Asuswrt-Merlin 378.55 Beta is now available

[RMerlin]

Asuswrt-Merlin 378.55 Beta 1 is now available for download in the Beta folders, for all supported models.

NOTE: Beta 2 is now available. Please us this thread to discuss the new beta.

The highlights:

• Merged with Asus GPL 378_6117. The important changes related to this merge will be included below. Quite a few issues that were introduced in 6117 have been resolved, but some could still remain.
• 6117: Asus has moved OpenVPN certificates from nvram to jffs. First time a server/client starts, the certs are migrated, and removed from nvram. They can now be found under /jffs/openvpn/. You can still edit them through the webui, however you won't be able to view the existing ones from the webui. This is normal.
• 6117: New token-based webui authentication scheme. This should be far more secure than the old HTTP Basic auth method.
• 6117: New network client list on the webui front page
• Fixed various issues that were introduced with 6117 (like the broken network tools page)
• The remaining pages under System Log have been re-designed to match the new style introduced by the Wireless Log page.
• More detailed port forward page, showing additional info related to UPNP forwards.
• With Asus now making use of the JFFS2 partition, the option to disable the partition has been removed. You must still manually enable script/custom config support however when doing your initial router setup.
• Updated components: OpenSSL 1.0.2c, OpenVPN 2.3.7, ffmpeg 0.7.17
• Asus' recent memory optimizations to minidlna were reverted, and minidlna was updated to the latest development snapshot from Sourceforge. This will resolve the scanning issues introduced in 378.54.
• A pre-generated 2048-bit DH is now used for OpenVPN servers when using the router's self-generated key/certs. Also if you already had a DH below 1024-bit, it will automatically be replaced by this 2048-bit one. This is necessary as the latest OpenSSL release will refuse to work with DHs below 768-bit (and a future release will bump that to 1024-bit). This will also greatly reduce the time needed for the first-time configuration of an OpenVPN server.
  You can still generate your own DH if wanted. Also note that using the pre-generated DH does NOT impact security - public DHs are widely used in various applications, like IPSec.
• ARM-routers will no longer periodically flush their memory caches. This means the router will report a higher memory usage, but this is normal, and not a problem since caches will be flushed if something else requires that memory.
• Some random webui improvements to the Networkmap, Sysinfo page,
• A few minor fixes here and there - details are in the complete Changelog.

Things that will need some testing (this is the reason for beta releases, right?)

• OpenVPN functionality - ensure the certificates migration didn't introduce any new issue
• Minidlna: see if scanning is more reliable now. Keep in mind that a lot of smart TVs have flat out broken DLNA support out of the box - there are times where the only solution is to run a more advanced DLNA server on a PC, which will be able to handle the peculiarities of a lot of different client devices.
• Ensure that the cache flush change does not create any new issue on ARM routers. Specifically test performance of USB disks (both reading and writing), and compare the results with 378.54.
• Make sure the new system log pages work well in various environments
• See if there are any new issue in general introduced by the merge with 6117 (I'm expecting a new GPL next week, which won't be merged in 378.55, but I could backport specific fixes from it is necessary)

See the changelog for more details on the other fixes and tweaks.

Downloads are here.
Changelog is here.

 

[RMerlin]

IMPORTANT: note that with the OpenVPN key/certs migration, if you revert back to a previous version, you will have to re-enter all your OpenVPN key and certificates! You can recover their content from the /jffs/openvpn/ directory on your router.

Known issues:

• Quantenna firmware still wasting 4 MB of RAM (was an optimization that I forgot to list in the changelog, which wasn't working properly in Beta 1). Already fixed on Git.
• Time scheduler is broken - start time is properly set, but not the end time. (Fix backported from Asus's 6975)
• services-start script not properly created by entware-setup (old issue) (Fixed on Git).

 

[L&LD]

RMerlin, thank you.

Just a note: the downloads and changelog links point to 378.54_2, not 378.55 Beta.

 

[RMerlin]

RMerlin, thank you.

Just a note: the downloads and changelog links point to 378.54_2, not 378.55 Beta.

Thanks, forgot to update the changelog on my website.

You can also get it from Mediafire. I'm also uploading updated archives, as the included changelog was saying June instead of July.

 

[SmallNetGuy]

Thanks, forgot to update the changelog on my website.
You can also get it from Mediafire. I'm also uploading updated archives, as the included changelog was saying June instead of July.

Hi Merlin and thank you once again for your hard work. I am trying to download this 378.55 beta1 for my RT-AC68U, and I found two files in the beta folder. One is RT-AC68U_378.55_beta1-ga60cfd4.zip
and another one is called RT-AC68U_378.55_beta1-ga60cfd4.zip.patch.488416.488410

What is this second file for ? Thanks!

 

[charlie2alpha]

Installed it. Checked QoS status. IPv6 rules nowhere to be seen with 'ip6tables -t mangle -L -v". Reverted to previous version, as an IPv6 native user an IPv4 only QoS is a handicap. Probably ASUS screwed up something in their code again, I remember having to correct this via GIT in the past again. *sigh*

 

[JohnNerd]

Running smooth. Less CPU it seems. Ping working, which was broken on previous fw.
AC87U+AC66U.

 

[john9527]

Probably ASUS screwed up something in their code again

You got it.....they are building the IPv6 rules using IPv4 addresses. I have the fix running on my fork now (that's based on 374 so it apparently has been there a while or was fixed and crept back in)

 

[rlcronin]

Also no issues. Applied the beta to both my AC68U and my AP-mode N66U. The OpenVPN server running on the AC68U (running with my self-generated keys) works fine. Will keey an eye on it but so far so good.
--
bc

 

[Veldkornet]

Installed on my Rt-AC87U. Were the OpenVPN Server certificates supposed to be migrated? Mine are all blank, and if I try to re-populate them and say save etc. When I check again they're still blank....

 

[RMerlin]

Hi Merlin and thank you once again for your hard work. I am trying to download this 378.55 beta1 for my RT-AC68U, and I found two files in the beta folder. One is RT-AC68U_378.55_beta1-ga60cfd4.zip
and another one is called RT-AC68U_378.55_beta1-ga60cfd4.zip.patch.488416.488410

What is this second file for ? Thanks!

Sounds like a temporary file from Mediafire while I was reuploading zips with the updated changelog.

 

[RMerlin]

Installed on my Rt-AC87U. Were the OpenVPN Server certificates supposed to be migrated? Mine are all blank, and if I try to re-populate them and say save etc. When I check again they're still blank....

Read the Changelog as well as the second post in this thread, both questions are answered there.

 

[RMerlin]

Installed it. Checked QoS status. IPv6 rules nowhere to be seen with 'ip6tables -t mangle -L -v". Reverted to previous version, as an IPv6 native user an IPv4 only QoS is a handicap. Probably ASUS screwed up something in their code again, I remember having to correct this via GIT in the past again. *sigh*

I saw Asus applied some fixes related to IPv6 and QoS/Parental Control with 6065/6117, but it was probably not finished yet because they still haven't fully re-enabled them. So I left that code untouched. So, it's a known issue that's been there for quite some time.

 

[Veldkornet]

Read the Changelog as well as the second post in this thread, both questions are answered there.

Okay, so they should show as blank...
It would be useful if there was some text in there, like... "Certificate Installed" or something so you know it's not actually blank.

 

[Upperlove]

I saw 2 patches it the Rt-AC87U folder. How are patches applied? Sorry for what I assume is a beginner question.

 

[SmallNetGuy]

Sounds like a temporary file from Mediafire while I was reuploading zips with the updated changelog.

Thank you Merlin, all good then.

To answer "Upperlove" - take a look at Merlin's respond to my question.

 

[netmik3]

Just updated looks great.

Except the password field won't accept pastes and chrome can't remember the password. This kills it on my phone. It's driving me nuts, I'm going to downgrade temporarily.

 

[hggomes]

I saw 2 patches it the Rt-AC87U folder. How are patches applied? Sorry for what I assume is a beginner question.

Mediafire trash.

 

[Wasteland]

Hi Merlin.

First many thanks to you for your wonderful work.

I ran across on issue with 378.55_beta1 and Wifi WP2-Enterprise authentication not working with a Google Nexus 7 2013 tablet.

I have an RT-AC68U that I've been running AsusWRT-Merlin on since the day I bought it, and was loving the seemingly better performance with 378.55_beta1 but I then I discovered my Nexus 7 tablets were not connected on WiFi. I checked my radius server logs (external server from the router) and saw that each login attempt was being verified & acknowledged, but the tablet would never establish a connection, and just keep retrying the login. Another phone was attached to the network without any problems.

I tried rebooting and power resetting both the router and the tablet, and in all cases, I can see the radius server acknowledging the login as authenticated, but the Nexus 7 would never establish a connection.

Then I downgraded the router back to 378.54_2, and without changing anything else, the Nexus 7 immediately connected to the network.

Any ideas what might the cause, or if there is some kind of configurations change to WPA2-Enterprise with the new version?

 

[dafunktyfunk]

This is great!

Anyone noticing any improvements in data transfer or DLNA compatability?

I am having a TON of issues with file corruption with the connected USB HDD. I am hoping this may help me...

Lastly, do I HAVE to wipe the router completely after the update? I have so many FW rules and port forwarding, settings, parental controls, etc... I know it is recommended, I am wondering if it is necessary...

Thank you all, very much!!!

Steve
68u FW- 378.53