RT-BE92U Nothing but problems

[Alcazar]

I got this 3 days ago to go with my ROG STRIX GS-BE18000, and 2 x AXE7800's on an AiMesh set up, and it's been nothing but problems on my network ever since.

I have been usuing Aimesh since 2019 and have used over a dozen AC, AX and now BE routers without a single problem.

This BE92U made sure that all changed very quickly.

Here's the setup I attempted to run it with:

1. The BE18000 is the Primary Router connected to my 1000/100 modem.
2. Wired connection to the BE92U upstairs
3. One AXE7800 5-metres wireles through a brick wall to the BE18000 - both downstairs
4. Second AXE7800 7m away through a brick wall wireless to the BE92U  - both upstairs

Issues:

1. The entire network chugs along slowly when the 92U is connected
2. Upload speeds to from 90-95 to 10-20 mbps when it's connected
3. Random device disconnections all over the house (around 25 devices, some wired, others wireless)
4. Cannot connect either AXE router via wireless to the 92U, they will only Aimesh connnect to the BE18000 even if it's not the best option for distance and interference

Solutions attempted:

1.  Reset to factory firmware over 20 times - no benefit
2. Restarted and reset all routers - no benefit
3. Set up new network from scratch - no benefit
4. repositioned AXE7800 2m away direct line of site to the 92U,  still won't connect to it
5. Updated 92U firmware released 31/10 - same behaviour
6. Removed AXE routers from network (maybe Wifi 6E with interfering with Wifi 7) - network still laggy
7. Turned off MLO - I always have it off as it would otherwise create issues on the AXEs - same behaviour

No matter what I tried, the same issues persist

1. Laggy network
2. Cannot Aimesh wireless to the 92U

Removing the 92U from the network and connecting ethernet to one of the AXE7800's in it's place allows the entire network to run smoothly with high speed and low latench across the entire house except 1 section, which is why I needed a 4th node there.

Seeing the amount of people who have had issues with the RT-BE92U and having my struggles with it, I have come to the conclusion that this router is a complete design failure from ASUS. 
I spoke to ASUS support and they admitted having a lot of problems with them worldwide.

It's a shame as I have been using ASUS routers with no problems for over a decade, Aimesh for around 6 years, but this one router destroyed that entire experience and loyalty. 

I am going to return it and not worry about it. After wasting 3 days on this, my trust of ASUS quality and reliability has definitely taken a huge hit. 

Has anyone been able to get it to work sucessfully in a mixed Wifi 7 + Wifi 6(E) Aimesh?

[richardcole]

The RT-BE92U struggles in mixed WiFi 7 + 6E AiMesh setups due to firmware instability and MLO conflicts. Try isolating it on a separate backhaul band (disable auto channel, fix 5GHz-2 for AiMesh only) and manually bind nodes in the web UI. If stability doesn’t improve, downgrade to a previous firmware — that’s fixed performance drops for several users until ASUS releases a proper patch.

[Alcazar]

Thanks @richardcole ,

It works fine when I am running by Wifi 7 enabled  GS-BE18000, not a single hick up.
I do keep MLO off as that does cause issues. 
I get high speeds and very low latency, even on wireless.
With 1 x Wifi 7 device and 2 x AXE devices, the system is super fast and reliable. 

As soon as I add in the BE92U, everything comes to a grinding halt. 
System latency goes through the roof, speeds are generally lower, upload speeds and disconnections become common. I power it off and everything is back to normal within 30 seconds.

[Alex52]

The problem may be firmware related, but you've only had it a few days. Whether or not it is a firmware or hardware problem, you should return it and get your money back. That is what most do.

[Alex52]

Try this solution if you still have the BE92U.

Do a factory reset of the BE92U with the latest firmware. Set it up temporarily as an access point with default settings. Then, set it up as a new mesh node after doing a factory reset with the latest firmware on your BE 18000 system. Turn on MLO backhaul and MLO fronthaul. Make sure main network settings are at default WPA2 and WPA3 Personal with AES encryption. Go into Settings>WiFi>Wireless Settings> and turn off 5GHz Control Channel under Advanced Settings. See if this works. Latency will likely still be high but utilization should come down. MLO speeds should go up whether or not you have a MLO capable clients or mesh device. This how I got my ASUS WiFi 7 system performing well with client connections and high connection rates.

Even if you no longer have the BE92U, the new settings to the BE18000 system should give you substantial gains including low latency without the BE92U.