...and for those looking for some pixie dust for their RT-N66U...

[RMerlin]

Regarding the pixy dust build and SDK6: I got an e-mail reply from Asus support with the offer to try their beta "RT-AC66U for RT-N66U" build: RT-AC66U_3.0.0.4_372_1191-g5da0c47_0801.
I may give it a try next Sunday, although I am convinced by the Merlin build that SDK6 solves the 5 GHz issues for me.
Since installation of the pixy dust build last Sunday the wireless network works absolutely flawless on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. No connection problems, no speed problems for any device throughout the house.
I doubt that the Asus beta build will be any different (...well, it will lack all the other Merlin enhancements of course).

As far as I know, this is more or less the same thing. At least I can confirm it's also using the SDK6 driver, no idea if they changed anything else. That build from Asus is also mostly intended to test to see if all the numerous compatibility issues could be easily resolved just by switching to the newer SDK.

Is there any data of usual radio temperatures in a room of average 23 deg C ?
Mine read: 2.4 GHz: 55°C - 5 GHz: 58°C.
I don't have data of the past, it seems that the router feels a little warmer then before.

My RT-N66U was hovering close to 60C-62C when I was using it as my main, so your temperature look fine to me. I'd say anything under 70C for this router is fine.

 

[wouterv]

As far as I know, this is more or less the same thing. At least I can confirm it's also using the SDK6 driver, no idea if they changed anything else. That build from Asus is also mostly intended to test to see if all the numerous compatibility issues could be easily resolved just by switching to the newer SDK.

I have replied to Asus with reference to your experimental build with the SDK6 driver and the positive result at least for me. I asked if they still want me to test their beta build.

 

[wiz]

Is there any data of usual radio temperatures in a room of average 23 deg C ?
Mine read: 2.4 GHz: 55°C - 5 GHz: 58°C.
I don't have data of the past, it seems that the router feels a little warmer then before.

Wouterv, here's my data (asus N66u)

 

[wkweksl]

Is there any data of usual radio temperatures in a room of average 23 deg C ?
Mine read: 2.4 GHz: 55°C - 5 GHz: 58°C.
I don't have data of the past, it seems that the router feels a little warmer then before.

That's normal. If you like to run it cooler, attach a usb fan under it. Mine is 50°C at ambient 28-30°C

 

[Jettubby]

Installed this "Pixie Dust" over version xxx.26b and it worked great. I have multiple devices including a Samsung phone, iPud, TF700T tablet, Roku, PS3, and several desktops. Everyone connected without a hitch. Speeds seem to be faster over LAN and WAN both via wireless and wired. "Smoother" is the word I'd use to describe. After toying with it for a while I cleared the NVRAM and reconfigured. Still smooth with no issues yet, but then again I only do pretty much straight WAN to wired and wifi. So far I love the FW. Better than xxx.26b. Thanks Merlin!

Oh the only drawback I see so far is 5G wireless range seems to be a bit less than with the xxx.26b drivers.

 

[jlake]

Installed this "Pixie Dust" over version xxx.26b and it worked great. I have multiple devices including a Samsung phone, iPud, TF700T tablet, Roku, PS3, and several desktops. Everyone connected without a hitch. Speeds seem to be faster over LAN and WAN both via wireless and wired. "Smoother" is the word I'd use to describe. After toying with it for a while I cleared the NVRAM and reconfigured. Still smooth with no issues yet, but then again I only do pretty much straight WAN to wired and wifi. So far I love the FW. Better than xxx.26b. Thanks Merlin!

Oh the only drawback I see so far is 5G wireless range seems to be a bit less than with the xxx.26b drivers.

I actually found the 5G to have a stronger signal, but it was fluctuating quite a bit. But it still never dropped below 216 Mbps which is where it normally sits one floor away. It bounced between 216 and 300 Mbps.

 

[Jettubby]

I actually found the 5G to have a stronger signal, but it was fluctuating quite a bit. But it still never dropped below 216 Mbps which is where it normally sits one floor away. It bounced between 216 and 300 Mbps.

my signal is stronger as well but my range is not. unfortunately I only have a note 2 phone to test but I lose 5g connectivity on my phone in places in my house that I normally would at least have minimal signal with the old drivers

 

[RMerlin]

my signal is stronger as well but my range is not. unfortunately I only have a note 2 phone to test but I lose 5g connectivity on my phone in places in my house that I normally would at least have minimal signal with the old drivers

Make sure you try both the low-numbered and the high-numbered channels on the 5 GHz band. These will behave differently, so you might get better results in one range or the other one.

 

[mikey]

Tried pixie dust today. Everything seemed to work except what others have reported: a drop in signal level. I thought maybe it'd only be a small drop but I tested it and the signal level on pixie dust on the 2.4 Ghz is actually much lower! So much so that it is unusable for me. I took my Galaxy Note II to the back corner of my house and used WiFi Analyzer to analyze signal for a couple minutes on both of the latest versions.

3.0.0.4.374.32 showed -69 dBm in the WiFi Analyzer app's signal meter with 2 bars showing on the phone's WiFi meter. The pixie dust version showed -86 dBm with zero bars on the phone's WiFi meter and pixie dust also intermittently dropped the signal altogether. On 3.0.0.4.374.32 it was solid and never dropped. I tried cranking up the signal level from 100mV (which is where I had it set for both versions and the tests above) all the way up to 180mV and that setting doesn't seem to work on pixie dust: the meter still read -86 dBm on both 100mV and 180mV. On 3.0.0.4.374.32, changing from 100 to 180mV showed a jump from -69 dBm up to about -67 dBm. So maybe something in the power output end of things is not "connected" in the pixie dust version.

Hope this info helps.

Mike

 

[Bad Teddy]

Just installed Pixie Dust.

Laptop connected to my 5GHz network faster than it ever has before (Atheros chip).

Will report back on stability in a couple of days.

 

[dsring]

5GHz was good. I had issues with 2.4GHz wireless signal strength, so I reverted back to previous firmware.

 

[chief_os]

Just installed RT-AC66U for RT-N66U FW (RT-N66U_3.0.0.4_372_1191-g5da0c47_0801). So, it`s stable for a first look, wireless range in 2.4 GHz is more wide as in Merlin build (SDK 6). Looks like no problem using this beta from ASUS (but, as usually , I lost all Merlin features on this FW)

 

[wouterv]

I have also tried the Asus "RT-AC66U for RT-N66U" beta build RT-AC66U_3.0.0.4_372_1191-g5da0c47_0801 with the new SDK (offered to me by their helpdesk).
As long as the signal strength is ok, connections and speed at both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz are comparable to the pixie dust build, no problems experienced.
Involved 5 GHz adapters:
-Ralink RT3592.
-Intel Centrino 6205.
For me at least on 2.4 GHz the signal strenght is seriously less then with the pixie dust build and the 270 build.
I have reported the above back to Asus.

It seems that SDK6 is the way forward to get rid of connection and speed issues, it does need some tuning in the radio part to bring the signal strenght back to what we are used to.

For now my router is back to 3.0.0.4.270.

 

[erwinquek]

I have upgraded to this "pixie dust" version. Under 5Ghz wireless settings, for Mode, now there is N + AC, is it safe to select this option (I do not A, thus will not want to select Auto) even it is on RT-N66U. Yes, I know AC will not work.

 

[RMerlin]

I have upgraded to this "pixie dust" version. Under 5Ghz wireless settings, for Mode, now there is N + AC, is it safe to select this option (I do not A, thus will not want to select Auto) even it is on RT-N66U. Yes, I know AC will not work.

I'm not sure. If it works, then you're fine. I removed most of the AC-specific code from the webui, but I didn't do a thorough check through both pages, so there might be still some left-overs. The channel configuration code, however, should never try to set channel width to 80 MHz.

 

[Magnus33]

There a month feel to it as other have mentioned and i run into no major issue. Beyond that all hold of major testing since i just had wrist surgery and i am rather out of it on meds..lol.

Some final firmwares made by companies should be this bug free.

 

[Maghook]

Using pixie with nvram cleared. Compared to SDK5/374.32 driver signal strength on 2,4 and also 5 Ghz is indeed somewhat weaker, especially on 2,4Ghz. On 5Ghz if I switch from auto channel to a static (btw 36 - 48) channel bandwidth autom. forced from 20/40 to 40.

 

[Bad Teddy]

I've been on my 5GHz network for 24 hours straight now for the first time since I was using the .2xx drivers. Meaning of course that this is the first time I've been able to use 5GHz without crippling my Xbox 360.

So far so good over here! (Again, my NIC is an Atheros chip)

Edit:

48 hours in, not a single problem. SDK6 is the way to go for my network. I can't remember the last time I strung together this much time with a completely stable network.

Edit 2:

96 hours in, not one issue. Congrats ASUS, you finally made a firmware that I can actually use. Even if it did cut range in half and even if I have basically had a partially broken router for damn near a year -_-

 

[Magnus33]

Strength is lower but speeds seem great.

 

[tasar]

Yesterday i flased the 374.32 on my N66U, 5Ghz was terrible Was not possible to stream a Video on my Samsung Smartphone Note2, drop every 2-3 min..
Now i flashed this version and 5Ghz works fine and fast, no drops, speed from about 10Mbit to 40Mbit and that all the time!
Signal strenght is a little bit lower than 374.32 but for me it ok.

Flashed without reset. No issues so far.

Thanx merlin!