Replacement TP Link WDR4300 - Asus or Linksys

[hababu]

Hello Community,

I registered, because I didn't find answers on the internet to my questions below.

I want to replace my WDR4300 running DDWRT. It does all, what I want from a router, but it is a little bit slow.
I have configured it also as an OpenVPN Server, and this connection is slow (max. 5mbit). Also the range of Wifi is not so good.

The new router should als be able of ARP binding. In DD WRT the "arp -s"-command is enterd in the Command-Window in the Webgui. The command runs at every boot.

My favorite routers would be:
Linksys WRT3200ACM (DDWRT support)
Asus RT-AC88U (DDWRT and Merlin support)
Asus RT-AX88U (only Merlin support)
or AC86U (only Merlin support)

Is ARP Binding possible in Merlin?

Is it possible to run a OpenVPN server with certificate AND password protection.
This works with the WDR4300 DDWRT without problems.

Or should I take the AC88U with DDWRT? Or doesn't DDWRT run good on this router?

Thank you

Sorry for my english - it is not my first language.

Best regards
hababu

 

[Trip]

Since you sound like a guy who knows what he's doing, I'd take a hard look at OpenWRT over DD-WRT and Merlin. It will allow you to basically run anything you want, through packages and/or command line. It's the "mother" distro and has the most development momentum behind it right now, IMHO. I'd run it on a Netgear R7800, whose Qualcomm architecture seems to behave really well with it, and with stuff like software flow-offloading getting more optimized, stock firmware-like throughput is more and more of a possibility.

 

[hababu]

Thanks for the response.
I'm not so familiar with linux. I looked for solutions in the net and tried to get it running (ARP Binding, Ovpn, ...). I took me several hours
I think, I tried OpenWRT some years ago, but something let me change to DDWrt. I can't remember.
Does the R7800 works also perfect with DDWrt? (if OpenWRT is do "difficult" for me?)

The R7800 costs about 175 € here.
The AC88U will be about 165 € the next days.
The AX88 will be about 260 €

The performance on the paper speakes for Asus.
Is WPA3, MU-MIMO, MESH or AX important in future (my smartphone supports Wifi6). I don't know.

Why is the R7800 recommended so often?

Thank you

Best regards
hababu

 

[L&LD]

R7800 great hardware. Minimal options. Hard to set it up wrong.

RT-AC88U once-great hardware. Today, it is outclassed by the RT-AC86U and the RT-AX88U in OpenVPN performance and WiFi throughput (if not range too).

RT-AX88U great hardware. Most forward-looking device available today that also includes RMerlin support (a must-have, IMO).

About 100 € more is a big chunk of change for the RT-AX88U, but you'll be getting modern hardware, longest expected support and hopefully, the features you indicate in your post above.

I would not recommend the Linksys from group of routers.

 

[Trip]

OpenWRT isn't that difficult, especially since the model-specific image comes with LuCI, their web GUI, pre-loaded and ready to go. So it's just about as easy to use as DD-WRT in that sense.

But yes, I believe the R7800 is DD-WRT-compatible. That said, Kong, who was one of DD-WRT's primary developers, has moved to OpenWRT. So perhaps it's a sign that DD-WRT is not the best choice, at least for the R7800.

 

[hababu]

At this moment I got an offer for a RT-AX88U for about 245€. (the price is ok for me, if the router is "good"). Don't know what to do?

 

[Poseidon]

Equally priced I would still take the R7800 over the Asus RT-AX88.

But at 70 € cheaper it’s a no brainer.

AX routers are not fully ready yet for prime time you’ll see little to no advantages over a really good AC class router.

Why spend/waste 70 € when they will basically perform the same? Wait a year or so until AX routers offer what is expected from WiFi 6. I was in your shoes and people more knowledgeable than myself offered me similar advice.

 

[hababu]

Hello,
I have orderd the AX88U - would you be so kind please and help me with the following question:
I want to run these two commands, when the router boots up.
arp -s 123.123.123.123 00:01:02:aa:bb:cc
arp -s 255.254.253.252 05:06:07:dd:ee:ff

I made a file called "arp.sh" with these two lines in /jffs/scripts - but the file does not run when booting.

Thank you

Kind regards....

 

[hababu]

I could manage it - made a file "services-start" in /jffs/scripts with the line
sh /jffs/scripts/arp.sh

Then chmod a+rx both files and it seems to be working.