Hi to all!
This is my first posting, so hello to everyone in this forum!
I don't want to shock you all, but sadly i already need quite a bit of help..
I am sorry for asking this many questions, I am not someone who asks for help easily, but i am lost.. I cant afford to waste this much money on a wrong device, and i am on time pressure to decide and buy..
I am soon about to switch from cable 200/20 to a VDSL2/Vectoring line, and i need to get a router. I don't want the ISPs AVM FritzBox, but a router with a feature rich stock FW, AND support for a stable, even more feature rich custom firmware (That is still manageable and learn-able for an interested and motivated novice).
I have basic knowledge of network tech, with even less linux knowledge. At least i know some Linux + networking + ssh stuff from my QNAP NAS, so i am not totally new to the topic. But i also don't have the time to truly master those topics, so i would need a router + FW that is manageable mostly by web-gui, and not SSH/console.
After dozens of hours of research on routers and the custom firmware ecosystems, i am still a bit confused. But i have learned much, and with the help of the forum, extended googling and the forum buying guides i filtered out most devices and options.
But now I need your help to make a final decision.
What FW concerns, i have pretty much made up my mind, apart from minor questions.
AsusWRT-Merlin and Tomato are my preferences so far. Both seem easy, stable and with all major features i need. DDWRT is said to be outdated AFAIK, and OpenWRT to be much less easy and aimed at professionals etc..
But here are my Questions:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MY QUESTIONS:
Q1. Does Tomato support as much features as the "Merlin" Mod of the ASUSWRT FW? Especially those "must have" features i listed below?
Q2. VPN Client Speed: I suspect VPN client speed of native ASUS stock FW or Merlin mod would be superior to Tomato and DD-WRT + OpenWRT. Is this true? And will VPN speed benefit from the 2X1,8GHZ in the RT-AC86U?
Q3. AFAIK I need to connect the new VDSL2/Vectoring modem i get from my ISP with the WAN-port in the router; Is this correct?
Q4. Are there any known issues and bugs in the devices and their FWs listed below i need to know of?
Q5. I saw many ppl claiming in some months old threads that Tomato is dead now, and outdated anyway. Is this true, or is some sort of new and promising fork and maintainer on the horizon? So investing in a device with Tomato as primary FW in mind would still make sense?
Q6. Does Merlin support all the must have features i listed below?
Q7. I heard that the Broadcom chips are closed source. What effect does this have on DD-WRT+OpenWRT support for those 2 routers i listed below? Will Wifi work at all? Will it work, but with lower speed? Are the closed source drivers the reason why there is still no official stable and only beta DD-WRT release for the ASUS router?
Q8. Anyone here with the lasted news on DD-WRT and OpenWRT releases for the Asus RT-AC3200?
Q9. I read that OpenWRT is by far the most up to date CFW. But how do stock ASUS/Merlin + Tomato + DD-WRT compare in terms of security fixes, updates of packages and components, etc.?
Q10. Does the Merlin mod work with the ASUS android Remote app, or only with true stock Asus FW?
Q11. How likely is a future release of Tomato/DD-WRT/OpenWRT for the Asus RT-AC86U? OFC no one can say for sure, but what does your gut/experience with other ASUS routers tell you?
Q12. When buying one of the 3 devices in Germany, do i normally watch out for special versions, or are they all flash-able in all versions and revisions?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE ROUTERS THAT I HAVE SELECTED - FAVORITES:
1. ASUS - RT-AC3200 - TOMATO+MERLIN+DD-WRT@Beta --> Has Merlin, normal ASUS WRT with VPN client in stock FW build in, and Tomato as option. Beta builds of DD-WRT, but no stable and no sign of continued development as far as i see.
1. ASUS - RT-AC86U - MERLIN --> Has Merlin, is most up to date (2017 instead of 2014) and 2X1,8GHZ + 256MB ROM + 512MB RAM. VPN Client in stock FW. Seems PERFECT, but no Tomato+DD-WRT or OpenWRT. But I guess VPN speed should benefit from the CPU?
THE ROUTERS THAT I HAVE SELECTED - ALTERNATIVES:
2. NETGEAR - R8000 - TOMATO+OPENWRT+DD-WRT --> Has Tomato but also the option to upgrade to DD-WRT or OpenWRT later on when i have more experience and time. Sadly no build in VPN client in stock. Those modded stock FWs on the myopenrouter site don't seem to be as cool as the Merlin mod for the ASUS.
So from what i can see, the ASUS routers would be better for me as long as Merlin does provide all needed requirements and features; But am i missing something?
I had also, besides many others, considered the Netgear R7800, but it has no Tomato or AsusWRT-Merlin port. I also checked the Linksys WRT1900ACS, but also no Tomato or Merlin, and i read it even has no proper Wifi in DD-WRT/OpenWRT.. So those options are not for me as far as i see..
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now on to the features i need supported. My Question here:
Q13. Would Merlin provide all must have features, so i don't necessarily need to use something as complex as openWRT? Or is Merlin missing one of the features? The list on the Merlin project website is not clear to me in some aspects, e.g. concerning TOR-routing or the VPN "killswitch" firewall feature, where all traffic is only routed through VPN.
WHAT I NEED - FEATURES - MUST HAVE:
-VPN Client with good performance
-VPN "Killswitch" firewall possible (via IPTables?) so Torrent traffic gets routed through VPN only
-"Selective routing" or "split tunneling" so i can set some devices to go through VPN and some not
-DDNS so i can connect to my Home Network when i am not at home from 4G Phone networks or other Dual Stack VDSL2 connections. Primary for accessing my NAS SMB Shares, Plex Server, Nextcloud Server on NAS, etc.
-Does not interfere or mess up: Plex+Emby Server on NAS/NUC/ShieldTV / Nextcloud on NAS / Torrenting on NAS+NUC+Router where ever VPN+Killswitch via IPtables firewall is possible / SMB network shares-Android Remote/Companion App like most stock FW routers now offer
-Torrent client
WHAT I NEED - FEATURES - NICE TO HAVE:
-Tor instead of VPN or VPN+Tor combined
-QoS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know those are MANY questions, but i am totally overwhelmed by this topic, and hope you can understand.
I appreciate every help, no matter how big or tiny!
Kind regards,
Steve
PS: Check the infos below for my Setup!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HERE SOME INFOS ON MY SETUP AND HARDWARE:
LOCATION: Germany
ISP: 1+1 / United Internet - Telekom Reseller
CONNECTION TYPE: VDSL2/Vectoring 50/10 with upgrade to 100/40 in the future.
DUAL STACK: Dual Stack Lite as default / But with option to get "normal" Dual Stack with full IPV4 instead of DSLite
DEVICES - CURRENT - ALL CONNECTED TO ROUTER:
DEVICES - WIRED - 1Gb/S: TV - LG 4K HDR 2017 LCD WebOS 3.5
DEVICES - WIRED - 1Gb/S: NAS - QNAP TS-431P
DEVICES - WIRED - 1Gb/S: NAS - QNAP TS-431P2
DEVICES - WIRED - 1Gb/S: PC - Desktop Windows 10
DEVICES - WIFI N: Printer Canon Pixma MX725
DEVICES - WIFI N: Smart Home - Lights - Xiaomi Yeelight RGB Bulb V1
DEVICES - WIFI N: Smart Home - Lights - Xiaomi Yeelight RGB Bulb V1
DEVICES - WIFI N: Smart Home - Lights - Xiaomi Yeelight Smart Desk Lamp
DEVICES - WIFI AC: Phone Android - LG V20
DEVICES - WIFI AC: Phone Android - Xiaomi Mi4 LineageOS 14.1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is my first posting, so hello to everyone in this forum!
I don't want to shock you all, but sadly i already need quite a bit of help..
I am sorry for asking this many questions, I am not someone who asks for help easily, but i am lost.. I cant afford to waste this much money on a wrong device, and i am on time pressure to decide and buy..
I am soon about to switch from cable 200/20 to a VDSL2/Vectoring line, and i need to get a router. I don't want the ISPs AVM FritzBox, but a router with a feature rich stock FW, AND support for a stable, even more feature rich custom firmware (That is still manageable and learn-able for an interested and motivated novice).
I have basic knowledge of network tech, with even less linux knowledge. At least i know some Linux + networking + ssh stuff from my QNAP NAS, so i am not totally new to the topic. But i also don't have the time to truly master those topics, so i would need a router + FW that is manageable mostly by web-gui, and not SSH/console.
After dozens of hours of research on routers and the custom firmware ecosystems, i am still a bit confused. But i have learned much, and with the help of the forum, extended googling and the forum buying guides i filtered out most devices and options.
But now I need your help to make a final decision.
What FW concerns, i have pretty much made up my mind, apart from minor questions.
AsusWRT-Merlin and Tomato are my preferences so far. Both seem easy, stable and with all major features i need. DDWRT is said to be outdated AFAIK, and OpenWRT to be much less easy and aimed at professionals etc..
But here are my Questions:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MY QUESTIONS:
Q1. Does Tomato support as much features as the "Merlin" Mod of the ASUSWRT FW? Especially those "must have" features i listed below?
Q2. VPN Client Speed: I suspect VPN client speed of native ASUS stock FW or Merlin mod would be superior to Tomato and DD-WRT + OpenWRT. Is this true? And will VPN speed benefit from the 2X1,8GHZ in the RT-AC86U?
Q3. AFAIK I need to connect the new VDSL2/Vectoring modem i get from my ISP with the WAN-port in the router; Is this correct?
Q4. Are there any known issues and bugs in the devices and their FWs listed below i need to know of?
Q5. I saw many ppl claiming in some months old threads that Tomato is dead now, and outdated anyway. Is this true, or is some sort of new and promising fork and maintainer on the horizon? So investing in a device with Tomato as primary FW in mind would still make sense?
Q6. Does Merlin support all the must have features i listed below?
Q7. I heard that the Broadcom chips are closed source. What effect does this have on DD-WRT+OpenWRT support for those 2 routers i listed below? Will Wifi work at all? Will it work, but with lower speed? Are the closed source drivers the reason why there is still no official stable and only beta DD-WRT release for the ASUS router?
Q8. Anyone here with the lasted news on DD-WRT and OpenWRT releases for the Asus RT-AC3200?
Q9. I read that OpenWRT is by far the most up to date CFW. But how do stock ASUS/Merlin + Tomato + DD-WRT compare in terms of security fixes, updates of packages and components, etc.?
Q10. Does the Merlin mod work with the ASUS android Remote app, or only with true stock Asus FW?
Q11. How likely is a future release of Tomato/DD-WRT/OpenWRT for the Asus RT-AC86U? OFC no one can say for sure, but what does your gut/experience with other ASUS routers tell you?
Q12. When buying one of the 3 devices in Germany, do i normally watch out for special versions, or are they all flash-able in all versions and revisions?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE ROUTERS THAT I HAVE SELECTED - FAVORITES:
1. ASUS - RT-AC3200 - TOMATO+MERLIN+DD-WRT@Beta --> Has Merlin, normal ASUS WRT with VPN client in stock FW build in, and Tomato as option. Beta builds of DD-WRT, but no stable and no sign of continued development as far as i see.
1. ASUS - RT-AC86U - MERLIN --> Has Merlin, is most up to date (2017 instead of 2014) and 2X1,8GHZ + 256MB ROM + 512MB RAM. VPN Client in stock FW. Seems PERFECT, but no Tomato+DD-WRT or OpenWRT. But I guess VPN speed should benefit from the CPU?
THE ROUTERS THAT I HAVE SELECTED - ALTERNATIVES:
2. NETGEAR - R8000 - TOMATO+OPENWRT+DD-WRT --> Has Tomato but also the option to upgrade to DD-WRT or OpenWRT later on when i have more experience and time. Sadly no build in VPN client in stock. Those modded stock FWs on the myopenrouter site don't seem to be as cool as the Merlin mod for the ASUS.
So from what i can see, the ASUS routers would be better for me as long as Merlin does provide all needed requirements and features; But am i missing something?
I had also, besides many others, considered the Netgear R7800, but it has no Tomato or AsusWRT-Merlin port. I also checked the Linksys WRT1900ACS, but also no Tomato or Merlin, and i read it even has no proper Wifi in DD-WRT/OpenWRT.. So those options are not for me as far as i see..
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now on to the features i need supported. My Question here:
Q13. Would Merlin provide all must have features, so i don't necessarily need to use something as complex as openWRT? Or is Merlin missing one of the features? The list on the Merlin project website is not clear to me in some aspects, e.g. concerning TOR-routing or the VPN "killswitch" firewall feature, where all traffic is only routed through VPN.
WHAT I NEED - FEATURES - MUST HAVE:
-VPN Client with good performance
-VPN "Killswitch" firewall possible (via IPTables?) so Torrent traffic gets routed through VPN only
-"Selective routing" or "split tunneling" so i can set some devices to go through VPN and some not
-DDNS so i can connect to my Home Network when i am not at home from 4G Phone networks or other Dual Stack VDSL2 connections. Primary for accessing my NAS SMB Shares, Plex Server, Nextcloud Server on NAS, etc.
-Does not interfere or mess up: Plex+Emby Server on NAS/NUC/ShieldTV / Nextcloud on NAS / Torrenting on NAS+NUC+Router where ever VPN+Killswitch via IPtables firewall is possible / SMB network shares-Android Remote/Companion App like most stock FW routers now offer
-Torrent client
WHAT I NEED - FEATURES - NICE TO HAVE:
-Tor instead of VPN or VPN+Tor combined
-QoS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know those are MANY questions, but i am totally overwhelmed by this topic, and hope you can understand.
I appreciate every help, no matter how big or tiny!
Kind regards,
Steve
PS: Check the infos below for my Setup!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HERE SOME INFOS ON MY SETUP AND HARDWARE:
LOCATION: Germany
ISP: 1+1 / United Internet - Telekom Reseller
CONNECTION TYPE: VDSL2/Vectoring 50/10 with upgrade to 100/40 in the future.
DUAL STACK: Dual Stack Lite as default / But with option to get "normal" Dual Stack with full IPV4 instead of DSLite
DEVICES - CURRENT - ALL CONNECTED TO ROUTER:
DEVICES - WIRED - 1Gb/S: TV - LG 4K HDR 2017 LCD WebOS 3.5
DEVICES - WIRED - 1Gb/S: NAS - QNAP TS-431P
DEVICES - WIRED - 1Gb/S: NAS - QNAP TS-431P2
DEVICES - WIRED - 1Gb/S: PC - Desktop Windows 10
DEVICES - WIFI N: Printer Canon Pixma MX725
DEVICES - WIFI N: Smart Home - Lights - Xiaomi Yeelight RGB Bulb V1
DEVICES - WIFI N: Smart Home - Lights - Xiaomi Yeelight RGB Bulb V1
DEVICES - WIFI N: Smart Home - Lights - Xiaomi Yeelight Smart Desk Lamp
DEVICES - WIFI AC: Phone Android - LG V20
DEVICES - WIFI AC: Phone Android - Xiaomi Mi4 LineageOS 14.1
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