Asus Merlin ac3100 slow!!!!

[ssorc98]

Cpu core 1 got as high as 30%, and core 2 at 2%

 

[ssorc98]

I found the guide I was looking for to make my adjustments thanks to daviworld, see the link below:

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/rt-ac5300-performance-security-guide.45710/#post-413431

 

[consorts]

just curious, i also have a ac3100 with nat acceleration set to Auto
yet according to my sysinfo page, HW acceleration is not working?
https://i.imgur.com/bixe2fS.jpg
my cpu load is a quiet 5% most of the time (despite 5 family members)
i have a 32gb usb2 stick with a swap defined and common apps loading.
this just seems inconsistent with what has been discussed here.

 

[ssorc98]

I am still learning so maybe one of the experts can chime in.

 

[L&LD]

just curious, i also have a ac3100 with nat acceleration set to Auto
yet according to my sysinfo page, HW acceleration is not working?
https://i.imgur.com/bixe2fS.jpg
my cpu load is a quiet 5% most of the time (despite 5 family members)
i have a 32gb usb2 stick with a swap defined and common apps loading.
this just seems inconsistent with what has been discussed here.

Did you do a full M&M Config? See the links in my signature below for details.

 

[ColinTaylor]

yet according to my sysinfo page, HW acceleration is not working?

That can happen when you've changed something in the GUI that effects HW acceleration (i.e. QOS) but haven't rebooted the router. After a reboot the sysinfo page should show the correct information.

 

[consorts]

sorry L&LD but i have to dirty upgrade merlin as i have many static lan ip entries,
sadly gui backup and restore entries on a later merlin version never seems to work.
it's a shame nobody has done an app to meet this need and encourage more clean.
i'm afraid to try a later merlin (with 3 teens) now that i have 384.8_2 running stable.

After a reboot

no gui changes since last reboot, but i do have several lan qos entries, if that matters.

 

[L&LD]

sorry L&LD but i have to dirty upgrade merlin as i have many static lan ip entries,
sadly gui backup and restore entries on a later merlin version never seems to work.
it's a shame nobody has done an app to meet this need and encourage more clean.
i'm afraid to try a later merlin (with 3 teens) now that i have 384.8_2 running stable.



no gui changes since last reboot, but i do have several lan qos entries, if that matters.

"Many" Static LAN IP entries should not be your excuse to set up your router properly.

The reason that a full reset with minimal and manual configuration is needed is the same reasons that an 'app' can't be created to automate this.

Stand up to your teens and try the latest Beta 3, properly (full M&M Config). You may be presently surprised and so will they (at your new super-powers).


Just keep in mind that running 'stable' doesn't mean it is running optimally right now either.


Also! Don't forget that Config Save/Restores work as expected when done to the same firmware version!

Save the current .trx file of the router's firmware and also do Save config settings too. Keep these in a safe place.

Experiment with the latest Beta 3 (all the latest RMerlin Beta's have been very stable for me so far) and if you really can't get it to work?

Flash the current .trx file the router is currently running with, then do a reset to factory defaults, then Restore the backup config file you created minutes before you went down your experimental road.

If you did this properly, you should be back to where you are now with minimal hassle and at the minimum, newfound knowledge.

 

[consorts]

"Many" Static LAN IP entries should not be your excuse to set up your router properly.

i appreciate the encouragement and technical support, but it's not just a dozen static ip entries, it's 6 lan qos limiters, 6 ssids, and several dozen other non default tweaks to setting on every active menu page. the one thing i miss the most about dd-wrt is it had a few long pages of default text and line draw characters, which made it easy to screenshot and even cut&paste all your line by line settings so you could apply them to any new firmware attempt. asus has this gui with lots of submenus, side menus and menu tabs that make it horrible to document, which is why some app that migrates your settings between firmware version is so desperately needed.

the dec'2018 asus firmware that merlin had to integrate has a buggy lan dhcp reporting system, and i need to see an accurate telling of what is actually connected the first time i refresh the page - not some buggy guess or summary. so maybe the next asus update that fixes this mess, that merlin has to then perpetuate will be worth my time to then apply. in all honesty, since i started with merlin at 384.7_2 nearly six month ago, nothing asus or merlin has done to the firmware has actually changed my ac3100 experience at all beyond "feeling" more secure that said, i'm very grateful that my 3 yo router is being updated at all, and that merlin at the very least keeps it open and so well coordinated with third party app developers, but you can't expect everyone to jump on the next major update simply because it's there, particularly when it's for a household with 2TB/mo in residential isp service consumers.

 

[L&LD]

i appreciate the encouragement and technical support, but it's not just a dozen static ip entries, it's 6 lan qos limiters, 6 ssids, and several dozen other non default tweaks to setting on every active menu page. the one thing i miss the most about dd-wrt is it had a few long pages of default text and line draw characters, which made it easy to screenshot and even cut&paste all your line by line settings so you could apply them to any new firmware attempt. asus has this gui with lots of submenus, side menus and menu tabs that make it horrible to document, which is why some app that migrates your settings between firmware version is so desperately needed.

the dec'2018 asus firmware that merlin had to integrate has a buggy lan dhcp reporting system, and i need to see an accurate telling of what is actually connected the first time i refresh the page - not some buggy guess or summary. so maybe the next asus update that fixes this mess, that merlin has to then perpetuate will be worth my time to then apply. in all honesty, since i started with merlin at 384.7_2 nearly six month ago, nothing asus or merlin has done to the firmware has actually changed my ac3100 experience at all beyond "feeling" more secure that said, i'm very grateful that my 3 yo router is being updated at all, and that merlin at the very least keeps it open and so well coordinated with third party app developers, but you can't expect everyone to jump on the next major update simply because it's there, particularly when it's for a household with 2TB/mo in residential isp service consumers.

consorts, I too wish that Asus or someone else can write the settings utility/script that would make setting up an Asus/RMerlin powered router the one button setup we both wish for.

I also had dreamed about becoming a much more successful/independent person too when I was a much younger person of myself.

In this real world that I'm actually in though, I take advantage of the strengths I have. Including my ability to be continually learning, simplifying the complexities that needn't be, and using the means that we have available today.

And you are more secure just by having an Asus router if you keep the firmware up to date. You are even more so with RMerlin firmware, and, more stable while also getting the maximum possible performance too. Other options are not on the same playing field, IMO. Not even when I tried (am still trying) a pfSense overbuilt box too!

I am not sure why your household needs 'several dozen' non-default tweaks? Are they a make or break aspect of your network? Have you seen the scripts that are actively being developed? There are many that may be not only useful but may even replace many of the customizations you are relying on now.

I am not trying to persuade you to jump one way or another. I am just trying to show you the options you do have though. And, the support you will have along the way, from everyone here on these forums.

 

[Xentrk]

i appreciate the encouragement and technical support, but it's not just a dozen static ip entries, it's 6 lan qos limiters, 6 ssids, and several dozen other non default tweaks to setting on every active menu page.

I show how to save the static DHCP assignments stored in nvram to a file before doing a factory reset and how to restore them on this blog post.

https://x3mtek.com/asuswrt-merlin-firmware-upgrade/

Another alternative the article covers is how to store static DHCP assignments in /jffs/configs/dnsmasq.conf.add. Much easier to do it this way if you have a mass quantity. I first put them in an excel file, then export as a comma delimited file.

dhcp-host=49:EF:0C:24:7F:16,D-Link-AP,192.168.2.10,1440
dhcp-host=11:20:AE:5E:86:63,Security-Camera-DVR,192.168.2.200,1440
dhcp-host=94:C9:B2:5D:F5:04,D-Link_Switch,192.168.2.201,1440
<snip>

What Ethernet cable category are you using for the network backbone? Need at least Cat 5e to support 1000 Mbps. Cat 5 is only rated at 100 Mbps.

 

[skeal]

IMHO, I'm not sure why someone would purchase a router so expensive, and updated so often, if you are not willing enough or curious enough, to manage it yourself. We all have complicated setups, or you wouldn't be on this forum. There are some cool tips, like the one @Xentrk describes above and more. I just updated my AX88U my main router and it needed a default reset, I was back up in full form within an hour. I also added an Access Point, something I knew nothing about, done in 10 minutes. I went to my parents house where the AC3100 is and set that one up brand new in one hour. I'm saying don't make things harder than they really are. This community is here to help any way we can, we support you. Good luck with your adventure and I welcome you to this excellent forum.

 

[Xentrk]

The occasional factory reset requirement seems to be specific to Asuswrt and DD-WRT. I've never had to do it on my OpenWRT travel router or pfSense appliance after flashing firmware updates. For the Asuswrt rotuers I support, I maintain a folder on my hard drive with all of the screen prints as pdf documents and another document with usernames/passwords to the the DDNS and other services.

 

[consorts]

thanks everyone, this really is an amazing group of well informed enthusiasts and developers with the patience of job. usually when anyone disparages what's important to any specialty forum they risk getting flamed, ignored or banned, so out of respect for your collective curiosity about my issues, i will fill in some nonessential blanks;

L&LD - suffice it to say i feel my tweaks are needed, while i'm sure some matter more than others or not at all, i am confident none are making things worse, hehehe

Xentrk - i will carefully study your methods for the next time an attractive firmware update comes along that fellow ac3100 owners agree is worth the trouble, thanks

skeal - my centrally located ac3100 covers 2,200sqft of a neighbor wifi congested area (nyc coop with ~50 channel over lapping ssids nearby) for 5 family members who do not always keep their devices os patched, malware and virus protected. that ac3100 alone replaced a linksys wrt1200ac and two edimax 750ac endpoints which i keep on the shelf should the ac3100 ever die. all cables used are cat6 23awg shielded all between gig port switches, but if you ask because of "why lan qos" it's because many in my household intermittently do things that potentially hog all 100mbps bandwidth we share, thus i cap them all around 80mbps so no one member can unintentionally step on everyone else. additionally many of the smart 4k tv's with fastforward'able streams may also intermittently use all our bandwidth to fill their video buffers, so i make sure to lan qos them around 60mbps. i personally will cap my download within each pc app i use, but others here are not so clever or considerate while i'm sure posters here may employ other methods, my family members are so pleased with the low latency and high availablity of our network, that they never complain about their frugal dah who only pays for 100:100 isp service, despite their school friends who like to brag about getting 300 or 940 (which i know from long traffic monitoring experience would be wasted here).

 

[L&LD]

thanks everyone, this really is an amazing group of well informed enthusiasts and developers with the patience of job. usually when anyone disparages what's important to any specialty forum they risk getting flamed, ignored or banned, so out of respect for your collective curiosity about my issues, i will fill in some nonessential blanks;

L&LD - suffice it to say i feel my tweaks are needed, while i'm sure some matter more than others or not at all, i am confident none are making things worse, hehehe

Xentrk - i will carefully study your methods for the next time an attractive firmware update comes along that fellow ac3100 owners agree is worth the trouble, thanks

skeal - my centrally located ac3100 covers 2,200sqft of a neighbor wifi congested area (nyc coop with ~50 channel over lapping ssids nearby) for 5 family members who do not always keep their devices os patched, malware and virus protected. that ac3100 alone replaced a linksys wrt1200ac and two edimax 750ac endpoints which i keep on the shelf should the ac3100 ever die. all cables used are cat6 23awg shielded all between gig port switches, but if you ask because of "why lan qos" it's because many in my household intermittently do things that potentially hog all 100mbps bandwidth we share, thus i cap them all around 80mbps so no one member can unintentionally step on everyone else. additionally many of the smart 4k tv's with fastforward'able streams may also intermittently use all our bandwidth to fill their video buffers, so i make sure to lan qos them around 60mbps. i personally will cap my download within each pc app i use, but others here are not so clever or considerate while i'm sure posters here may employ other methods, my family members are so pleased with the low latency and high availablity of our network, that they never complain about their frugal dah who only pays for 100:100 isp service, despite their school friends who like to brag about getting 300 or 940 (which i know from long traffic monitoring experience would be wasted here).

consorts, you're most welcome and thank you for this post!

This is an amazing group of people here. I am glad to be able to contribute in the small ways I can. I feel like a child among giants.

I look forward to a possible future contribution from you on how you setup your network, in detail. I'm sure I will learn a lot if you do decide to share that with us all! Once again, thank you for taking the time to reply to all our questions and concerns in a helpful fashion. You fit into this group very nicely too!

 

[consorts]

future contribution from you on how you setup your network

i compiled this wifi thread for my ac3100, cobbling together the wisdom gleened from members here;
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/my-ac3100-wifi-settings-any-room-for-improvement.50104/
most of the faqs i found were incomplete or out of date or for other model routers, so i nailed it down.

i have ota:hdhomerun:dvr setup and a few ip.cams, but none of that involves any special router tricks.
this is why i have a gig capable lan, because most of our traffic are video streams between lan devices.

the only other project i have planned of interest is; i've been experimenting with beaming 2.4 wifi into
a public city park my kids hang on in across the street ~100'-200' away. i know there are plenty of
commercial solutions, but i'm hoping to find a cheap DIY that works... will keep snbf posted if i do
(using an old but strong 300n router as an endpoint)
i already experimented with cheap long sticks and flat pans, and both were disappointments.
the problem is there's so much wifi and cellular around here, that i'd have to use something
unidirectional that can survive all that interfere without breaking any FCC rules. i don't need
to cover the entire 200'x300' park, just a 15° slice of it. and as if distance was not enough
obstacle, the park is lined with a steel 7' high fence which loves to crosstalk all the signals.
most cheap solutions like yagi are good at pulling weak signal in - not pumping them out.

one of these may be my next attempt: http://www.altelix.com/2-4-GHz-WiFi-Grid-Antennas-s/202.htm