Asus Router as Media Bridge Causing Slow Shutdown

[tracerbullet]

I hope this is the best area to ask for help diagnosing a slow shutdown of a Win 7 machine. It is a PC connected to an Asus RT-AC66U that is in in Media bridge mode, which is wirelessly connected to an identical router plugged into my cable modem. In the last month or so I've started having a slow (minute or so) shutdown on this PC. I normally put it to sleep and when I do shutdown I am walking away from it, so I can't quite trace the start of the issue to a particular point in time (and any updates, etc.).

I did a regedit to display the verbose shutdown steps and saw it stall out on "shutting down services". I turned them off and on in groups and narrowed it down to "Network Store Interface Service". Realizing this was simply the network connection, I started looking further into that.

I found that if the PC is plugged directly into the main router with a very long Cat 6 cable, it shuts down in several seconds. If it is plugged into the media bridge however, the minute long procedure returns. Hence I believe it to be in the media bridge router (?). Next I updated the firmware in both routers and reset them both to default conditions, followed with putting a wireless password on the main one and again the one attached to the PC back into media bridge mode. This did not change anything, it's still very slow if and only if the media bridge router is used.

Can anyone think of more things to try to narrow this down, or tests to run to further ID the issue? Thanks!

 

[JackMDS]

Measure the Network Bandwidth while connected with the Bridge Vs. connected via the CAT6.

 

[tracerbullet]

902 Mbps. Sounds about right, I can transfer MKV files at something like a gig a minute. The main router is about 40 - 50 feet away and around a corner.

Are you thinking the slow shutdown is related to the connection speed to the main router? I hadn't thought about it waiting because the bridge was slow but was thinking more of a particular setting / policy / something like that.

 

[JackMDS]

Slowdown of Shut down is a typical reaction in a Computer that at the moment it is busy with some download from the Internet. So it would take longer when the connection is Slow.

 

[tracerbullet]

Gotcha. Seems like this is something else as it's every time I shut the thing down, not just sometimes - and if it's connected directly to the main router it doesn't happen at all, while the media bridge connection is still pretty dang fast.

I've tried doing some work with the "Windows Performance Analyzer" and have those logs but aren't quite sure how to use them. The Windows Event Viewer / Diagnostics-Performance shows the long shutdown time, as well as a nearly as long "ShutdownSystemsSessionsTime", but doesn't seem to have the details of exactly what it's waiting for. I may or not be on the right track with those and just not know how to use them.

Safe Mode has a very quick shutdown time as well if that helps at all.

Updating the LAN driver to the latest from Realtek did not solve anything.

 

[tracerbullet]

Still poking at this, found the following:

If the media bridge router is ON when the PC starts, I have a slow shutdown. I can turn off the router before turning off the PC, and still have a slow shutdown.

If the media bridge router is OFF when the PC starts, I have a fast shutdown. Even if I turn the router on and establish an internet connection before shutdown, as long as the router was off while the PC was booting I have a fast shutdown.

So... windows is doing something which causes a slow shutdown, but if and only if it sees the router during bootup.

 

[tracerbullet]

Maybe this is more of a Windows question than a network question?

I've tried comparing the services running with and without the router turned on during boot, but didn't get anywhere. Likely my inability to do the right test.

Would be willing to offer a Paypal reward to the person that leads me to the right way of figuring this out!

 

[ch33zw1z]

Are you using Asus stock firmware?

Have you tried swapping which one is main and bridge?

This is a very odd issue you're describing...

Since safe mode works ok, it's seems like a windows service or driver issue

Do you have a spare NIC you can test with?


Can you post config for the media bridge? May be something as simple as UPnP causing issue.

 

[tracerbullet]

Hey, thanks for the ideas. I will try swapping them, it'll be a little work (w/ a toddler around the house) but I'll see if I can do that today. I do not have a spare NIC, I am now wishing I did. I am ont he latest firmware, yes. Considering the Merlin firmware but haven't tried it, it seemed like a Windows issue but I'm for experimenting at this point.

I can save the settings from the router, it's a CFG file. Not sure how to view the contents (and also be sure I'm not sharing passwords or anything).

It's funny, this isn't a huge problem, but for the sake of learning I am stubborn enough to try and solve it.

 

[tracerbullet]

Have you tried swapping which one is main and bridge?

You certainly got me on the right track. I didn't even have to swap them, it got me thinking about what else was plugged intot he bridge. Can't believe I didn't think of it before.

It's an HP color Laserjet I bought for my wife's home business over Christmas. If I unplug it from the router, everything is back to normal. Plugging it in gives me the longer shutdown time. Or, at least, it needs to be plugged in during boot.

I supposes it's definitely a Windows thing, not sure what yet. "Stopping services" - something printer related, or maybe as you said, upnp?

I'd love further help but if nothing else at least I know where to place the blame. And @ch33zw1z if you'd like I do not mind sending a small "reward". It seems silly but I offered it and am happy to have been, one way or another, tipped off in the right direction!

 

[ch33zw1z]

You certainly got me on the right track. I didn't even have to swap them, it got me thinking about what else was plugged intot he bridge. Can't believe I didn't think of it before.

It's an HP color Laserjet I bought for my wife's home business over Christmas. If I unplug it from the router, everything is back to normal. Plugging it in gives me the longer shutdown time. Or, at least, it needs to be plugged in during boot.

I supposes it's definitely a Windows thing, not sure what yet. "Stopping services" - something printer related, or maybe as you said, upnp?

I'd love further help but if nothing else at least I know where to place the blame. And @ch33zw1z if you'd like I do not mind sending a small "reward". It seems silly but I offered it and am happy to have been, one way or another, tipped off in the right direction!

Just happy to help, save it for the rugrat!

Good job sticking with it.

Could be something like file and print services

I'd put my money on printer software or driver, or upnp

Edit: the printer likely has a web gui you can check for settings.

Printer may have a firmware update

 

[tracerbullet]

Just happy to help, save it for the rugrat!

Good job sticking with it.

Could be something like file and print services

I'd put my money on printer software or driver, or upnp

Edit: the printer likely has a web gui you can check for settings.

Printer may have a firmware update

I'll look into a firmware update. it does have an ip address and gui and I've poked around in it for an hour but not seeing anything. Have updated as many drivers as I can think of.

I'm reasonably happy to at least know that's the culprit. Keeps me from wanting to experiment w/ reloading the O/S (though, admittedly that might actually solve it LOL but I am not getting into that).