Asus moving some devices to EOL while issues still remain

[KrypteX]

Well, this is surprising: AC68U, AC86U, AC88U are all EOL https://www.asus.com/event/network/eol-product/

 

[heysoundude]

Well, this is surprising: AC68U, AC86U, AC88U are all EOL https://www.asus.com/event/network/eol-product/

Sad, yes. Surprising, no: the 6e stuff has been out for a while now and the 7 stuff is on its way. They can’t continue to support wifi 5 equipment as well as 6, 6e AND 7 simultaneously.
Ax86 here I come, I guess…

 

[Tech9]

Ax86 here I come, I guess…

You can continue using your RT-AC86U even in 2025. It will be Asuswrt-Merlin supported for some time and EoL today doesn't mean throw it away tomorrow.

 

[KrypteX]

You can continue using your RT-AC86U even in 2025. It will be Asuswrt-Merlin supported for some time and EoL today doesn't mean throw it away tomorrow.

It doesn't seem like that, see https://www.snbforums.com/threads/c...ate-version-branches.89312/page-2#post-898590

After exchanging a few emails with Asus, I updated the initial post. There won't be any new GPL merge for 386 from me, unless they issue an emergency fix in the future. So from my end of things, 386_51997 is the final GPL merge for these models, and I will go on with my initial plan of providing component updates and fixes until the end of 2024. The frequency will vary, but I expect I might slow it down after the 386.13 release is out, which will contain the (most likely) last additions/improvements to the current featureset.

 

[visortgw]

It doesn't seem like that, see https://www.snbforums.com/threads/c...ate-version-branches.89312/page-2#post-898590

You are misreading his post. He cannot provide GPL updates if Asus doesn't provide them, but he can (and will) provide component updates and fixes (embedded utilities, etc.) on a less frequent schedule. What more can you expect?!?

 

[Tech9]

It doesn't seem like that

Well... when a product reaches EoL it doesn't necessarily mean someone will hack you tomorrow.

If you have updates for Asuswrt-Merlin until the end of 2024 - no rush. There is time to decide what to do. Also folks using the routers behind another firewall or as access points can safely continue to do so for a long time perhaps beyond 2025. If critical vulnerability is discovered Asus may release emergency fix. It happened in the past.

 

[heysoundude]

You can continue using your RT-AC86U even in 2025. It will be Asuswrt-Merlin supported for some time and EoL today doesn't mean throw it away tomorrow.

I will, as an AC-wireless Media Bridge, to replace the old N-wireless (rt-n66u) Media Bridge…once I’ve got the AX86 in and commissioned.
I trust the new stuff lets us disable legacy wifi bands still? I don’t have any a/b/g hardware left, and then N can get turned off too…

 

[heywire]

Well... when a product reaches EoL it doesn't necessarily mean someone will hack you tomorrow.

If you have updates for Asuswrt-Merlin until the end of 2024 - no rush. There is time to decide what to do. Also folks using the routers behind another firewall or as access points can safely continue to do so for a long time perhaps beyond 2025. If critical vulnerability is discovered Asus may release emergency fix. It happened in the past.

Security exploits aside, you can't continue to use a buggy GPL, which the last one has indeed been proven to be for many users, at least with Aimesh setups. This means that whatever fixes is added on top of that are useless.

 

[KrypteX]

You are misreading his post. He cannot provide GPL updates if Asus doesn't provide them, but he can (and will) provide component updates and fixes (embedded utilities, etc.) on a less frequent schedule. What more can you expect?!?

I would have liked a newer GPL to be merged, as promised not so long ago... but hey, it's not the end of the world.

 

[Tech9]

Security exploits aside, you can't continue to use a buggy GPL

Depending on what features one is using or looking for - all Asus GPLs have quirks. Asuswrt is like a swiss knife doing somewhat okay job for most users and cases. Can a swiss knife be used with all the tools open at the same time? Unlikely. There are unresolved issues for years and features mostly for advertisement purposes. Even the final RT-AC68U is quite buggy and they had like 10+ years time for development. Surprised? Don't be - common on the consumer market. Most other vendors will EoL your hardware in 2-3 years and have a nice day. Go get another and we'll be happy to see you again.

On a hardware side of things - most home routers are under $100 hardware build around SoC manufacturer's reference design. On a software side of things - they are dependent on upstream software support. If Qualcomm, Broadcom, MediaTek, etc. move on and cut the SoC support - the device is dead soon after. So it's not really Asus. They may be in unable to fix situation as well. Our developers deals with proprietary Asuswrt components, Asus deals with proprietary Broadcom components, Broadcom may have their own license agreements and limitations with someone else, etc. It's a whole chain.

 

[heywire]

Depending on what features one is using or looking for - all Asus GPLs have quirks. Asuswrt is like a swiss knife doing somewhat okay job for most users and cases. Can a swiss knife be used with all the tools open at the same time? Unlikely. There are unresolved issues for years and features mostly for advertisement purposes. Even the final RT-AC68U is quite buggy and they had like 10+ years for development. Surprised? Don't be - common on the consumer market. Most other vendors will EoL your hardware in 2-3 years and have a nice day. Go get another and we'll be happy to see you again.

On a hardware side of things - most home routers are under $100 hardware build around SoC manufacturer's reference design. On a software side of things - they are dependent on upstream software support. If Qualcomm, Broadcom, MediaTek, etc. move on and cut the SoC support - the device is dead soon after. So it's not really Asus. They may be in unable to fix situation as well. Our developers deals with proprietary Asuswrt components, Asus deals with proprietary Broadcom components, Broadcom may have their own license agreements and limitations with someone else, etc. It's a whole chain.

I'm not talking about small annoying issues that can be worked around here. I'm talking about doing its job as a basic functioning wifi-router with the advertised mesh-functionality, Aimesh (which I bought for a reason) - all other features disabled.

I refuse to believe that this is common practice in the router-space.

If these are considered "common issues" for the business, then the consumer protection agencies should, and probably would have taken immediate notice. You cannot sell a product that reliably fails to do basic functionality no matter how "cheap" you preport to sell it (I see no evidence for such claims, btw) for the "consumer market" (as if the label is an excuse).

Regarding the latter: How does that makes sense anyway - that you sell the most difficult to get to operate properly product to private consumers with the least amount of knowledge an resources to invest into get it working (of which I, for all my faults, consider myself to be well above the average, btw). Sounds more like that's something for professionals (the once who hate themselves and want more problems, anyways).

Total nonsense!

And yes, I blame Asus. If they are not able to source components from companies of a high enough quality and service level to sell it to me, then they shouldn't push the product with its claims at me for profit to begin with. And if problems happen, they must use their resources and leverage in order to get it fixed, or expect getting labelled as an untrustworthy company either unable to foresee obvious problems, or lacking of the resources and knowledge on how to proceed one it happens (I know for a fact resources is not a constraint for a big company like Asus). This is how markets are supposed to work.

 

[Tech9]

And yes, I blame Asus.

Consumer market, no product is perfect. Some are better, some are worse. I have shared solutions to both your router stability and nodes pairing issues long time ago. I had the same model routers in my hands. They were explored down to component level and tested for both hardware and software issues. You called my finding BS and nonsense and your issues continued. I personally can't do anything else for you. Your routers are all EoL now and the Asuswrt base is final release. Time to decide what you want to do next. Blaming Asus won't help. Keep in mind you are complaining about 6-10 years old equipment. Netgear, TP-Link, Linksys will EoL products after 2-3 years.

 

[KrypteX]

The drama was written all over the wall, I knew this was coming

 

[visortgw]

The RT-AC68U has had a long run at nearly 10 years since initial release! What other recent consumer electronics product(s) has (or have) lasted so long?!?

 

[heywire]

I have shared solutions to both your router stability and nodes pairing issues long time ago. I had the same model routers in my hands. They were explored down to component level and tested for both hardware and software issues. You called my finding BS and nonsense and your issues continued.

Reference please? The only thing I remember is you derailing my efforts to try and find a solution with the community by shutting threads down yelling hardware-failure.

And then, when I pointed out the fact that a hardware failure would give consistent and similar issues across firmware versions as opposed to partial stability and dissimilar issues, you went silent, until you popped up recently with the same claims, again ignoring the logical impasse of the solution you are trying to impose.

 

[KrypteX]

The RT-AC68U has had a long run at nearly 10 years since initial release! What other recent consumer electronics product(s) has (or have) lasted so long?!?

None. I only would have liked to get a final, properly working GPL update, so we can enjoy it for 10 more years Is that so much to ask after 10 years of support for a seemingly good product? Maybe.
The stop is too abrupt.

 

[Tech9]

The only thing I remember is you derailing my efforts to try and find a solution

Oh, I'm sorry. Let's go back to blaming Asus.

 

[heywire]

Oh, I'm sorry. Let's go back to blaming Asus.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Let's deflect from the point rather than actually backing up the claim."

 

[L&LD]

Do/did you have some issues (ongoing) with your Asus product? Given.

Do most have all those issues? No.

That is the point.

I moved from no-name, Apple, Netgear, to Asus with a huge jump each time I made a move. Asus is so different from those other networking products that it's like comparing a round stone to the moon. No matter how big that stone is, it's just a stone. The moon, while still just a 'big stone', is infinitely more useful.

Good luck trying to jump from the moon. But I'm sure you'll say it was worth it.

 

[heywire]

The RT-AC68U has had a long run at nearly 10 years since initial release! What other recent consumer electronics product(s) has (or have) lasted so long?!?

Great for you that you bought it upon release. But is that what really matters? What about somebody who bought it more recently, does it do them any good that Asus sold it X years ago? They should be able to expect a certain time of updates as well, as opposed to hasty planned obsolescence. Btw. the AC68U platform has seen more recent revisions and spin-offs like the AC66_B1 more recently than that.

That being said, my main gripe is not with AC68U, but with the AC86U and the fact that it is not in working condition with the last-to-be-released GPL. And it was a relatively pricey high end option until much more recently than the AC68U.

I don't think the same is the situation with the AC68U GPL, and don't have a problem as long as Asus continues to release necessary security updates and keeps it Aimesh compatible for a while. AC68U also has other firmware options, whereas AC86 does NOT.