How to upgrade asuswrt merlin 386.2_6 on rt-ax88u

[henlin]

Hi!

I see a lot of threads on failed uploads of asuswrt merlin, and how to solve the problem. However, where can I find info on how to safely do a firmware upgrade?

I have a Asus RT-AX88U with merlin 386.2_6 (funny number, since I jumped over both 386 and 486 back in the days, and went straight from 286 to pentium )...

Anyways, how should I do the firmware upgrade? Stepwise - which will take an eternity? Or can I go straight from 386.2_6 to most recent release? Also, should I do a factory reset or something before starting the procedure?

Thanks, H

 

[ColinTaylor]

It's generally a good idea to backup your current settings and jffs (Administration - Restore/Save/Upload Setting) before you upgrade. And have a copy of the currently installed firmware (386.2_6) downloaded. That way, if something goes wrong you can easily restore back to your current setup.

It's also wise to review the changelog here. Look at the CHANGED entries since your current firmware in case any of them are relevant to you. Mostly it's only VPN changes that effect people.

Or can I go straight from 386.2_6 to most recent release?

Yes you can.

Also, should I do a factory reset or something before starting the procedure?

No. If something doesn't look right after you install the new firmware you could do a factory reset then to see if that fixes it, but it shouldn't be necessary.

 

[L&LD]

Simply flash the firmware you want. Do a full reset and a minimal and manual configuration to secure the router and connect to your ISP. This hardly takes an eternity. 15 minutes or so with the newer routers.

Here are more detailed steps to follow below.

Is it a good idea to keep up with Firmware updates?

I have had issues in the past when updating firmware and Internet speed, But it may have just been a fluke, Should I keep up with the updates? If so On all routers or the nodes as well? What about ones acting as access points? Thanks

www.snbforums.com

After you have your 'baseline' safely stored with the steps above, do the following to fully and properly use/test the new firmware you want to use.

Merlin on ASUS ax86U Question

I have an ASUS AX86U and contemplating the installation of Merlin firmware. The DDNS settings on the AX86U are limited to select dns providers. If I install Merlin, will I have more flexability (choices) with the DDNS Settings? Thanks in advance!

www.snbforums.com

 

[henlin]

Thank you @ColinTaylor and @L&LD for your advice - the update went completely un-problematic! ...

I didn't have to do factory reset or roll back. I can't see a lot of apparent differences in the GUI, but I do some minor tweaks and fixes, and I assume there has been done quite a lot of work under the hood. Being an active user of OpenVPN, I had a bit of trouble doing some things before - but now they seem to work much better. Sweet