#PSA: If You Have An ASUS ZenWiFi XT8, Do NOT Upgrade To Firmware Version 3.0.0.4.388.23285
It seems that firmware version 3.0.0.4.388.23285 for the ASUS ZenWiFi XT8 is a must pass. I say that because when I tried to update to it the following happened:
- My Wife’s work supplied SIP phone stopped working.
- HomeKit broke in spectacular fashion
- VPNs would not work
- Surfing the web was difficult do to the slow speed.
- It seem to have issue with Bell and the Advanced DMZ method of bypassing their hardware.
Clearly there’s an issue with this firmware as rolling back to 3.0.0.4.388.23012 allowed me to get things back online. Though I will admit that I had to do two factory resets to make that happen. This reminds me of the last time that I had to put out a PSA about ASUS firmware which was this instance a few months ago.
Until ASUS formally addresses this, your best bet is to stay on firmware 3.0.0.4.388.23012. If you have already upgraded to 3.0.0.4.388.23285, then your best bet is to do the following:
- Backup the configuration using these instructions.
- Download and install firmware 3.0.0.4.388.23012 using method 2 from these instructions.
- After updating do a factory reset of the router using these instructions.
- Using a computer and a web browser, connect to the router and using the advanced options, upload the backup of the configuration that you saved in the first step.
The reason why I recommend going this route is that for whatever reason, ASUS routers do not cleanly update the firmware. And that leads to all sorts of weird issues that are hard to track down.
I truly wish ASUS could consistently come out with firmware updates that improve the user experience rather than frustrate users. But until that day comes, if it ever does, your best bet might be to pick a firmware that you know to be stable, and stick to it until there is clear evidence that any newer firmware won’t break your setup.
June 11, 2023 at 8:55 am
[…] XT8 is such a dumpster fire of a firmware. When I initially updated to it, it was so bad that I put out a PSA telling people not to upgrade to it. And to frank, even though I have things working now, that PSA will still stand because of a couple […]
June 23, 2023 at 11:31 am
[…] others have not. Take the XT8 that I own for example. The last firmware update was in May which I wrote about my experiences with that. Others like the RT-AX86U PRO has have firmware updates in the last […]
June 23, 2023 at 11:34 am
Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I wrote a whole article on this as a result. It should be live either now or in the next few minutes.