Why can't I set a channel for 2.4g other than 36/40/44/48? (bad radio?)

[s dr]

I have multiple 2.4g devices that simply can't see channels that high. This is firmware 380.64 on AC5300.

 

[AndreiV]

36/40/44/48 are 5GHz channels not 2.4g

 

[s dr]

Correct. Hence the question. Oddly a number of 2.4G devices CAN connect but most can't.

Screen attached.

 

[s dr]

Is there a setting that allow/disallow standard/nonstandard channels? This is a new router, just flashed from stock to 380.64.

 

[tim]

That router GUI is messed up. 2.4G channels are from 1 to 14

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WLAN_channels

 

[s dr]

I know 2.4G channels should be 1-14, that's why I'm asking the question.

I don't mind them being there but I need to be able to set them to the normal range also.

The router works great otherwise. It's a brand new router (which presumably comes with factory defaults) and all I did was flash 380.64 on it, so I'm not sure if resetting will do anything, but I will try that when I get home if no one can suggest any ideas.

 

[AndreiV]

You need to reboot that router. I would pull the power lead out of the router, leave it off for 5 minutes and then power back on. A cold restart usually clears errors like that.

 

[john9527]

And of course...did you do a factory default reset after loading the Merlin firmware?

 

[RMerlin]

I usually see this happen when nvram content is corrupted, so the router doesn't properly know which interface is tied to which radio. I would do a factory default reset, and reconfigure things out.

 

[s dr]

I tried powering it off for a while. I'll try factory default tonight.

Thanks for the replies. If that fixes it, I sort of wish I knew how to reproduce it. Might be handy in some situation.

 

[s dr]

Reset to factory defaults didn't work. I think maybe it's confused about which radios are which. Any ideas how to sort it out? I've tried enabling smart connect and disabling, hoping it might figure it out but nothing changes. The 2.4G only allows 36/40/44/48

 

[bluepoint]

Reset to factory defaults didn't work. I think maybe it's confused about which radios are which. Any ideas how to sort it out? I've tried enabling smart connect and disabling, hoping it might figure it out but nothing changes. The 2.4G only allows 36/40/44/48

Try changing the "wireless mode" from legacy to Auto if you haven't done.

 

[Trebuin]

Reset to factory defaults didn't work. I think maybe it's confused about which radios are which. Any ideas how to sort it out? I've tried enabling smart connect and disabling, hoping it might figure it out but nothing changes. The 2.4G only allows 36/40/44/48

Something corrupted on your firmware update. Download a copy of a known good firmware to a device you can connect to the router with a LAN cable, then reset the router to factory defaults. After that, update the firmware, then reset to defaults again. Overkill, but I'd recommend updating again to the same firmware then reset to defaults once more then check your wifi settings to see if the 2.4GHz goes to the correct control channels.

 

[sfx2000]

Correct. Hence the question. Oddly a number of 2.4G devices CAN connect but most can't.

Screen attached.

that's pretty cool...

WebGUI has obviously latched on to something...

You haven't been playing with CFE by any chance?

 

[s dr]

I've tried everything everyone has suggested, the latest OEM with before and after factory NVRAM, and latest Merlin with before and after reset. I've also tried all combinations of smartconnect and wifi scanner only ever sees 2 signals and they are in the 5G channel range. I think the 2.4G radio may be bad and the fw/gui is mistakenly being listing one of the 5G as the 2.4G. I think the smoking gun may be no MAC is listed for the second 5G, and both functioning MAC's are operating in the 5G channel (and bandwidth) range.

Attached are images of the router in triple smartconnect mode showing on;y 2 wifi MACS and the third 'ghost' radio shows channel 0.

Is there anything else I can try to get the 2.4G radio going again? Or should I just return as defective. I have a week yet to return to Amazon.

 

[Odkrys]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/x3e66jbhql03qdk/AWRT_CFG_Editor_1.0_rc1.zip?dl=0

Download this tool and open your CFG file.

You can extract your setting in admin -> Reload/save/upload setting -> save setting

Check wl0_chlist and try changing to 1-11 like this image after that upload new CFG and reboot again.

You must be careful when you use this.

 

[RMerlin]

I think the 2.4G radio may be bad and the fw/gui is mistakenly being listing one of the 5G as the 2.4G.

That's possible.

Could you provide the system log showing the entries during boot? It will show whether all three radios do get initialized or not at boot time.

 

[Odkrys]

I agree with RMerlin. 2.4G MAC is same with LAN MAC.
Your 2.4G info is wrong like him who in this link.
http://www.snbforums.com/threads/asus-rt-ac5300.23606/page-37

 

[s dr]

You guys are awesome. I will post the system log as soon as I get home from work.

In addition to making sure wl0_chlist is 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11, can I assume the rest of the settings in that image are what they should be and make them match if they are not? Or should I check back before making any other changes?

I'm hopeful now. I really didn't want to think the radio would go bad so quickly.

 

[s dr]

I can't post the syslog as attachment or inline. I stuck it here http://faithkills.com/syslog.txt