RT-AX88U the Samba server software gives some random read errors

[rborth]

RT-AX88U the Samba server software gives some random read errors

When CPU Cat6 hardwired to RT-AX88U the Samba server software gives random read errors as in the files don’t bit compare. (WiFI is untested for this.) Often if you run another file bit compare the error doesn’t show up. Sometimes a WIN10 file copy throws an unexpected error occurred, try again? With a WIN7 machine it just freezes. Tried both USB ports with two brands of flash drives, a WD hard drive and a SSD. BTW one USB drive is all metal and I bought a metal case for the SSD thinking RF interference might be the problem. USB 2.0 setting does not fix this. The drives are fine when plugged into a computer. Very large file seem to trigger this most often.

BTW RAM shows 97% or so used.

- Sent this via WEB management 12/07/22

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I have been through two firmware updates since and lots of testing. The following applies to a Samsung 256GB USB 3.1 Flash Bar Plus in the RJ45 side set to USB 3.0.

230107 FW_RT_AX88U_300438822237.zip

230223 FW_RT_AX88U_300438822525.zip

When doing a binary file compare of about 6GB of files to the files on a SSD in my computer I get occasional bit errors returned. The strange thing is that it only happens 7 out of 25 times. Often the next run shows no read errors on the same files. For me the suspect files are always TIFF graphic files between 44 to 60 MB in size. This also happens with another computer but does not happen when the USB flash drive is mounted in other devices.

Maybe related when the USB drive is mounted in the RT-AX88U reported memory usage goes to 74%. As the drive is used reported memory usage is in excess of 96%. It stays there even when the drive is not used for some time.

- Sent this via WEB management 2/25/23

Do you have any ideas or thoughts Members? I submitted these to the ASUS team with no replies. Otherwise the Mesh systems seems to work well

 

[Tech9]

Do you have any ideas or thoughts Members?

Get a real NAS and leave the tiny router hardware alone. USB storage is not reliable in Asuswrt for big transfers. Okay for occasional file share only.

 

[rborth]

Get a real NAS and leave the tiny router hardware alone. USB storage is not reliable in Asuswrt for big transfers. Okay for occasional file share only.

Thanks for the reply. My tendency is to agree but still hoping a firmware fix will come.

The Sysology DS118 is: CPU = 1.4 GHz Quad-Core, Memory 1 GB DDR4

RT-AX88U: CPU = 1.8 GHz quad-core processor, Memory 256 MB Flash, 1 GB RAM

Both are potentially doing more than one thing. The Memory usage on the RT-AX88U looks strange to me.

I’m impressed with the RT-AX88U Samba speeds but I learned back in the Win98 days due to a motherboard with “minor” DMA issues causing file errors that small errors have a way of becoming big headaches. So for me any file error (that I can find in less than a day) makes the storage device unusable.

Other than that my 3 node Aimesh system anchored by the RT-AX88U is impressive so far.

OK so another question, do you think I should by a second RT-AX88U (Not Pro) before they are not available as a backup and to test https://www.asuswrt-merlin.net/ firmware?

Discloser: Yes I’m a Newbe here.

 

[Tech9]

Sysology DS118

Synology RT2600ac does Samba share properly. It does Dual WAN properly as well, Asus doesn't. Different quality hardware and software.

do you think I should by a second RT-AX88U (Not Pro) before they are not available as a backup

No. It's an older model router from 2018. It's 2023 now. Better replace your existing AX88U with something better when the time comes.

 

[rborth]

Tech9 said​ Synology RT2600ac does Samba share properly. Synology RT2600ac; Dual core 1.7 GHz;, 512 MB DDR3 so to me sure seems like a firmware issue with the Asus. But it could have something to do with CKT board layout and internal shielding. I'm in a 4,600 sq ft 2 floor house not including the over sized garage / workshop and decks and my old router was not cutting it so beamforming and mesh and 8 CAT45s were on my must list. BTW I did determine that unshielded drives running at USB 3.0 impacted the noise floor of 2.4Ghz and reduced the WiFi range. These days you pays your money and takes your chances, God help you if you need to talk to Support. ;>( Thanks for you info & time and have a nice Saturday night...

 

[Tech9]

If Ethernet wires are already available you have more and better choices than a bunch of home routers.

 

[rborth]

Yes please. The original Owner that had this house built in 2005 and put in a mass of com wires and a Leviton structured wiring center. Unfortunately the (can I swear here?) contractor did not label the wire well and terminated most wrong. Most Jacks in the wrong places. Who needs 30 POTS phone lines terminated in wire nuts, not part of Leviton's vision, thankfully CAT6 wire that can be converted? So eventually those 2 and counting Mesh nodes will have CAT6 backbones with a WiFi fall back. Right now they are running over 5Gig with 2.4Gig fall over. This will also give me more hardwire jacks at the media areas and shop.

BTW the AI mesh seems to be better than a bunch of Access Points with the same SSID hard wired that I have experience with and bunches better than Netgear range extender that I inherited with the purchase.

 

[Tech9]

BTW the AI mesh seems to be better than a bunch of Access Points

Not better than relatively affordable for home use Ubiquiti UniFi or controller driven TP-Link Omada systems.