Silly but easy question

[systematic]

I have an AX88U (non pro) and running firmware - 3004.388.7 but then i also see FW versions for this router that dont have the 3004 prefix e.g. 388.4, 388.5 etc.

Which one should i be using and what is the difference?

 

[Treadler]

I have an AX88U (non pro) and running firmware - 3004.388.7 but then i also see FW versions for this router that dont have the 3004 prefix e.g. 388.4, 388.5 etc.

Which one should i be using and what is the difference?

388.7


The others are older.

 

[bennor]

I have an AX88U (non pro) and running firmware - 3004.388.7 but then i also see FW versions for this router that dont have the 3004 prefix e.g. 388.4, 388.5 etc.

Which one should i be using and what is the difference?

You are using Asus-Merlin firmware. 3004.388.7 is the latest stable release version (see here). People will sometimes drop the 3004 to make it quicker to type when making posts here on this subforum. Note that in the Asus-Merlin release notes/change log the developer made a note about the naming convention in August of last year.

Changelog (388.x) | Asuswrt-Merlin

www.asuswrt-merlin.net

3004.388.4 (21-Aug-2023)
- NOTE: In preparation for the new 3.0.0.6 codebase, the version
string will now start with 3004 or 3006 to match with
upstream.

Generally it is recommended one use the latest stable release version for the security, module updates unless they have a specific issue or problem caused or introduced by the latest version. Pre-beta (alpha) and beta versions are generally for testing purposes and it typically is not recommended one run alpha or beta versions on production/critical environment routers.

PS: There are several past discussions where someone asked if its best to use the latest version of the firmware. For example:

Is it a good idea to keep up with Firmware updates?

I have had issues in the past when updating firmware and Internet speed, But it may have just been a fluke, Should I keep up with the updates? If so On all routers or the nodes as well? What about ones acting as access points? Thanks

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