GT-BE98 - Merlin or Official

[liamstears2]

So I've got a GT-BE98 (not the pro version) so I'm supported using Gnutons version of Merlin and I've been using it for a while now

Unfortunately though it seems like he's got some things going on and there hasn't been any updates from him since mid January (I'm not complaining or moaning about his work, I am grateful and hope all is well for him)

This leads to the question should I continue with the Gnuton firmware or move over to official Asus firmware as there seems to be regular updates?

What are your opinions? Honestly don't believe I use any of the advanced Merlin features and lately I've been having issues with WiFi dropouts so wondering if official may be more stable for me but would love some feedback from other users...

 

[Tech9]

Honestly don't believe I use any of the advanced Merlin features

Use stock Asuswrt then.

 

[liamstears2]

Use stock Asuswrt then.

Is the latest firmware actually better/more stable?

I certainly prefer the alternative "skin" that the merlin firmware provides, really don't like the look of the official one for this router lol

 

[Tech9]

If the router doesn’t work as advertised with original firmware - send it back.

 

[Spartan]

Is the latest firmware actually better/more stable?

I certainly prefer the alternative "skin" that the merlin firmware provides, really don't like the look of the official one for this router lol

you don't buy a router to look at the UI, you set it and forget it. It's not a wallpaper

 

[liamstears2]

you don't buy a router to look at the UI, you set it and forget it. It's not a wallpaper

Well aware

 

[liamstears2]

I posted mainly for tech replies on stability etc from people that have trialled both firmwares to see what they had found and in what way they favoured one performance wise over the other. Honestly didn't expect such replies on SNB

 

[Tech9]

The "stability" comes from Asus and Broadcom upstream. Asuswrt-Merlin is features enhancement 3rd party version built on top of whatever Asus provides as GPL upstream. There is no performance improvements. Once again - if this router doesn't work as advertised on stock Asuswrt - send it back. Otherwise you'll miss the return window and will end up hoping whatever is broken will be fixed in the future. When and if this is going to happen - unknown. I personally wouldn't count on GNUton's Asuswrt-Merlin fork timely updates and I'm not entirely sure RMerlin's Asuswrt-Merlin and GNUton's Asuswrt-Merlin fork have exactly 1:1 functionality.

From this point on it's entirely your decision what to do based on your own experience and expectations. In your region and if I wanted an Asus AIO router I would buy RMerlin supported RT-BE96U instead. It's cheaper and does exactly the same thing.

 

[Thermaltake]

Hope that merlin one day decided to make fw for BE98 non pro model. I really like merlin stuff been using them for years now, have much respect for dude doing this for us.

 

[Seda]

So I've got a GT-BE98 (not the pro version) so I'm supported using Gnutons version of Merlin and I've been using it for a while now

Unfortunately though it seems like he's got some things going on and there hasn't been any updates from him since mid January (I'm not complaining or moaning about his work, I am grateful and hope all is well for him)

This leads to the question should I continue with the Gnuton firmware or move over to official Asus firmware as there seems to be regular updates?

What are your opinions? Honestly don't believe I use any of the advanced Merlin features and lately I've been having issues with WiFi dropouts so wondering if official may be more stable for me but would love some feedback from other users...

I use the official firmware, with Entware and a Swap file. While it's a bit more initial effort to set up, it's probably going to be better on the GT-BE98 at least from here.

I was running Merlin on a GT-AX11000/RT-AC5300 beforehand; but with the markets going the way they are that devices might be different, I figured it was safer to stick with stock from here so I've reverted everything to that.

 

[Thermaltake]

Any chance merlin support this router soon ?

 

[bennor]

Any chance merlin support this router soon ?

There already is Asus-Merlin support for that router through the GNuton firmware fork...

GitHub - gnuton/asuswrt-merlin.ng: Extends the support of Merlin firmware to more ASUS routers

Extends the support of Merlin firmware to more ASUS routers - gnuton/asuswrt-merlin.ng

github.com

3006.102.3_1-gnuton0_beta1
Per RMerlin when asked about supporting the GT-BE98...

Gnuton's fork IS official. He specifically supports models that I do not or cannot support.

Beyond that the answer is always the same when it comes to new router support...
[FAQ] READ ME FIRST before posting a question

Q: Will you add support for model XYZ?
A: The decision whether or not to support a new model depend on a long list of factors, which may evolve over time. Right now:

- It needs to be Broadcom-based
- It needs to be widely available (not just in two or three countries)
- It needs to have high-end hardware so I don't have to fight with lack of flash or RAM
- It needs to receive frequent enough GPLs so I won't have to regularly skip it due to the GPL being outdated
- I need to have one
- I need to have the time to try supporting it
- I need to have the motivation to try supporting it

Each new model requires its own dedicated support. That means every time I work on a new firmware release, I have to work on each separate model, and I need GPL releases from Asus for each individual model, and I need to merge each of them separately. So that means if I support 10 different routers, then I need to merge in the content of 10 different GPL releases, and these need to be close enough to one another to still be compatible. The more models I support, the harder this is to accomplish, therefore I am VERY conservative regarding adding any new model.

So don't ask if/when a new model will be supported. I cannot speculate about future model support, and until I have working support for a model, I cannot answer that question.

 

[Sundraw]

https://github.com/gnuton/asuswrt-merlin.ng/releases/tag/3006.102.4_1-gnuton1
Just so you know, there's the new June version of gnuton. I also have be98 non-pro and am still on the official firmware waiting for the merlin\gnuton forks to leave the beta stage. Try this and let us know how it goes. That said, it's clear that the "merlin gt-be98 pro" versions are always ahead of the curve in development. Currently, beta 5 is from July 5, 2025...

 

[Thermaltake]

So if you are not in US, because EU models are non pro, it's not supported by merlin I guess...

 

[bennor]

So if you are not in US, because EU models are non pro, it's not supported by merlin I guess...

As indicated already above by RMerlin, the non pro version (GT-BE98) is supported: "Gnuton's fork IS official. He specifically supports models that I do not or cannot support." Gnuton's firmware is based on Asus-Merlin. From the Gnuton link above:

This is an official Merlin fork which is supported by ASUS and RMerlin: Aim of this project is to make Merlin running on additional routers.

My builds are intended to support all features present in the original Merlin firmware. Occasionally, I also incorporate additional features for specific models. The images are built in the cloud to ensure transparency, and the open-source code is publicly accessible in this GitHub repository.

 

[Kingp1n]

I posted mainly for tech replies on stability etc from people that have trialled both firmwares to see what they had found and in what way they favoured one performance wise over the other. Honestly didn't expect such replies on SNB

As others have mentioned and as you said in your initial post....if you're not using the additional add-ons that the Merlin fw allows than definitely stick with the lastest stock firmware. For instance, the stock dual-wan is broken. Not sure about the GT-98 router though since it runs gnuton .Having Asuswrt-merlin fw and using the 3rd party scripts allow you to fix these issues. Let's not forget automatic fw update and ad blocking capabilities as an example. IMHO YES using Merlin fw is pretty stable.

The WiFi issues/dropouts you mentioned are not related to Asuswrt-merlin fw. The WiFi performance is the same as this is closed-source. I know Adaptive QoS is definitely broken for the GT-98 based on previous reports online (nothing you can do about it except don't use QoS).

Just know if you switch between stock and Gnuton fw that you always complete a full factory reset.

 

[supershaun]

So I've got a GT-BE98 (not the pro version) so I'm supported using Gnutons version of Merlin and I've been using it for a while now

Unfortunately though it seems like he's got some things going on and there hasn't been any updates from him since mid January (I'm not complaining or moaning about his work, I am grateful and hope all is well for him)

This leads to the question should I continue with the Gnuton firmware or move over to official Asus firmware as there seems to be regular updates?

What are your opinions? Honestly don't believe I use any of the advanced Merlin features and lately I've been having issues with WiFi dropouts so wondering if official may be more stable for me but would love some feedback from other users...

There has been an updated Gnuton version in June. I don’t even think it’s In beta anymore. So I’m not sure why you are saying there have been no updates since January.