AX88U (backend with Merlin and scripts) and BE88U (for WiFi-7, MLO and such) - tips?

[swejuggalo]

I play around with this mostly for fun. But I would appreciate any tips.

1. I have a switch splitting the internet to two routers.
2. AX88U takes care of the incoming internet and primarily uses Skynet and Diversion. Beyond hosting a OpenVPN (primary)and Wireguard (fallback) VPN, and filtering the connection, it's only purpose it to give BE88U internet via cable.
3. BE88U takes care of all the clients, wired and wireless. It can bypass AX88U with fail over dual WAN when it reboots or otherwise fail in various ways if/when I mess up things.

I have tried using a 5G phone as a fallback on AX88U, and that worked rather nicely. But one day it went berserk dropping internet and jumped between wire and mobile like crazy. Other downsides are that it can't auto-enable the data sharing automatically after a reboot of the router, since that requires the phone to be unlocked to mount it.
I also tried load balancing successfully. Great for my speed, but bad for the ping.

What would you do to get the most out of this hardware?

 

[Tech9]

What would you do to get the most out of this hardware?

Send the RT-BE88U back. Get it cheaper when Asuswrt 5.0 is more mature and there is Asuswrt-Merlin version based on it, eventually. One router can do all of the above and you obviously prefer Asuswrt-Merlin firmware - RT-AX88U stays as only option. You currently have $400 of unused hardware. Dual WAN on Asuswrt - test your luck with it. Stock Asuswrt and Asuswrt-Merlin - the same, unreliable.

 

[swejuggalo]

Send the RT-BE88U back. Get it cheaper when Asuswrt 5.0 is more mature and there is Asuswrt-Merlin version based on it, eventually. One router can do all of the above and you obviously prefer Asuswrt-Merlin firmware - RT-AX88U stays as only option. You currently have $400 of unused hardware. Dual WAN on Asuswrt - test your luck with it. Stock Asuswrt and Asuswrt-Merlin - the same, unreliable.

If it was about getting a router for what I actually need, then I would not have AX88U either. My current and past setups, have and will always be for fun beyond anything else
I got AX88U way back, and at the time I don't think Merlin was fully confirmed yet. Always an early adopter as soon as the routers sold in my country, even if I barely could use the new standard. I only skipped 6E.

Now I mostly just see the fun in testing the Merlin stuff as the backend and to be allowed to test my various clients on WiFi-7, running both types of firmware, report bugs to Asus and such. The bonus is to be allowed to mess up the AX88U and not be offline while experimenting and rebooting the AX88U.
Unnecessary, but fun. Like the many other unnecessary things I have mainly for fun ;-)

BE96U was an option I leaned towards, that could do both parts, with Merlin. But still not selling here. Additionally, neither the price nor the benefits of the “butchered” 6 GHz in my region made it feel worth going with the 6 GHz band. Besides the AX88U, I could get a Gnuton supported BE98.
I probably keep original firmware on my BE88U, even when, and if Merlin comes. As long as the AX88U still is updated and working.