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Order of installing popular scripts

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TheLyppardMan

Very Senior Member
I want to install a few scripts on my new RT-AC86U router using amtm. Is there any recommended order or procedure to do this as I had problem with high CPU usage last time. The scripts I am interested in are spdMerlin, ntpMerlin, Diversion and Skynet. I may also want to add Diversion stats to the GUI at some stage. Also, I don't yet have any of the Trend Micro features switched on, so if I want to use any of those, should I enable them before or after the amtm scripts or doesn't it matter? Any advice on these topics would be much appreciated.
 
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I believe Diversion is a good one to start with. It will also install entware as part of the installation. I'm assuming you've got the usb drive formatted, swap file created and disk check turn on?
 
I believe Diversion is a good one to start with. It will also install entware as part of the installation. I'm assuming you've got the usb drive formatted, swap file created and disk check turn on?
I haven't done anything yet, apart from plugging in two new flash drives, as I want my router to settle for a few hours to make sure everything is working OK. I'll probably make a start on this tomorrow if everything still looks OK.
 
Quick and dirty (my install order for customer's routers, from scratch on RMerlin 384.15_0) :) :
  • M&M Config + Nuclear reset.
  • Including new 8 character SSIDs and 16 character passwords (alphanumeric only).
  • Set Time Zone and DST start/end settings properly.
  • Enable DDNS (if needed).
  • Enable QoS (connections below 100Mbps up/down).
  • Enable AiProtection.
  • Enable JFFS custom scripts and configs.
  • Enable ssh (LAN Only). Use a unique port number (i.e. 51xxx).
  • Update amtm.
  • Install nsrum. (Note; this only adds this script in the amtm list, you will still need a USB drive to install the actual files).
  • Install Disk Check script.
  • Install scMerlin.
  • Install FreshJR QOS (on connections below 100Mbps).
  • Install YazFi.
Now, insert a single USB drive that is 4GB or larger.
  • Format the USB drive with Ext4 format and w/journaling enabled and set a label too.
  • Create a swap file (2GB recommended).
  • Install Diversion Standard (and let it install Enware and pixelserv-tls too, even if you disable these later).
  • Install ntpMerlin.
  • Install Skynet.
  • Install Unbound (or DNSCrypt).
  • Install x3mRouting - Selective Routing (if required).
  • Install connmon.
  • Install uiDivStats
  • Install scribe.
  • Install uiScribe.
  • Install spdMerlin (if required).
I don't think I forgot anything above just typing off the top of my head? HTH. :)

Edit: as per @thelonelycoder conversation below. :)
 
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  • Install spdMerlin (if required). Note that this script may bring the router to its knees or worse, depending on the ISP speeds achievable.

You might edit this description as the new Ookla based test works fine on high speed connections in my experience.
 
@doczenith1, thanks for the reminder. I've wanted to test it but forgot! :)

Edit: Just installed and ran it.

Chose a preferred server. The script is now stable and fast! I haven't used it since I got my 1Gbps u/d ISP connection. :)

For myself though, on the RT-AX88U, it only shows 2/3rds of the speeds I actually get. :)

The router is not powerful enough to test 1Gbps u/d symmetrical Fibre connections.

But the script itself is working great and much better than I expected!

How did I let this go so long before I got around to testing it again? :oops:
 
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Now, insert a single USB drive that is 4GB or larger and is formatted as NTFS or exFAT on a PC. Do not insert a USB drive that was previously used with amtm/Diversion, etc. without first formatting it on a PC.
I do not agree with that. I should know, I coded it all and tested the fd function countless times.
 
Install Diversion Standard (and let it install Enware and pixelserv-tls too, even if you disable these later).
Diversion has no option to disable Entware as it lives within the Entware environment. Without Entware there is no Diversion.
 
I do not agree with that. I should know, I coded it all and tested the fd function countless times.

I have no doubt you have. :)

I have seen customers doing some strange things with their routers though. Trying to 'fix' the issue, even with an 'fd' command didn't work at that time. Formatting it on a PC did. (And of course, 'Format JFFS partition on next boot' too).
 
Diversion has no option to disable Entware as it lives within the Entware environment. Without Entware there is no Diversion.

I meant if Diversion and/or pixelserv-tls was disabled later (not Entware, of course). :)
 
I meant if Diversion and/or pixelserv-tls was disabled later (not Entware, of course). :)
That makes no sense to me. If one needs Entware but not Diversion, amtm can do that. But to install Diversion just to have Entware installed is overkill.
 
If Diversion 'may' be installed in the future, does it still make no sense then?

Is amtm now capable of handling Entware independently of Diversion? I seem to recall in earlier versions this was a requirement to let Entware be installed with Diversion.
 
Is amtm now capable of handling Entware independently of Diversion? I seem to recall in earlier versions this was a requirement to let Entware be installed with Diversion.
I long ago made sure that amtm installs Entware properly. And don't forget, amtm's ep function is as of Asuswrt-Merlin 384.15 the official way to install Entware.
 
@thelonelycoder thank you for the clarifications. :)

Edited relevant post above. ;)
 
I use pihole on a separate raspberry pi zero and have an iptable rule set in the /jffs/scripts/nat-start file to reroute all DNS requests via the pihole ip. This takes care of forcing all dns requests at router level to go thru pihole.
Is there a value in installing Diversion and/or pixelserv-tls in addition?

This is on RT-68U. Thanks.
 
Chose a preferred server. The script is now stable and fast! I haven't used it since I got my 1Gbps u/d ISP connection. :)

For myself though, on the RT-AX88U, it only shows 2/3rds of the speeds I actually get. :)

The router is not powerful enough to test 1Gbps u/d symmetrical Fibre connections.

But the script itself is working great and much better than I expected!

How did I let this go so long before I got around to testing it again? :oops:

It gets pretty close to my Fibre ISP speeds. On web based tests I average around 940 Mbps both ways.
spdMerlin: Speedtest results - Download: 905.09 Mbps (data used: 1.1 GB) - Upload: 912.24 Mbps (data used: 1.1 GB)
CPU core 1 bounces around 90%.

You might have to manually try different servers to find one that gives you the best results. And one odd thing that I noticed is that the server that gives me the fastest results with the CLI test is different from the server that gives me the fastest results using my browser. And they are not close. I'm talking about a 200-300 Mbps difference.
 
Install Unbound (or DNSCrypt).
In your procedure, is this step required if you have 384.14_2 or 15? I thought this functionality is now included by Merlin.
 
@TonyK132, first of all, that was a quick post if 'all' scripts were installed. Most people don't need them all. (I do as I test them, of course).

Secondly, in v384.14_4 or v384.15_0, no scripts are installed by default.

What is included is the amtm 'shell' that can be used to install any of the supported scripts as required. After changing the setting to 'Allow JFFS scripts and configs' to 'yes', of course.

It is important to additionally keep in mind that with the above-noted versions, amtm is the only official way to install Entware on RMerlin supported routers now. :)

HTH.
 
(my install order for customer's routers, from scratch on RMerlin 384.15_0)
I don't think I forgot anything above just typing off the top of my head?

What you forget is the fact you're turning yourself into "the support guy", if you do that for "customers' routers". In the best case scenario the overall system reliability becomes equal to the reliability of a USB stick, plugged into a USB port that heats up to 60C due to bare minimum ASUS thermal design.
 
@Val D. no, as usual, you're reading much more into it than necessary. :)

When/if a customer is interested in the scripts; this is the order I suggest to them that they are installed in. :)

The support is on these forums with the authors if they need further assistance. ;)
 

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