Asus RT-N66u with TomatoUSB firmware

[maxmaia]

Be very careful. I would use that guide.

http://www.shadowandy.net/2012/03/asus-rt-n66u-tomatousb-firmware-flashing-guide.htm

I have used this guide previously, but can't make it upload the firmware with Asus recover utility. It keep saying that: "The wireless router is not in rescue mode", even I put it in recover mode by holding the rest button (led blinks slowly).
So, I was wondering, has this something to do with CFE being 1.0.1.2 (32K) and the fact that latest Tomato is on 64K ?

Did anybody tried to flash RT-n66u directly from Asus original firmware to latest 64k Tomato?

Highly appreciate the answers.

 

[Pierino]

I was mistaken.

 

[tlsrulz]

Isnt the WPS button to clear NVRAM... ?
I always thought the reset was to put it in recovery mode.

 

[got_milk]

Isnt the WPS button to clear NVRAM... ?
I always thought the reset was to put it in recovery mode.

This is correct.

 

[UndyingShadow]

So I still don't know if it's safe to flash 60K toastman firmware (tomato-K26USB-NVRAM60K-1.28.0501.2MIPSR2Toastman-RT-N-Ext.trx) on my RT-N66U? I've been told that if this is done incorrectly, it will completely destroy the router. Right now, my router shows that it only has 32k of NVRAM. Does the code in the new version have the necessary hack to address more than 32k. Should I try to flash 60K and then flash 64k?

My CFE is: bl_version=1.0.1.2

 

[piotrpiano]

So I still don't know if it's safe to flash 60K toastman firmware (tomato-K26USB-NVRAM60K-1.28.0501.2MIPSR2Toastman-RT-N-Ext.trx) on my RT-N66U? I've been told that if this is done incorrectly, it will completely destroy the router. Right now, my router shows that it only has 32k of NVRAM. Does the code in the new version have the necessary hack to address more than 32k. Should I try to flash 60K and then flash 64k?

My CFE is: bl_version=1.0.1.2

No. Don't touch 60K firmwares. Just flash the 64k version, it should run just fine.

 

[Mark the Red]

I am having a very specific issue with my Samba / DLNA with the stock Asus firmware.

Has anybody here set up a DLNA / HDD setup with Tomato on their RT-n66u?

Does it still have the "Enable Strict DLNA Settings" check box?

Thanks

 

[Mark the Red]

Well I'm going to take the plunge and put this on my rt-n66u.

I do nothing special on this router outside of DLNA / USB streaming from an attached .ext3 hard drive.

I plan to install this version of Shibby's from his website:

tomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-104-AIO-64K.trx

Is this the best one? I am assuming that AIO means "All-in-one".

Sorry to be a noob, but I plan to follow this guide to do it:
http://www.shadowandy.net/2012/03/asus-rt-n66u-tomatousb-firmware-flashing-guide.htm

Kindly please slap me out of my madness if any of the above two things are gonna mess it up.....

 

[bird333]

Well I'm going to take the plunge and put this on my rt-n66u.

I do nothing special on this router outside of DLNA / USB streaming from an attached .ext3 hard drive.

I plan to install this version of Shibby's from his website:

tomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-104-AIO-64K.trx

Is this the best one? I am assuming that AIO means "All-in-one".

Sorry to be a noob, but I plan to follow this guide to do it:
http://www.shadowandy.net/2012/03/asus-rt-n66u-tomatousb-firmware-flashing-guide.htm

Kindly please slap me out of my madness if any of the above two things are gonna mess it up.....

Yes, that means all in one. Be sure to have 64K NVRAM if you are going to use a 64K firmware.

 

[Mark the Red]

Thanks.

I doubt the DLNA server is any different or better than the Stock ASUS but I am hoping that "Enable strict DLNA..." option will be the miracle cure to my problems.....

 

[RMerlin]

Thanks.

I doubt the DLNA server is any different or better than the Stock ASUS but I am hoping that "Enable strict DLNA..." option will be the miracle cure to my problems.....

If I remember correctly, MiniDLNA's Strict DLNA was mostly to deal with JPEG issues with some Sony smart TVs.

 

[Mark the Red]

Well the problem I am having with my current stock dlna server is that it is showing **.mkv files as ***.mpeg files which causes streaming errors through my new blu-ray player.

It streams the exact same file from my computer as an ****.mkv file no problem whether by Serviio or Windows Media.

Apparently it is an easy fix if you can edit the MIME settings of the DLNA server but obviously that is not possible with the ASUS Samba server.

Really this is a last ditch effort to try to get it to work. The whole point of getting this router in the first place was to have a standalone DLNA server for my music and movies.

Sony is the real problem here I am sure. But I am scratching my head as to why the Samba DLNA is deliberately showing **.mkv files as ***.mpeg when browsing through the Sony BD player.....

 

[KevTech]

Yes, that means all in one. Be sure to have 64K NVRAM if you are going to use a 64K firmware.

That only applies to DD-wrt that I know of.

You can install Shibby tomato 64K even if the CFE is not updated to 64K as it is just a kernel hack.

 

[maxmaia]

ASUS RT-N66U firmware Tomato shibby install

The easiest solution to install Tomato Shibby for me was the one bellow.
I used this firmware on-top of latest original ASUS firmware: 3.0.0.4.260
Tomato fw: tomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-104-AIO-64K.trx
In fact the solution I founded on one of the web forums and is:

"
The solution is to use Linux. Since the firmware restoration utility is just a tftp client, using Linux is fine. I used Ubuntu on a live usb stick.

Set static IP to 192.168.1.2 and connect ethernet cable to a router switch port (router is OFF).
Install tftp: "sudo apt-get install tftp-hpa".
Put router in rescue mode.
The rescue mode contains a mini web server. Surf to 192.168.1.1 and clear NVRAM by clicking the link on that page.
If you want to install the original firmware you can do it straight from the rescue mode web interface.
Other firmwares are reported not to work (I haven't tried).
Pull power cord from router.
In terminal window, write "tftp -v -m binary 192.168.1.1 -c put <name_of_firmware_file>" and press enter.
Quickly put router in rescue mode.
Wait for output in terminal window. I should say something like "X bytes transferred in Y seconds". X must be the exact size of your firmware file.
Wait at least five minutes for router to store firmware in flash.
Clear NVRAM as above.
Done.
"

 

[jsmiddleton4]

I installed Shibby's very easily from panic mode. Didn't need to do anything fancy.

In fact all the firmwares I've installed and played with I've installed via panic mode.

I've also installed a 60K version of Shibby's.

One of the reasons I updated my CFE so that the 64k thing is fixed once and for all for my router is so I don't worry about this FW has the fix, that FW doesn't.

 

[pncu]

With some free time I flashed Shibby's Tomato once more and this time enabled CTF and frame bursting (which I didn't before). On 5GHz, about 20ft away and separated by two walls, I can achieve a max sustained speed of 152Mbps (this is on downlink). Not nearly as good as what stock firmware gave me, but I think with some more time I might be able to get a little better performance yet.

Other than enabling CTF and frame bursting, what else can I do to increase performance on this build?

I enabled those and increased the transmit power to 80 on both 5 and 2.4.
They were set at 42 and I thought I remembered it being 80 on the stock firmware. Correct me if this is wrong.

Also how do I get the bittorrent client in this build to work?
I clicked on the enable torrent client box

Is this kind of like Download Master?

 

[got_milk]

Other than enabling CTF and frame bursting, what else can I do to increase performance on this build?

I enabled those and increased the transmit power to 80 on both 5 and 2.4.
They were set at 42 and I thought I remembered it being 80 on the stock firmware. Correct me if this is wrong.

Also how do I get the bittorrent client in this build to work?
I clicked on the enable torrent client box

Is this kind of like Download Master?

Honestly, that's all I did as well. Make sure your wireless networks are using WPA2-AES encryption and your settings will match mine.

There should be a link to the Transmission GUI in the firmware's web interface - that'll be your BitTorrent client.

 

[pncu]

Honestly, that's all I did as well. Make sure your wireless networks are using WPA2-AES encryption and your settings will match mine.

There should be a link to the Transmission GUI in the firmware's web interface - that'll be your BitTorrent client.

Thanks.

file transfer speeds are pretty slow on the tomato compared to what I got on Merlin's build. On wireless 5ghz right next to the router, I used to get around 4MB/s write speed and 5-8 MB/s read speed moving files bewtween comp and NAS.

With this Tomato build, I am only getting 1.5-2.3 MB/s write speed and 5-8 MB/s read speed. Speed is the same on both wireless and wired connection which is really weird. I used to get 20+ MB/s write and read speed when wired using a Linksys e4200v2 and around 8 when using the Merlin build which was still slower than what it should have been.
Anything I can do to increase the write and read speeds?

 

[got_milk]

Thanks.

file transfer speeds are pretty slow on the tomato compared to what I got on Merlin's build. On wireless 5ghz right next to the router, I used to get around 4MB/s write speed and 5-8 MB/s read speed moving files bewtween comp and NAS.

With this Tomato build, I am only getting 1.5-2.3 MB/s write speed and 5-8 MB/s read speed. Speed is the same on both wireless and wired connection which is really weird. I used to get 20+ MB/s write and read speed when wired using a Linksys e4200v2 and around 8 when using the Merlin build which was still slower than what it should have been.
Anything I can do to increase the write and read speeds?

Unfortunately that seems to be the curse of Tomato, wireless performance suffers dramatically when compared to Asus/Merlin firmwares. In locations I can get 30MB/s throughput on Asus/Merlin, I was doing as high as 19 and as low as 6MB/s on Tomato. Which is a shame, because I love the features and interface, but I can't justify it for neutering the performance the way it does.

 

[pncu]

Unfortunately that seems to be the curse of Tomato, wireless performance suffers dramatically when compared to Asus/Merlin firmwares. In locations I can get 30MB/s throughput on Asus/Merlin, I was doing as high as 19 and as low as 6MB/s on Tomato. Which is a shame, because I love the features and interface, but I can't justify it for neutering the performance the way it does.

wow tat is really fast. you think maybe there is something wrong with mine on the hardware side? I've never been able to get anything past 8MB/s even on Merlin or stock build read or write when transfering files to and from the NAS both wired and wireless. I know it's not the drive because I was getting 20+MB/s using the linksys e4200v2.

Can I ask how you are testing the speeds? I am just moving media files to and from the NAS and seeing the speed it transfers at. 2MB/s write speed is really pathetic on wireless but even more so and actually ridiculous when wired.