ASUS RT-N66U Dark Knight Dual-Band Wireless-N900 Gigabit Router Reviewed

[KeithKman]

Still running .90 firmware. Up time is 72 days with ZERO issues.

 

[magnus_ca]

That is how Asus operate, two steps back, one step forward.

They put the BETA tag on for a reason.

 

[CorN]

Still running .90 firmware. Up time is 72 days with ZERO issues.

Are you using 3.1.0.3.90 or 3.0.0.3.90 successfully? I'm having trouble with my blessed 3.0.0.3.108.

 

[frimp]

They should tag all published firmware versions with "beta" - because they really work like this.

 

[G37x]

I've found that the "Verizon Network Extender with 3G" doesn't work with .114 Beta.

Unfortunately it doesn't work with .108, either, and my iPhone really needs it. First problem with .108 firmware that has really affected me.

So, I've unhappily had to go back to .102 firmware, and told Asus about it.

108 does work with Vz extender 3G...I have it and it's all fine.

 

[KeithKman]

are you using 3.1.0.3.90 or 3.0.0.3.90 successfully? I'm having trouble with my blessed 3.0.0.3.108.

3.0.0.3.90

 

[RogerSC]

108 does work with Vz extender 3G...I have it and it's all fine.

Okay, are you using it in the DMZ, or not? I'm retrying the Network Extender using the DMZ on .108 right now, and it has the Power, WAN and GPS lights blue, but I'm getting rapid blinking red on the System light. Which is never a good sign, once the GPS light has turned blue.

I need to wait a while longer, though, I guess. The System light was flashing red slowly for a while, then turned solid green a while after the GPS light went blue (haven't seen that before), now is back to rapidly flashing red. I'm guessing that means that it's having a hard time establishing it's VPN, but no way to tell.

 

[RogerSC]

Okay, are you using it in the DMZ, or not? I'm retrying the Network Extender using the DMZ on .108 right now, and it has the Power, WAN and GPS lights blue, but I'm getting rapid blinking red on the System light. Which is never a good sign, once the GPS light has turned blue.

I need to wait a while longer, though, I guess. The System light was flashing red slowly for a while, then turned solid green a while after the GPS light went blue (haven't seen that before), now is back to rapidly flashing red. I'm guessing that means that it's having a hard time establishing it's VPN, but no way to tell.

Never mind, after the Network Extender didn't come up on .108, I went back to .102, and it didn't come up there, either, so I re-flashed .102, and now it's coming up. I'll try flashing it more than once on .108, as well, but I find this all very odd. Usually firmware flashes just work.

 

[RogerSC]

Never mind, after the Network Extender didn't come up on .108, I went back to .102, and it didn't come up there, either, so I re-flashed .102, and now it's coming up. I'll try flashing it more than once on .108, as well, but I find this all very odd. Usually firmware flashes just work.

Okay, I had to give up on getting the Network Extender to work on the rt-n66u today, and went back to my rt-n56u where it works fine. In the end, I couldn't get even .102 to work with it, although it sporadically has.

I just don't know why I'm having so much of a problem with the Network Extender on the rt-n66u, unless I have a slightly broken router. It's fine with everything else, so I don't know if there's some setting that I'm not aware of or what. My other routers have been fine with this Network Extender, just the rt-n66u has been a problem. "It should just work" *sigh*.

 

[RogerSC]

Okay, I had to give up on getting the Network Extender to work on the rt-n66u today, and went back to my rt-n56u where it works fine. In the end, I couldn't get even .102 to work with it, although it sporadically has.

I just don't know why I'm having so much of a problem with the Network Extender on the rt-n66u, unless I have a slightly broken router. It's fine with everything else, so I don't know if there's some setting that I'm not aware of or what. My other routers have been fine with this Network Extender, just the rt-n66u has been a problem. "It should just work" *sigh*.

I've just been in touch with ASUS support, and they suggest using a telnet session to do a full nvram erase instead of using the "factory reset" button after re-flashing the firmware. This sounds like a good bet, since I have noticed that not all my GUI settings are getting cleared, even when I press the "reset" button for 30 seconds...Doesn't seem to matter with most things, but that could be the problem I'm seeing with the Network Extender.

Also, I asked them about what should be showing in the GUI for the NAT passthrough options. Since the button either says "Enable" or "Disable", I was assuming that it should say "Disable" (as in, this feature is enabled, press the button to disable). According to the ASUS guy, this is backwards, the "Enable" should really be read as "Enabled" *smile*. Oh well. It doesn't matter with my work VPN, it works with "Enable" or "Disable" showing, but the Network Extender VPN may not work this way.

 

[NightOwl326]

I've just been in touch with ASUS support, and they suggest using a telnet session to do a full nvram erase instead of using the "factory reset" button after re-flashing the firmware.

How "specifically" is this done?

 

[RogerSC]

How "specifically" is this done?

Okay, here's what they told me in email:

After enabling telnet sessions, type:

telnet 192.168.1.1
"admin"/password

mtd -r erase nvram
reboot

He also said that if this doesn't fix it, they'll set up an RMA for me. I'm hoping that it fixes it. I really really don't like returning things.

 

[gary8vi]

Okay, here's what they told me in email:

After enabling telnet sessions, type:

telnet 192.168.1.1
"admin"/password

mtd -r erase nvram
reboot

He also said that if this doesn't fix it, they'll set up an RMA for me. I'm hoping that it fixes it. I really really don't like returning things.

Roger, Thanks for the post.

Could you please double check the command: mtd -r erase nvram

I am unable to make that line execute. Reboot works fine.

Thanks, Gary

 

[RogerSC]

Roger, Thanks for the post.

Could you please double check the command: mtd -r erase nvram

I am unable to make that line execute. Reboot works fine.

Thanks, Gary

If just "mtd erase nvram" works, use that. From looking around on the internet, the "-r" option means "reboot". Since you are issuing an explicit reboot, the "-r" option wouldn't be necessary.

I haven't done this myself, but I would first try "mtd erase nvram", if the "-r" option isn't recognized.

 

[RogerSC]

If just "mtd erase nvram" works, use that. From looking around on the internet, the "-r" option means "reboot". Since you are issuing an explicit reboot, the "-r" option wouldn't be necessary.

I haven't done this myself, but I would first try "mtd erase nvram", if the "-r" option isn't recognized.

Now that I've done this, the telnet commands are:

mtd-erase -d nvram
reboot

These worked for me, and now the Network Extender is up with .108 firmware (first time), too. All good.

 

[hggomes]

RT-N66U - Firmware 3.0.0.3.116 / 3.0.0.3.116b

http://www.asus.ru/ftp/NW_TO_TEST/RT-N66U_3.0.0.3_116.trx
http://www.asus.ru/ftp/NW_TO_TEST/RT-N66U_3.0.0.3_116b.trx

http://forum.asus.ru/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=44107

 

[Geraner]

I just want to post a litle update.

Running this router now since over 3 months. Having the latest official firmare .108 installed on this router since 31 days. Update 31 days.
Data usage in total for the last 30 dyas was 115 GB (100 GB Download 15 GB upload).

Wifi-speed up to 85 Mbit/s downlink 10 meets away from the router and with two thinner walls between the router and the laptop.
My internet speed via wire is 96 Mbit/s downlink.

I have up to 12 units mostly permament connected to the router. In addtion to this, sometimes visitors are using the Guest-Wifi as well.
I have no complaints from anybody. The most units I have are connected to the 5 GHz Wifi.

My wife is streaming a lot movies via USA using StrongVPN. This is mainly the reason for the high data volume usage of 115 GB during the last 30 days.
On one day the data download was up to 7,5 GB due to a lot of video streaming. Normally the data download is around 3-4 GB per day.

I'm just loving this product! Rock solid and with an amaizing Wifi-speed. Great work ASUS! Thanks for the product!

Bellow the products I have permanent connected to the router.
Wireless:
- 3 laptops with Wireless-N connected to the 5 GHz Wifi
- D-Link Webcam DSC-930L (connected to 2,4 GHz Wifi)
- D-Link DAP-1522 acting as Wireless bridge (connected to 5 GHz Wifi)
- WD TV Live Mediaplayer (connected via cable to DAP-1522)
- LG Blue-Ray player with DLNA media sharing (connected via cable to DAP-1522)
- 3 mobile phones using 2,4 GHz Wifi

Cable-Connected:
- Desktop computer (for playing BF3 and other online games)
- Netgear ReadyNAS (Network Attached Storage)

 

[mrcom]

RT-N66U - Firmware 3.0.0.3.116 / 3.0.0.3.116b

http://www.asus.ru/ftp/NW_TO_TEST/RT-N66U_3.0.0.3_116.trx
http://www.asus.ru/ftp/NW_TO_TEST/RT-N66U_3.0.0.3_116b.trx

http://forum.asus.ru/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=44107

Thanks! Now im woundering whats the differens between the .116 and the .116b. Any ideas ?

 

[RogerSC]

Thanks! Now im woundering whats the differens between the .116 and the .116b. Any ideas ?

I have to say that I wouldn't bother playing with Beta firmware unless I had a specific problem that it is supposed to fix. That's my personal take on it...I'll wait for the next fully supported official release at this point.

 

[mrcom]

I have to say that I wouldn't bother playing with Beta firmware unless I had a specific problem that it is supposed to fix. That's my personal take on it...I'll wait for the next fully supported official release at this point.

I hear you. But for me personally it`s fun to play around with and i do have some issues and i give the asus techs my feedback and they ask for it.