Aimesh on RT-AC56U

[fxppc]

Good to know that’s normal. Still can’t get my AC56 to work though. Not a single ethernet packet received, the official recovery tool times out, no WiFi network, no response to a variety of buttons held... nada. I wish there was a way to reset everything back to normal. The only thing I did differently from Special’s instructions was use the latest Merlin 386.1_2 firmware image (the AC68 version) since asusfan9999 reported it working. Still have the original cfe file, but no way to SCP it in. I don’t want to take over this thread or discourage others, but my router is bricked. I’ve been flashing 3rd party firmwares since the old Linksys 802.11g WRT days and never toasted a box, but it’s looking like I’ve met my match. Any other advice would be appreciated, otherwise I’ll zip up and consign my old AC56 to the great big drawer in the sky...

 

[Adooni]

did you try to clear NVRAM via miniCFE?
just keep reset (not WPS) button on and power up router after 5-10s reset off and use Firefox to log to miniCFE 192.168.1.1 From miniCFE you can clear NVRAM and load soft one more time.
not sure why but for same AC56U after mod WPS (I tired EU and NA CFE) and reset are not working but you can use miniCFE to clear NVRAM. This definitely happen for me using 386.1_2 firmware - no issue with 384.19_0 RMerlin.

 

[Special]

There have been times when I thought I bricked mine and it always came back to life with repeated reboots and general fiddling with it. Just to make sure, are you using the correct lan ports as stated in my last post? Have you tried booting up and just let it sit for a while and then try to connect?

 

[xolod_golod]

Yes Aimesh works after swapping the cfe.

Can you share your modified 68u CFE with me too?

 

[Special]

It's against the rules to do that.

 

[xolod_golod]

It's against the rules to do that.

What about pm?

 

[jeff_hk]

Thks for the guide and I have successfully converted my old AC56U to become a 68U running Aimesh like a charm. However I still have no luck making the USBs (both) workable for me. Any clues I could make them alive again? My boot loader is person 1.0.2.3: the only deviation from the guideline is that I need to put "./mtd-write -i new_cfe.bin -d boot" rather than "./mtd-write new-cfe.bin boot" as I have received error message to ask me to add -i and -d to complete the command.
Grateful for any help offered by anyone

 

[Special]

Thks for the guide and I have successfully converted my old AC56U to become a 68U running Aimesh like a charm. However I still have no luck making the USBs (both) workable for me. Any clues I could make them alive again? My boot loader is person 1.0.2.3: the only deviation from the guideline is that I need to put "./mtd-write -i new_cfe.bin -d boot" rather than "./mtd-write new-cfe.bin boot" as I have received error message to ask me to add -i and -d to complete the command.
Grateful for any help offered by anyone

To use USB you need to use an AC68U cfe not the AC56U cfe, it is discussed earlier in the thread.

 

[xolod_golod]

It's against the rules to do that.

I cant send you pm. My contact email in section About my profile. Thx.

 

[jeff_hk]

To use USB you need to use an AC68U cfe not the AC56U cfe, it is discussed earlier in the thread.

Thks Special for the advice; Is it OK that I just make my new AC68U cfe by editing another 68U cfe with the 56U Mac addresses and the secrete code? Or simply use the "https://cfeditor.feng.si" to get the target 68U cfe for use in my AC56U?

 

[jeff_hk]

Thks Special for the advice; Is it OK that I just make my new AC68U cfe by editing another 68U cfe with the 56U Mac addresses and the secrete code? Or simply use the "https://cfeditor.feng.si" to get the target 68U cfe for use in my AC56U?

And if yes, after flashed the 68U cfe, any changes to the layout of wan/lans? still lan 1= wan? any advice is appreciated

 

[Special]

Yes, you can use the cfeditor if you have a 68U cfe and there are no changes to Lan/Wan ports, everything is the same.
lan1=wan

 

[jeff_hk]

Thks Special, I don't quite get "if you have a 68U cfe" in your advice?
Can I simply upload the original (raw) AC56U cfe as the source and get the new target 68U cfe (1.0.2.0 US Aimesh) via the cfeeditior? And then flash back to my AC56U?
One more question- If I upload a wrong or bad cfe to the router, will I brick the router or can I be ok to re-flash a good cfe back to rescue.

 

[Special]

It would not take my 56U cfe when I tried but that was a long time ago. Try it and see.
Yes you can brick the router. If you want the usb to work then you need a cfe from a 68u and if you have a cfe from a 68u you can put it through cfeditor and it will modify it with your secret code and mac addresses. Once you have that upload it to the router just like you did before.

 

[jeff_hk]

Thks Special for advice; U are right, the cfeeditor did not take my 56U cfe. I presume I should have to get a 68U cfe and modify it with my 56U secrete code and Mac addresses and then put it thru cfeeditor to get the 1.0.2.0 Aimesh US 68U cfe.
Do u think my above course of actions is correct before I proceed with it further. Thank you

 

[Special]

You are correct that is what you need to do

 

[fisherman10]

You are correct that is what you need to do

I have tried using AC68U's cfe and both USB ports are working.

However 2.4ghz WiFi seems to be very unstable, inconsistent and low speeds. Flashing back to AC56U's CFE will fix the WiFi. But then the USB ports are not working again.
Any idea what's going on? When I compare the lines of both CFEs, I do see differences but I have no idea what each line means.

 

[Adooni]

CFE editor is not showing all parameters/code therefore if you modify to much you can brick router.

 

[Special]

What cfe version are you using? There are multiple versions and I'm using 1.0.2.0.

 

[fisherman10]

What cfe version are you using? There are multiple versions and I'm using 1.0.2.0.

Original AC56U CFE is 1.0.2.7 seems to work fine.
I tried AC68U which is 1.0.2.1 and from cfeeditor.feng.si 1.0.2.0 and 2.4ghz WiFi isn't working well.

Do you think you can email me your extracted CFE for me to try? Just delete the MAC and WPS code. I don't think we can discuss further modifications here. Admin might be coming to delete.

fisherman10@gmail.com