Firmware update necessary or only to fix existing issues?

[jpthsd]

I am running super stable "knocking on woods" at 384.17 on AC86U (main router AiMesh) and AC68U (AiMesh node). Both are popping up "Updates available" ...

Question is it an necessity for update rather than staying back with existing 384.17? Personally, I don't see any necessity to do the upgrade as both are being rock solid...

Beside, I just don't want to go through the manufacturer/default reset & reconfigure...it's just time consuming while being "Stay At Home" order (maybe second lockdown while being Californians),,,everyone's Internet use is a critical need for them (work from home, social networking, streaming, kids ..etc)

Anyone suggests, advise?

 

[QuikSilver]

I am running super stable "knocking on woods" at 384.17 on AC86U (main router AiMesh) and AC68U (AiMesh node). Both are popping up "Updates available" ...

Question is it an necessity for update rather than staying back with existing 384.17? Personally, I don't see any necessity to do the upgrade as both are being rock solid...

Beside, I just don't want to go through the manufacturer/default reset & reconfigure...it's just time consuming while being "Stay At Home" order (maybe second lockdown while being Californians),,,everyone's Internet use is a critical need for them (work from home, social networking, streaming, kids ..etc)

Anyone suggests, advise?

If your network is stable and you deem any kind of downtime unnecessary then I would stay away for now. However upgrading from .17 to .18 would be painless. Resetting or doing the "nuclear" restore is only recommended when experiencing issues after the upgrade. A lot of users continue to do dirty upgrades and haven't done a reset in a long time.

 

[fields987]

I am running super stable "knocking on woods" at 384.17 on AC86U (main router AiMesh) and AC68U (AiMesh node). Both are popping up "Updates available" ...

Question is it an necessity for update rather than staying back with existing 384.17? Personally, I don't see any necessity to do the upgrade as both are being rock solid...

Beside, I just don't want to go through the manufacturer/default reset & reconfigure...it's just time consuming while being "Stay At Home" order (maybe second lockdown while being Californians),,,everyone's Internet use is a critical need for them (work from home, social networking, streaming, kids ..etc)

Anyone suggests, advise?

I tend to stay on top of updates as they often contain security fixes in the asus gpl plus 3rd party security fixes like openvpn, dropbear, OpenSSL, etc. of course there is always a risk of something going bad but the risk is worth it for me. There are usually several alphas and beta releases prior to the general release so major show stopping bugs are usually crushed.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Read the change log and decide for yourself whether there is anything in there that you need.

 

[jpthsd]

If your network is stable and you deem any kind of downtime unnecessary then I would stay away for now. However upgrading from .17 to .18 would be painless. Resetting or doing the "nuclear" restore is only recommended when experiencing issues after the upgrade. A lot of users continue to do dirty upgrades and haven't done a reset in a long time.

Thank you for the respone, it's great to know dirty flash from one Merlin to a newer version of Merlin can be done in "dirty" flash (now I know the term someone mentioned "dirty flash" LoL)

Just wait and see if I experience any issue then will go to "dirty" way to flash to 384.18!!

Thank you to you and everyone in this community!! I feel my investment in Asus router is worth EVERY penny! (v.s other brand too expensive, lifecycle too short to cope with, especially $$$)

 

[martinr]

Thank you for the respone, it's great to know dirty flash from one Merlin to a newer version of Merlin can be done in "dirty" flash (now I know the term someone mentioned "dirty flash" LoL)

Just wait and see if I experience any issue then will go to "dirty" way to flash to 384.18!!

Thank you to you and everyone in this community!! I feel my investment in Asus router is worth EVERY penny! (v.s other brand too expensive, lifecycle too short to cope with, especially $$$)

When I do a dirty flash, I keep L&LD’s Dirty Flash Guide (my terminology) visible on another device:

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/r...-384-11-is-available.56501/page-2#post-488583

(I have his other guides printed off.). Next time I use his Dirty Flash Guide, I’m tempted to issue the halt command to allow an ordered wind-down before I pull the power cable out.