Release ASUS RT-AC68U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.386_51668 (2023/11/30 )

[wouterv]

No speed- or other issues here after a dirty upgrade from 51665 to 51668 with my RT-AC68U, 75 / 75 Mbps subscription, 802.11ac laptops and iPhones.

 

[wouterv]

This firmware version works flawless, no issues, no weird system log entries, no needs for reboots since the dirty upgrade from 51665 to 51668 a month ago but both my Router and Media Bridge slowly use more RAM memory over time: see this post with updates.

 

[L&LD]

Used memory is memory not wasted. This is a good thing, no?

 

[wouterv]

Ah that is a different point of view
There is still sufficient memory, no harm yet but I wasn't aware that routers are like humans and slowly occupy all the storage space there is like your drawers, loft or garage. Or is it the "all you can eat" concept.

 

[Intrepid]

Ah that is a different point of view
There is still sufficient memory, no harm yet but I wasn't aware that routers are like humans and slowly occupy all the storage space there is like your drawers, loft or garage. Or is it the "all you can eat" concept.

I have two of these routers configured similarly both using AI Protection and the memory utilization is holding at 146-148 MB.
Complaining about 85 MB used is hilarious IMO. By the way, 150 MB used is completely normal with this router. The more features you enable, the more memory it uses. Obviously, there shouldn't be a memory leak that results in all or nearly all the memory being utilized. I've never seen that happen. In general, it's a good idea to reboot/restart any router about every 6 months. I'm always amused when someone complains about issues with their smartphone that hasn't been restarted in a year.

 

[wouterv]

It is hilarious you see my observation as a complaint.
Stating 150 MB used is "completely normal" with this router (the RT-AC68U) is in contradiction with your next obvious statement about the more features you enable, the more memory it uses. In other words, there is no "normal" memory usage.
A memory leak is not only a valid memory leak when all memory is being utilized.
In this case, this topic, we face a situation that exist one month after the firmware upgrade and following reboot, a 6 month period is not relevant.
A valid comment could have been that I did a dirty upgrade and should have reverted the router to factory defaults and configure it from scratch to get a good starting point.
Frequent rebooting of routers, smart phones and personal computers is something we learned to accept, but shall never be seen as "normal", there are industrial systems you luckily not have to reboot frequently to stay stable.

 

[PlayaSucia]

Is anyone having issues with this firmware in Media Bridge mode? I'm getting a hard reset about once a week. Everything else (speed, cpu & ram usage) is working fine. It was an over-the-air upgrade followed by a factory reset w/ initialize settings. Thinking about downgrading, the previous firmware was solid.

 

[wouterv]

I have a RT-AC68U as Router and a RT-AC1900U as Media Bridge, the RT-AC1900U is considered identical to the RT-AC68U.
Both got a dirty upgrade (upgrade "over the air" without additional reboot or hard reset) from 51665 to 51668 and are stable as a rock, operating for over a month after the upgrade without issues or reboots.
The only "special" I did long ago in the Media Bridge is to manual configure the LAN settings, as follows:

IP Address 192.168.1.1 is the RT-AC68U Router and in the RT-AC68U Router the IP Pool Starting Address is set to 192.168.1.3

[EDIT]
I should have added this from the Media Bridge Wireless Log:

Over 38 days connected, that is the time from the firmware upgrade.

 

[sol1109]

Just updated to this version. I am seeing core 1 staying at or near 100%. Don't recall this being the case before the update. Updated by clicking the flashing bell instead of a manual update.

 

[L&LD]

Does a reboot (via the GUI, or, by pulling the power cord from the router) help the core idle?

 

[Tech9]

I am seeing core 1 staying at or near 100%.

Check what is using it in ssh, top.

 

[sol1109]

Does a reboot (via the GUI, or, by pulling the power cord from the router) help the core idle?

A soft reboot via GUI did not. I noticed late last night after everyone went to bed that core 1 was down to the same levels as core 2. Today it is back up at 100%. I will try a power cycle tonight.

 

[wouterv]

Stable as a rock here after the dirty upgrade from 51665 to 51668 which was 48 days ago, no reboots or crashes since then, also the Media Bridge is stable as a rock:

See post #14 for the slowly increasing memory usage, compared to above today's snapshot with the router almost idling.
My RT-AC68U serves a hand full of wireless clients and has no options enabled.
If power cycling doesn't help, a fresh start from factory defaults with manual configuration shall be the fix.

 

[cannondale]

Curious, the RT-AC68U_V4 is EoL as per Asus. Is only revision "V4" end of life, or all of the AC68U models?

It's still my main router in two homes (one running vanilla AsusWRT, one running Merlin).

Edit: Looks like I found the answer here. Only the latest revision V4 was discontinued, but not earlier revisions. Funny.

 

[VANT]

the least popular model, no wonder

 

[sol1109]

After a day or so Core1 is down to under 30% so whatever was happening seems to have settled out.

 

[wouterv]

Curious, the RT-AC68U_V4 is EoL as per Asus. Is only revision "V4" end of life, or all of the AC68U models?

It's still my main router in two homes (one running vanilla AsusWRT, one running Merlin).

Edit: Looks like I found the answer here. Only the latest revision V4 was discontinued, but not earlier revisions. Funny.

The formal answer is here:

End-of-life product list

 

[wouterv]

After a day or so Core1 is down to under 30% so whatever was happening seems to have settled out.

View attachment 55895

You now show one snapshot, what does the graph looks like after it filled the page?
I think usually both Cores shall swing around the same load percentage, with now and then a peak on either core load.

 

[sol1109]

You now show one snapshot, what does the graph looks like after it filled the page?
I think usually both Cores shall swing around the same load percentage, with now and then a peak on either core load.

 

[wouterv]

A quite high overall load, which doesn't need to be a problem, watch out for too many peaks close to 100%.