What's new

Cannot update Asus RT-AC68U

  • SNBForums Code of Conduct

    SNBForums is a community for everyone, no matter what their level of experience.

    Please be tolerant and patient of others, especially newcomers. We are all here to share and learn!

    The rules are simple: Be patient, be nice, be helpful or be gone!

isaiah

Occasional Visitor
HI There,

I am trying for a long time to run the wireguard protocol for our Asus router (RT-AC 68U).

Each time I upload the firmware It does not upgrade. I am currently running the standard stock original Asus firmware,

I would sincerly appreciate anyones help as I have been trying this for many hours.

My goal is to use the mullvad vpn with wireguard.
 
Welcome to the forums @isaiah.

Try the following:

  • Be sure you're downloading the correct firmware for your model router. RT-AC68U and not RT-AX68U, for example.
  • Extract the downloaded file and verify the MD5 hash with a utility such as HashTab.
  • Safely remove all USB devices (via the GUI), then physically remove them from the router. Reboot the router. Try flashing the new firmware once more.
For more help, please specify the firmware you are currently using. 'Standard stock original' means little. :)
 
Welcome to the forums @isaiah.

Try the following:

  • Be sure you're downloading the correct firmware for your model router. RT-AC68U and not RT-AX68U, for example.
  • Extract the downloaded file and verify the MD5 hash with a utility such as HashTab.
  • Safely remove all USB devices (via the GUI), then physically remove them from the router. Reboot the router. Try flashing the new firmware once more.
For more help, please specify the firmware you are currently using. 'Standard stock original' means little. :)
Thanks very much for writing so fast, mch appreciated. Is that hashtab available on fedora?

I'm not sure how to verify MD5 hash.

I will get the firmware version full sorry yes your right. Its quite hard to read on this console.

I know it's the second one last one from the Asus official. I'll keep searching.
 
As far as I know, Wireguard runs only on newer HND platform routers.
That's what I thought but mullvad VPN is telling me this different story.

Please see attaches from my email discussion with the support.


They mention this method also:


I'm so confused as I feel in going round in circles. As I don't seek to be able to use there servers.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20210916-030645.png
    Screenshot_20210916-030645.png
    148.4 KB · Views: 141
What console? You need a Web browser only to download the file from Asus website and update the firmware in router’s GUI.
Yes i tried that but it just gives me a message saying firmware update failed. I checked the logs for a reason but no clear indication
 
No Wireguard support in Asuswrt for your router model, sorry. OpenVPN only. What’s the name of the file you have tried to upload?
 
No Wireguard support in Asuswrt for your router model, sorry. OpenVPN only. What’s the name of the file you have tried to upload?
OK thanks for confirming, will there ever be wireguard support on that model do you think? Seems I've been chasing a rabbit down a hole with this..

Can you recommend any 4G routers that would run wireguard?

Okay so the file I was uploading was the config file from mulvad VPN from one of there servers, its extension name is .ovpn

I got that file from there website from their server list, but it just spins when uploading

I'm very perplexed why
 
This is unrelated to firmware update.
Correct, I was trying to upgrade to the version they recommended also to allow that to work but it wouldn't allow any firmware files to uploaded successfully. Even the OEM ones from Asus official site.
 
RT-AC68U has 256MB RAM only. You have to remove USB drives (if any), reboot the router, then flash the new firmware. Stock Asuswrt offers all or none devices through VPN, no policy based routing. It's available in Asuswrt-Merlin firmware only. Make sure you upload AC68U firmware file (ends on .trx), not similar model number AX68 file (ends on .w) - two different hardware routers.

Here is the right Asuswrt firmware for your router:

 
Here is Asuswrt-Merlin for your router:


The latest version is on top, 386.3_2 - This is what Mullvad VPN support is talking about.

You need to read how to set it up properly though, there are some VPN related changes:


See OpenVPN section.
 
Here is Asuswrt-Merlin for your router:


The latest version is on top, 386.3_2 - This is what Mullvad VPN support is talking about.

You need to read how to set it up properly though, there are some VPN related changes:


See OpenVPN section.
HI there

Yes actually I tried that and it says :

"Firmware upgrade unsuccessfull"

Can you please see the attached log

My firmware version is :

Current Version : 3.0.0.4.384_82230-ga63aafc


What I am trying to do is two things (now that I realise I cannot use wireguard protocol)

1- Upgrade my router to the latest stock firmware from Asus (the link you sent me here: https://www.asus.com/us/Networking-IoT-Servers/WiFi-Routers/ASUS-WiFi-Routers/RTAC68U/HelpDesk_BIOS/



2. Then once I have the latest firmware upgrade, I want to "flash" (i hope thats the correct term) the device to run this firmware version (that you have provided)



although that does not work either.
 

Attachments

  • my firmware version.png
    my firmware version.png
    10.5 KB · Views: 131
  • for support tech9.png
    for support tech9.png
    11.8 KB · Views: 101
  • syslog.txt
    64.6 KB · Views: 102
As per logs, your router is not RT-AC68U, but 4G-AC68U. Unfortunately, Asuswrt-Merlin is not available for this router. Does it have 4 antennas?
 
Ah yes thats true, silly me, I didnt realise the RT was a different variant.

Indeed it has 4 antennas, thats the 4G version I have (see attached)

So then this definatly wont work with wireguard, and wont work on merlin, thats a shame i bought this just last year for quite a lot.

I cannot get broadband where I am so I need 4G.

Is there anyway to get the wireguard vpn protocol to work on these>?

I must sound pretty silly at this point, thanks for your patience, much appreciated :)

if not would this work on wireguard:

 

Attachments

  • signal-2021-09-16-135226.jpeg
    signal-2021-09-16-135226.jpeg
    141.2 KB · Views: 106
  • signal-2021-09-16-135234.jpeg
    signal-2021-09-16-135234.jpeg
    276.8 KB · Views: 117
All I know about 4G routers is there is no Asuswrt-Merlin firmware support. You need that firmware for policy based routing, if you want to run VPN Client on the router. What's the final goal with this Mullvad VPN? What is it going to be used for?
 
All I know about 4G routers is there is no Asuswrt-Merlin firmware support. You need that firmware for policy based routing, if you want to run VPN Client on the router. What's the final goal with this Mullvad VPN? What is it going to be used for?
Well the government of Australia is literally spying on us everyday now (where I live). So its mostly secrurity concenrn. Plus my business requires anonymity for quality assurance.

Thanks for your help all the same it was pleasantly unexpected to get such a quick response from people here.

I dont know how I'm going to get wireguard working on 4G but it works great on all our other devices.

Guess I'm stuck with openvpn.



All I know about 4G routers is there is no Asuswrt-Merlin firmware support. You need that firmware for policy based routing, if you want to run VPN Client on the router. What's the final goal with this Mullvad VPN? What is it going to be used for?
 
Well the government of Australia is literally spying on us everyday now

So you prefer a private company to spy on you and make you pay for it? All the traffic through VPN is looking for trouble. More and more sites detect public VPN servers and refuse access. Your Internet speed will be reduced, your latency will be increased. You are limiting yourself. What do you have to hide from your government so much? Australia is not a 3rd world country, as far as I know.
 

Latest threads

Sign Up For SNBForums Daily Digest

Get an update of what's new every day delivered to your mailbox. Sign up here!
Top