Trouble with the RT-AC87R router and my solution

[jdebeer]

Let’s start with a confession; I am a hacker, I know really nothing about wireless networks. I was having trouble with an ASUS RT-AC68x as a router, so in Dec 2014 I bought a RT-AC87R as my router and used the RT-AC68x as a repeater. It was not very fast but I used it- it had a link rate in the 100’s. I then bought RT-AC68W (the white one) for my wife, and it had link rates in the 800’s, so I figure the first RT-AC68x was bad, called ASUS and they finally after one (1) hour on the phone and 2 cable modem resets gave me an RMA number. I bought another one for my self and started getting huge link rates (1300’s) and good download rates (max 129 Mbps), but it could not hold the link for long. Long story short, I had 8 complete cable resets today, and my bride expressed some disappointment in me (after I gave her flowers for V-day). I called Cox, and they checked the link and said there was not a good link to the modem. Cox reset things, and I had a good link for no more than 30 min, and the 5GHz light was not light. There was also one more repeater, RT-AC68x I tried to set up with no luck what so ever. Massive amounts of wasted time AND it seems when I tried to make it work, the 3rd repeater, the router would stop. I called ASUS tech support and they must have had a day-1 employee handle me, because every question had to be checked out for 5 min. He told me to change channels.

I drove to Best Buy and bought a Netgear X6 AC3200 Night Hawk, and come home to test it. Fairly easy setup once you got past that darn Genie. Renamed my SSID’s as before, combined the two 5-Ghz channels the same SSID name. I did not even have to reset the RT-AC68xs. They connected with the same names. ALL 3 repeaters! My internal link rates are not what I had, I see 351 Mbps now, but I can live with that. A fast link rate to nowhere does me no good.
My resets today were so bad I could not even hold a connection to ask anyone on this forum some questions.

Wish me luck

The RT-AC87R goes back to the seller Monday.

JDB

 

[InspectHerGadget]

Time will tell if the R8000 is much better. It will take a few weeks to really know.

I have the 87 as well and I do have a few issues with the wireless but I intend to go to the TP-Link C9 as Amazon reviews remarkably show no connection or stability issues.

I'm really sceptical (now) of all these routers including the R8000 which also has a lot of reported connection and stability issues on wireless. The Smart Connect most people just seem to turn off.

The 87 is stable as far as the actual Internet connection is concerned but the 5GHz wireless works poorly on my iPad And Nokia 1520 but strangely works perfect on my Microsoft Surface Pro 3.

I will be interested in hearing how you go.

 

[L&LD]

The 87 is stable as far as the actual Internet connection is concerned but the 5GHz wireless works poorly on my iPad And Nokia 1520 but strangely works perfect on my Microsoft Surface Pro 3.

The one is a true high performance device, including wireless. The others, not so much.

 

[InspectHerGadget]

The one is a true high performance device, including wireless. The others, not so much.

Maybe so but I think most people would expect them to work, just as any other AC device and both are top shelf devices in their own sphere, phone and tablet.

I suppose one caveat when you get a new device is that this AC87 is under the microscope whereas I have had dropouts before on my Netgear Cable modem with N wireless. I just expect wireless devices will drop out from time to time. Expectations are higher with a very expensive device but the problems remain the same. These more expensive devices they are trying to wring all the performance they can out of them which may be another factor.

I am looking at reviews too on the TP-Link C9 and I am impressed with the lack of issues wrt to connectivity and dropouts on Amazon reviews.

The whole lot of AC3200 Asus, AC87, Netgear R7000/R8000 all seem to have significant issues and complaints about dropouts and variable performance.

 

[L&LD]

Maybe so but I think most people would expect them to work, just as any other AC device and both are top shelf devices in their own sphere, phone and tablet.

In there own sphere doesn't mean anything here. A laptop is leaps and bounds better than a phone or tablet, especially in wireless performance.

A customer wanted a new AP installed because the wireless range was bad. I was walking around with a 6 year old laptop streaming two youtube 1080p videos and showing him that the wireless signal would not get much better, even with new equipment.

He then pulled out his phone to prove the signal was bad.

He still added an AP, unnecessarily, imo. But he just wanted to look cool with his phone on wifi.

Most people with phones and tablets just shrug when the connection lets them down. The expectation of it working is not what I have witnessed, for most.

 

[InspectHerGadget]

In there own sphere doesn't mean anything here. A laptop is leaps and bounds better than a phone or tablet, especially in wireless performance.

Most people with phones and tablets just shrug when the connection lets them down. The expectation of it working is not what I have witnessed, for most.

I got the WiFi Scanner on my MBA and did some tests. I live in a 4x2 brick and tile house with internal brick walls. It is probably fair to say it is a challenging environment for WiFi although it has generally not been an issue. I have however had dropouts on my Wireless N Modem/Router on the iPad.

The SNB reviews on the AC87 does show issues on the 5GHz band and it can be erratic in terms of throughput.

Most of the time, it does run OK, and it isn't that difficult to reconnect the iPad or phone. I have the latest Merlin release on it.

I have been tossing up whether to get another router but I can't return this one and so it will get mothballed if I get another one.

 

[jdebeer]

Update on New R8000 router and 3 ASUS repeater

I installed the R8000 on Valentines days, and it has been rock solid for 5 days.

On a line of sight repeater i get up to 1300 mbps, and up to 130 Mbps on an iPad aire

on a repeater receiving through 1 wall, I get 850 Mbps to the repeater and up to 125 Mbps on iPads or cat 7 wire to an iMac

on a repeater receiving thorough 2 walls, I get 468 Mbps to the repeater and up to 120 - 130 Mbps through a cat 7 wire to a Lenovo.


as for the RT-AC87x, the vendor won't take it back, past 15 days, and Amazon won't take it back either. ASUS sent me a RMAAM so have sent it in for repair and will give it away.

We have 25 wireless points per Wireless Network watcher, a bunch of them sonos points and they are working very well with no drops.

I am such a hacker, I did not know what made up a good wifi network, but now know the Rt-ac87 was not a good router for me.


right now, today, I am very happy with this current setup.

Cox cable is my cable provider.


JDB