CRITICAL: Kernel Panics/Instability by Broadcom Wi-Fi Driver Bug WLC_SCB_DEAUTHORIZE error -30

[Magnus2]

Subject: CRITICAL: Kernel Panics/Instability Caused by Broadcom Wi-Fi Driver Bug (WLC_SCB_DEAUTHORIZE error (-30)) - Requires Urgent Fix

Dear ASUS Support/Development Team,

I am writing to report a recurring and critical stability issue in my AiMesh network, which appears to be directly caused by a fundamental bug in the Broadcom Wi-Fi kernel driver, particularly affecting client memory management (SCB). This issue causes the entire network to suffer significant slowdowns and, eventually, instability, requiring a daily reboot.

1. Hardware and Firmware:

• Main Router: RT-BE92U

• AiMesh Node: RT-BE92U

• Firmware Version: [Latest 3.0.0.6] (The issue persists across multiple recent versions).

2. The Core Problem:

The issue manifests as a frequent, repeatable kernel error that occurs primarily when modern clients (especially Apple devices, which use aggressive power-save modes like APSD) attempt to disconnect or go into deep sleep due to inactivity.

The specific error is WLC_SCB_DEAUTHORIZE error (-30), which indicates a memory management failure in the Station Control Block (SCB) within the Broadcom kernel code.

3. Log Evidence from Router (Main Unit - [ROUTER_IP]) and AiMesh Node ([NODE_IP]):

The problem is triggered on both the main router and the AiMesh node, across 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands:

Date & Time	Location	Log Snippet	Interpretation
Nov 9 00:30:17	Main Router	kernel: WLC_SCB_DEAUTHORIZE error (-30)	The critical kernel error.
Nov 9 00:30:17	Main Router	wl1.3: Deauth_ind [CLIENT_MAC_A], reason: Disassociated due to inactivity (4)	The error is directly preceded by a client disconnecting due to inactivity, linking the bug to power-save management (APSD).
Nov 3 23:17:24	AiMesh Node	kernel: === MLO ERROR [wlc_ap_process_assocreq] Assoc processing failure... status 30 ===	Crucial finding: This error directly implicates the Multi-Link Operation (MLO) logic, which is part of the Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) implementation in the Broadcom driver.
Nov 5 09:49:29	AiMesh Node	kernel: WLC_SCB_DEAUTHORIZE error (-30)	Shows the bug is widespread across the network.

4. Troubleshooting & Technical Findings:

Through extensive testing, we have determined:

1. Bug Scope: The bug affects all wireless interfaces (wl0, wl1, wl2) and occurs regardless of whether the network uses WPA2 or WPA3 security.

2. Client Trigger: The bug is most frequently triggered by modern clients that heavily rely on advanced power-save features (like Apple iPhones, Watches, and Apple TV 4K).

3. Root Cause Hypothesis: The bug lies in the Broadcom kernel code's handling of:

   • A) Multi-Link Operation (MLO) / Wi-Fi 7

   • B) WMM Automatic Power Save Delivery (APSD), or similar features that manage client state when an inactive device disconnects. The driver fails to correctly clear the Station Control Block (SCB) memory, leading to kernel instability.

5. Implemented Workaround:

Since full network stability cannot be maintained, the only viable workaround is to schedule frequent reboots to clear the corrupted kernel state before stability degrades entirely.

• Temporary Workaround: Daily/Near-daily scheduled reboots (e.g., Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat @ 02:30 AM).

6. Call to Action:

This is not a configuration issue; it is a deep-seated kernel bug in the Broadcom Wi-Fi driver code used by your high-end routers.

We request that ASUS/Broadcom prioritize and issue a firmware fix that addresses the core WLC_SCB_DEAUTHORIZE error (-30) bug, especially in relation to MLO/Wi-Fi 7 and power-save delivery logic.

Thank you for your urgent attention to this critical stability issue.

[VolkovRA]

I'm confirming serious WiFi stability problems on my RT-BE86U running firmware 3.0.0.6.102_39112-g7a02961_1472-g67069_BB0B.

Starting this morning, WiFi has become extremely unstable. Sometimes individual clients disconnect randomly, other times the entire WiFi goes down and restarts, causing all connected devices to drop simultaneously. Wired connections remain perfectly stable with no issues.

The router had been working relatively well for several weeks prior to this (with only occasional individual device disconnections). I suspect this may have started after an automatic firmware update (auto-update was enabled in the web interface).

What I've already tried without success:

• Separating 2.4GHz and 5GHz SSIDs

• Disabling 5GHz band completely

• Disabling WiFi 7 features

• Factory reset multiple times

• Nothing has resolved the issue!

I'm very frustrated with this situation and need help urgently.

Critical errors from system logs indicating driver/hardware issues:

1. Mass client disconnections:

wlceventd: Disassoc [MAC addresses], reason: Disassociated because sending station is leaving (or has left) BSS (8)

This occurs repeatedly when WiFi interfaces restart.

1. Wireless driver crashes and memory leaks:

wl0: Memory leak of bytes 2048
wl0: Memory leak of bytes 512

Indicates serious driver instability.

1. Constant wireless interface restarts:

rc_service: notify_rc restart_wireless
kernel: wl_module_init / wl_pktfwd_sys_init

The system is constantly restarting wireless services.

1. Driver communication errors:

Get event_msgs error (-40)
Get event_msgs error (-19)
failed to set WLC_E_CAC_STATE_CHANGE bit

Driver components cannot communicate properly.

1. Packet forwarding issues:

dhd_pktfwd_lut_lkup: pool 1 and unit 15 mismatched

Hardware packet processing failures.

1. Interface registration problems:

wfd_unregisterdevice Nothing to unregister ifidx X wfd_idx X
Wowl not supported (-23)

Wireless interface management failures.

Technical analysis of the logs suggests:

• Wireless drivers (wl0, wl1) are crashing and restarting repeatedly

• Memory leaks in the Broadcom wireless drivers

• Hardware/DMA communication failures

• Possible firmware corruption or hardware degradation

Urgent questions:

1. Where can I download previous stable firmware versions?

2. Is there a known issue with this firmware version?

3. Are there any emergency fixes or patches available?

4. Could this indicate hardware failure?

The router is essentially unusable for wireless connectivity in its current state. Any immediate assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[jzchen]

• One workaround mentioned by @Magnus2 is to schedule a reboot bi-daily (M, W, F, Su)
• Also there is ASUSwrt-Merlin firmware available.  I suggest the release version, not the currently available beta:  https://www.asuswrt-merlin.net/

[Magnus2]

I hear that Merlin uses the exact same Wifi drivers as it is ASUS / Broadcom proprietary so I wouldn't expect any radical improvements by switching to ASUSWRT_Merlin.

[jzchen]

Yes WiFi seems untouchable.  Sorry I did not think of that.  All I wanted was PSC on on 6 GHz-1 and off on 6 GHz-2 and I was informed it is not possible...

EDIT:  GPL is _39099, which may include newer drivers...

[CatS1]

I think I might have a similar problem to yours:

I bought the BQ16 BE25000 on 11 of August 2025, with the app I created a main, an IOT and a guest network with the default settings coming with the app "asusrouter" as I am not an IT PRO.

Everything worked perfectly till October 20th 2025 (around this date there was the problem with the amazon webservices...). From that date on my IOT devices started to disconnect randomly and to reconnect it took them hours. The wireless adapter of theses devices were manufactured in 2021 and only support 2.4 ghz bands.

In the logs there were loads of same error codes as you describe:

- WLC_SCB_DEAUTHORIZE error -30

Then I upgraded to the latest firmware 3.0.0.6.102_37026, did factory reset and recreated my 3 networks but as there was problems I created them like this:

- Main network: only 5 and 6 ghz, wifi 7 on (without 2.4 ghz band)

- Iot network only 2.4 ghz, WPA/WPA2 personal

- Guest network only 2.4 and 5 ghz

It worked some days and now it happens again, with following error codes:

- Nov 19 09:03:17 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(656): wl2.1: Deauth_ind E4:AA:EA:1D:3A:49, status: 0, reason: Unspecified reason (1), rssi:0

Nov 19 09:03:17 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(696): wl2.1: Auth E4:AA:EA:1D:3A:49, status: Successful (0), rssi:0

Today I opened a case at Asus support I hope they can solve the case or I will have ton negociate that they take the BQ16 back as it is really not the easy working mesh system they advertise.