Alpha builds for RT-AC88U and RT-AC3100

[RMerlin]

These two new routers should appear on the store shelves over the next few days. While I already support the RT-AC88U (and by extension, the RT-AC3100 as it's the same, minus the Realtek switch), the code I have is currently a bit old, and has debug logging enabled in its driver, which generates a *LOT* of syslog content. Enough to be pretty bad on your JFFS partition's flash.

Before the weekend, I will upload alpha builds for both these models, in the Experimental folders of the download sites. Notes about these:

1) Logging to JFFS is temporarily disabled, to avoid damaging the flash
2) The driver used is an older beta (from 8596), and will fill up your syslog. This is normal, and nothing I can do about it until Asus releases newer, non-beta code.
3) WTFast is missing, as it wasn't fully implemented yet in the beta code that I have.
4) Link aggregation is not working (missing binary blobs from newer firmwares)

They should still be quite stable at least for the time being. The RT-AC88U running that older beta driver has been my primary router for over a month now, without any issue.

Important note:

If going back and forth between these alpha builds and the newer Asus stock firmware, you MUST do a factory default reset. Otherwise, your router will flat out crash during boot time. I've discovered that recently when I tested a 3.0.0.4.380.xxx beta firmware... Until the source code becomes available, I have no idea what is causing it.

Stock Asus firmwares
These are the firmware versions Asus has put on their update server, which I have downloaded and zipped. These are the versions that get installed when you first boot your RT-AC88U/RT-AC3100 right now (Nov 6th). I am providing them here for those who want to revert back to the stock firmware, until Asus publishes them to the regular support pages.

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/81k6gwkfpb6jw//Asus

Don't forget to do a factory default reset after flashing these!

 

[jbodine74]

How has the 5ghz band been and any battery drain problems?

 

[RMerlin]

How has the 5ghz band been and any battery drain problems?

5 GHz performance has been too good to be true, to be honest. I'm waiting for someone with a retail model and the final firmware release from Asus to compare with them.

Basic example: with all my previous routers, running Lanspeed between my laptop (866 Mbps 802.11ac) and my desktop (Gigabit Ethernet) would give me around 350 Mbps. With the RT-AC88U, I am seeing as high as 550 Mbps averages...

A file copy between my NAS (gigabit Ethernet) and the same laptop was giving me peaks as high as 70 MB/s in Windows Explorer. That's higher than I have ever seen with my previous routers.

Just wondering if it's a side-effect of the beta driver I'm currently using, or really improvements with Broadcom's latest chipset...


The battery drain issue was specific to Quantenna, so only the RT-AC87U has that problem. No other model is affected. With Marshmallow doze mode, my Nexus 9 battery drops by about 2% during the night...

 

[jbodine74]

I'm on my way to Best Buy to get the 3100. Can I use your firmware?

 

[cxcraw]

I'm on my way to Best Buy to get the 3100. Can I use your firmware?

See first post

 

[jbodine74]

See first post

I read all of that but it sounds like rmerlin has been jumping back and forth from stock firmware to his.

 

[cxcraw]

I read all of that but it sounds like rmerlin has been jumping back and forth from stock firmware to his.

My interpretation of the post is if you switch from factory firmware to his alpha builds, you must do a factory reset.

Same for going from Merlin back to ASUS firmware.

 

[jbodine74]

Rmerlin, I was able to purchase the 3100. I got it installed, it immediately told me there was a firmware update. I ran that. Did some very basic setup and then flashed your alpha build. It loaded but the router would not come back. I finally did the wps restart. Now I am up and running. The log is full of stuff:

Nov 6 21:07:19 kernel: CONSOLE: 026998.240 wl1.0: wlc_send_bar: seq 0x90 tid 0
Nov 6 21:07:22 kernel: CONSOLE: 027001.628 ampdu_dbg: wl1.0 dead_cnt 2 tx_in_transit 1 psm_reg_mux 0xfff0 aqmqmap 0x303 aqmfifo_status 0x4000
Nov 6 21:07:22 kernel: CONSOLE: 027001.628 ampdu_dbg: ifsstat 0xa2 nav_stat 0x1 txop 0
Nov 6 21:07:22 kernel: CONSOLE: 027001.628 ampdu_dbg: pktpend: 0 0 0 0 0 ap 1
Nov 6 21:07:22 kernel: CONSOLE: 027001.628 ampdu_dbg: txall 0 txbcn 0 txrts 0 rxcts 0 rsptmout 0 rxstrt 0
Nov 6 21:07:22 kernel: CONSOLE: 027001.628 ampdu_dbg: cwcur0-3 f f 7 3 bslots cur/0-3 2 0 0 0 0 ifs_boff 0
Nov 6 21:07:22 kernel: CONSOLE: 027001.628 ampdu_dbg: again1 ifsstat 0xa2 nav_stat 0x1
Nov 6 21:07:22 kernel: CONSOLE: 027001.628 ampdu_dbg: again2 ifsstat 0xa2 nav_stat 0x1
Nov 6 21:07:22 kernel: CONSOLE: 027001.628 wl1: wlc_ampdu_watchdog: cleaning up ini tid 0 due to no progress for 2 secs tx_in_transit 1
Nov 6 21:07:22 kernel: CONSOLE: 027001.628 wl1: wlc_ampdu_tx_send_delba: tid 0 initiator 1 reason 39
Nov 6 21:07:26 kernel: CONSOLE: 027005.573 wl1.0: wlc_send_bar: seq 0x10 tid 0
Nov 6 21:08:05 kernel: CONSOLE: 027044.388 wl1: wlc_bmac_processpmq: skip entry with mc/bc address c3:56:27:06:19:77
Nov 6 21:08:32 kernel: CONSOLE: 027071.663 wl1.0: wlc_send_bar: seq 0x3d tid 0
Nov 6 21:08:33 kernel: CONSOLE: 027072.745 wl1.0: wlc_send_bar: seq 0x40 tid 0
Nov 6 21:08:33 kernel: CONSOLE: 027072.747 wl1.0: wlc_send_bar: seq 0x42 tid 0
Nov 6 21:08:52 kernel: CONSOLE: 027091.636 ampdu_dbg: wl1.0 dead_cnt 2 tx_in_transit 1 psm_reg_mux 0xfff0 aqmqmap 0x404 aqmfifo_status 0x4000
Nov 6 21:08:52 kernel: CONSOLE: 027091.636 ampdu_dbg: ifsstat 0xa2 nav_stat 0x1 txop 107667
Nov 6 21:08:52 kernel: CONSOLE: 027091.636 ampdu_dbg: pktpend: 0 0 0 0 0 ap 1
Nov 6 21:08:52 kernel: CONSOLE: 027091.636 ampdu_dbg: txall 43 txbcn 0 txrts 0 rxcts 0 rsptmout 0 rxstrt 0
Nov 6 21:08:52 kernel: CONSOLE: 027091.636 ampdu_dbg: cwcur0-3 f f 7 3 bslots cur/0-3 10 0 0 0 0 ifs_boff 0
Nov 6 21:08:52 kernel: CONSOLE: 027091.636 ampdu_dbg: again1 ifsstat 0xa2 nav_stat 0x1
Nov 6 21:08:52 kernel: CONSOLE: 027091.636 ampdu_dbg: again2 ifsstat 0xa2 nav_stat 0x1
Nov 6 21:08:52 kernel: CONSOLE: 027091.636 wl1: wlc_ampdu_watchdog: cleaning up ini tid 0 due to no progress for 2 secs tx_in_transit 1
Nov 6 21:08:52 kernel: CONSOLE: 027091.636 wl1: wlc_ampdu_tx_send_delba: tid 0 initiator 1 reason 39
Nov 6 21:10:24 kernel: CONSOLE: 027183.041 wl1.0: wlc_send_bar: seq 0x15 tid 0

This is just a sample of it. I do not know much about all this code. Is this okay? Also, have you uploaded another alpha build yet?

 

[jbodine74]

I have noticed a few things with this firmware:
I get randomly logged out from the gui.
I cannot change the 5ghz channel. It keeps reverting to auto.
I do not see the Gaming section (official firmware had this)
I do not see the bandwidth limit setting (official firmware had this)

 

[Puppa]

What was the full version number of the stock firmware after you updated? At the moment, I see nothing as far as downloadable firmware for your router on the Asus support website, so I hope you're not stuck with the Merlin alpha firmware until they post it...

 

[jbodine74]

What was the full version number of the stock firmware after you updated? At the moment, I see nothing as far as downloadable firmware for your router on the Asus support website, so I hope you're not stuck with the Merlin alpha firmware until they post it...

I sent asus an email asking where I can download it. Merlin's alpha is great so far. Just a few thing as I mentioned in my previous post.

 

[Puppa]

Glad to hear you're not suffering! I was afraid of a more "alpha" build. How's the 5GHz range?

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[RMerlin]

It loaded but the router would not come back. I finally did the wps restart. Now I am up and running. The log is full of stuff:

Please take the time to carefully read my first post. The two things you mention here are explained in that post...

 

[jbodine74]

Great so far. I have a two story house, 2,000 sq ft. The router is upstairs on one side of the house. I use the ios app called wifi sweetspots (not sure how accurate the app is) on my iPhone 6. Right next the the router I get 285 Mbps and downstairs on the other side of the house I got 140 Mbps. On my 87r I was getting around 260 Mbps next to the router and it would drop to about 20 Mbps on my first floor.

 

[jbodine74]

Please take the time to carefully read my first post. The two things you mention here are explained in that post...

RMerlin, do you know where I can download the official firmware? I cannot find it anywhere on their website.

 

[RMerlin]

RMerlin, do you know where I can download the official firmware? I cannot find it anywhere on their website.

They're not available yet, and those I have are private betas which I cannot share, sorry.

You mentioned however that you were automatically offered an update when you first booted it... Give me a few minutes, I'll dig through their update server, and put that firmware up for download.

 

[jbodine74]

That would be great. Thanks for all the help

 

[RMerlin]

That would be great. Thanks for all the help

I'm uploading the RT-AC88U and RT-AC3100 firmwares, they should be there in a minute or two.

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/81k6gwkfpb6jw//Asus

Link added to the original post.

 

[Cloudcheck Products]

Great so far. I have a two story house, 2,000 sq ft. The router is upstairs on one side of the house. I use the ios app called wifi sweetspots (not sure how accurate the app is) on my iPhone 6. Right next the the router I get 285 Mbps and downstairs on the other side of the house I got 140 Mbps. On my 87r I was getting around 260 Mbps next to the router and it would drop to about 20 Mbps on my first floor.

Jbodine,

Thank you for your interest in WiFi SweetSpots app.

Our lab and field test show over 95% accuracy for WiFi SweetSpots compared to iPerf based benchmarks.

We'd love to further hear your experience and feedback.

 

[jbodine74]

Jbodine,

Thank you for your interest in WiFi SweetSpots app.

Our lab and field test show over 95% accuracy for WiFi SweetSpots compared to iPerf based benchmarks.

We'd love to further hear your experience and feedback.

I have been using it for about a year and I like it. Shows my lan speed on my apple devices. I have not found anything that can do this besides your app