RAX50 AX5400 - Drops internet connection for short periods (recent problem).

[JustinHolst]

I have been using a RAX50 both for two hardwired PCs and also my mobile/tablet devices.  The router is connected via hardline to my comcast cable modem.  Starting a few days ago I have been having connection drops from the Nighthawk router.  Originally I thought this was a Comcast problem, and so I spent over an hour with them as they performed various tests.  At the end they say my connection is clean.  I can confirm that the connection is clean if I plug the ethernet directly into my PC.  When I do that I have no issue.  When I connect through the Nighthawk I have connection drops both over wifi and over the wired machines.

Once I identified that it was the Nighthawk then I started doing all of the normal things there.  I updated to latest firmware (1.0.2.82_2.0.50).  I did a factory reset (holding in the pin for 30 seconds, setting it back up as new).  I replaced the hardline cable from the comcast modem to the nighthawk.  All of these measures have still resulted in dropped connections.

Next step was that I set a ping -t www.google.com on my home PC and just let it run.  I waited until I saw the connection was interrupted/timing out.  I then logged into the nighthawk admin page through my browser and looked at the log and there were no events at that time!

A tech support friend of mine mentioned trying to ping the two hard wired pcs to each other to see if there was any packet loss.  I don't see anything like that.

I don't really mess with the settings on the router so it is basically whatever is default.  I did try turning on smart connect and I think that is on now.  But I was having the problem before/during/after setting it.

In summary:  I have tried a lot of things to fix this problem and I am still having intermittent internet connectivity loss when connected to the Nighthawk.  This happens both on wifi and connected through ethernet.  Please help.

[slackrl]

Hi Justin:

So far looks like it could be the NightHawk. Since you've connected directly to your PC from your modem.  However keep in mind this is just one device tasking your modem. Where as the router though is it one device will task pull more from the modem.

Also do'nt forget each device wired or wireless attaching to your router may also require pataching/updating of OS and Firmware. I would make this my next step.

Afterward should you whish to continue troubleshooting would be to troubleshooting by drill down isolation. 

Be patient as this will cost you some time.

(A) Try running the NightHawk with only all the wired devices connected to it and see if drop outs still happen.

  If so try isolating by wired devices substracting each wired device one at a time.

(B) Try running the NightHawk with only all the wireless devices connected to it and see if drop outs still happen.

  If so try isolating by wireless devices substracting each wireless device one at a time.

The above steps may help you to find if a pacticular device could be causing the problem.

(C) Try putting  all  your slower older devices on the 2.4 Network and all devices that can run @ 5g or higher on the 5G Network.

Note: You will need to turn off  Smart Connect  and reboot your router for Section (C) testing.

FYI: Some have found that turning on Smart Connect just slows things down, it appears you lose the speed to your devices of the 5G side  of your router.

If all fails and your warranty is in force. Call tech support. If they need to replace the router you will have to get them (after they tested on tier/level 1) to escalate you to tier/leve 2 to declare the router defective and replae the router.

Note: when you feel you have the router set like you want it, make a configuration backup.

That way when you get the exact replacement router and firmware update it to the current version on this router, you will be able just to upload the config file and save you some setup time.

Post back a lest us know how thing work out.

slackrl.

[JustinHolst]

Thank you for this reply.  I am in the midst of doing some of this, but also working from home at the same time so can't be disconnecting my main PC.

This morning I ran a test where I forced all of the wireless devices off and had just my two hardwired PCs.  I then ran a ping -t on my home pc to google.com.  It ran for a good hour or more, out of 7400 pings to google there was a small section of five of them that had request timed out.

I then added my iphone to the wireless network and just put on a random stream, and then did the ping test again from my home PC.  Out of 4200 pings I had the same section of 5 request timed out.

I don't do a ton of testing like this so honestly I don't know if it is normal that a ping should be able to succeed 10k times in a row or something.  So since kind of both my tests are "dirty" I'm just going to start adding wireless devices one by one and see if it gets worse.

[JustinHolst]

I added my Amazon Echo and my phone and just streamed things on both of them and had a ton of disconnect events.  Right now my testing leads me to believe that this is a systemic problem with the router, and more use just exacerbates it.

[slackrl]

Sounds like your are will be comming to a conclusion shortly.

However did you test the  Echo and your phone seperately..

Keeping in mind the Echo and your phone are always on listening devices

unless the disable this feature until ready to use it.

slackrl