Problem with Guest Network (Wrong Password)

[Lazy Larry]

Uhm, 'verified to work with 834.13' is not a great predictor of 'it will work in 834.17'.

You're working with firmware from the future, or, the versions should be 384.13 and 384.17.

Seems I also can't get you to understand that all those SSID names are not 'proper' nor 'never before used' for your client devices if you used them (even for just testing) previously.

I hope this works out for you with the path you're following.

Thank you for your clarification. I am trying to verify if there is an issue with the firmware, my setup or the router, so I am using a second known to have working Guest network on stock firmware to change over to Merlin in a structured approach by first using 384.13 since this was reported/confirmed by psychosb that this version resolved similar issues reported.

Regarding your second point about the SSID names - I understand the points you raised about the SSID names not being 'proper', but this is the name of the Guest SSID I have previously used in 5 Asus routers located in two different countries and this is the name I want to use in the Asus router using the Merlin firmware. So either I find a working version or I will need to revert to the stock firmware.

 

[L&LD]

I'm not married to any SSID's name. I just use what works. The 'structured approach' that you're following doesn't work IME. 'Logical' doesn't always get us to 'working without issues'.

Again best of luck.

 

[Lazy Larry]

I'm not married to any SSID's name. I just use what works. The 'structured approach' that you're following doesn't work IME. 'Logical' doesn't always get us to 'working without issues'.

Again best of luck.

Thanks. You are not me and I am not you. So obviously our needs are different and our approaches to problem solving would be different.

Appreciate your input though. The world is richer with diversity.

 

[L&LD]

This doesn't have anything to do with 'me'. This is what has been found to work in the last half-decade or more. From people, I am borrowing the ideas from much smarter than I.

You can still be 'you' with a working router.

 

[Lazy Larry]

This doesn't have anything to do with 'me'. This is what has been found to work in the last half-decade or more. From people, I am borrowing the ideas from much smarter than I.

You can still be 'you' with a working router.

I didn't mean to infer it has anything to do with you, but merely the fact that it remains a mystery why there is an issue with Asus-Guest SSID when this works on stock firmware in all several AC88U routers?

Changing the Guest SSID is not the desired state for me.

 

[K-2SO]

Can you attach screenshots of pages
- Guest Network
- Wireless General
- Wireless Professional

 

[L&LD]

Changing a 'desired state' is sometimes needing when troubleshooting.

 

[ColinTaylor]

@Lazy Larry Is it possible your problem is related to this:

384.17 (26-Apr-2020)
  Updating some models (like the RT-AC88U) from stock firmware
  3.0.0.4.384_81790 and newer will require a factory default reset
  after flashing Asuswrt-Merlin, due to a change in how Asus
  stores the admin password starting with 384_81790.

 

[Lazy Larry]

Changing a 'desired state' is sometimes needing when troubleshooting.

Yes sometimes - when the desired state cannot be achieved.

 

[K-2SO]

I know similar behavior on other routers. I know specific devices trouble. There are solutions. Need to separate SW from HW first. If SW than what - firmware, guest, bands, settings. With more info something may come up. Do you use Smart Connect?

 

[Lazy Larry]

I know similar behavior on other routers. I know specific devices trouble. There are solutions. Need to separate SW from HW first. If SW than what - firmware, guest, bands, settings. With more info something may come up. Do you use Smart Connect?

Thank you for your insights on this. I have tried with smart connect on and off to no avail.

It is early days yet, but in my experiment using a verified functioning AC88U on stock firmware upgraded to xxx.13 than xxx.17, all seems to be working - even after I restored the configuration on this router using the configuration I saved off the router in question.

 

[Lazy Larry]

So 384.13_0 has been working flawlessly with Asus-Guest as the guest SSID since 28 April.

Will update the firmware to see if it continue to work flawlessly with Asus-Guest as the guest SSID.

 

[Lazy Larry]

Upgraded to 384.17 and so far no issues with Asus-Guest as the guest SSID. Will continue to monitor this and repeat the tests using another AC88U router with 384.17.

 

[Lazy Larry]

One day later cannot log into Asus-Guest due to invalid password issues. Will be downgrading back to 384.13_0 at my earliest opportunity.

 

[L&LD]

@Lazy Larry, wouldn't it have been easier to do a proper test (and full reset) by now?

You're fighting this issue for 2 weeks it seems. And it's a losing battle (for you).

 

[Natty]

One of my RT-AC66U-B1 guest networks experienced this issue yesterday. I have two 2.4GHz guest SSIDs and one 5GHz. One of the 2.4GHz guest SSIDs would not connect any clients, no matter how many times the password was entered, nor after rebooting those clients.

Prior to that, in the same router session, an Amazon Fire TV stick on the 5GHz guest network, had been repeatedly connecting-disconnecting every second, filling the syslog in just a few hours. After power-cycling the Amazon device, everything seemed ok, until I noticed the 2.4GHz guest connection issue. I found nothing in syslog related to the failed attempted connections to the 2.4GHz guest network. The SSID was being broadcast, but was not connectable. The other 2.4GHz guest network worked ok.

I waited for the daily reboot to see if the 2.4GHz guest issue persisted. The 4am reboot cleared the issue, but for how long? RT-AC66U-B1 running 384.17 in router mode.

 

[Lazy Larry]

@Lazy Larry, wouldn't it have been easier to do a proper test (and full reset) by now?

You're fighting this issue for 2 weeks it seems. And it's a losing battle (for you).

Yes, I did that the full reset thing. Even avoided restoring the settings and instead reconfigured the router after a hard reset from scratch. Didn't work for me.

But not a losing battle, because xxx.13 works for me, but not newer versions.

 

[Lazy Larry]

One of my RT-AC66U-B1 guest networks experienced this issue yesterday. I have two 2.4GHz guest SSIDs and one 5GHz. One of the 2.4GHz guest SSIDs would not connect any clients, no matter how many times the password was entered, nor after rebooting those clients.

Prior to that, in the same router session, an Amazon Fire TV stick on the 5GHz guest network, had been repeatedly connecting-disconnecting every second, filling the syslog in just a few hours. After power-cycling the Amazon device, everything seemed ok, until I noticed the 2.4GHz guest connection issue. I found nothing in syslog related to the failed attempted connections to the 2.4GHz guest network. The SSID was being broadcast, but was not connectable. The other 2.4GHz guest network worked ok.

I waited for the daily reboot to see if the 2.4GHz guest issue persisted. The 4am reboot cleared the issue, but for how long? RT-AC66U-B1 running 384.17 in router mode.

Have try running an earlier version to see if that will cure your Guest network woes? I suggest trying 384.13 to see if it will cure your issues

 

[Natty]

Have try running an earlier version to see if that will cure your Guest network woes? I suggest trying 384.13 to see if it will cure your issues

Thanks. The issue hasn't happened again since I posted so I'm leaving it at 384.17 for now. I'm hoping mine was an isolated incident, though it leaves doubts about stability.

@Jack Yaz has an interesting script to enhance guest Wi-Fi here:
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/y...-merlin-guest-wifi-inc-ssid-vpn-client.45924/
Support for AC88U is claimed, which might be useful for your router, but AC66U-B1 is untested, so I haven't tried it.

In this thread: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/asus-merlin-guest-wifi-security-bug.63933/ the same author proposes the script as a solution to the issue of guests being able to access LAN subnets other than the main one. That thread suggests that Asus have more work to on guest networks.

 

[Lazy Larry]

I know similar behavior on other routers. I know specific devices trouble. There are solutions. Need to separate SW from HW first. If SW than what - firmware, guest, bands, settings. With more info something may come up. Do you use Smart Connect?

I have tested with smart connect enabled and disabled. Similar results! Thanks