Issues with wireless disconnects AT68U / Merlin-WRT FW 386.14_2 on specific activity...

[roosta113]

Hi SNBforum folk,

I need some help and advice with some isolation testing to try and determine the root problem here; or to verify what I believe is the problem:

Firstly, this has not always been an issue, I've noticed this problem in recent months and it may very well have coincided with the last/latest WRT firmware update on my router; even though the firmware is not new, i only updated it inside the last 10 months.

The main issue:
1. My laptop/s disconnect from WIFI occasionally browsing the internet. For example, of browsing a youtube video, it will hang, or pause and I lose connection to my local network intermittently.

2. I've also noticed; 90% of the time I try to watch a movie on any wireless device like my laptops; (Windows SMB with my shared NAS connected vis LAN cable to Cisco switch); I disconnect frequently and/cannot transfer files successfully over wifi due to the cut outs.

In the instance of watching a video (usually stored on my NAS) The video will freeze, or hang and my PC tells me I have lost internet/network connection. Even if I was to try and start transferring a file (from my PC to my NAS, etc) and it will usually disconnect/fail before completed. This is happening with multiple PCs, Windows 8/11 and both using AC7260 wireless cards. I do not recall this problem in 2024 or earlier. My NAS and Cisco switch have not had setting changed; leading me to suspect the quality/life of the router or the recently updated firmware earlier in 2025.

As for the initial point of intermittent disconnects: I am having a tech from the distribution network come and review my connection; as my initial guess was instability with my internet connection; but this may be a side-issue; as I have outlined local network drop outs, not necessarily a lack of internet...but I suspect this, because I monitor the LED lights on my distributor's modem; sometimes lights indicate an outage (other times it does not, but disconnections with ASUS router still seem to happen).

Some context of my set-up:
- I use a Win11 and Win8 PCs that sits around ~10 metres from the AT68U itself with full signal (Intel AC7260 is the wireless cards that's used on both devices)
- The problem is universal; same on any PC
- I have both 2.4/5G bands turned on.
- Switching from 5G to 2.4G can often help me complete file transfers, but this is not 100% fullproof
- My NAS device does not utilise wifi, only a stable ethernet connection to my switch
- UPDATE per below help: I have set manual channels for 2/5G bands, set 20mbps and 20/40/80 bandwidth for both 2/5G frequencies and provided a short log of the most recent and short disconnection; which does not initially indicate loss of WAN.

Any help or suggestions for testing would be appreciated.

 

[ColinTaylor]

There's no such model as an AT68U. Do you mean RT-AC68U?

Firstly, this has not always been an issue, I've noticed this problem in recent months and it may very well have coincided with the last/latest WRT firmware update on my router.

When did you update the firmware? 386.14_2 is not new, it came out a year ago.

The main issue:
1. My laptop will disconnect from wifi occasionally browsing the internet/ - ie, watching youtube
2. 90% of the time I try to watch a movie over wireless connection (Windows SMB with my NAS) I disconnect/cannot transfer files successfully

In the instance of watching a video (usually stored on my NAS) The video will freeze, or hang and my PC tells me I have lost internet/network connection. Start transferring a file (from my PC to my NAS, etc) and it will usually disconnect/fail before completed. This is happening with multiple PCs, Windows 8/11 and both using AC7260 wireless cards. my NAS settings and the Cisco switch it connects to via ethernet, have not had any settings changed that should be affecting my service. I have only changed Merlin firmware in the last year.

vice. My NAS device has a steady ethernet connection to my switch, my switch is plugged into my Cisco router where the RT68U is plugged in - and no settings have changed on the NAS or switch...the only thing thats changed

Some context first:
- I use a Windows 11 PC that sits around 10 metres from the AT68U itself with full signal (Intel AC7260 is the wireless card that's used)
- I have had repeated issues on other Windows devices (8) witht he same wireless card
- I have both 2.4/5G bands turned on. Very few connect to the 5G, but switching to 2.4G doesn't fix my problem

Does the router's System Log - General Log show any error messages when the problem occurs?

 

[roosta113]

There's no such model as an AT68U. Do you mean RT-AC68U?


When did you update the firmware? 386.14_2 is not new, it came out a year ago.


Does the router's System Log - General Log show any error messages when the problem occurs?

Hi Colin. Thanks for the prompt reply.

Yes, I'm aware that FW isn't new, however, after i stopped getting prompted to download the latest FW updates (a long time ago when i would log into the router, i put the firmware updating to one side for a while and I believe it was only earlier this year I actioned the upgrade manually by searching for what was new, or the latest, having not seen that flashing prompt in the top menu of the UI.

As I am not overly familiar with searching through the logs or specific terminology of what to find; what should i be looking for? Sorry, I've always thought this to be a rather simple set-and-forget device and haven't had to dig this deep into this device before.

RoOSTA

 

[ColinTaylor]

If you look at the log you will see that each line starts with the date and time. Try and make a note of what time you noticed the problem occurring. Then look in the log to see if there are any obvious error messages around that time. e.g. "WAN down". You could copy a bunch of the messages (say for the preceding 5 minutes) and post them here for us to look at.

 

[roosta113]

If you look at the log you will see that each line starts with the date and time. Try and make a note of what time you noticed the problem occurring. Then look in the log to see if there are any obvious error messages around that time. e.g. "WAN down". You could copy a bunch of the messages (say for the preceding 5 minutes) and post them here for us to look at.

Yes I've been taking note on the times of certain problems occurring and have compared to the log.

Take for instance, just today November 5 in the last 15 minutes. I open up a video on my NAS device from my laptop (IP assigned X.X.X.233) and start watching over my wireless connection. I get to around 5mins in before i am disconnected from the network, or told 'Network discovery is not on'. The PC eventually reconnects. This took place around 11.06am local time; here's the logs leading up:

Nov 5 11:00:47 syslog: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth1: Deauth_ind AC:FD:CE:86:21:4E, status: 0, reason: Unspecified reason (1), rssi:0
Nov 5 11:00:47 syslog: wlceventd_proc_event(530): eth2: Auth AC:FD:CE:86:21:4E, status: Successful (0), rssi:0
Nov 5 11:00:47 syslog: wlceventd_proc_event(559): eth2: Assoc AC:FD:CE:86:21:4E, status: Successful (0), rssi:0
Nov 5 11:00:47 dnsmasq-dhcp[10396]: DHCPREQUEST(br0) 192.168.1.233 ac:fd:ce:86:21:4e
Nov 5 11:00:47 dnsmasq-dhcp[10396]: DHCPACK(br0) 192.168.1.233 ac:fd:ce:86:21:4e RoOSTA
Nov 5 11:01:20 syslog: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth2: Deauth_ind AC:FD:CE:86:21:4E, status: 0, reason: Disassociated due to inactivity (4), rssi:0
Nov 5 11:01:24 syslog: wlceventd_proc_event(530): eth2: Auth AC:FD:CE:86:21:4E, status: Successful (0), rssi:0
Nov 5 11:01:24 syslog: wlceventd_proc_event(559): eth2: Assoc AC:FD:CE:86:21:4E, status: Successful (0), rssi:0
Nov 5 11:01:24 dnsmasq-dhcp[10396]: DHCPREQUEST(br0) 192.168.1.233 ac:fd:ce:86:21:4e
Nov 5 11:01:24 dnsmasq-dhcp[10396]: DHCPACK(br0) 192.168.1.233 ac:fd:ce:86:21:4e RoOSTA
-----------------------assuming error took place between here------------------------------
Nov 5 11:06:57 syslog: wlceventd_proc_event(530): eth2: Auth AC:FD:CE:86:21:4E, status: Successful (0), rssi:0
Nov 5 11:06:57 syslog: wlceventd_proc_event(559): eth2: Assoc AC:FD:CE:86:21:4E, status: Successful (0), rssi:0
Nov 5 11:06:59 dnsmasq-dhcp[10396]: DHCPREQUEST(br0) 192.168.1.233 ac:fd:ce:86:21:4e
Nov 5 11:06:59 dnsmasq-dhcp[10396]: DHCPACK(br0) 192.168.1.233 ac:fd:ce:86:21:4e RoOSTA
---------------------------------------------and here-------------------------------------------

 

[ColinTaylor]

Thanks for the logs. Nothing immediately obvious. Were there any other messages between 11:01:24 and 11:06:57?

I'd check the ethernet cable between the NAS and the switch. Perhaps swap to a different switch port and/or use another cable.

It looks like your laptop was initially connected to the router on 2.4GHz and then switched to 5GHz. With 5GHz being a weaker signal it's possible that's a cause of intermittent disconnections.

How are your Wi-Fi bands configured? Are you using "Smart Connect" or do have have different SSIDs for each band?

Go to the router's System Log - Wireless Log page and find your laptop's entry and see what its speed and signal strength (RSSI) is like.

 

[roosta113]

Thanks for the logs. Nothing immediately obvious, but...

I'd check the ethernet cable between the NAS and the switch. Perhaps swap to a different switch port and/or use another cable.

It looks like your laptop was initially connected to the router on 2.4GHz and then switched to 5GHz. With 5GHz being a weaker signal it's possible that's a cause of intermittent disconnections.

How are your Wi-Fi bands configured? Are you using "Smart Connect" or do have have different SSIDs for each band?

Go to the router's System Log - Wireless Log page and find your laptop's entry and see what its speed and signal strength (RSSI) is like.

That's true, i prefer to use 5GHz, switched to 2.4 in order to transfer some video files from PC to NAS (which miraculously worked, but as stated earlier, this isnt always the case) and have since, as I currently speak, switched back to 5Ghz.

To rule out this being a cable issue....it still does not follow for random disconnects of the network when watching content over youtube; that requires no service or connection from my WIFI laptop to NAS...but I appreciate the suggestion and will try that today.

I use 2 differently named SSIDs for the 2.4/5 frequencies. However, i could not locate any settings anywhere RE smart connect and needed to google what it meant. I dont think my router supports it according to: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/i...-rt-ac68u-being-used-as-an-aimesh-node.70555/

------

Rx 650\585\468/86 (varies from)
Tx 585\390\433/263/234/351 (varies from)

-60/61dBm (consistently sits here, as barely move from a spot in a bedroom). Distance of laptop from AP woulds only vary by 1 metre in a separate room.

Noise on 5G is -92dBm, Channel 36/80
Under flags, reads _STAU for my laptop; different to other connections that read 'PSTAU'

**I should also mention that, I understand the amount of interference in most peoples homes, especially on the 2.4G bands, when they started to become bombared and 5G frequencies were beginning to become more popular for new wireless devices. As such, I utilise wired LAN connections to a switch for my other devices (smart TV, amplifier, game consoles or even my UPS). The limited connections on WIFI are laptops (1 or 2 maximum), my wireless AC phone, a pet feeder, which is on 2.4G....anything else is mostly switched off, such as other tablet/ipads etc.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Thanks for the info. That all looks fine.

Were there any other messages between 11:01:24 and 11:06:57? If not then I'm at a loss really.

As a general recommendation I would go to Wireless - General and (if you haven't done so already) set each band to a fixed channel rather than Auto. Also set the bandwidth for 2.4GHz to 20MHz and 20/40/80 for 5GHz. I can't remember if your router has it, but go to Wireless - Professional for each band and disable Airtime Fairness and Roaming assistant.

 

[sfx2000]

Router AC adapter/power supply would be the first suspect...

 

[roosta113]

Thanks for the info. That all looks fine.

Were there any other messages between 11:01:24 and 11:06:57? If not then I'm at a loss really.

As a general recommendation I would go to Wireless - General and (if you haven't done so already) set each band to a fixed channel rather than Auto. Also set the bandwidth for 2.4GHz to 20MHz and 20/40/80 for 5GHz. I can't remember if your router has it, but go to Wireless - Professional for each band and disable Airtime Fairness and Roaming assistant.

Appreciate the suggestions. I've set specific channels and turned off auto channel switching on both frequencies including the bandwidth. Both AF and RA suggestions on the professional tab were already disabled. I will edit my the OP to state that, even when the movie i watch over WIFI cuts out, the internet also cannot be accessed....its not just a questionable connection to the NAS, it's the internet itself and/or its access to it (ASUS router). I will report back inside 24 hours after the distribution network tech has come and gone...I may even ask him to replace the modem device they provide. My connection into my home is HFC Coax.

Router AC adapter/power supply would be the first suspect...

If I find that adjusting the above recommended settings from Colin; or extensive testing along my own internet connection is not revealing a fault or line instability, I will try this next. I've had this device either since 2014/15...so its performed rather well for a long period....though nothing obvious has really stood out as to why it's performing this way.

 

[degrub]

Is the power adapter brick very hot or cold ? Should be just warm to the touch.
AP radios are sensitive to delivered power. There are also power chips/solder connections on the main board that can go bad over time.