[Beta] Asuswrt-Merlin 382.1 Beta is available

[RMerlin]

Could you allow the use of using a lower dBm then -70

Can't. Been tried before, limits are hardcoded in the driver.

 

[ckong]

I just upgraded to RT-AC3100. Installed 382 Beta 2 firmware. Custom DDNS not working right. Requires a password but there's no password field on the web page to fill in. (I have it hard-coded in my script anyway.)

On a side note, hostname field is also required but don't know the variable that's passed to script. If anyone knows that and can share, I'd appreciate it.

 

[Vexira]

@RMerlin


Main router: AC86U
AP: AC1900P

AC86U in setting: Wireless->Professional->Roaming assistant

Could you allow the use of using a lower dBm then -70

Reason: it's causing my clients to be connected with too weak of a signal when I'd like them to switch to my closer AP with a stronger signal.
When I try to change this setting a message of "Please enter a value between -90 to -70" appears.

I'm using HGGomes firmware on my AP 1900P, which allows a lower value to be set. I need this ability on my 86U as well for my setup work properly, otherwise most of my clients stay connected to the weaker signal router and gives bad wireless throughput.

id ask in the asus wrt thread, maybe one of the staff there could look into it.

 

[RMerlin]

I just upgraded to RT-AC3100. Installed 382 Beta 2 firmware. Custom DDNS not working right. Requires a password but there's no password field on the web page to fill in. (I have it hard-coded in my script anyway.)

Custom implies that you handle everything in a custom script, that's why there's no password field while in that mode.

The hostname field is only so the firmware will know what to insert in the ssl certificate SANs or in the exported ovpn file, it's not actively used while in Custom mode.

 

[Pir8pete]

I think what you're looking for is under Network Tools | Smart Connect Rule. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't -90 less than -70?

From the description of it's explanation when i hover over with the mouse arrow, it's saying it just switched clients within the routers 2.4G and 5G depending on RSSI, throughput etc.. and doesn't drop clients to use another router, so that wouldn't work. Unless I'm wrong about this new feature, but that's what i get out of it. And Asus has no real documentation on it. :/

other way around the smaller the number the better the signal. ex: -30 would be better then -65

 

[Pir8pete]

Can't. Been tried before, limits are hardcoded in the driver.

How did HGGomes do it in his mod? or is it all show on the GUI and doesn't actually do anything?

 

[Vexira]

How did HGGomes do it in his mod? or is it all show on the GUI and doesn't actually do anything?

ask @Wilson Deng or @vanic in ASUS wrt forums, he should be able to help

 

[RMerlin]

How did HGGomes do it in his mod? or is it all show on the GUI and doesn't actually do anything?

Based on the feedback I received from two different users when I implemented it, the value was getting ignored by the wireless driver when they used something higher than -70.

 

[dr_lucas]

I was trying to install Astrill openvpn applet, which worked fine on my previous routers (AC87U) with Asuswrt-Merlin .380
When trying to install on the RT-AC86U with the latest beta, I am getting these errors:

Installing Astrill VPN binary... FAILED
WARNING: Default OpenVPN binary will be used. Stealth Mode is not available.
mkdir: can't create directory '/www/user/': No such file or directory
ln: /www/user/cgi-bin/astrill.cgi: No such file or directory
/bin/sh: eval: line 1: can't create /www/user/astrill.asp: nonexistent directory
/bin/sh: eval: line 1: /dev/astrill/openvpn: not found
!!!!!!wl variable:astrill_key's value size:1616 is bigger than allowed size:255!!!
nvram/value pair: is invalid or bigger than its max length
!!!!!!wl variable:astrill_bootstrap's value size:740 is bigger than allowed size:255!!!
nvram/value pair: is invalid or bigger than its max length

Is there anything I can say/recommend to Astrill to modify in order to make this work?
Or is there anything I can or @RMerlin can do to make such applets install as they do on .380?

P.S. Their support picked the "beta" label as their scapegoat and said they want to wait until it will become final first. :/

 

[Adamm]

I was trying to install Astrill openvpn applet, which worked fine on my previous routers (AC87U) with Asuswrt-Merlin .380
When trying to install on the RT-AC86U with the latest beta, I am getting these errors:

Installing Astrill VPN binary... FAILED
WARNING: Default OpenVPN binary will be used. Stealth Mode is not available.
mkdir: can't create directory '/www/user/': No such file or directory
ln: /www/user/cgi-bin/astrill.cgi: No such file or directory
/bin/sh: eval: line 1: can't create /www/user/astrill.asp: nonexistent directory
/bin/sh: eval: line 1: /dev/astrill/openvpn: not found
!!!!!!wl variable:astrill_key's value size:1616 is bigger than allowed size:255!!!
nvram/value pair: is invalid or bigger than its max length
!!!!!!wl variable:astrill_bootstrap's value size:740 is bigger than allowed size:255!!!
nvram/value pair: is invalid or bigger than its max length

Is there anything I can say/recommend to Astrill to modify in order to make this work?
Or is there anything I can or @RMerlin can do to make such applets install as they do on .380?

P.S. Their support picked the "beta" label as their scapegoat and said they want to wait until it will become final first. :/

Their current method of persistence involves using the nvram to store a long string that is essentially their startup code. Due to the new nvram char limit of 255 I can see that being the first issue they will need to work around. Not much you can do besides wait until they decided to update and support the .382 codebase.

For the time being you can manually download their certs from their website and import them to the routers baked in OpenVPN client.

 

[RMerlin]

P.S. Their support picked the "beta" label as their scapegoat and said they want to wait until it will become final first. :/

And they are correct in doing so. Beta things can change before the final release, no point in them wasting time making changes that might not work any longer once the final release is out.

If you absolutely need Astril, you should go back to the previously supported version.

But as Adam pointed out, supporting 382 will be difficult for them if they need to store values longer than 255 chars in nvram.

I already pinged two different contacts at Asus about this, no response so far. In the meantime, I worked around it by splitting my settings in multiple separate nvram values on the RT-AC86U (the RT-AC88U should in theory be fine since I can define the size in libshared - something Astrill cannot do without a firmware rebuild).

 

[dr_lucas]

For the time being you can manually download their certs from their website and import them to the routers baked in OpenVPN client.

Yes, thanks @Adamm I have done exactly that right after getting their reply (it's a good alternative, while not as convenient as the applet of course).
Instead of just saying "no, we can't" as they generally do, Astrill support should have suggested this alternative... :/

If you absolutely need Astril, you should go back to the previously supported version.

The previously supported build is Asuswrt-Merlin .380
If there is a .380 build somewhere for the AC86U, please let me know where I can download it.

And they are correct in doing so. Beta things can change before the final release, no point in them wasting time making changes that might not work any longer once the final release is out.

If you absolutely need Astril, you should go back to the previously supported version.

Generally I'd agree, but since based on the "nvram size limit" errors and your earlier comments on this thread (about the nvram limit issue) I assumed that it won't be corrected until the final build is out and thus they should at least start working on some kind of workaround for the nvram limit and that mkd error.
But of course if you & Asus can work something out to to get the nvram size limit issue fixed without a need for workarounds, even better. Much better.

 

[ckong]

Custom implies that you handle everything in a custom script, that's why there's no password field while in that mode.

The hostname field is only so the firmware will know what to insert in the ssl certificate SANs or in the exported ovpn file, it's not actively used while in Custom mode.

Thanks for the reply. Sorry not sure if I made myself clear. After filling out the Custom form including the hostname, a popup dialog box appears indicating a password is needed. I'm thinking that password popup on the web gui is a mistake. At that point I just cancel. I was using the my script with my old RT-AC66U and it was working fine. Once I get my RT-AC3100 working again (the 5G cut out; not sure what's wrong), I'm planning to run my custom DDNS script with a cron job as a work-around.

 

[RMerlin]

Thanks for the reply. Sorry not sure if I made myself clear. After filling out the Custom form including the hostname, a popup dialog box appears indicating a password is needed. I'm thinking that password popup on the web gui is a mistake.

Understood. I'll see if I can reproduce it (the missing Custom option was only added back recently, I might have missed a few other changes that were lost in the 380 -> 382 merge).

If there is a .380 build somewhere for the AC86U, please let me know where I can download it.

Sorry, didn't realize you were on an RT-AC86U. You will have to wait in that case, or use the built-in OpenVPN support.

Generally I'd agree, but since based on the "nvram size limit" errors and your earlier comments on this thread (about the nvram limit issue) I assumed that it won't be corrected until the final build is out and thus they should at least start working on some kind of workaround for the nvram limit and that mkd error.

Such a workaround was tricky for me to come up with, and will be even more difficult for Astrill as they do not control the firmware source code itself. It's best for them to wait rather than have engineers spend hours of (paid) time working on a workaround. I haven't completely dismissed the possibility that Asus might come up with some solution. Even if it only comes in time for 382.2, no point in Astrill spending too much time doing a workaround in 382.1, then having to ditch it in 382.2 and require all their users to reconfigure everything again as they moved back to a cleaner approach.

One possible workaround they could do instead of splitting/joining nvram values is to store those custom settings in a /jffs/.astrill/settings folder (or something like that) on the router itself. It will probably require a fair amount of code development however to replace the firmware's libnvram functions with their own ones, so once again - as a company they might not want to pay an engineer to write all of that code, only to abandon it 2 months later.

 

[el pescador]

If i upgrade do i need to re do Jrfreshs qos?....and or clear nvram?
Its gone mental.
Im getting streaming showing up under others...which didnt happen before.
Also gaming is horrible.

 

[Vexira]

If i upgrade do i need to re do Jrfreshs qos?....and or clear nvram?
Its gone mental.
Im getting streaming showing up under others...which didnt happen before.
Also gaming is horrible.

from my experince the scrip needs to be updated, and i factory reset after upgrading due ti my log having a seizure with errors.

 

[dr_lucas]

Such a workaround was tricky for me to come up with, and will be even more difficult for Astrill as they do not control the firmware source code itself. It's best for them to wait rather than have engineers spend hours of (paid) time working on a workaround. I haven't completely dismissed the possibility that Asus might come up with some solution. Even if it only comes in time for 382.2, no point in Astrill spending too much time doing a workaround in 382.1, then having to ditch it in 382.2 and require all their users to reconfigure everything again as they moved back to a cleaner approach.

Astrill generally are looking for any excuse to postpone development and support, and you've just given them another excuse.
If they just told me "we are waiting for the final build", next time they will say "we are waiting for the next final build as RMerlin said he may be able to fix the nvram issue".
Great.

 

[RMerlin]

Thanks for the reply. Sorry not sure if I made myself clear. After filling out the Custom form including the hostname, a popup dialog box appears indicating a password is needed. I'm thinking that password popup on the web gui is a mistake. At that point I just cancel. I was using the my script with my old RT-AC66U and it was working fine. Once I get my RT-AC3100 working again (the 5G cut out; not sure what's wrong), I'm planning to run my custom DDNS script with a cron job as a work-around.

Thanks, fixed.

 

[RMerlin]

@RMerlin
beta2 on RT-AC86U, IPTV STB port feature does not work at all.
There is a difference between stock and merlin firmware

When I set the Choose IPTV STB Port on stock firmware, I can see the message
Enable multicast routing (IGMP Proxy) Disable (Due to hardware limitation, IGMP proxy cant co-exist with IPTV function.)

What settings are you entering? I just checked, and the page I use is identical to what's in Asus's 382_16466, aside from one setting which I preserve/restore.

 

[RMerlin]

hmm.. sd-idle-2.6 seems to be broken when you merged with 16466 code.
it doesn't work.

Can you elaborate? It starts correctly for me.

admin@Stargate86:/tmp/home/root# ps w | grep sd-idle
 4635 admin     1708 S    /usr/sbin/sd-idle-2.6 -i 300
 4690 admin     3124 S    grep sd-idle