ASUS RT-N66U - my review

[delair2]

Thanks. That is what I have been pondering.
I figured if I could get a slight boost in throughput in the furthest reaches of my house (amazingly my wifi-equipped Blu-Ray player gets 5 bars on 2.4 GHz there anyway with it at 40mW) then I might bump it up a bit and run some tests (part of it is just me being curious as to what it might do).
As you said, going to 80 mW (increase of 3dBm) might be a logical first step.

I guess given G37X's experience with the new firmware, it may be moot until the fix it.
Has anyone else tried the new firmware yet?

I am still at work, so I couldn't upgrade even if I wanted to.
I am not in a huge rush since it works fine for my needs (not using DLNA yet and no need for NAT loopback so far), although I would obviously love to have these issues fixed since who knows when I will need them, especially DLNA since my Blu-Ray player is DLNA certified.

Are you able to adjust TX level with stock or are you using Tomato?

 

[ArCan]

... As you said, going to 80 mW (increase of 3dBm) might be a logical first step...

In my opinion it's good idia to rise the output power of trasmitter of router.
BUT I'm prefer to know the nominal output power of trasiever chip
and... SWR of antennas.
Seems to me it's dangerous to rise this parameter without
to be sure that end cascade of transiever will not very hot
or even burn.

Seems to me that better way it's to find better positions of antennas.
Try to move antennas and you will see how the signal quolity will change - much more that 3dbm. I think.

 

[njweb]

Are you able to adjust TX level with stock or are you using Tomato?

Stock fw allows you to adjust it up to 40mW currently.
The newest firmware (released today) was reportedly going to allow adjustment to higher values. The settings are not sticking according to G37x though.

 

[ArCan]

Anything new with Shibby's V84?

I asked similar Q on other forum;
SHOULD I update V83 for new V84 for my RT-N66U ???
The Shibby's A was:
yes, you should. New version has fixed BW Limiter! Has also fixed transmission - more stable. Both version (83 and 84) supported internal microSD card reader

I didn't use BW, and did't see problems with transmisson stability and while did't try microSD
(hope later it will help to increase size NVRAM)...
but did update.

 

[Gitsum]

What will adding a micro SD card do for ya?

 

[darksamus]

I asked similar Q on other forum;
SHOULD I update V83 for new V84 for my RT-N66U ???
The Shibby's A was:
yes, you should. New version has fixed BW Limiter! Has also fixed transmission - more stable. Both version (83 and 84) supported internal microSD card reader

I did't use BW, and did't see problems with transmisson stability
but did update.

Its the two things that I do not use.

 

[ArCan]

What will adding a micro SD card do for ya?

Hope later it will help to increase size NVRAM...

 

[jreed]

Shibby's version?

Is this the correct version of Shibby's new V84 firmware:
http://tomato.groov.pl/index.php?dir=K26RT-N/build5x-084V/RT-N10U

Sorry for the simple question but I just want to verify the 'RT-N10U' folder is correct.

Thanks.

 

[ArCan]

Is this the correct version of Shibby's new V84 firmware: http://tomato.groov.pl/index.php?dir=K26RT-N/build5x-084V/RT-N10U

Yes. You are right.
I didn't see alternate FW with "RT-N66U" in the name.
(only DD-WRT december 2011 and doesn't work)

One guy told somthing
because special SDK not available for everybody yet...
I'm not sure. I'm not programmer and I thik right now
alternate firmware don't support all futures and potencial
RT-N66U's chipsets.
IMHO.

 

[darksamus]

Is this the correct version of Shibby's new V84 firmware:
http://tomato.groov.pl/index.php?dir=K26RT-N/build5x-084V/RT-N10U

Sorry for the simple question but I just want to verify the 'RT-N10U' folder is correct.

Thanks.

That is the correct one, but it is not the Mega-VPN edition.

 

[delair2]

Stock fw allows you to adjust it up to 40mW currently.
The newest firmware (released today) was reportedly going to allow adjustment to higher values. The settings are not sticking according to G37x though.

Thanks--just want to be ready whenever Amazon ships mine. I've always used stock, but always looking for ways to maximize range/throughout.

BTW, is there any certified evidence that using Tomato for instance enables a user to enhance range/throughout ? Or is the attraction more about the enhanced user interface and access to additional features/functions over stock? Do you know if anybody like SNB ever tested/compared these more popular replacement firmwares?

 

[darksamus]

Thanks--just want to be ready whenever Amazon ships mine. I've always used stock, but always looking for ways to maximize range/throughout.

BTW, is there any certified evidence that using Tomato for instance enables a user to enhance range/throughout ? Or is the attraction more about the enhanced user interface and access to additional features/functions over stock? Do you know if anybody like SNB ever tested/compared these more popular replacement firmwares?

I prefer Tomato because it allows me to monitor traffic for every device I have on the network. It helps if one of the device is flooding the network because it is infected with a virus.

I don't think the stock firmware allows per device monitor, only the WAN/LAN traffic port.

 

[G37x]

I prefer Tomato because it allows me to monitor traffic for every device I have on the network. It helps if one of the device is flooding the network because it is infected with a virus.

I don't think the stock firmware allows per device monitor, only the WAN/LAN traffic port.

That is correct.

 

[ArCan]

That is the correct one, but it is not the Mega-VPN edition.

Yes. You are right. For me it's doesn't matter.
http://tomato.groov.pl/K26/build5x-070V-ML/builds.png

 

[delair2]

I prefer Tomato because it allows me to monitor traffic for every device I have on the network. It helps if one of the device is flooding the network because it is infected with a virus.

I don't think the stock firmware allows per device monitor, only the WAN/LAN traffic port.

I'm a home user with about wired/wireless 18-20 devices connected --just wondering if Tomato would be worth the effort --thanks for the example about per device monitor.

 

[delair2]

OK. Thank you for information.
By the way... around half of hour I updated V83 of Shibby's to V84
and seems to me it's works without any issues...

Anyone using Teaman yet v0021?

 

[darksamus]

I'm a home user with about wired/wireless 18-20 devices connected --just wondering if Tomato would be worth the effort --thanks for the example about per device monitor.

I do network security for a living so for me, its worth it.

 

[ArCan]

I asked similar Q on other forum;
SHOULD I update V83 for new V84 for my RT-N66U ???
The Shibby's A was:
yes, you should. New version has fixed BW Limiter! Has also fixed transmission - more stable. Both version (83 and 84) supported internal microSD card reader

I didn't use BW, and did't see problems with transmisson stability and while did't try microSD
(hope later it will help to increase size NVRAM)...
but did update.

After 1 hour on so
I return back to V83 !
I don't know exactly what the reason for it
but in new V84 version I lose some GUI options
like "click to show" ...
With V83 it works fine.
Hm...

 

[njweb]

Thanks--just want to be ready whenever Amazon ships mine. I've always used stock, but always looking for ways to maximize range/throughout.

BTW, is there any certified evidence that using Tomato for instance enables a user to enhance range/throughout ? Or is the attraction more about the enhanced user interface and access to additional features/functions over stock? Do you know if anybody like SNB ever tested/compared these more popular replacement firmwares?

I recall Geraner stating his was about 10 Mbps slower when using Tomato so he switched back to stock.
I usually prefer stock router firmware (one of my brothers is a huge DD-WRT fan though) for a few reasons.
I do know with the Linksys E4200 e.g., the stock firmware supports CTF whereas DD-WRT can / does not.
Anyway, that is just my personal preference.

 

[12darline]

I was able to get NAT Loopback working with the new firmwire, but if I go to (Lan), (Switch Control), and uncheck the (Disable HW Accelerator), it will stop working. Any thoughts.

Thanks....