Manuf. choice re: firmware support going forward

[Momo]

Hey folks, I've got one of those routers affected by the news today (a netgear) ... i've had some issues over the years with it, so this seems like a good excuse to recycle it.

I'm considering the ASUS RT-AC68U, mostly because it's at the top of the overall ac1900 charts on the SNB site. That being said, what i'd like to know is, as ASUS good at continuing to update firmware for their routers?
I checked their website, and it seems that the latest firmware for it actually has shout outs to forum/community members by name for contributions? that seems pretty awesome... is this legit, or marketing?

netgear has been HORRID for the R6300 i've got. Almost stopped updating it within 6 months after release or something, as a v2 came out.

So yeah, I do not need anything super awesome performance wise, but what i do want is reliability, and ongoing updates re: security etc.

 

[thiggins]

In general, yes, ASUS is better at long term support for their routers. But both NETGEAR and ASUS can be loaded with alternative distros if you really want long term support.

 

[microchip]

NETGEAR pushes updates based on how popular a device is (how much it gets sold). The R7000, which is still ones of their most popular/sold model, receives regularly updates. NETGEAR also responds fairly quick on security issues and will push updates for devices affected in a timely manner. Unlike ASUS, NETGEAR tends to "retire" routers when a new revision comes out of a specific model, so you'd be very lucky to get an update if you have the "retired" version. If your concern is long-time support, then ASUS beats NG every time. Both brands also have good third-party firmware support

 

[RMerlin]

Both brands also have good third-party firmware support

The hardware platform is more important than the manufacturer for this. Right now, you'll get the best third party support with Broadcom-based models. Third party firmware support for Marvel or QCA is still limited.

 

[Momo]

yeah, NG abandoned my router when they released a v2 of it. Super disappointing.

Is my R6300 a broadcom chipset?
same with the aforementioned ASUS?

... what is the most commonly used third party firmware? i seem to recall a couple, dd-wrt and tomato?
Never used either of them, never took the open source plunge.

 

[microchip]

yes, both are Broadcom-based. Most popular firmwares for these are DD-WRT and Tomato. Whether you need them is another question. They have a lot of options that can confuse users if they don't have much networking knowledge

 

[sfx2000]

Hey folks, I've got one of those routers affected by the news today (a netgear) ... i've had some issues over the years with it, so this seems like a good excuse to recycle it.

Keep in mind that any vendor can get bit by a security issue - home gateways are a big target these days.

 

[Momo]

yeah, doing some reading about dd-wrt on my netgear, it does not sound like a brickless experience, and sounds like there's potential for needless pain.

My only cocern with the ASUS RT-AC68U is the fact that it's already 3 years old or so.

Is there a modern asus router that replaces it, with updated procesor / more RAM etc. that's worth looking at?
I'm guessing not, if it's still at the top of the router chart overall.

 

[sfx2000]

My only cocern with the ASUS RT-AC68U is the fact that it's already 3 years old or so.

Is there a modern asus router that replaces it, with updated procesor / more RAM etc. that's worth looking at?
I'm guessing not, if it's still at the top of the router chart overall.

The platform has aged very well though - the Broadcom Wave 1 11ac chipsets have been good over that entire time...

 

[Pierino]

Installing dd-wrt on an r6300v1 is a relatively easy task.