My RT ac 88U is malfunctioning.

[AndrewJames]

My rt ac 88 u running 2.6 is now operating at a speed of 9 MBS instead of 90+. I've tried some firmware with a complete reset following each flash, but to no avail. The only thing that works is a power cycle, which I typically perform on both the router and the modem (an arris 8200). Although it doesn't always fix the problem, if I keep trying, it eventually does, sometimes for a few days and other times just a few hours. Do you believe it's time to bury the elderly woman, or should I try something else?

 

[L&LD]

Welcome to the forums @AndrewJames.

After each firmware update and a complete reset, are you uploading an old saved backup config file?

Are you using LAN Ports 5-8? If so, don't. Unplug everything from those ports and reboot. If you need the ports, buy a $10 8 Port switch and plug it into Port 1, and all your devices in Ports 2-4 and the new switch.

I don't understand what 2.6 is. Do you mean the 2.4GHz band?

I also don't understand what 9 MBS is. Do you mean MB/s or Mbps?

With only ports 1-4 in use, can you confirm that the indicated LAN speed is 1GbE for all connected devices? If it isn't, you may need to test with new, quality, Ethernet Cat5e cables.

What client devices are you using to test the speeds? Ideally, you want to use a device while it is plugged into AC power and the power option set to Performance to see the maximum speeds possible.

I would recommend moving to a new router if the suggestions above fail to give you satisfactory speeds. Even an RT-AX68U will blow away the performance of the router you're currently using.

Current Order of Recommended Routers Late 2021