Recall Config after factory reset

[tnpapa]

Is my thinking right on this, if I do a factory reset to clear any cruff out of my two year old AX86U and then recall my saved config I will get all the cruff back? I really think after two years of updates and setting changes a reset would be a good idea but the thought of having to re-enter the DHCP static info for 50 devices plus all the other settings is daunting.

 

[L&LD]

Yes, your thoughts are correct.

Except for the daunting part.

Create a text or Word file, copy and paste what you have now, perform the full reset, then copy and paste it back.

But seriously, if you're not having any problems now, this doesn't seem to be necessary.

 

[tnpapa]

Yes, your thoughts are correct.

Except for the daunting part.

Create a text or Word file, copy and paste what you have now, perform the full reset, then copy and paste it back.

But seriously, if you're not having any problems now, this doesn't seem to be necessary.

I have the info on a Word doc, but I would still have to go to each device, assign the IP, name and the cute logo by hand right?

 

[L&LD]

I don't know about cute logos, but three copy/pastes per device is hardly arduous.

 

[ColinTaylor]

I assume you mean "restore".

You will not necessarily get "all the cruff" back. The restore process performs a certain amount of filtering that excludes archaic or corrupted nvram variables. So it can actually be a good thing to try if you're experiencing problems. Of course it doesn't help if the router is just badly configured.

 

[tnpapa]

Think I will do the reset, go thru the setup and create a perfect archive config that I can always come back to. Yes I have installed and removed many AMTM apps over the years, changed networks, and many other settings. Router just seems a little sluggish.

 

[tnpapa]

Oh and today I looked at my dnsmasq.conf file and the cache was set to 0 instead of 1500. Not sure how or when that got changed, but if it was wrong then who knows what else is wrong.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Yes I have installed and removed many AMTM apps over the years, changed networks, and many other settings. Router just seems a little sluggish.

Addon scripts and custom configs are a different issue than the save/restore of the router's settings.

 

[tnpapa]

Addon scripts and custom configs are a different issue than the save/restore of the router's settings.

Not running any addons anymore. Only “custom” thing is using Merlin vs Asus firmware.

 

[johndoe85]

I assume you mean "restore".

You will not necessarily get "all the cruff" back. The restore process performs a certain amount of filtering that excludes archaic or corrupted nvram variables. So it can actually be a good thing to try if you're experiencing problems. Of course it doesn't help if the router is just badly configured.

How do you configure these router badly? There are no settings where you can frack up really, except maybe on the WiFi part.

 

[drinkingbird]

How do you configure these router badly? There are no settings where you can frack up really, except maybe on the WiFi part.

Search these forums, plenty of examples. Especially if you use addons but advanced settings and even some of the basic ones can easily get messed up (or corrupted, which is often out of your control).

 

[drinkingbird]

Think I will do the reset, go thru the setup and create a perfect archive config that I can always come back to. Yes I have installed and removed many AMTM apps over the years, changed networks, and many other settings. Router just seems a little sluggish.

You can't necessarily "always go back to it". Newer firmwares use different variables or use them in different ways. Personally, I would never restore a saved config, not even on the same firmware version. I just keep a word doc with screen shots and copy/paste of the few things I can't remember/set quickly by hand. Even my scripts I don't bother to copy the file, just the contents then recreate them with VI, only takes a few seconds each.

 

[L&LD]

How do you configure these router badly? There are no settings where you can frack up really, except maybe on the WiFi part.

Rt-ax88u pro & Rt-ax86u pro

Hi all ... New here. A few weeks ago, I purchased the Rt-ax86u pro running stock FW. Last week, I noticed the rt-ax88u pro was on sale. Thought now was the time to try out the 88u pro, see what works best for me, and return 1 of the 2 routers. The results in my testing, so far … the rt-ax86u...

www.snbforums.com

See the OP's responses to the post above to see how.

 

[johndoe85]

Rt-ax88u pro & Rt-ax86u pro

Hi all ... New here. A few weeks ago, I purchased the Rt-ax86u pro running stock FW. Last week, I noticed the rt-ax88u pro was on sale. Thought now was the time to try out the 88u pro, see what works best for me, and return 1 of the 2 routers. The results in my testing, so far … the rt-ax86u...

www.snbforums.com

See the OP's responses to the post above to see how.

Hehe yeah ok, but i ment like fiddeling around with the settings manually in the GUI.
Sure things will bork if you upload configs from diffrent models and naturally you would have to reset in order to make things right again.

 

[L&LD]

Quoting myself from the link above.

Note that toggling options on/off past defaults aren't the same thing as leaving those options at their defaults in the first place. If the router gets in unstable or doesn't respond as you would expect at this point, another full reset would be required to get it to a good/known state as quickly as possible.

 

[johndoe85]

Quoting myself from the link above.

I've heard that before. Though i would like to see this for myself. It feels like it's just spooky gossip and nonsens.
Why would a setting become sticky after have enabled it? And how does it become "sticky"?

 

[L&LD]

If you want to have to reset your router. Go ahead and toggle everything. Rebooting in between so the changes 'take'.

Looking forward to your findings.

(Or, just use Better Search).

 

[drinkingbird]

I've heard that before. Though i would like to see this for myself. It feels like it's just spooky gossip and nonsens.
Why would a setting become sticky after have enabled it? And how does it become "sticky"?

I've actually seen it on mine, though the cases I've seen it clears out/gets reconciled with a reboot. There are quite a few settings I've noticed do not take complete effect until reboot, even if they take a long time to apply (making you think it rebooted or at least reset everything).

However a couple years ago when I went from 384 to 386 code base, I restored my config and my internet speed was limited to about 250 megs with 1 CPU hitting 100% and the other idle, both routing and aiprotection type stuff were using a single CPU. I just assumed that was a limitation of 386. Then another reason (I forget what) prompted me to do a full reset and manual reconfigure and my speed doubled, with CPU 1 pegged and CPU2 also hitting about 50%, so it was now splitting the load. I don't know in that case what setting or variable was causing it but obviously "gremlins" can be left behind in an old config file.

 

[johndoe85]

I've actually seen it on mine, though the cases I've seen it clears out/gets reconciled with a reboot. There are quite a few settings I've noticed do not take complete effect until reboot, even if they take a long time to apply (making you think it rebooted or at least reset everything).

However a couple years ago when I went from 384 to 386 code base, I restored my config and my internet speed was limited to about 250 megs with 1 CPU hitting 100% and the other idle, both routing and aiprotection type stuff were using a single CPU. I just assumed that was a limitation of 386. Then another reason (I forget what) prompted me to do a full reset and manual reconfigure and my speed doubled, with CPU 1 pegged and CPU2 also hitting about 50%, so it was now splitting the load. I don't know in that case what setting or variable was causing it but obviously "gremlins" can be left behind in an old config file.

Yes but thats not the same thing as something gets sticky and that you have to reset your router in order to get rid of the "sticky" application/setting.

And the difference going from one build to another probably can vary some and thus making a device act diffrently than anticipated.
I don't know how this updates gets done, if it upgrade the defaulted values for the intended software or not. Does it keep some core values of old settings resulting it work weird or sluggish with a new software?

 

[Piotrek]

re-enter the DHCP static info for 50 devices

There have been many times on the forum how to copy and restore it... Especially if you're using the Merlin version...

Note that toggling options on/off past defaults aren't the same thing as leaving those options at their defaults in the first place.

Can you please provide some example settings that behave like this? You repeat it very often but you don't give any details and I would like to check it myself.