Release Asuswrt-Merlin 3004.388.7 is now available

[Tech9]

Honestly, I don't even know why Asus exposes all the settings there with Asuswrt allowing totally contradicting or impossible combinations. Like one can set 2.4GHz in Legacy mode with PMF capable, MU-MIMO and Explicit Beamforming plus Roaming Assistant with a single router... what? On a consumer product this only causes confusion and when something is not working on Default - it's easy to mess things up even more. I also don't know if all the settings even work in different firmware versions. Found some doing absolutely nothing in different firmware and on different models. Most likely reason - changes in underlying Broadcom wireless drivers. Whatever was working before doesn't anymore or vice versa, but still exists in Asuswrt.

 

[MDM]

There is even crazier, in 5 GHz you can Enable AX only mode but just under that setting Disable 802.11ax / WiFi 6 mode ?!?

 

[Tech9]

Well... my test RT-AX86U on later stock Asuswrt wasn't even supporting AX clients yet, according to the Help tip. This copy/paste has to stop at some point because users see it and it creates bad impression - lack of attention to details, something released quickly without too much testing.

 

[Dedel66]

For anyone who is interested: there was recently an update for Tasmota (14.0) that fixed the connection problems. I have now switched the tasmota sockets to "wlan N" and they remain stably connected.

 

[SkippyP]

One thing I wish Asus would implement is an “AC/AX” option for the 5GHz band to prevent N-only clients from connecting. Currently, the options are Auto, AX only, Legacy, and N/AC/AX mixed. I know you can just force all N clients to use the 2.4 band by separating SSIDs (which is what I’m doing), but it would still be nice to have an “AC/AX” (without N) mode.

 

[Tech9]

All 5GHz capable N devices can coexist with your AC/AX without you noticing any difference. No need to force N to 2.4GHz band.

 

[alistair]

"back in the day" (2016) I got VoIP and it just never worked right with my then router Asus AC68u. Calls would end during the conversation despite no one hanging up or calls wouldn't even go through - my VoIP phone just wouldn't ring. No setting seemed to help until I learned about Merlin firmware. It had the setting Enable+Nat helper, Enable and Disable for the SIP passthrough under WAN/NAT Passthrough. With Merlin firmware, all I had to do was to set this to Enable and it would finally work with no more problems, it was such a relief - Enable+NAT helpers would reproduce the described problems.

Now I'm reading beginning with the 388.7 version, "disable" should be the same as Enable was before? Is everyone certain about this? Because I now have it on disable (was set this way automatically after flashing the current version 388.7) and in the last days I was told it happens again that the phone won't ring for every call. But since there are now only the 2 settings enable/disable left, I can't really test much here.

Is anyone experiencing similar problems since the new version? Is the new "disabled" in 388.7 really confirmed to be identical, to what "enable" was doing before in earlier versions? Thanks!

PS: I'm not saying that this firmware is to blame or anything, I'm just trying to figure out what the root cause of this problem is and obviously it helps so much to just rule things out.

 

[AlbumMan]

Is anyone experiencing similar problems since the new version? Is the new "disabled" in 388.7 really confirmed to be identical, to what "enable" was doing before in earlier versions? Thanks!

Good question. I'm not trying to hijack this thread but I have been a VOIPo customer for many years with no major issues. It seems like after updating to 388.7, the 2nd port (which is a cloned line) on the Grandstream ATA is now causing loud pops at regular 2-3 second intervals. I'm still using the same phones and have done the usual swap of cords, etc too and it points to just port 2. Their customer service changed the SIP ports, since the box is locked for users, and that did not help. All of the "new" NAT settings are on DISABLED so I thought that was the problem. Enabled the SIP setting but made no difference. I see the description for the NAT Passthough settings state they are when using VPN which I'm not. This is a rarely used phone so it's not a big concern but is coincidental that the popping seems to have started after going to 388.7. I'm defintely not going to a previous release as this is a rock solid version.

 

[MDM]

@alistair, @AlbumMan,
Try the new default settings:

 

[AlbumMan]

Just made a short call and it sounds like that fixed it and will test further later. Thank you!

Update: Had time to test it further and the popping is still occurring. Enabled the other settings as suggested by @SNBForums User below and will see how that works.

 

[RMerlin]

Now I'm reading beginning with the 388.7 version, "disable" should be the same as Enable was before?

Yes. The old Asuswrt-Merlin "Enable" setting allowed traffic through (passthrough) but didn't load the NAT module.

Old:
Disable - Block traffic, and do not load NAT module
Enable: Allow traffic, and do not load NAT module
Enable + NAT Helper: Allow traffic, and load NAT module

New:
Disable: Allow traffic, and do not load NAT module
Enable: Allow traffic, and load NAT module.

 

[alistair]

Okay thank you, then the problem must be somewhere else.

 

[KevTech]

@alistair, @AlbumMan,
Try the new default settings:

View attachment 59227

These "new" setting can cause other issues that are solved by enabling them again.
Myself, I have Ooma for phone and never have issues with them enabled.

Cant host Friday the 13th game lobby AXE16000

With stock asus firmware people will join my lobby when I host. When I switch to merlin firmware nobody is able to join. I saved the stock settings and restored them on merlin. Same issue remains. With merlin firmware nobody is able to join my lobby. Does anyone know a fix for this?

www.snbforums.com

 

[avole]

A weird problem from me:
RT-AX88U Pro (3004.388.6_2 -> 3004.388.7), after the upgrade, all my Apple devices and android device won't connect to the internet properly (extremely slow or some parts of the webpage won't load) , but my Windows laptop and PC are OK (same connection speed as before). Private relay temporarily paused.
Both DNSSEC and DOT are off.
Any suggestions?

 

[SNBForums User]

Merely as another data point, having fairly recently replaced my very-long-in-the-tooth previous Asus router with an RT-AX86U, and after installing 3004.388.7, my also-very-ancient OBi100 VoIP device is still quite happily humming along with these settings, none of which I changed from the default:

 

[Gravityz]

21 days later and things are extremely stable in an aimesh setup. hardly any wifi disconnects
Good work @Merlin

 

[jeepr]

RT-AX86U
388.7
So
router glitched
wireless authentication method changed
all vpn settings erased
is this a hack or software
already changed admin PW just in case

 

[MDM]

RT-AX86U
388.7
So
router glitched
wireless authentication method changed
all vpn settings erased
is this a hack or software
already changed admin PW just in case

Logs are your Only clue...

 

[Ripshod]

Disable WAN access and use VPN instead

 

[jeepr]

Logs are your Only clue...

not sure how to translate
but
Jun 8 around 1400