Sporadic crashes in GT-AX11000 with Merlin 386.3_2 and 386.4 (TrendMicro license as the cause)

[NetSetGo]

The router started crashing and rebooting several times a day. I think it started happening after the update to 386.3_2, but maybe I wasn't noticing it that much before. The network consists of an AI Mesh with 2 additional routers (ZenWifi AX and RT-AX58U), as well as an old Asus RT-N66U in AP mode. Looking at the log, I cannot understand what is causing the crash, though there are some strange long control sequences in the log.

 

[ColinTaylor]

The bcmsw_rx process is crashing.

There are a few reports of this for the RT-AX3000 but no solution that I'm aware of other than waiting for a firmware update from Asus.

RT-AX3000 crashing every few days in bcmsw_rx (Tried hw/sw reset/rebuilds and even new replacement router)

-------------------- Issue Description -------------------- Currently running RT-AX3000 running 386.3_2 (also same issue with several previous builds) Every couple of days (sometimes daily) the router crashes (usually in the bcmsw_rx process) and reboots. I have tried several factory resets (hw...

www.snbforums.com

 

[NetSetGo]

Thanks. Do you know if this problem appeared in any of the newer firmware versions? Maybe it would help downgrading? Scratch that - I see there is an answer to this in the thread that you linked.

And mine crashes 3-5 times a day.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Do you know if this problem appeared in any of the newer firmware versions?

Sorry, I don't. I've never experienced that problem myself, but I have a different model of router. I suggest you read through that thread or search for others (Better Search) and see what they suggest.

Maybe it would help downgrading?

It might be worth trying 386.2_4 as the user in that other thread had better luck with that.

 

[NetSetGo]

Downgrading to 386.2_4 did not help. Just had another crash and reboot... Attaching another crash log.
The earliest firmware for this model is 386.2_0, so I can't go to the 384 branch as was suggested in the other thread.
And I cannot see any pattern to the crashes. Sometimes I would see several crashes back to back with only a few minutes between them. Other times, I would work for 10 hours without a crash. It was 4 hours since the downgrade.

PS: Right after I posted this, another crash and reboot happened, so attaching one more log still.

 

[NetSetGo]

Two more crashes during the night. Downgraded to 386.2_0. If this does not help, I'll try a full power cycle NVRAM reset and reconfigure the router from scratch.

 

[NetSetGo]

Less than 4 hours in it crashed again. I'll try removing the two AiMesh nodes first, before cleaning the router

 

[NetSetGo]

An update on the case.
1. Removing all the AiMesh nodes did not solve the crash issue, so
2. Updated the firmware back to 386.3_2
3. Reset the router's NVRAM (http://www.snbforums.com/threads/rt-ac86u-random-crash.72031/post-683661) and applied the minimal settings (WAN, LAN, DHCP, Wireless configuration).

After this the router was stable for 2 whole days!
4. I then added one AiMesh node to restore the coverage to one of the blind zones in the house. Still no crashing for another day
5. Added the second AiMesh node. Still stable for one more day

6. Now, today I enable TrendMicro AI Protection. Two hours later the router crashed and rebooted, and then one more time just now while I was writing this.

I am attaching the new log - visually the report looks slightly different from the previous ones, so maybe it's a different crash.

I will try deactivating AiProtection to see if the stability returns. If that does not help (and I see no way to revoke the TrendMicro agreement), I'll do another NVRAM reset and restore saved settings from before the activation.

 

[ColinTaylor]

You can revoke the TM agreement by going to Administration > Privacy.

 

[NetSetGo]

You can revoke the TM agreement by going to Administration > Privacy.

Thanks! Just read the fine print. Tow other functions of the router that I came to take as given - adaptive QoS and Traffic Analyser also rely on this licence. If the router becomes stable after AiProtection deactivation, I'll try to re-accept the license and enable QoS only.

 

[NetSetGo]

More than 55 hours later, not a single crash. I'll try accepting the TM agreement tomorrow and then enable the QoS feature.

 

[NetSetGo]

Two crashes within 2 hours of each other after I enabled App Analysis feature (Adaptive QoS->Bandwidth monitor). Disabling it again, but not withdrawing the TM licence agreement, to see if it's the licence that is causing the crashes.

 

[NetSetGo]

Two more crashes with only the licence agreement accepted, but without any of the TrendMicro services activated. Withdrawing the agreement again to hopefully come back into a stable state.

 

[NetSetGo]

Over 2 days of uptime again. After this protracted experiment I can conclude hat merely accepting TrendMicro license agreement causes the constant crashes logged above.
I am unsure it I should try the newly-released 386.4. Rolling back from it is apparently more involved and who knows what other issue sit may introduce.

 

[NetSetGo]

After over 2 weeks of stable run without TM license on 386.3_2, I updated the router to 386.4 two days ago and enabled AI Protection (accepting TrendMicro agreement).

It looked promising at first, with the router running stable for quite a long time, but then, 20 hours later, there came two crashes back to back with only 2 hours between them (see the attached log). The messages in the log a slightly different, than before, but I am no expert to see if the cause for the crash is the same. Withdrawing TM license agreement now to see if stability returns on 386.4.

The next thing to try would be installing stock Asus FW - AIProtection does block some unwanted activity and I would very much like to have it enabled on my router!

 

[Deleted member 76260]

Not that it's going to be the slightest bit of use to you, but I have the GT-AX11000 running386.4 (no mesh) with absolutely no issues.
Could your actual router be faulty?

 

[NetSetGo]

Not that it's going to be the slightest bit of use to you, but I have the GT-AX11000 running386.4 (no mesh) with absolutely no issues.
Could your actual router be faulty?

That though did cross my mind. Either that, or an unlikely combination of one of the the clients in conjunction with activated Trend Micro License. After all, the router is rock solid as long as TM is not activated.

Wwhat is your trendMicro signature Version (under Firmware upgrade)?
Mine is:

​

Trend Micro: Signature version	2.272 Updated : 2022/01/14 11:32

 

[Deleted member 76260]

Trend Micro: Signature version	2.272 Updated : 2022/01/09 06:49

 

[NetSetGo]

Hmm. The same version, only mine got updated on the same day as when I installed 386.4
I'll let 386.4 run without TM enabled for a few days, and it the router is stable, the next step will be to try stock Asus FW.
AiMesh is not the cause - I previously ruled it out by testing this router stand-alone.

 

[NetSetGo]

4 days of stable operation on Merlin 386.4 without TradeMicro license. Time to test stock FW, though I don't like their ROG colour scheme and layout.