Stock or Merlin for EOL ac68u?

[eastavin]

Could someone shed some light please on this? I understand Merlin is EOL for the ac68u (and that is fine) but I see Asus is still pumping out some firmware updates. The last stock firmware from Asus was Mar 10 2025 Version 3.0.0.4.386_51733.

Looking at the Merlin change notes I see the Merlin firmware was last merged with GPL 386_52805 in July 2024. Looking further through the change notes I have to go back to the first half of 2023 to find merlin merging a GPL with a number older or newer than 51733.

Is there anything I can infer from this? For example is Merlin's last firmware more advanced than Asus current stock and is still the better choice for security, save and except any fixes Asus mentions that may or may not be of interest since Nov 2024? Or is the Merlin number system unrelated to Asus stock number and so no conclusions can be drawn?

I have a couple of these ac68u routers still out there in low priority sites and was wondering when a switch to stock might be in order for the optimal situation? (These sites will get upgraded with a used AX router someday once the AX from elsewhere are displaced with a BE. That is on hold until the price improves)

Many thanks for any input.

Edward

 

[Tech9]

Entirely your decision what firmware you are going to run on an EoL device. From this generation hardware I support one remotely and it runs on stock Asuswrt. It will be replaced soon with something better. The owner of this device finally agreed to move on. If you don't need any of the extra Asuswrt-Merlin features the newer stock Asuswrt is your obvious firmware choice.

 

[Tech9]

Or is the Merlin number system unrelated

Unrelated. Asuswrt-Merlin 386.14 was based on never released as stock firmware GPL. It may have security updates, but it also has Asus EULA annoyances and some broken features around Trend Micro engine, both not present in available stock Asuswrt. At this point - it is what it is, no more fixes and updates are expected unless Asus finds some critical security flaw and updates Asuswrt.

 

[bennor]

Bottom line, RMerlin has indicated repeatedly that 386.x series routers are no longer supported (as of the end of 2024).

- NOTE: Reminder that all models on the 386.xx series will stop being supported by Asuswrt-Merlin at the end of 2024.

The firmware RMerlin receives is unique to each unit and generally not the same version number wise as the one's Asus releases publicly.

Asus may terminate their support for the End of Life RT-AC68U at any point and without notice. Several of the recent Asus firmware releases for the RT-AC68U delt with patching a security vulnerability (AiCloud) that affected most or all of their routers. Other fixes primarily are for AiMesh since the RT-AC68U remains a popular AiMesh router.

Users with internet facing RT-AC68U's should give serious consideration to replacing that 10+ year old end of support router or at the very least relegating it to AP or AiMesh use behind a newer internet facing router that is still receiving regular firmware updates. The RT-AC68U will still make a good Ethernet backhaul AP for IoT devices that don't need blazing speeds.

If one really wants to keep their RT-AC68U internet facing then consider using other third party firmware (Tomato, DD-WRT, etc.) that is still being updated. If those other firmware's are still being updated for the old RT-AC68U.