Announcement: 3006 progress report - it's a go

[vlord]

This is how Guest Network Pro looks like. Here there's a guest wireless and a guest VLAN linked to Ethernet Port 1, each routing traffic to a specific VPN client.

View attachment 58292

Do you anticipate this working on routers set to AP mode or will it still be limited to AIMesh?

 

[aru]

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Official documentation mentions that the models currently supporting Guest Network Pro include:

GT-AX11000 Pro
GT-AX6000
GT-AXE16000
RT-AX86U Pro
RT-AX88U Pro
ZenWiFi Pro ET12
ZenWIFI Pro XT12

More models might support this feature in the future, but for now, these are all equipped with the high-end BCM4908 or BCM4912 chipsets. If the new Guest Network Pro feature requires such hardware specifications, it's unlikely to be made available on lower-end chipsets. This suggests that when they mention more models in the future, it likely refers to new products, not existing older models. To ensure we get a router that supports Merlin firmware, we should keep an eye on Merlin's announcements to avoid buying a less Merlin supported product.

 

[RMerlin]

While I have this functionality on my BE98 Pro, I haven't used it yet. I'm a bit confused by the ability to create multiple VLANs without also creating subnets to map to them 1:1. Won't having multiple VLANs in a single subnet cause issues?

Networks configured under Guest Network run separate instances of dnsmasq, and are on a different subnets. Check the IP address of the different bridges that are created.

 

[JGrana]

While I am sure Asus does appreciate RMerlin's work one must remember 99% of Asus router owners have never heard of RMerlin or any other third party firmware. In fact most never even update firmware on home routers from the time of purchase.

Sadly true. If only they knew….

 

[heysoundude]

Going to be laugh out loud funny if we see Asus-Merlin 3.0.0.6.x firmware for routers like the RT-AX86U Pro before we see non beta 3.0.0.6.x firmware from Asus.

Ha! wouldn't that make @RMerlin Asus' Lead dev?

 

[Gary_Dexter]

Would be good if some tool could be included to manage the communication between the different VLAN’s.

Currently it seems on stock firmware you can’t change/allow VLAN’s to talk to each other 1-way, 2-way etc.) which is kinda putting me off upgrading my current AC router

 

[HeadBanger]

Is there a definitive list of the models that ASUS are moving to 3006 or have they not even decided yet?

HB

 

[Analog-1]

Is there a definitive list of the models that ASUS are moving to 3006 or have they not even decided yet?

HB

GT-AX11000 Pro
GT-AX6000
GT-AXE16000
RT-AX86U Pro
RT-AX88U Pro
ZenWiFi Pro ET12
ZenWIFI Pro XT12

 

[L&LD]

No, they haven't shared that yet, in full.

 

[sfx2000]

The 3006 integration is the hardest one I've had to do so far. It's a lot more work than even the 370 migration where Asus added their first ARM-based devices, and introduced Trend Micro's BWDPI engine. The overall codebase was much smaller and much simpler back then. The SDN functionality alone is made of multiple thousands of lines of code, which I had to figure out at least well enough to be able to interface with it. At least at this point it's now advanced enough for me to be confident that what's left to do is in the realm of the doable. But it's going to take more time.

Nice work - many folks might not appreciate the complexity of the AsusWRT code, and how not only supporting Broadcom, it also supports other chipset OEM's as well.

I know first hand, after diving into the deep end to fix a WL driver config issue, but because of the layers that Asus has put into their code, it wasn't something that I felt safe to push back to Eric's repo... mostly because of the various SDK's and equipment types - fixed it locally, and that it likely would work on the same SDK versions, but once AIMesh gets involved, something I could not test across all of the variants - so I declined to do the pull request...

I've always felt that Asus should just hire @RMerlin full time - there are few people that know the internals and guts of this SW based as well as he does.

 

[jksmurf]

I've always felt that Asus should just hire @RMerlin full time - there are few people that know the internals and guts of this SW based as well as he does.

I have no doubt he knows the FW inside out (save for the ASUS closed source elements of it), but as to being employed by ASUS full time, I hold a different view.

If he were to be employed by them, whilst Asus Merlin is always intended as being close to the original FW i.e. "with a special emphasis on tweaks and fixes rather than radical changes", he would probably be required to conform more rigorously than he is now and would thus be more constrained.

I think the interface he currently enjoys with ASUS, whilst retaining the autonomy of a (semi?) independent operator, gives him the necessary freedom to develop the "tweaks and fixes" that we all enjoy.

my 2c fwiw.

 

[RMerlin]

Asus does not need me, they already have a number of developers whose programming skills are away ahead of my limited hobbyist-level skills. I'm primarily an IT guy, not a software engineer.

 

[Armandooooo]

Asus does not need me, they already have a number of developers whose programming skills are away ahead of my limited hobbyist-level skills. I'm primarily an IT guy, not a software engineer.

I bought an Asus router just because I have heard a lot of good things about your work and the stability you bring. You are too modest.

 

[Dedel66]

Asus does not need me, they already have a number of developers whose programming skills are away ahead of my limited hobbyist-level skills. I'm primarily an IT guy, not a software engineer.

But YOU listen to the need of customers!!!
THANK YOU!

 

[Broken Hope]

Asus does not need me, they already have a number of developers whose programming skills are away ahead of my limited hobbyist-level skills. I'm primarily an IT guy, not a software engineer.

I’m sure they have their reasons, but I do wish Asus would adopt some of your code, e.g. the wireless log in your firmware so far ahead of what’s in the stock firmware I wonder why they continue to use it.

 

[Catalinus]

Quick question - is this going to maybe help on a possible port to the new BE (BE96/BE98/BE98Pro) Asus routers?

 

[Broken Hope]

Merlin has a 98 Pro and he said in the OP it’s looking likely he will support WiFi 7 models and they all use the same Broadcom chip and SDK as far as I’m aware, so I’d say it’s probably a good bet.

 

[RMerlin]

Quick question - is this going to maybe help on a possible port to the new BE (BE96/BE98/BE98Pro) Asus routers?

There will be supported Wifi 7 models (3006 code support was a prime requirement), however I am not ready to announce which models will be supported yet.

 

[qq3748]

This news is exciting,my guess is that the BE88U is supported.I have purchased two BE88U routers so far and look forward to your firmware.

 

[L&LD]

Welcome to the forums @qq3748.

That would be a good guess but do not count your (RMerlin) firmware until the announcement has hatched.