[ANNOUNCEMENT] Asuswrt-Merlin 386_x devices are no longer supported

[bennor]

Also, for those people that want to keep using some of these older models a while longer, what should be done to tighten/lock it down to continue using it?

Don't expose it, or it's services, to the internet if possible. If you have to expose it to the internet then turn off any WAN facing options/features and use long passwords when possible. Consider running other third party firmware like FreshTomato on it that is still being updated. If the router is supported by such other third party firmware. And there is this comment made yesterday in other discussion about using them as AP's on the local network.

Is running an old ASUS Merlin Router as and AP a security risk?

I have a old RT-AC56U that is no longer supported, if I want to run it in AP Mode behind another router is it a security risk on the wifi side because of no updates?

www.snbforums.com

 

[Ice9]

It's still going to be my main router that connects to the internet. I don't have any other routers to use. Passwords, I'm OK with, but what do you mean by WAN facing options?

 

[bennor]

but what do you mean by WAN facing options?

WAN facing meaning; opening up port forwarding to LAN clients, using the firmware VPN server, Web Access from WAN, AiCloud, and anything else that is accessible from the broadband side.

 

[kjoshj]

In my price range in AU, only the RT-BE88U, BE86U and BE92U are what I'd be looking at. The BE92U is off the list for now due to no Merlin support.

The BE92U has Merlin support from GNUTon’s builds and is referenced on these forums and in Merlin’s website ‘about’ section. I’d personally go BE86U, but I like the form factor and like my AC86U & AX86U Pro, I’ll have a router family tree when I finally go BE haha.
Edit: correction, TY @Tech9, you saved me from looking at it

 

[Tech9]

The BE92U has Merlin support from GNUTon’s builds and is referenced on these forums and in Merlin’s website ‘about’ section.

The End-of-Life RT-AX92U, not the new RT-BE92U.

 

[bibikalka]

@RMerlin - thank you for having done a terrific job supporting the AC line of devices!

The EOL decision is a sound one given the Asus dropping the support earlier.

My only request is to have any obvious security issues with AC line flagged if/when they appear. If a reasonably straightforward mitigation/patch is possible - would be great to have that considered too, and let us all know what's the best way to mitigate.

In another 10 years the AC hardware will either just burn out, or will become 200% obsolete. That's when the true EOL is reached Until then - WiFi away!

 

[nospamever]

Thanks @RMerlin for your hard dedicated work.
My next router will certainly be on your supported list.
Can I assume RT-AC86U_386.14_2 (17/11/2024) is the final version?

 

[RMerlin]

Can I assume RT-AC86U_386.14_2 (17/11/2024) is the final version?

Yes, unless there's a very good reason for any new release, but highly unlikely to happen.

 

[Viktor Jaep]

It is time...

 

[JT02_2]

Unfortunately I still need to keep using my asus ac68u v3, I still can not buy another router now. Routers of the asus in my country cost a small fortune, so not to get an outdated firmware, I decided to install the fresh tomato in place of the merlin, it is decent, it works well in ac68u.

In the more that is, I just have to thank the developer of asus merlin for the excellent firmware, which gave even greater quality to our equipment, thanks. But life that follows, I will continue with ac68u as long as possible, until the exchange for a more current router.

Perhaps i don’t even buy router anymore, now go straight to mini pc x86, install an openwrt, pfsense and configure everything there, will even come out cheaper than any current router, with superior performance.

Do you install Fresh Tomato directly via the GUI?

 

[Tech9]

Do you install Fresh Tomato directly via the GUI?

firmware_basics_procedures [FreshTomato Wiki]

wiki.freshtomato.org

On RT-AC68U and variants works best from Recovery with smaller VPN version, then hard reset the router on first boot, then clear NVRAM in FT. Takes some time, don't disrupt the flash process, let the router reboot itself. Upgrade to AIO version from FT GUI if needed, clear NVRAM in FT again.

 

[mokkurkalve]

I'm going to continue to use my RT-AC68U with 386.14_2 as it serves only as transparent AP for my LAN.
I've blocked any communication to/from the device with any device outside the LAN at the firewall on my router (DHCP, DNS and NTP are provided inside the LAN by my router.)
AFAIK the current firmware have been patched against hitherto known weaknesses of the implementation of WPA2 (KRACK, Kr00k, FragAttacks...) - so with WPS disabled and a long and random passphrase I presume it will be fairly low risk to use it in this manner still for a long time to come...?

 

[aru]

An end of an era: Farewell to the 386_x firmware series, including iconic devices like the RT-AC68U and RT-AC88U.

 

[StrikerXXX]

Do you install Fresh Tomato directly via the GUI?

Yeah, I did the installation of the fresh tomato by web gui. But first, I returned to the official firmware of the asuswrt, the build RT-AC68U_3.0.0.4_386_51722-g6b920b0, after already having the official firmware, I did the update to the fresh tomato via web gui.

Then I made the following steps of the post-installation posted by @Tech9. I prefer the VPN version of FT, it is cleaner and lighter than AIO.

 

[Analog-1]

waiting for Asus to pass the 3006 blobs to you so that we can get Merlin on AX86U too ...

The AX86U will never be supported with the 3.0.0.6 codebase.

 

[routerq]

The AX86U will never be supported with the 3.0.0.6 codebase.

Why?
Interested in details as I am still in the return period fro my AX86U....

 

[Tech9]

Why? I am still in the return period ...

You have RT-AX86U Pro, not RT-AX86U. Different hardware devices with different firmware support.

 

[bennor]

Thanks Merlin ... I only use Asus Routers due to you ... now I own a AX86U ... waiting for Asus to pass the 3006 blobs to you so that we can get Merlin on AX86U too ...

The RT-AX86U is not the same as a RT-AX86U Pro. They are two different models. The Pro model gets 3006.102.x, the non Pro model does not.

 

[routerq]

You have RT-AX86U Pro, not RT-AX86U. Different hardware devices with different firmware support.

oh got it, you are correct, I have the Rt-AX86U Pro ... so hope still lives....

 

[routerq]

The RT-AX86U is not the same as a RT-AX86U Pro. They are two different models. The Pro model gets 3006.102.x, the non Pro model does not.

You are correct, I have the Rt-AX86U Pro ... so hope still lives.... I am running the 3006 FW due to ease of Guest SDN ... but it has bugs ...