Change ASUS RT-AC68U Asuswrt-merlin 386.11 to ASUS RT-AC68U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.386_51733

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I use this router on my summer cottage mostly to reach my webcameras there (300 km from home), but sometimes the OpenVPN connection fails. Over years I accept 30-60 min down period 2-3 days a week, but just now almost one whole day. I have of course searched everything to find the reason for these down periods, but with no luck.The router is old and therefore I may be must consider to buy a new router or possibly cheaper, make the old router function better. Found thread #94550 where the new firmware for AC68U is mentioned.

Is it possible to revert from Asuswrt-merlin to this asus firmware? One great opportunity is because then I should be able to reach the router from the iphone Asus-Router app and restart if it's down. Hope also for comments on app-use on asus vs asuswrt-merlin software. Just now the app don't accept the Asuswrt-merlin router.

I have learned that install new firmware demand on site restart and like to prepare everything first.

I have a ASUS RT-AX86U PRO at home.

 

[bennor]

Is it possible to revert from Asuswrt-merlin to this asus firmware?

Of course. Just manually flash the stock Asus firmware using the Administration > Firmware Update page in the Asus router GUI. You will need to manually download the stock Asus firmware from the Asus website and extract the firmware file.

Note that it may be a wise course of action to do the manual firmware update/flash while you are in the same physical place as the router being flashed just in case the flash or update causes a problem and you need to perform a reconfiguration of the router or perform a reset or hard factory reset and configuration. While one can update the firmware remotely (using VPN), there exists the possibility of that firmware flash/update going bad and being unable to restore the VPN tunnel to the remote router that was just flashed/updated.

 

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Hi bennor. Thank you very much for the comprehensive answer to my question. Perfect!

 

[sittingduck]

Jumping in here with a follow up question - Merlin doesn't support this router anymore. And even if it is also on Asus' EOL list, it's had a couple of firmware updates in 2025. Does that mean that it's still safe to use with stock firmware?
Link to firmware with descriptions: https://www.asus.com/dk/networking-...ters/rtac68u/helpdesk_bios?model2Name=RTAC68U

 

[bennor]

Does that mean that it's still safe to use with stock firmware?

Define what you consider "safe". Just how "safe" an RT-AC68U is running 3.0.0.4.386_51733 (2025/03/10), may be dependent on one's use case.

Can one still use the RT-AC68U, even with the latest stock firmware? Of course. That doesn't change the underlying fact that the router is 10+ years old, is End of Life, and Asus may discontinue additional firmware updates at any time without any notice.

 

[wouterv]

The RT-AC68U with the latest stock firmware is safe like your house is safe. No matter how many locks you put on your doors, your house can be hit by an meteorite or piece of a Starship.
ASUS still seems to fix the most critical security for their older routers, even for the RT-N66U, which gives you no guarantee what so ever about how safe the use is.
The less special features you have enabled, the safer it seems.
Security wise one issue is that older routers like the RT-AC68U do not support WPA3, also many older client devices don't support WPA3, so this is a relative security issue. Clicking unsafe links in e-mail messages and using infected USB storage devices are still the most common security issues, no router will help against that.

Changing firmware branches, AsusWRT Merin to Stock or v.v. requires you to revert to factory defaults and manual configure the router again: do NOT load an old configuration backup from an other firmware branch nor from an older firmware version.