Review: ASUSWRT router firmware

[csalsa]

I saw two reviews of AsusWRT router firmware:

1. https://www.ctrl.blog/entry/review-asuswrt
2. https://www.computerworld.com/artic...-router-warnings-on-privacy-and-security.html

I did a quick search of the forum and could not find a posting for these articles and thus this posting.

The conclusion of the first article is: "I recommend that you don’t buy any network product from ASUS," This is a strong statement but no alternatives are mentioned at all. It is easy to point and say "problem" but then not saying what would be recommended is weak.

Before purchasing an Asus router, I did a search of the support sites for a lot of the commercial mainstream routers and most offer occasional patches if at all. At least Asus has a 3-4 month cadence with releases where bugs are fixed and security issues are addressed. No doubt more can be done but who pays for it (either in time or money)?

Anyway, I am happy with my Asus router and AsusWRT-merlin firmware.

 

[RMerlin]

There's a fair dose of BS in this "review", like those claims about the router cutting off connections before midnight. Never seen nor heard about that in the 5+ years I've been involved with Asus routers...

 

[charlie2alpha]

It's the internet, anybody can write anything about anything. The challenge today is to be able to detect the BS and questionable material in general and filter them out.

 

[RMerlin]

It's the internet, anybody can write anything about anything. The challenge today is to be able to detect the BS and questionable material in general and filter them out.

And yet that means I keep having to answer every time someone runs into that same article, and emails/PM/Tweet me, all worried that "OMG Trend Micro is stealing all my private information"...

Beside the private communications, I think this was also reported twice in the past on this forum.

If people were going with these "the sky is falling" posts, then nobody would ever buy anything:

- D-Link was caught, not once, but twice, having backdoors in their routers
- Netgear still has a potential backdoor to enable telnet in some models, and they added some telemetry-gathering in recent firmware releases
- Linksys once pretty much took sole control of your router's management interface by going 100% cloud-based (and reverted back after people complained)
- TP-Link uses years old obsolete software components, filled with known security holes
- Asus had various security issues, some of which occuring when people enabled FTP features without fully understanding that it also meant enabling it over the Internet

And even the big boys: Juniper had backdoors, Cisco had a fair amount of critical security issues, etc...

I guess it's time to go back to dialups, eh?

 

[charlie2alpha]

And yet that means I keep having to answer every time someone runs into that same article, and emails/PM/Tweet me, all worried that "OMG Trend Micro is stealing all my private information"...

Beside the private communications, I think this was also reported twice in the past on this forum.

Well it makes sense, I didn't learn how to filter the crap out in a day. Especially younger users have to learn that over time. One thing I do miss is what used to be called "netiquette". Things were simpler back in the day, but times change and we have to move on and adjust somehow.

 

[Bigtrout]

I have owned routers from Asus, Netgear, Linksys and TP-Link.

My last Asus RT-AC68u firmware update was 1/2/18.
The last firmware update on a couple of the other brands for routers bought at the same time frame is alot worse, 6 to 12 months old or older.

Asuswrt is great software, firmware updated regularly for security patches, and its easy to handle but has lots of options not found on other firmware. Throw in RMerlins excellent firmware if you like to tweak or need something nore in depth and its an easy decision to use Asus routers.

I have only used one thing that was better and more secure, pf sense, but for a small home network it can be overkill having a computer dedicated to running router only software.

 

[videobruce]

One thing I do miss is what used to be called "netiquette".

Man, I haven't heard that term in some time now since there isn't much that that going around anymore.

 

[sfx2000]

There's a fair dose of BS in this "review", like those claims about the router cutting off connections before midnight. Never seen nor heard about that in the 5+ years I've been involved with Asus routers...

There have been rumblings over the years about clients getting dropped... but it's not specific to Asus, others do as well...

TrendMicro - that's been a low level concern across the forums - what I can say my first hand experience working directly with them - one won't find a more ethical company and one could do a lot worse...

>> "establish and maintain a comprehensive security program subject to independent audits for the next 20 years."

Always love that comment - does not mean that fixes will be made available, or that effort to fix thing will be done - it does not mean that the audit would pass, just that the audit exists, and there's no penalty for passing or failing. The intent however, is that someone at Asus is monitoring the security posture, but nothing suggests that an RT-AC68U is going to get a security fix now, or in 2035...

Just saying...

 

[Gregory Phillips]

There's a fair dose of BS in this "review", like those claims about the router cutting off connections before midnight.

Perhaps they're trying to prevent us from turning into pumpkins.

 

[NGRhodes]

Asus, unlike most/all other home router brands actively supports with fixes (and even some features) and over a very good time period.
Its a big positive point that rarely gets covered by reviews.

 

[scjr]

Asus, unlike most/all other home router brands actively supports with fixes (and even some features) and over a very good time period.
Its a big positive point that rarely gets covered by reviews.

Agreed.

Since I purchased my router in November of last year, there have been 5 firmware updates from Asus. Plus you have Merlin’s enhanced firmware to choose from and he fixes bugs as well. The two biggest reasons I purchased my Asus router.