internet stops working on all devices but wifi is fine

[jata]

Hi all,

First post here so thanks to the devs and community contributing to this project.

I have a RT-AC86U for about 1 year with merlin installed from day one. No issues. Everything I need working great.

About 2 months ago I noticed that internet stopped working on all devices but wifi is fine. Only way to fix the issue is to reboot the router or reconfigure the WAN connection and then everything is fine.

About 2 weeks later the same thing happens again... There is nothing I have found in the logs.

I thought it was the internet modem as I have changed to a fibre connection (NBN in Oz). So I ordered a new internet modem and checked everything but I still have the issue.

My next step is to do a factory reset and setup merlin from scratch. Is this a sensible next step? Anything else I should try?

I do have a working Apple AirPort Extreme (my old router) so I can completely swap out the router to check if the issue is with my internet service - but this will take a few weeks.

Thanks for any assistance / advice.

 

[GSpock]

Hi,
indeed, it would be good to first put back your old router (so that you can be sure the issue is with your 86U) ..... it could be your RT-AC86U has a hardware issue with its LAN ports since your wifi is OK ....

 

[jata]

Thanks for the reply.

WiFi devices are not fine but they are connected to network/router fine. It is just internet access no longer works. Like the wi-fi to wan route is gone.

I'm tempted to do the factory reset / clean install of merlin first as it will take weeks to see if either option resolves the issue (as everything is fine for 2 weeks)...

Any other ideas / suggestions I can try before factory reset.

 

[GSpock]

... with your "explanations" I can only see some kind of HW issue with the WAN port of the 86U then (the one that connects to your modem). Unless issue is realted to your ISP ...
Hence the test to do with your former router ....

 

[martinr]

Welcome to the forum.

“Internet stopped working” could result from many different causes. Perhaps, when it next happens, you could try ping www.google.com and see if you get a response. That may well help to narrow things down.

 

[L&LD]

@jata here is what I would do to confirm if it was hardware issues or not as quickly as possible.

Since your router seems to be working at least for a few weeks, download the firmware you have installed on it right now. Verify that it is not corrupted with a utility like Hashtab and then reboot your RT-AC86U, wait up to 10 or 15 minutes for it to settle, and then create a backup config file via the GUI. Also create a backup of the JFFS partition too, for completeness.

After you have saved the current state of your router as outlined above and put those files safely away, follow the link below to determine if the hardware or a full reset was all that was needed.

If the issue persists and help isn't found then, simply flash the firmware you have on it now, reset to factory defaults and then restore the saved backup config file to get to where you are now.

If there are no hardware issues, these steps can be done in the next hour or so. With no internet for only a few minutes scattered in-between.

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/ax88-packet-loss.62891/#post-563326

It may take a few weeks to see if your issues are fixed, but as long as you leave the router after the full reset at a minimal and manual configuration and don't keep changing settings while you're testing it, you should know one way or the other.

The M&M Config and the Nuclear reset may also help too. Please look for the link in my signature below for those guides and further information.

HTH.

 

[archiel]

It might(?) be worth enabling dual wan and then using the alternate wan interface (leave the default wan unplugged) and then seeing what happens. If the internet is stable it would indicate the issue is with the default wan interface.

 

[jata]

Hi all - thanks for all the helpful posts and suggestions. This is what I have done over the last few weeks.

1. I decided to start with a nuclear / clean install and setup Merlin back to exactly how I like it (with diversion, Skynet and FreshJR QOS all configured through amtm) - after a few days the issue happened and wan connection was down. I noticed that the issue was that the router was not getting a new DHCP lease from my internet modem (NBN connection box in Oz). I couldn't find anything in the log.

2. I turned off my Asus router and replaced it with my old Apple AirPort Extreme Router. After three weeks without any issues I am fairly sure there is a problem with either merlin or my Asus router.

3. Now I have put my Asus router back and I will check one more time if the issue happens again. I have the improved logging installed from amtm so if/when I get the issue again I will be able to post helpful info I hope

So I will report back in a week or so...

Thanks again everyone.

 

[Jbennett360]

Hi all - thanks for all the helpful posts and suggestions. This is what I have done over the last few weeks.

1. I decided to start with a nuclear / clean install and setup Merlin back to exactly how I like it (with diversion, Skynet and FreshJR QOS all configured through amtm) - after a few days the issue happened and wan connection was down. I noticed that the issue was that the router was not getting a new DHCP lease from my internet modem (NBN connection box in Oz). I couldn't find anything in the log.

2. I turned off my Asus router and replaced it with my old Apple AirPort Extreme Router. After three weeks without any issues I am fairly sure there is a problem with either merlin or my Asus router.

3. Now I have put my Asus router back and I will check one more time if the issue happens again. I have the improved logging installed from amtm so if/when I get the issue again I will be able to post helpful info I hope

So I will report back in a week or so...

Thanks again everyone.

Think i'm getting something similar? Devices are all connected to the router fine, however my download speed drops from 420 to 35/40. A full reboot of the router fixes this?