Apply Button Gone

[kiwifruit]

Just updated the firmware on an ASUS DSL-AC68U to 3.0.0.4.384_56087 and on rebooting the router I noticed I had lost connectivity to my server from outside the network. Checked the settings in the router and noticed all the port forwards had disappeared. Started to add them back in but way this is now done has changed, the new process is to click the "Add Profile" button and in the resulting popup enter the details but... the Apply button is no longer there so the entries can not be loaded in to the router. See screenshot: https://i.imgur.com/8H0IgdH.png

 

[RMerlin]

This is by design. Now when you add a Profile, it gets immediately applied to the router.

 

[kiwifruit]

Thanks, I didn't realise that but any entries I make are not getting saved. I've tried adding through the web gui and the Android app but no luck. Have also enabled UPNP and tried to get an entry using my PLEX server but the port only opens for 30 seconds or so then closes again. Actually that may just be PLEX displaying connectivity until it hears back from the router so the port may never get opened.

 

[RMerlin]

I've tried adding through the web gui and the Android app but no luck

Do entries appear on the list on that page after you add a new profile?

Try monitoring your web browser console (by pressing F12) to see if there's any Javascript error. Some client named with quotes in their names can break portions of the webui (tho I would expect the mobile app not to be affected by this).

 

[kiwifruit]

Do entries appear on the list on that page after you add a new profile?

Try monitoring your web browser console (by pressing F12) to see if there's any Javascript error. Some client named with quotes in their names can break portions of the webui (tho I would expect the mobile app not to be affected by this).

The entries don't get saved, if I add a couple then navigate a different tab, when I return they are gone, I grabbed a screenshot of the console: https://i.imgur.com/AG3x7e6.png if that helps

 

[RMerlin]

Try a different browser. And avoid Safari - it has a lot of problems apparently with Asuswrt's webui.

 

[kiwifruit]

Same results for Firefox Regular edition, Firefox Developer Edition, Chrome and Edge.

 

[RMerlin]

No other idea then, sorry.

 

[L&LD]

@kiwifruit I would recommend a full reset to factory defaults and a minimal and manual reset of your router to secure it and connect to your ISP. Please see the M&M Config link in my signature below for further details and other possibly helpful links too).

If you haven't performed a full reset to factory defaults previously, or a very long time ago, I would also suggest to go 'one further' and do a couple of additional steps in the order shown below.

First, make sure you save any data on the router and any attached USB devices you have connected to the router, including the jffs partition (I don't know if stock firmware allows you to use that for your own scripts, etc.), if applicable. With your files and data safely backed up, proceed with the following.

• Consider using the RMerlin fork on your DSL-AC68U.
  • Remove all USB devices and reboot the router. Wait for 5 to 10 minutes for the router to settle (the CPU cores should be idling by this point) and then proceed to flash to this version if you decide to try it.
    
  • https://www.snbforums.com/threads/dsl-ac68u-asuswrt-merlin-builds-for-dsl-routers.55985/
  • If you do decide to use this fork, flash this firmware first and then continue with the instructions below.
• Remove all USB devices attached to the router, including all Ethernet cables too.
  
• Perform a 'format jffs partition on next reboot' via the GUI.
  • Reboot the router, wait for 5 to 10 minutes after it boots up and reboot it once again.
• Perform a reset to factory defaults via the GUI and make sure to tick the box that says 'initialize all settings...', if that is available on your firmware.
• Perform a quick/temporary wizard set up after it boots and then immediately flash the same version of firmware you want (should be what you already have on the router at this point). Yes, we want to do it twice, in this order indicated.
• After the router boots up, perform a quick/temporary wizard set up to be able to get into the main GUI.
• Now, we'll perform an NVRAM erase.
  • Pull the power plug from the router (not the ac power plug from the wall socket) and leave the router unpowered for at least 2 minutes.
  • Holding down the WPS button, power up the router and continue to hold the WPS button for up to 30 seconds. Leave the router until it reboots. It may take a while for this boot to happen, be patient.
  • If the above procedure worked properly, you'll be at the setup wizard screen again.
• Set up the router for a final time making sure to not use a backup config file. We want a mostly default install at this point. Only change what you need to secure the router and connect to your ISP.
• Leaving as many options at default as possible, enter your required customizations starting with the most important, and testing as you go with each change made. Make sure to include rebooting as part of your testing, and, to wait for at least 5 to 10 minutes afterward too, to allow the router to fully boot and the CPU cores to be idle before continuing.
• When all the required customizations are performed and found to be working, allow the router to idle for an hour or so and then perform one final reboot. You may use your network normally at this time, except for not being 'allowed' to be in the router's GUI.

The above should put your router into a 'good/known' state and the random glitches and issues you're seeing should be gone.

Further reading on why the above procedure works can be seen in the link below.

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/faq-nvram-and-factory-default-reset.22822/

 

[kiwifruit]

Thanks L&LD, I was starting to think a factory reset was my last option, dreading it as I have a lot of fix IP/MAC devices, parental controls etc to reconfigure. I'll need to take a lot of screenshots as I suspect that resoring a backup could re introduce the issue. I note that you recommend the RMerlin firmware, does it have the same feature set as the stock ASUS firmware?