[alpha] Early preview builds for Asuswrt-Merlin 380.66

[Gregory Phillips]

ive had issues with comcast cable and ipv6 for the last year. if i have ipv6 enabled no matter the wireless settings i will drop connections every 5 min or so. so for me its not just related to this newer firmware.

What modem are you using? I'm on a sb6121 which has been placed on their EOL list and am considering getting a netgear cm1000 to replace it with. I don't have any connection issues with wireless clients and both radios are strong with the 380.65_2 firmware. My IPv6 connection has been up for two and a half days now on this firmware which is the longest I've kept one since owning this router. When I tried the 380.66 alpha variant I couldn't even keep my IPv6 connection 5 minutes so I never checked my wireless clients before reverting back.

 

[bandit8623]

What modem are you using? I'm on a sb6121 which has been placed on their EOL list and am considering getting a netgear cm1000 to replace it with. I don't have any connection issues with wireless clients and both radios are strong with the 380.65_2 firmware. My IPv6 connection has been up for two and a half days now on this firmware which is the longest I've kept one since owning this router. When I tried the 380.66 alpha variant I couldn't even keep my IPv6 connection 5 minutes so I never checked my wireless clients before reverting back.

 

[bandit8623]

Zoom Telephonics
Model Name 5341

my devices get ipv6 addresses but the wifi links drop off and reconnect constantly. ipv6 off and im good to go. im about to install 66 now and see if there is any difference.

 

[RMerlin]

With update alpha2-g3bad925 I've some disconnections on 5 GHz band that instead I never had with previous alpha2.

There's been absolutely zero changes related to wifi between the two alpha builds. Your problem is your environment, not the new firmware build.

People need to stop always thinking that new firmware versions are magically responsible for every issue (or fixes) related to wifi. There's barely any change whatsoever related to the wifi code between new firmware versions. The wireless driver hasn't changed in over a year. Just because a problem appears or disappears after a firmware upgrade does NOT mean that this is related to the new firmware version. Often, it's simply because of the reboot itself that things changed. If you had wifi set to Auto, then your router just happened to move to a different channel.

A few years ago I did that little experiment, where I distributed three firmware versions, asking people which one gave them the best performance. What I didn't tell them was that two of these had exactly the same wireless code. Turns out some people still reported seeing a difference between the two... "Signal is stronger with this one".

This is why I mostly stopped caring about wifi-based feedback years ago. Too often people fail to do even basic troubleshooting, instantly blaming a new firmware version for any change in behaviour.

In short, start by troubleshooting your whole environment, instead of systematically attributing the source of any wifi behaviour change to a firmware version. Wifi performance is function of the router, the clients, and the local sources of interference.

I use that same firmware code at home myself. The last time I saw a real, genuine issue caused by the router's wifi driver was back to the RT-AC87U days, where the Quantenna driver had a well-known issue with some Android devices. Since then, I have never seen any difference at all with all the different firmware versions I've ran on my RT-AC88U.

 

[RMerlin]

What modem are you using? I'm on a sb6121 which has been placed on their EOL list and am considering getting a netgear cm1000 to replace it with. I don't have any connection issues with wireless clients and both radios are strong with the 380.65_2 firmware. My IPv6 connection has been up for two and a half days now on this firmware which is the longest I've kept one since owning this router. When I tried the 380.66 alpha variant I couldn't even keep my IPv6 connection 5 minutes so I never checked my wireless clients before reverting back.

Seen too many users having problems with those Arris modems over the years, ranging from stability to compatibility issues with their Ethernet interface (some people are forced to put a small switch between the modem and the router for their Ethernet to link at 1 Gbps instead of 100 Mbps). See if your ISP allows Thomson modems. I use a DCM475 at home (and so do all my cable-based customers), and those are rock-solid.

 

[bandit8623]

Seen too many users having problems with those Arris modems over the years, ranging from stability to compatibility issues with their Ethernet interface (some people are forced to put a small switch between the modem and the router for their Ethernet to link at 1 Gbps instead of 100 Mbps). See if your ISP allows Thomson modems. I use a DCM475 at home (and so do all my cable-based customers), and those are rock-solid.

looks like technicolor now owns thomson now. hopefully the quality stays up.

 

[RMerlin]

looks like technicolor now owns thomson now. hopefully the quality stays up.

I haven't tested yet the successor to the DCM475 (as we still had some of these in stock for our last customers). I think it's the TC4300.

 

[bandit8623]

I haven't tested yet the successor to the DCM475 (as we still had some of these in stock for our last customers). I think it's the TC4300.

you are correct, looks like they have even a newer docsis 3.1 now. http://www.technicolor.com/en/solut...roadband-devices/cable-modems-gateways/tc4400

 

[Gregory Phillips]

Seen too many users having problems with those Arris modems over the years, ranging from stability to compatibility issues with their Ethernet interface (some people are forced to put a small switch between the modem and the router for their Ethernet to link at 1 Gbps instead of 100 Mbps). See if your ISP allows Thomson modems. I use a DCM475 at home (and so do all my cable-based customers), and those are rock-solid.

Unfortunately Comcast has a narrowing selection of approved devices and they are not among them. It would be down to an Arris sb8200 or netgear cm1000 to get docsis 3.1 to prolong the EOL declaration and end of support.

 

[stambeccuccio]

There is a layout problem with other languages...

Spoiler

Post Scriptum: 380.66_alpha3-g93de9e0 (7378_GPL)

 

[AndreiV]

There is a layout problem with other languages...

Spoiler

View attachment 8926

View attachment 8927

No problem here on any of the available languages. tested in Opera, IE11, Chrome

 

[unclebuk]

The thing is that why the hell Eric is not working for ASUS already ? lol If I were an ASUS bigshot I would probably beg for him to join!

Maybe he does work for Asus, how do you know he doesn't?

 

[AndreiV]

Maybe he does work for Asus, how do you know he doesn't?

Eric doesn't work for Asus, read the forum.

 

[Zoku]

I see that you've released Alpha 3, any updates to the changelog? =)

Great work by the way!! =D

 

[RMerlin]

93de9e0 Bumped revision to alpha 3
68ff3f5 Updated documentation
2b4c124 Merge with GPL 7378 (RT-N66U and RT-AC68U binary blobs)
1c3f0a4 tor: Updated to 0.2.9.10
962bc54 webui: Change field label from "IP" to "IP Address" on Wireless Log page

 

[MarkRH]

2b4c124 Merge with GPL 7378 (RT-N66U and RT-AC68U binary blobs)

Cool, was wondering about that after noticing Asus put out 7378 with its security updates. https://www.snbforums.com/threads/asus-rt-ac68u-firmware-version-3-0-0-4-380-7378.38350/ I'll probably wait for the first beta. Thanks for all your efforts.

 

[Tom Ames]

Just downloaded alpha3 on router and AP. So far, so good.

Thanks again for your untiring effort, Merlin!

 

[Gregory Phillips]

Anyone running this alpha3 on their 88u and if so are you having any issues with it?

 

[RMerlin]

Anyone running this alpha3 on their 88u and if so are you having any issues with it?

My main router is an RT-AC88U.

 

[dvohwinkel]

My main router is an RT-AC88U.

ASUS needs to "compensate" you for that endorsement!