS is NAT acceleration incompatible. It will cut WAN-LAN throughput to about 300Mbps. The OP has 500Mbps ISP service, this is 40% bandwidth loss. Doesn't seem like good option. Same with Cake.

Wow yeah that's right. Wondering what solutions are available if the OP finds disabling AiProtection / Adaptive QoS fixes their jitter / packet loss issues.

 

[Samuel_1975]

Have you checked how hot your router gets inside the router on the cpu? If it gets to 70 degrees it can cause problems with this but not sure and should be under 70 degrees inside the program, my siblings family had similar problems and that it stopped when they had on the same model you have where the heat but doesn't have to mean but worth looking at if it's like that, if it's like that the router so it can lift from below or have a cooling fan

 

[Tech9]

If it gets to 70 degrees it can cause problems

Not true for most AIO home routers. CPU temp 70-80C is perfectly fine, it's 20C below thermal throttling and 40C below thermal shutdown. Normal and common for a device with passive cooling design.

Wondering what solutions are available if the OP finds disabling AiProtection / Adaptive QoS fixes their jitter / packet loss issues.

The solution is as simple as possible configuration. I would even switch to vanilla Asuswrt since none of Asuswrt-Merlin extra features are gaming focused. Extra complication not needed in this use case.

 

[Samuel_1975]

Just saying from my own experience what I know about that model, almost at a little over 72 it stops and causes the internet to mess up and more and should be below 70 degrees, most people may not notice this but just saying what I have been taught, because of the airflow on that router on that model it should have something to stand on that gets a little more air underneath from

 

[Tech9]

The passive heatsink goes side to side over the PCB and makes thermal pads contact with the CPU core, both radio ICs and a number of VRMs. What exactly is messing up the router in question is hard to tell, not necessarily the CPU. I also have one RT-AX86U and never noticed any heat related issues. I also don't recall anyone else here on SNB Forums complaining about overheating of this particular model.