[ALPHA] 386.9_alpha1 for WiFi 5 (802.11ac) Models (GT-AC2900, RT-AC68U, and RT-AC86U)

[visortgw]

Noticed late yesterday that @RMerlin posted 386.9_alpha1 firmware for WiFi 5 (802.11ac) models (GT-AC2900, RT-AC68U, and RT-AC86U). Thank you @RMerlin for your continued support of these widely deployed devices!

This includes both GPL update to 386_50527 as well as a slew of other updates and fixes. I have installed on both routers and AiMesh nodes for both RT-AC68U, and RT-AC86U, and all devices appear to be up and running without issue since late last evening.

386.9_alpha1 Downloads

 

[octopus]

Noticed late yesterday that @RMerlin posted 386.9_alpha1 firmware for WiFi 5 (802.11ac) models (GT-AC2900, RT-AC68U, and RT-AC86U). Thank you @RMerlin for your continued support of these widely deployed devices!

This includes both GPL update to 386_50527 as well as a slew of other updates and fixes. I have installed on both routers and AiMesh nodes for both RT-AC68U, and RT-AC86U, and all devices appear to be up and running without issue since late last evening.

386.9_alpha1 Downloads

Can you remove BETA tag on a Alpha release. Use [Alpha] tag instead.

 

[octopus]

No such tag, but I removed Beta.

Thanks ! You can make it [Alpha] and put it in front.

 

[Sicario]

unfortunately speedtest's interface selector need to be removed on this version. worked fine before on the latest stable, does the new gpl broke the selector?

 

[RMerlin]

unfortunately speedtest's interface selector need to be removed on this version. worked fine before on the latest stable, does the new gpl broke the selector?

Seems to have stopped working properly on at least a few models following a recent update of the Ookla executable, all traffic was being sent outside of the specified interface. I didn't want to chance it if it's that unreliable, so I am removing it from all models.

 

[octopus]

Seems to have stopped working properly on at least a few models following a recent update of the Ookla executable, all traffic was being sent outside of the specified interface. I didn't want to chance it if it's that unreliable, so I am removing it from all models.

Working fine if you run it manually. Is it possible to keep without gui interface?

EDIT: Ohh you mean on wifi5 routers?

octopus@RT-AX86U-E1D8:/tmp/home/root# ookla -c http://www.speedtest.net/api/embed/ouihdrfgöokuEH/config -f human-readable
Server: No Ack Hosting AB - Stockholm (id: 28373)
ISP: Bahnhof AB
Idle Latency: 3.05 ms (jitter: 0.05ms, low: 2.98ms, high: 3.10ms)
Download: 245.79 Mbps (data used: 303.8 MB, additional servers: 3)
Upload: 249.10 Mbps (data used: 300.0 MB)
Packet Loss: 0.5%

 

[RMerlin]

Working fine if you run it manually. Is it possible to keep without gui interface?

He's referring to the option where you can manually select a network interface (such as an OpenVPN tun interface) to run the test through that tunnel. Your test was just using the default WAN interface.

 

[Nagy Imre]

will there be ac88U alpha/beta? Thx

 

[octopus]

He's referring to the option where you can manually select a network interface (such as an OpenVPN tun interface) to run the test through that tunnel. Your test was just using the default WAN interface.

I can use "-I" switch to choose interface to measure.

octopus@RT-AX86U-E1D8:/tmp/home/root# ookla -c http://www.speedtest.net/api/embed/ouihdrfgöokuEH/config -I tun11 -f human-readable

 

[heysoundude]

This includes both GPL update to 386_50527 as well as a slew of other updates and fixes. I have installed on both routers and AiMesh nodes for both RT-AC68U, and RT-AC86U, and all devices appear to be up and running without issue since late last evening.

where do I find the changelog?

 

[bennor]

where do I find the changelog?

It's included with the zipped firmware file. From that file:
386.9 (xx-xxx-xxxx)
- NOTE: 386_xx release are only for Wifi 5 (802.11ac) models.
- NEW: Merged with GPL 386_50527.
- UPDATED: getdns/stubby to 1.7.2/0.4.2.
- UPDATED: zlib to 1.2.12 + backports.
- UPDATED: openssl to 1.1.1s.
- CHANGED: Rebranded DNSFilter as DNS Director. This will prevent confusion with the company sharing the same name, and also better describes what the feature does.
- CHANGED: Setting an OpenVPN client to redirect all traffic while in "Exclusive" DNS mode will now force redirect ALL DNS traffic just like in VPN Director mode. While this will allow redirecting clients with hardcoded DNS servers, it also means that your whole LAN will lose the ability of doing local name resolution. It might be best to use VPN Director
in that case to control which client should be involved in the DNS redirection, or use DNSFilter instead of Exclusive DNS mode. editing VPNDirector rules.
- CHANGED: Switched generated self-signed certificate to an EC certificate.
- CHANGED: Disabled DSS key support in Dropbear SSH.
- FIXED: Wrong temperatures used by the temperature graphs (386.8 regression)
- FIXED: Guest Network clients couldn't route through VPN (regression in 386.4 following a GPL merge).
- FIXED: Clients connected to Guest Network 1 aren't redirected if NTP interception is enabled.
- FIXED: Name was truncated to 31 chars when enabling OpenVPN client's Server Certificate Name Validation.
- FIXED: CVE-2022-37434 in zlib.
- REMOVED: Interface selector on Speedtest page (no longer working, possibly due to an ookla client update)

 

[RMerlin]

will there be ac88U alpha/beta? Thx

Eventually, but latest ETA from Asus for the remaining GPL is "By the end of the month".

That they found time to provide a few of these earlier was an unexpected surprise actually.

 

[RMerlin]

I can use "-I" switch to choose interface to measure.

The option is there, yes, but in my tests during 388 development, it no longer got used to route the traffic. Something was overriding it.

 

[elorimer]

Since this is alpha, I wonder if there is appetite for giving openvpn 2.6b1 a try. If it is a bust it could be removed for the betas.

Obviously one beta including another beta could be a really bad idea, but it would be interesting to see what DCO might do to performance.

 

[RMerlin]

Since this is alpha, I wonder if there is appetite for giving openvpn 2.6b1 a try. If it is a bust it could be removed for the betas.

Probably not, since they would need to get out of beta themselves before I can start my own beta cycle.

 

[heysoundude]

It's included with the zipped firmware file. From that file:
386.9 (xx-xxx-xxxx)
- NOTE: 386_xx release are only for Wifi 5 (802.11ac) models.
- NEW: Merged with GPL 386_50527.
- UPDATED: getdns/stubby to 1.7.2/0.4.2.
- UPDATED: zlib to 1.2.12 + backports.
- UPDATED: openssl to 1.1.1s.
- CHANGED: Rebranded DNSFilter as DNS Director. This will prevent confusion with the company sharing the same name, and also better describes what the feature does.
- CHANGED: Setting an OpenVPN client to redirect all traffic while in "Exclusive" DNS mode will now force redirect ALL DNS traffic just like in VPN Director mode. While this will allow redirecting clients with hardcoded DNS servers, it also means that your whole LAN will lose the ability of doing local name resolution. It might be best to use VPN Director
in that case to control which client should be involved in the DNS redirection, or use DNSFilter instead of Exclusive DNS mode. editing VPNDirector rules.
- CHANGED: Switched generated self-signed certificate to an EC certificate.
- CHANGED: Disabled DSS key support in Dropbear SSH.
- FIXED: Wrong temperatures used by the temperature graphs (386.8 regression)
- FIXED: Guest Network clients couldn't route through VPN (regression in 386.4 following a GPL merge).
- FIXED: Clients connected to Guest Network 1 aren't redirected if NTP interception is enabled.
- FIXED: Name was truncated to 31 chars when enabling OpenVPN client's Server Certificate Name Validation.
- FIXED: CVE-2022-37434 in zlib.
- REMOVED: Interface selector on Speedtest page (no longer working, possibly due to an ookla client update)

Thanks.
What might be some implications for users of @Martineau 's Unbound script of the change from DNSFilter to DNS Director? (will that be updated as well?)

 

[Darkje]

@RMerlin awesome you brought ROG ui back.

 

[bennor]

What might be some implications for users of @Martineau 's Unbound script of the change from DNSFilter to DNS Director? (will that be updated as well?)

Per Rmerlin in the initial 388.1 Beta thread post.
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/asuswrt-merlin-388-1-beta-is-available-for-select-models.81644/

One thing worth mentionning is that I have decided to rebrand DNSFilter as DNS Director. There was no change in functionality. The name change was to avoid confusion with the company that bears the same name, and also to better describe what this feature does.

Edit to add: There is also mention of it in the firmware changelog file as well both in the 386.9 (xx-xxx-xxxx) section.

- CHANGED: Rebranded DNSFilter as DNS Director. This will prevent confusion with the company sharing the same name, and also better describes what the feature does.

And in the 388.1 (3-Dec-2022) section.

- CHANGED: Rebranded DNSFilter as DNS Director. This will prevent confusion with the company sharing the same name, and also better describes what the feature does.

 

[jeff3820]

386.9 alpha 1 installed on 68U over stock Asus 49703 without issue. All running smoothly for the last 24 hours.

 

[hifiwifi]

Running smoothly on RT-AC86U with 30 devices.