MerVLAN v0.51 Simple and Powerful VLAN Management **BETA**

[r80xcore]

First thank you for MerVlan.
I am using MerVlan in combination with Asus Merlin Firmware and Mesh system (master + 2 nodes). MerVlan is running in expiremental mode with trunks (VLAN + untagged system). Asus switches are working in AP mode, not routing. So just complication on complication.
Originally MerlVlan didnt do refresh of nodes on Mesh during fallout and reappearance so I did script which monitors connection (ping and SSH) and do refresh if needed.
If you are interested I can provide script for that watchdog (independent from MerVlan). For my needs it is tested and is working.

Thank you for testing it! And thank you for your input.

Yes I would be very interested in all info and scripts you are doing to make things work as you want. Hopefully I can use it and incorporate it into MerVLAN to broaden the usage for it.

If you want you can PM all the details, info and if you have, also logs. Thank you!

 

[mistermoonlight1]

I installed beta v0.51 on RT-AC86U in AP mode as expected. When looking in the gui section of the lan tab, the first seconds of MerVLAN web page drawing in the browser, there is a vertical cursor which will disappear quickly a moment after. This means the page will be frozen at the last position it was displayed (no more vertical cursor in the browser to scroll the complete page). So if i am at the bottom of the page, i cannot go up anymore and see the top of the page. Going back of the page and refreshing it could make the vertical scroll cursor appears for a few seconds again (allow to scroll it for a very short time), but quickly, it will freeze where we left it...

Thanks

 

[r80xcore]

I installed beta v0.51 on RT-AC86U in AP mode as expected. When looking in the gui section of the lan tab, the first seconds of MerVLAN web page drawing in the browser, there is a vertical cursor which will disappear quickly a moment after. This means the page will be frozen at the last position it was displayed (no more vertical cursor in the browser to scroll the complete page). So if i am at the bottom of the page, i cannot go up anymore and see the top of the page. Going back of the page and refreshing it could make the vertical scroll cursor appears for a few seconds again (allow to scroll it for a very short time), but quickly, it will freeze where we left it...

Thanks

Thank you for reporting that. This is a issue I've had too, but if I continued scrolling it scrolls up, so it hasn't been prioritized from my end. It might be because we use different browser. But the bug is there either way so I will add that to my to-do list, especially if it's a breaking bug for others.

 

[r80xcore]

@mistermoonlight1

A fix for the scrolling issue has been committed in v0.52.2 on the dev branch. To update, press the version button in the bottom right, select the dev branch, press check for updates and the update now. Wait for the update to complete and then refresh the page. Hopefully this fixes your issues.

 

[mistermoonlight1]

@r80xcore

I updated to beta v0.52.2 as can be seen at the bottom of the screen (if i attempt to update again, it reports there is no more update...). Still has the same problem. I can see it in chrome, edge and firefox. So it is difficult to edit something in the page as if i am at the top of the page (at 100% zoom), there is no access to the buttons to save the page content (refresh the page make loose the unsaved value i guess). But after playing with it a moment, i found a kind of temporary workaround: if i set the page zoom level to 70%, i can see the whole page (a little on the small size), but at least i have access to everything even if the vertical scroll cursor is disappeared...

 

[mistermoonlight1]

Thank you for reporting that. This is a issue I've had too, but if I continued scrolling it scrolls up, so it hasn't been prioritized from my end. It might be because we use different browser. But the bug is there either way so I will add that to my to-do list, especially if it's a breaking bug for others.

"but if I continued scrolling it scrolls up"...

not on my system, no more scrolling at all, neither with the keyboards arrow up/down, keyboard pgup/pgdn, neither with the mouse wheel... (all of these are working with other router gui pages with a verticall scroll bar)

Thanks

 

[mistermoonlight1]

@r80xcore
1- I have just made a simple test to create a single vlan 111 on gui LAN1 ethernet port for my AP which is RT-AC86U: i think your hardware probe script has incorrect info (and does not take into account for eth/port mapping inversion on some router models). It creates the br111 for vlan 111 and places eth1 into it, but physical LAN1 port on this router is not eth1 but eth4! It would be a similar problem with RT-AX86U which also has kind of inversion in its port layout...

# RT-AC86U interface layout
# eth0 -> WAN
# eth1 -> LAN4
# eth2 -> LAN3
# eth3 -> LAN2
# eth4 -> LAN1
# eth5 -> WLAN 2.4 GHz
# eth6 -> WLAN 5 GHz

# RT-AX86U interface layout (when 2.5G port is mapped as a lan port)
# eth0 -> WAN
# eth1 -> LAN4
# eth2 -> LAN3
# eth3 -> LAN2
# eth4 -> LAN1
# eth5 -> LAN 2.5 Gbit
# eth6 -> WLAN 2.4 GHz
# eth7 -> WLAN 5 GHz

I don't have a RT-AX88U to confirm this, but i have seen many posting on different web sites a port mapping that looks like this (some kind of inversion again):

# RT-AX88U interface layout
# eth0 -> WAN
# eth1 -> LAN4
# eth2 -> LAN3
# eth3 -> LAN2
# eth4 -> LAN1
# eth5 -> Hardware Bridge of LAN 5-8
# eth6 -> WLAN 2.4 GHz
# eth7 -> WLAN 5 GHz

2- After playing with this first vlan 111 setup, at some point i removed it. It worked (deleted the br111 and returned eth1 to br0 as expected, but on the web gui page, there is just 3 lan ports now (LAN1, LAN2, LAN3) and LAN4 is gone from the web page (i don't know exactly at what moment i lost it on the web page)

This test was tested with main branch v0.52.1

Thanks

 

[r80xcore]

@mistermoonlight1

Thank you for testing it further. I tested the UI yesterday and everything seemed to work but I will take another look at it tonight. Will try to push another fix tonight.

V0.52.2 is the newest version right now.

As far as the ports go this is most definetly because that the models are not fully supported yet by the HW probe. I will check that too tonight and then you will get some code to run on you unit so we can make a working profile for it hopefully!

 

[r80xcore]

@mistermoonlight1

Hi again!

I am currently trying to hunt down the bug you are experiencing but I'm not able to reproduce it.
Could you first make sure that you are running the newest version. Update by changing the channel to Development:

Then press on "Check for updates", then on "Update Now". Wait for it to complete with a success message and then reload the page.

I have tried different browsers and on the phone and while i got some hickups before i implemented the fixes, everything is working smoothly now.

I have patched your Asus models in the current release that i am pushing to github right now in v0.52.3. Except for the RT-AX88U(see below). I need a user that has that unit to run the new "device_support_mapper.sh" script that comes with this release. This is to make sure if we are able to map 5-8 or if we cant. As a semi patch i have reduced the VLAN range on that model to 4-ports until we get that sorted out.

I have also hopefully sorted out a bug in the mervlan.asp that broke the menutree and page on certain builds.

This new mapper is executed by running the command

/jffs/addons/mervlan/functions/device_support_mapper.sh

Then follow the instructions. It will require the user to only have WAN connected and the upon prompt connect a device that is powered on to the ports during the testing.

 

[mistermoonlight1]

@mistermoonlight1

Hi again!

I am currently trying to hunt down the bug you are experiencing but I'm not able to reproduce it.
Could you first make sure that you are running the newest version. Update by changing the channel to Development:
View attachment 70094
Then press on "Check for updates", then on "Update Now". Wait for it to complete with a success message and then reload the page.

I have tried different browsers and on the phone and while i got some hickups before i implemented the fixes, everything is working smoothly now.

I have patched your Asus models in the current release that i am pushing to github right now in v0.52.3. Except for the RT-AX88U(see below). I need a user that has that unit to run the new "device_support_mapper.sh" script that comes with this release. This is to make sure if we are able to map 5-8 or if we cant. As a semi patch i have reduced the VLAN range on that model to 4-ports until we get that sorted out.

I have also hopefully sorted out a bug in the mervlan.asp that broke the menutree and page on certain builds.

This new mapper is executed by running the command

/jffs/addons/mervlan/functions/device_support_mapper.sh

Then follow the instructions. It will require the user to only have WAN connected and the upon prompt connect a device that is powered on to the ports during the testing.

1-With the new dev version v0.52.3, the gui vertical scroll bug is gone forever. Good job!

2-Where at some point i am loosing a lan port in the experiment is probably because i don't use the multiple buttons in the correct order i guess. I am not sure yet if i need to do save 1st, or apply vlan 1st. But in my case, once i removed the tested vlan (just deleting the vlan number in the LAN case) and playing with the save/apply vlans button, it 1st removes the vlan on LAN1 i was just erased myself and few seconds later, boom LAN4 is gone (refreshing the page does not help to make it come back) (see attached picture)

3- On my AP, creating a test vlan on LAN2 makes eth3 going to the created VLAN has expected now. Very good!

 

[mistermoonlight1]

Hi!

If i understand the modifications you made for the port mapping in dev v0.52.3 correctly, while it is ok for the RT-AC86U, it is not for the RT-AX86U (not what i provided in earlier post, but i did not test your script on this unit because it is not an AP in my system, just visually looked at the script knowing the port mapping of my device)

N.B. 2.5G port is configured as a lan port:
# eth0 -> WAN
# eth1 -> LAN4
# eth2 -> LAN3
# eth3 -> LAN2
# eth4 -> LAN1
# eth5 -> LAN 2.5 Gbit
# eth6 -> WLAN 2.4 GHz
# eth7 -> WLAN 5 GHz

-------------------------------------------------------------------
When the 2.5g port is configured as a lan port, i guess it should be something like this (if we name LAN5 the 2,5g port)
RT-AX86U) MODEL="AX86U"; ETH_PORTS="eth4 eth3 eth2 eth1 eth5"; LAN_PORT_LABELS="LAN1 LAN2 LAN3 LAN4 LAN5"; MAX_ETH_PORTS=5; WAN_IF="eth0" ;;

and not what you currently have in v0.52.3:

RT-AX86U) MODEL="AX86U"; ETH_PORTS="eth5 eth4 eth3 eth2 eth1"; LAN_PORT_LABELS="LAN1 LAN2 LAN3 LAN4 LAN5"; MAX_ETH_PORTS=5; WAN_IF="eth0" ;;
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks

 

[mistermoonlight1]

@r80xcore
Hi again!

I figured out a simple recipe for loosing LAN4 on my AP: i uninstall full, delete every left trace of mervlan in the file system, than reinstall (using 1st page instruction of this thread which get it from the main branch 1st) and update from the dev branch version v0.52.3. I am back with 4 lans ports.

Now here is just what i am doing:
a) set Dry run: off, persistent: off
b) types 222 in LAN2 case to create this vlan
c) press the "Save" button. Initially after the saving, i am still have 4 lan ports. May be x secs later, a page refresh and now i have just 3 lan ports!

there is nothing special in the logs that gives any clue...

Thanks

 

[r80xcore]

@r80xcore
Hi again!

I figured out a simple recipe for loosing LAN4 on my AP: i uninstall full, delete every left trace of mervlan in the file system, than reinstall (using 1st page instruction of this thread which get it from the main branch 1st) and update from the dev branch version v0.52.3. I am back with 4 lans ports.

Now here is just what i am doing:
a) set Dry run: off, persistent: off
b) types 222 in LAN2 case to create this vlan
c) press the "Save" button. Initially after the saving, i am still have 4 lan ports. May be x secs later, a page refresh and now i have just 3 lan ports!

there is nothing special in the logs that gives any clue...

Thanks

That was strange. Could you please send me the result of:

nvram get productid

And the result from:

cat /jffs/addons/mervlan/settings/settings.json

 

[mistermoonlight1]

That was strange. Could you please send me the result of:

nvram get productid

And the result from:

cat /jffs/addons/mervlan/settings/settings.json

@r80xcore
Hi!

Here are the requested info and additionnal discovery i have found...

nvram get productid:

RT-AC86U

cat /jffs/addons/mervlan/settings/settings.json:

{
"General": {
"_description": "Global addon flags and behavior toggles",
"BOOT_ENABLED": "0",
"DRY_RUN": "no",
"ENABLE_STP": "0",
"EXPERIMENTAL": "0",
"IS_NODE": "0",
"PERSISTENT": "no",
"BACKUP_1": ["v0.52.1", "2026-01-28", "21:08"],
"BACKUP_2": ["none", "none", "none"],
"BACKUP_3": ["none", "none", "none"]
},

"SSH": {
"_description": "SSH settings for main router and nodes",
"SSH_USER": "apsync",
"SSH_PORT": "222",
"NODE_SSH_USER": "apsync",
"NODE_SSH_PORT": "222",
"SSH_KEYS_INSTALLED": "0"
},

"Nodes": {
"_description": "Configured node IPs (used for sync and remote execution)",
"NODE1": "none",
"NODE2": "none",
"NODE3": "none",
"NODE4": "none",
"NODE5": "none"
},

"WiFi": {
"_description": "SSID slots and per-SSID AP isolation flags (APISO)",
"SSIDs": {
"SSID_01": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_02": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_03": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_04": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_05": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_06": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_07": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_08": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_09": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_10": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_11": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_12": "unused-placeholder"
},
"APISO": {
"APISO_01": "0",
"APISO_02": "0",
"APISO_03": "0",
"APISO_04": "0",
"APISO_05": "0",
"APISO_06": "0",
"APISO_07": "0",
"APISO_08": "0",
"APISO_09": "0",
"APISO_10": "0",
"APISO_11": "0",
"APISO_12": "0"
}
},

"VLAN": {
"_description": "All VLAN-related configuration: pool, per-port mapping, trunks",

"Pool": {
"_description": "Configured VLAN IDs exposed in the UI",
"VLAN_01": "none",
"VLAN_02": "none",
"VLAN_03": "none",
"VLAN_04": "none",
"VLAN_05": "none",
"VLAN_06": "none",
"VLAN_07": "none",
"VLAN_08": "none",
"VLAN_09": "none",
"VLAN_10": "none",
"VLAN_11": "none",
"VLAN_12": "none"
},

"Ethernet_ports": {
"_description": "Access-port VLAN mapping per physical LAN port",
"ETH1_VLAN": "none",
"ETH2_VLAN": "222",
"ETH3_VLAN": "none",
"ETH4_VLAN": "none",
"ETH5_VLAN": "none",
"ETH6_VLAN": "none",
"ETH7_VLAN": "none",
"ETH8_VLAN": "none"
},

"Trunks": {
"_description": "Per-port trunk enable plus tagged/untagged membership",
"TRUNK1": "0",
"TRUNK2": "0",
"TRUNK3": "0",
"TRUNK4": "0",
"TRUNK5": "0",
"TRUNK6": "0",
"TRUNK7": "0",
"TRUNK8": "0",

"TAGGED_TRUNK1": "none",
"TAGGED_TRUNK2": "none",
"TAGGED_TRUNK3": "none",
"TAGGED_TRUNK4": "none",
"TAGGED_TRUNK5": "none",
"TAGGED_TRUNK6": "none",
"TAGGED_TRUNK7": "none",
"TAGGED_TRUNK8": "none",

"UNTAGGED_TRUNK1": "none",
"UNTAGGED_TRUNK2": "none",
"UNTAGGED_TRUNK3": "none",
"UNTAGGED_TRUNK4": "none",
"UNTAGGED_TRUNK5": "none",
"UNTAGGED_TRUNK6": "none",
"UNTAGGED_TRUNK7": "none",
"UNTAGGED_TRUNK8": "none"
}
},

"Hardware": {
"_description": "Detected hardware profile (auto-generated by hw_probe.sh; do not edit)",
"MODEL": "AC86U",
"PRODUCTID": "RT-AC86U",
"MAX_SSIDS": "8",
"RADIOS": ["2.4", "5g-1"],
"GUEST_SLOTS": "3",
"ETH_PORTS": ["eth4", "eth3", "eth2", "eth1"],
"LAN_PORT_LABELS": ["LAN1", "LAN2", "LAN3", "LAN4"],
"WAN_IF": "eth0",
"MAX_ETH_PORTS": "4"
}

1-i found something more about the LAN4 lost problem. While a web page refresh in the browser (or anything i attempt with the gui or buttons) does not make the LAN4 port coming back, a complete router reboot repairs the problem everytime and the LAN4 port is coming back after a reboot without needing to do anything else!

2- i have also noticed that after the reboot, it took me a lot more effort to loose the LAN4 port again, i had to play a lot with the gui buttons, like push save, delete the vlan, push save again, recreate it, push save multiple times, apply vlan, and at some points i got the bug again. But it was just more easy to get the problem a couple of times by starting from a clean fresh installation (from the main branch according to original instructions), than updating from the dev branch v0.52.3, than starting to play with the vlan immediately in the gui without any reboot of the unit (i got the problem much more easily like this (2 differents full install attempt) than following a reboot today. A coincidence?).

Thanks

 

[r80xcore]

@r80xcore
Hi!

Here are the requested info and additionnal discovery i have found...

nvram get productid:

RT-AC86U

cat /jffs/addons/mervlan/settings/settings.json:

{
"General": {
"_description": "Global addon flags and behavior toggles",
"BOOT_ENABLED": "0",
"DRY_RUN": "no",
"ENABLE_STP": "0",
"EXPERIMENTAL": "0",
"IS_NODE": "0",
"PERSISTENT": "no",
"BACKUP_1": ["v0.52.1", "2026-01-28", "21:08"],
"BACKUP_2": ["none", "none", "none"],
"BACKUP_3": ["none", "none", "none"]
},

"SSH": {
"_description": "SSH settings for main router and nodes",
"SSH_USER": "apsync",
"SSH_PORT": "222",
"NODE_SSH_USER": "apsync",
"NODE_SSH_PORT": "222",
"SSH_KEYS_INSTALLED": "0"
},

"Nodes": {
"_description": "Configured node IPs (used for sync and remote execution)",
"NODE1": "none",
"NODE2": "none",
"NODE3": "none",
"NODE4": "none",
"NODE5": "none"
},

"WiFi": {
"_description": "SSID slots and per-SSID AP isolation flags (APISO)",
"SSIDs": {
"SSID_01": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_02": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_03": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_04": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_05": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_06": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_07": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_08": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_09": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_10": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_11": "unused-placeholder",
"SSID_12": "unused-placeholder"
},
"APISO": {
"APISO_01": "0",
"APISO_02": "0",
"APISO_03": "0",
"APISO_04": "0",
"APISO_05": "0",
"APISO_06": "0",
"APISO_07": "0",
"APISO_08": "0",
"APISO_09": "0",
"APISO_10": "0",
"APISO_11": "0",
"APISO_12": "0"
}
},

"VLAN": {
"_description": "All VLAN-related configuration: pool, per-port mapping, trunks",

"Pool": {
"_description": "Configured VLAN IDs exposed in the UI",
"VLAN_01": "none",
"VLAN_02": "none",
"VLAN_03": "none",
"VLAN_04": "none",
"VLAN_05": "none",
"VLAN_06": "none",
"VLAN_07": "none",
"VLAN_08": "none",
"VLAN_09": "none",
"VLAN_10": "none",
"VLAN_11": "none",
"VLAN_12": "none"
},

"Ethernet_ports": {
"_description": "Access-port VLAN mapping per physical LAN port",
"ETH1_VLAN": "none",
"ETH2_VLAN": "222",
"ETH3_VLAN": "none",
"ETH4_VLAN": "none",
"ETH5_VLAN": "none",
"ETH6_VLAN": "none",
"ETH7_VLAN": "none",
"ETH8_VLAN": "none"
},

"Trunks": {
"_description": "Per-port trunk enable plus tagged/untagged membership",
"TRUNK1": "0",
"TRUNK2": "0",
"TRUNK3": "0",
"TRUNK4": "0",
"TRUNK5": "0",
"TRUNK6": "0",
"TRUNK7": "0",
"TRUNK8": "0",

"TAGGED_TRUNK1": "none",
"TAGGED_TRUNK2": "none",
"TAGGED_TRUNK3": "none",
"TAGGED_TRUNK4": "none",
"TAGGED_TRUNK5": "none",
"TAGGED_TRUNK6": "none",
"TAGGED_TRUNK7": "none",
"TAGGED_TRUNK8": "none",

"UNTAGGED_TRUNK1": "none",
"UNTAGGED_TRUNK2": "none",
"UNTAGGED_TRUNK3": "none",
"UNTAGGED_TRUNK4": "none",
"UNTAGGED_TRUNK5": "none",
"UNTAGGED_TRUNK6": "none",
"UNTAGGED_TRUNK7": "none",
"UNTAGGED_TRUNK8": "none"
}
},

"Hardware": {
"_description": "Detected hardware profile (auto-generated by hw_probe.sh; do not edit)",
"MODEL": "AC86U",
"PRODUCTID": "RT-AC86U",
"MAX_SSIDS": "8",
"RADIOS": ["2.4", "5g-1"],
"GUEST_SLOTS": "3",
"ETH_PORTS": ["eth4", "eth3", "eth2", "eth1"],
"LAN_PORT_LABELS": ["LAN1", "LAN2", "LAN3", "LAN4"],
"WAN_IF": "eth0",
"MAX_ETH_PORTS": "4"
}

1-i found something more about the LAN4 lost problem. While a web page refresh in the browser (or anything i attempt with the gui or buttons) does not make the LAN4 port coming back, a complete router reboot repairs the problem everytime and the LAN4 port is coming back after a reboot without needing to do anything else!

2- i have also noticed that after the reboot, it took me a lot more effort to loose the LAN4 port again, i had to play a lot with the gui buttons, like push save, delete the vlan, push save again, recreate it, push save multiple times, apply vlan, and at some points i got the bug again. But it was just more easy to get the problem a couple of times by starting from a clean fresh installation (from the main branch according to original instructions), than updating from the dev branch v0.52.3, than starting to play with the vlan immediately in the gui without any reboot of the unit (i got the problem much more easily like this (2 differents full install attempt) than following a reboot today. A coincidence?).

Thanks

The problem is a race between UI-triggered regeneration, timing and fetch. I'm currently looking to patch it and and also add a "unsupported" popup with link to how to fix it.

Hopefully i can push the update tonight.