Beta Asuswrt-Merlin 388.1 Beta is available for select models

[RamGuy]

Sounds a bit strange as the native AsusWRT firmware does feature the toggle for Full-Cone NAT. I had it when running 3.0.0.4.388.21617.

 

[RMerlin]

You misunderstand. What I was asking was if the EEPROM data was the same between GT-AX6000 "standard" and "rog" user-interface firmwares, so you can switch between the two without having to reconfigure anything or having strange stuff happen (or does the ROG version add extra data, e.g. for user-interface settings).

Backend code is identical, the only difference is the webui itself.

That being said, I'm hoping RMerlin can comment whether he has any knowledge of the issue I shared in post #662 and whether it's something Asus is aware of.

Quite honestly, I ignore any Wifi-related complains. Because out of 10 complains, 9 of them turn out to be configuration issues, or caused by people using cheap, broken IoT wifi clients. There are wifi-related complains with every single release. I refuse to become an unpaid tech support devoting hours of my time trying to investigate every single issue, and I'm can't expect their engineers to start devoting time and resources helping people troubleshoot their network just for the odd case that there _might_ be a genuine issue. That's the job of the tech support department, not the engineering department.

I worked with them on the crashing issue because it was a very critical one (complete router reboot), it was obviously not related in any way to a misconfiguration or a broken client, because multiple persons had the exact same issue (so it wasn't a hardware issue), and because when I asked their DPI/QoS engineer if he was aware of such an issue, turns out he already was (but on a different platform), and so there was already a simple fix to implement. So, this was a very specific situation, and people shouldn't take that as meaning I will accept to become a fulltime unpaid contact person between customers and Asus, especially not on something as generic as "My wifi no longer works properly", where you have 50 different variables involved that require investigating, including the end user's own environment, which means this has to be done on a case-by-case basis, it cannot be done globally as a whole.

If you look at this beta thread, as well as pretty much every previous beta thread, you will see a regular amount of people telling me that something suddenly got broken, and my answer often ends up being "There has been zero changes between the two versions". I'm sure you can see why I simply no longer start investigating every single reported cases, because it's insanely time consumming.

Sounds a bit strange as the native AsusWRT firmware does feature the toggle for Full-Cone NAT. I had it when running 3.0.0.4.388.21617.

Nothing strange there. As I mentioned, that feature does not work with the kernel 4.19 used by these newer models. That setting was simply not doing anything, hence its removal from these models that don't support it.

 

[blackfireball5]

Quite honestly, I ignore any Wifi-related complains.

Completely understand and respect that. I'm not insinuating that is your job.

However, my issue was not just that my wifi stopped working. It took down my entire network, including internet connectivity to my ethernet devices in an unusual manner that I've never seen before. Where connectivity was maintained, yet internet was only working for a game I was playing and nothing else on my ethernet connected computer was working. It required a reboot to restore functionality. This only happened during Beta 3.

That to me warranted reporting an issue and a concern that did not appear to be related to configuration. Then when 3-4 others reported the same network crippling issue, that raised alarm bells to me.

I am not intelligent enough on the matter to discern what is Beta 3 related verse an Asus's problem. So I just reported it.

If you are telling me it is unrelated to Beta 3, I respect that and I will move on.

 

[RamGuy]

Nothing strange there. As I mentioned, that feature does not work with the kernel 4.19 used by these newer models. That setting was simply not doing anything, hence its removal from these models that don't support it.

Is this only related to AsusWRT-Merlin? Or does that mean the official firmware is misleading? As the option is there on the GT-AX6000 when running 3.0.0.4.388.21617 to change from Symmetrical to Full-Cone NAT. Haven't been able to test or verify if the change is actually doing anything, but I would find it strange for Asus to keep the toggle on the GT-AX6000 if the toggle doesn't affect anything.

 

[skeal]

but I would find it strange for Asus to keep the toggle on the GT-AX6000 if the toggle doesn't affect anything.

You must be new to Asus hardware then, this has happened many times with all kinds of devices they develop. The key word is develop, as this is a continued effort. Some things fall through the cracks man, but at least they get corrected in due time.

 

[didario]

ax88u
tragic thing it works on 388.1 b3.
Each page turn on the router takes at least a minute or even two.
(before throwing 388b3 total factory reset and cleaning nvram). pages in browsers also crashed
I'm going back to the factory 388.20558 - it's definitely several dozen times faster. too bad too bad...

 

[skeal]

ax88u
tragic thing it works on 388.1 b3.
Each page turn on the router takes at least a minute or even two.
(before throwing 388b3 total factory reset and cleaning nvram). pages in browsers also crashed
I'm going back to the factory 388.20558 - it's definitely several dozen times faster. too bad too bad...

I have an AX88U and don't have the issue you have. I would flash the beta again, and because you are coming from stock, a reset to factory defaults AFTER the flash of the beta 3 firmware. Coming from stock it's highly advised to reset to defaults by @RMerlin himself.

 

[sl4fko]

ax88u
tragic thing it works on 388.1 b3.
Each page turn on the router takes at least a minute or even two.
(before throwing 388b3 total factory reset and cleaning nvram). pages in browsers also crashed
I'm going back to the factory 388.20558 - it's definitely several dozen times faster. too bad too bad...

Hard reseting the router BEFORE flashing a new version of the FW does not and cannot help at all...


Reset the router AFTER flashing a new version. Try it and then report back.

Good luck!

 

[didario]

I did write it. After uploading beta 3, there were already 4 factory resets. It didn't change anything. I just uploaded the last factory one - it runs elegantly

 

[skeal]

I did write it. After uploading beta 3, there were already 4 factory resets. It didn't change anything. I just uploaded the last factory one - it runs elegantly

Are you importing settings that you have saved? Like from a settings file? If so DON'T import the file. Reset to defaults and manually reconfigure to avoid importing the broken settings.

 

[didario]

Are you importing settings that you have saved? Like from a settings file? If so DON'T import the file. Reset to defaults and manually reconfigure to avoid importing the broken settings.

no, I configured router manually.

 

[skeal]

no, I configured router manually.

Are you resetting from within the GUI?

 

[skeal]

The other thing to try is reset to defaults and setup your WAN connection and WiFi in the quick connect wizard. Once done that, try the navigation at that point.

 

[skeal]

If it works okay add your preferred settings one at a time to find the breaking point.

 

[Damit1]

AX88U- 4 days uptime with Beta3, no issues so far.

 

[Damit1]

Ax56U- after an unusuall crash was 2 days ago, I manually reboot the router from the GUI for healthier proccess of tests and debug.

For now, 2 days and no issues.
Will keep monitor untill Beta4 or Stable release will be out.

 

[raven-au]

Hard reseting the router BEFORE flashing a new version of the FW does not and cannot help at all...


Reset the router AFTER flashing a new version. Try it and then report back.

If this problem is encountered resetting to factory defaults and reconfigure doesn't help.
I have no idea what's causing it but I see it on multiple routers (GT-AX11000 and XT12) and, IIRC, I have seen it on stock firmware as well.
Once it starts it doesn't stop, GUI starts seeing the long hangs after 12-24 hours following the factory reset, making it unusable.
The GT-AX11000 doesn't have a stock 388 yet which is what I have gone back too since the XT12 has wifi disconnect problems (both Merlin and stock) which a factory reset doesn't resolve.
The AX11000 feels like it's about the best behaved router I have ...

 

[RMerlin]

Is this only related to AsusWRT-Merlin?

No, it`s related to the kernel, therefore it will be the same on both Asuswrt and Asuswrt-Merlin.

I would find it strange for Asus to keep the toggle on the GT-AX6000 if the toggle doesn't affect anything.

Asus weren't aware until recently that the setting did not work on newer HND 5.04 models, Broadcom had only implemented it on the 5.02 models. The setting will also be removed from the next stock firmware release as it`s not doing anything at all.

 

[DiGz_Au]

I'm done with this worthless site and all the elitists. Merlin, I really do appreciate all you do though. Do not ever give up and keep on doing what you are doing..

"Did you reboot your router?" FFS I was doing TCP/IP and Linux before you were in diapers. Trumpet Winsock on Windows 3.1 with DoS?

My post went to the dumpster so ya'll can bitch about wifi I had an actual concern but from previous posts I see how this community beyond Merlin is. I have a bigger pen1s than you do.

It's not all of you - some of you ACTUALLY look over logs and give solutions. But way too many of you need to stop bashing people that are reasonable in their requests and concerns.

OH WELL SCRUB

Y'all Need Jesus

MODS please nuke my account

Well somebody spoke the truth. Good on you man, and goodbye I guess?

 

[snah001]

Running beta 3 since it was released on AX-88U and had no hiccups.
Only thing to mention maybe was that after a day or so my wireguard cliënt speed was cut in half.
Disabling and enabling it again solved it, could well be an VPN provider issue but mentioning it is maybe usefull.