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RT-AC3200 problem with upload

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TomatoFTW

New Around Here
I've had the router for about two years now and from the very beginning it's running the Asuswrt-Merlin using Smart Connect.
The problem is that after it runs for several weeks I start having problems with uploads. When I run a speed test (speedtest.net) it shows 2-4ms ping, about 66 Mbps download speed, but the upload test just hangs - doesn't show any progress or any speed. At the same time the upload issues also manifest when trying to send mails or e.g. upload photos to Google Photos. Sending mails works, however it's very slow, posting on the internet also works, but some upload tasks hang. It is probably related to whether https is used or not because I also can't connect to the router admin page over https (The server at 192.168.1.*** is taking too long to respond.), it only works over http.
The reason why I've put up with this for so long is that the issue is usually resolved after a reboot (no less than two, actually, which is also something that is inexplicable to me). However, today it's been 8 GUI reboots and still the upload is not working. I've also tried hard reboots in the past but I haven't noticed any difference.
Below is a link to the system log (at some point I changed it to the max log level, I hope) - please let me know if and what other details you might need to troubleshoot.
https://pastebin.com/cE2a4Xun
 
Which version of Merlin are you running?
Have you reset between upgrades?
What other scripts are you running?

Have you tried without "Smart Connect"?
 
I upgrade regularly - currently on the latest 384.13. I haven't reset between upgrades, nor have I tried without Smart Connect (in order not to have all family devices reconfigured with new wifi settings).
What do you mean by "scripts"? I run the OpenVPN server and also have a USB drive shared via Samba.
By the way, now that my upload speed is restored after the restarts I tested again the https connection to the GUI - it's still very slow (showing a "performing a TLS handshake to..." message) and times out, but occasionally I get to the "invalid certificate" page where I can accept the risk and continue. I think I used to be able to connect consistently over https months ago, but this is not possible for a while now.
 
I haven't reset between upgrades,

That will be a large part of your problem then.

Factory reset is sometimes a requirement between versions and if you haven't reset in a long time that would be the first thing to try. After reset you should create a new HTTPS certificate.

You should also dismount and remove any USB drive prior to upgrading firmware.

Scripts, there are many add on scripts here, if you haven't added any then that is not part of the issue.

Smart Connect could be part of your problem, personally I would never use it.

You'll find the guides by L&LD very useful :

https://www.snbforums.com/members/l-ld.24423/

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/n...l-and-manual-configuration.27115/#post-205573
 
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Thanks a lot for the advice. I will probably try the reset and see if it resolves the issue, but it will be in a couple of weeks, as I will be away and I don't want to leave things unstable for the family.
Can you please elaborate on this:
Smart Connect could be part of your problem, personally I would never use it.

Why wouldn't you use Smart Connect? The only reason for me to pick Merlin instead of Tomato for this router was that Smart Connect wasn't supported on Tomato (back then, at least) and I thought it makes sense to let the router distribute the connections instead of me doing it manually. I would be interested to hear your view on this. And if you wouldn't use Smart Connect then are there any advantages to use Merlin vs Tomato in your opinion? I was a happy user of Tomato on RT-N16 for years and it was very stable and I liked the interface also, so I'd consider switching (Shibby is not around anymore, I hear, but there seems to be other builds).
 
One more thing... If I do a reset should I export/import the configurations or would that defeat the purpose of the reset? It seems to be a big overhead resetting for each upgrade (every month or so), as there are too many settings to be redone every time... What's the usual way people handle this (other than the minimal settings thread that you shared)?
 
One more thing... If I do a reset should I export/import the configurations or would that defeat the purpose of the reset? It seems to be a big overhead resetting for each upgrade (every month or so), as there are too many settings to be redone every time... What's the usual way people handle this (other than the minimal settings thread that you shared)?
Re-importing the settings would defeat the main purpose of the reset. You could try it but don't get your hopes up.

A reset is not usually necessary after an update, but as the installation instructions say:
  • If something looks weird, don't waste too much time: save your settings, reset to factory default, reconfigure the basics, and see if the issue is resolved. If not, you can always restore your saved settings and do some more advanced troubleshooting.
 
Why wouldn't you use Smart Connect?

Smart Connect offers Easy Connection for non-technical users, but not the Best Connection. I don't have any positive experience with it in my crowded WiFi environment. It's constantly selecting not the best throughput channels and it's constantly moving to 2.4GHz devices capable of faster speeds on 5GHz, even with weaker signal levels. Smart Connect is usable to balance the load of 2 x 5GHz bands on tri-band routers, but does not very smart things on dual-band routers. Settings are not well documented and explained, get ready for a lot of experimenting before it starts producing acceptable results. Default settings are not universal best.

And if you wouldn't use Smart Connect then are there any advantages to use Merlin vs Tomato in your opinion?

Merlin -> Better Performance
Tomato -> More Advanced Settings
 
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Thanks a lot for the advice. I will probably try the reset and see if it resolves the issue, but it will be in a couple of weeks, as I will be away and I don't want to leave things unstable for the family.
Can you please elaborate on this:


Why wouldn't you use Smart Connect? The only reason for me to pick Merlin instead of Tomato for this router was that Smart Connect wasn't supported on Tomato (back then, at least) and I thought it makes sense to let the router distribute the connections instead of me doing it manually. I would be interested to hear your view on this. And if you wouldn't use Smart Connect then are there any advantages to use Merlin vs Tomato in your opinion? I was a happy user of Tomato on RT-N16 for years and it was very stable and I liked the interface also, so I'd consider switching (Shibby is not around anymore, I hear, but there seems to be other builds).

Tomato firmware I can't comment on never having used it.
SmartConnect , I have zero use for, I tried it and found it caused many issues so I returned to default ASUS settings . I have the same SSID for all 3 bands on my AC3200 and use Guest access for anyone coming in to the house.
Never once had an issue with WiFi and devices working like this.
People I know that tried SmartConnect had the same experience and many posts on this forum have been made here that reflect the same type of problems. Yes as with all things many others use it and seem happy , it's one of those things.
One thing for sure, keep everything as simple as possible. Read the release notes with every new firmware, Merlin always states when a full reset is needed and no I didn't say it was every time you upgrade but if you have problems like you describe a reset is the way to go especially if you have made many upgrades without ever resetting.
 
Smart Connect is usable to balance the load of 2 x 5GHz bands on tri-band routers, but does not very smart things on dual-band routers.
Ok, but this router is exactly the case you describe - tri-band router where I'm trying to automatically balance the load, so I was hoping it would be usable, at least.

I have the same SSID for all 3 bands on my AC3200 and use Guest access for anyone coming in to the house.
That's interesting, I never thought about such a setup... So if you have the same SSID for all bands then how do the devices connect to one or the other? I currently have the Smart Connect plus guest aiming at the same result - having one SSID for all home devices and another one for guests...

And a more general question (although going a bit off topic) - if I go for manual setup which devices should be on the 2.4GHz band? E.g. I have some oldish iPad and macbook that don't support 802.11ac - would they be candidates for 2.4 band, while the newer smartphones/laptops would go to the 5GHz bands? What if all devices were 802.11ac capable?
 
Ok, but this router is exactly the case you describe - tri-band router where I'm trying to automatically balance the load, so I was hoping it would be usable, at least.

You can still assign the devices manually to each of 5GHz SSIDs. You know much better than Smart Connect what device needs more throughput and what band is best to use for it. Again, Smart Connect is about convenience for people who have no idea what g/n/ac/ax, frequency, channel, throughput, etc. is. One single SSID and just connect, somehow, as per router's decision. It is usable, but not the best solution for more advanced users.
 

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