Manage RT-AC88U router without an Internet connection

[AlHolden]

We have a RT-AC88U (and RT-AC68U on AIMesh) connected to the Frontier FIOS service. The AC88U is running 3.0.0.4.386_48263

Whenever I want to administer the router (using 192.168.0.1, or the router.asus.com address which replaces that IP), there's no response or a plain white page - unless the router has a working Internet connection.

Once the WAN is working, the router's admin pages all come up just fine.

This seems like a paradox, as I will never be able to administer the router (to fix a WAN configuration issue) when the router cannot contact the Internet.

Is there a setting I can change, which will allow me to admin the router from the LAN - when the WAN's not there?

[AlHolden]

It happened again this AM. The router lost it's primary WAN connection to Frontier FIOS, and I wanted to switch it over to our secondary WAN - a Wi-Fi modem connected to port 1.

BUT I COULDN'T LOG IN to the router to do this, because it had no WAN connection and therefore just gave me a blank white page (no source html).

This paradox cannot possibly represent correct behavior. Am I right?

Besides contacting Asus directly (I tried), and this community forum, is there any other resource out there? Maybe a social media group or something?

[AlHolden]

Should I just try the Asuswrt-Merlin firmware instead?

[AlHolden]

@jzchenVery good stuff, thanks!

I have not enabled a https login, and - until your response - did not even know such a thing was possible.

UPDATE: Actually I guess it's not: I get a plain vanilla "Unable to connect" when I try those links today, not even a cert warning. This router apparently don't play that. 😉

Point taken on the router's age, I'm hosed if the root cause of all this is an impending hardware failure and not a firmware bug. I will need to shop for a newer model,  but one with AiMesh support for the wired RT-AC88U in our tenant's ADU.

I presume the newer models will let someone access the admin pages from the LAN - over Wi-Fi - if the WAN is not available.

Thanks again.

[jzchen]

It seemed to show a redirect in one of your posts.  I do believe ASUS at one point changed from router.asus.com to "asusrouter.com" (without the quotes, so definitely give that a shot if your router drops WAN).  Frontier fiber is pretty darn stable from personal experience...

[AlHolden]

>It seemed to show a redirect in one of your posts. 

Yes, it redirects from http://192.168.0.1/ to http://router.asus.com/ whenever I try to connect via IP.
If there's no WAN available, it returns a big blank nothing.