Overclocking on Asuswrt-Merlin 378.56_2 (RT-AC68U and RT-N66U)

mstombs said:

I was not convinced the source matches the released CFEs.

Click to expand...

I cannot answer about the RT-AC66U. However I see this,
https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-me...oadcom/bcm947xx/compressed/rt-ac66u_nvram.txt

So did anyone with new 1GHz AC68U tried to check boardtype as ASAT recommended?
Did anyone got 0x0665? Or same 0x0646?

I've posted it but will do so here.


grep board:

size: 30874 bytes (34662 left)
boardrev=0x1103
1:boardflags=0x30000000
boardtype=0x0665
boardflags2=0x00000000
0:boardflags=0x00001000
boardflags=0x00000110
0:boardflags2=0x00100002
0:boardflags3=0x00000003
1:boardflags2=0x00300002
1:boardflags3=0x0
boardnum=00

cpuinfo:

Processor : ARMv7 Processor rev 0 (v7l)
processor : 0
BogoMIPS : 2398.61

processor : 1
BogoMIPS : 2398.61

Features : swp half thumb fastmult edsp
CPU implementer : 0x41
CPU architecture: 7
CPU variant : 0x3
CPU part : 0xc09
CPU revision : 0

Hardware : Northstar Prototype
Revision : 0000
Serial : 0000000000000000

Then congratulations! You have CPU same as on AC87U and AC68P (BCM4709) ! That's why you had 1 GHz as standard.

Hi, guys. I misposted on 378.54. My version is 378.56_2. Recently, I found the reason that I can't connect from outside to my transmisson. That's the jffs firewall deactivated after a while. Local connection to transmission has no problem. In the jffs's firewall opened port 9091. So when it's impossible to connect from outside, I have to start firewall again in the terminal. [ /jffs/scripts/firewall-start ] Then it's possible to connect from outside, But after couple of hours, it's dead again. Don't you guys have this issue?

secafe said:

Hi, guys. I misposted on 378.54. My version is 378.56_2. Recently, I found the reason that I can't connect from outside to my transmisson. That's the jffs firewall deactivated after a while. Local connection to transmission has no problem. In the jffs's firewall opened port 9091. So when it's impossible to connect from outside, I have to start firewall again in the terminal. [ /jffs/scripts/firewall-start ] Then it's possible to connect from outside, But after couple of hours, it's dead again. Don't you guys have this issue?

Click to expand...

Try moving your rules to the nat-start script, see if it helps.

"You have CPU same as on AC87U and AC68P (BCM4709) !"

Yes I know. The question is does this impact the FW, the identification for model number in the FW, etc.

Seems to me it is a 68P and probably needs to be identified that way.

Hello guys. So I attempted to overclock cpu and it takes it but MIPS are not changing at all. They state same as default value at 1000Mhz. I have 87u router.
I did nvram commit and check clkfreq and it shows it's overclocked but mips don't change. I'm trying to pump up my Mpbs on vpn.
Why are mips not changing and how to change them ?

stewie@RT-AC87R-0B38:/tmp/home/root# nvram get clkfreq
1400,800
stewie@RT-AC87R-0B38:/tmp/home/root# cat /proc/cpuinfo
Processor : ARMv7 Processor rev 0 (v7l)
processor : 0
BogoMIPS : 1998.84

processor : 1
BogoMIPS : 1998.84

Features : swp half thumb fastmult edsp
CPU implementer : 0x41
CPU architecture: 7
CPU variant : 0x3
CPU part : 0xc09
CPU revision : 0

Hardware : Northstar Prototype
Revision : 0000
Serial : 0000000000000000

Rango said:

Hello guys. So I attempted to overclock cpu and it takes it but MIPS are not changing at all. They state same as default value at 1000Mhz. I have 87u router.
I did nvram commit and check clkfreq and it shows it's overclocked but mips don't change. I'm trying to pump up my Mpbs on vpn.
Why are mips not changing and how to change them ?

Click to expand...

If you would read the thread from beginning you would find the answer in posting no. 5 and posting no. 32!

Thank you sir. So the wall i ran into was actually because i did not reboot. So here is what i see. My gui and nvram still shows 1000Mhz default value but my mips have jumped to 2798.38 from 19xxx so it seem it's working.

I'm assuming gui and nvram will still show 1000mhz even tho mips are way higher correct?

I have enabled jffs scripts in gui to yes and in ssh under rooted copied and pasted and entered each of those lines. (with correction of course the clkfreq)

That should keep script alive correct? (meaning mips will stay high and mhz will still not change in gui and vram)

I usually do a reboot, thatll get the CPU overclocked via the services-stop, then go back in and just do the NVram set clkfreq=XXXX,XXX. So it shows up in the gui with what I set / check in bogomips


But if I update to the newer 380.57, over the 378.56_2, will it keep my servies-stop script or will i need to redo that portion. Might be just worth waiting for the next update at this point, already 2 months old.
Edit - just did and it came back with new firmware and already overclocked so, I Guess not

I want to thank Joegreat especially for pointing me to this thread and for help. Just for anyone that will in future read this based on my experiments my 87u only went up to 1400,800 values with bogomips of 2798.38 as max. I tried 1600,800 but i soft bricked the router. It would not recover after boot due to script of 1600 which is too high of a value for 87. I've seen few people with 68u and one guy with 88u that were running successfully 1600 but not mine. Value are 1000, 1200, 1400, 1600 so you can't use 1500 or in between. I found a thread from merlin that list cpu table values as i listed so don't bother trying 1500 lol, it don't exist.

As far as how i recovered from by putting router in asus recover mode wep key for 5 sec with then running rescue asus utility to re-flash firmware overwriting the script. Then to make sure i formated nvram threw ssh then reflash firmware again and also format jffs on next reboot to make sure again lol

The temps even with overclock with no cooling on my router are same as with no overclock being 78-80C but i have 2x 8mm fans that point directly to vents and i run now 58-60C on medium fan speed. They are silent even at high but high didn't produce any more drop, maybe 1-2C but fans were slightly more louder in silent room so i decided on medium setting. Asus has 3 huge heatsinks inside that decipate heat very well which is why i didn't see temps jump with overclock but i wanted drop temps anyway. BTW those routers are designed to run at 80C anyway so no need to cool, but i wanted it anway.

Anyway bottom line is 1400,800 is max setting for 87u router on 380 firmware, at least on my revision of this router. 1600 will most likely give you soft brick.
I didn't mind taking a chance as i have 30 days i can exchange it but wanted max speed for vpn. Also at 1400 it is stable from what i see.
By doing this overclock i now run 88u CPU speed that is double the price of mine. Also i checked 88u and 87u have same CPU with slight different marking.
It could be different revision of same cpu. 87u is A and 88u is C marking in CPU. slightly different but seem the same. It explains why mine did not take 1600 and 88u should take it. (don't quote me on this) Slightly different revision of CPU. Anyway hope this helps future overclockers.

Rango said:

I want to thank Joegreat especially for pointing me to this thread and for help. Just for anyone that will in future read this based on my experiments my 87u only went up to 1400,800 values with bogomips of 2798.38 as max. I tried 1600,800 but i soft bricked the router. It would not recover after boot due to script of 1600 which is too high of a value for 87. I've seen few people with 68u and one guy with 88u that were running successfully 1600 but not mine. Value are 1000, 1200, 1400, 1600 so you can't use 1500 or in between. I found a thread from merlin that list cpu table values as i listed so don't bother trying 1500 lol, it don't exist.

Click to expand...

To avoid being a too happy camper: Read this thread about bricking the overclocked router during firmware update...

I have now two lines in my scripts: One overclock and one to default clock - if I need to update firmware I un-comment the default and reboot - and after update the opposite with the overclocked values and reboot.

joegreat said:

To avoid being a too happy camper: Read this thread about bricking the overclocked router during firmware update...

I have now two lines in my scripts: One overclock and one to default clock - if I need to update firmware I un-comment the default and reboot - and after update the opposite with the overclocked values and reboot.

Click to expand...

The claim that overclock bricks your firmware update is not evident IMO. Pls stop spreading the myth

Your precaution to be on a safer side now is good by all means.

Thanks Joe ....can you share twos two lines and how to use it while there is script already running. I didn't see it in the thread you posted, unless i'm blind.

kvic said:

The claim that overclock bricks your firmware update is not evident IMO. Pls stop spreading the myth

Your precaution to be on a safer side now is good by all means.

Click to expand...

Not only was it the likely cause in joegreat's case, but I have seen this over the years on a few different computers too.

Easy enough for an overclocked system to corrupt a critical value at a critical time and leave you with a paperweight.

Rango said:

Thanks Joe ....can you share twos two lines and how to use it while there is script already running. I didn't see it in the thread you posted, unless i'm blind.

Click to expand...

Here we go:

Move the # to the line which need to be blocked...

joegreat said:

Here we go:

# set clkfreq on each restart (due to change in CFE/NVRAM handling by ASUS)
#nvram set clkfreq=1000,800
nvram set clkfreq=1400,800
nvram commit​

Move the # to the line which need to be blocked...

Click to expand...

Thanks joe but how do i intergrate this with this script. I don't want to randomly place anything as that is bad news usually.

mkdir -p /jffs/scripts

echo "#!/bin/sh" > /jffs/scripts/services-stop
echo "nvram set clkfreq=1400,800" >> /jffs/scripts/services-stop
echo "nvram commit" >> /jffs/scripts/services-stop
chmod 755 /jffs/scripts/services-stop

cat /jffs/scripts/services-stop

Rango said:

Thanks joe but how do i intergrate this with this script. I don't want to randomly place anything as that is bad news usually.

Click to expand...

You need to EDIT the script after you created it - Nano or vi are your friends for the edit part!

haha Joe thanks for inviting me to the dinner and letting me smell it lol