Release Asuswrt-Merlin 384.19 is now available

[xdj]

Fingers crossed, my AC86U has been running for over 2 days's now without any issues.
I did not make any adjustments since my last post...Still running 384.19.
We'll see how it goes!

Cheers,

X

 

[penguin22]

Just curious, are you running amtm and/or any associated scripts? From scanning the posts in this thread, it appears that there may be an interaction there. Those with RT-AC86Us that don't use JFFS / scripts / etc. seem to be more trouble-free with 384.19 than those who run the scripts. I'm curious as to your setup to see if this may be the main contributor to the issues.

Yes, I'm running amtm with Unbound (including ad-blocker), Skynet, spdmerlin, conmon, and cake-qos. I don't have Advanced QoS or the Trend required protections as I don't want to opt in for relaxed privacy and found that it further taxed the router more than I was comfortable with.

 

[Vimes]

I decided to try 384.19 again, having had this AC86U router for just short of three years, and using Merlin's firmware from then, this is the first release that has given me issues.
Regardless of my previous attempts, which included formatting, mounting and no restore of the JFFS partition there were still issues. That also including both a restore of the factory settings and also a reset using the reset button on the rear of the router. That did not help to resolve the issues I had.
However on this occasion I used the hard reset method, noted here...

[Wireless Router] When Standard Reset Isn’t Working: Hard Factory Reset - Models list | Official Support | ASUS Global

by using the WPS button method of hard reset, and then manually entered my settings as needed.

Even tho I had restored the factory settings previously, used the reset button the router, formatted and manually remounted the JFFS partition and made sure that the VPN client was restored to defaults that was not apparently enough, never using a backed up JFFS partition to restore. Always manually entering in details.
But this time following the WPS reset no orange warning text of a config error within my VPN client service state, which eventually resolved with a lot of work, but this time was never present, and no other issues with the wireless devices connected to it.
It is only almost four days uptime but with my first attempts the issues were apparent in a very short time and continued to be so. This time it has been its usual and typical very stable and reliable functioning as I have been used to the past three years. All my devices have remained connected with a fully working service.


Not an hardware issue at all.

 

[gattaca]

^^^^ TY for the posting your results!!

I am starting to believe that once we hit the types of issues being reported here on AC86U + 384.19, that ASUS's WPS "hard-reset" (as posted in the ASUS link you provided) may be required multiple times to stabilize the AC86U and return it to proper working order. We may need to do that procedure 2 or 3 times as part of @L&LD nuclear reset guide - which already has multiple resets, with some steps via WPS button and some from the GUI factory reset.

The difference might be that for the various models, ASUS calls out a different reset procedure. In the link above there are distinct "hard reset" methods 1, 2, .. Method 2 for the ASUS AC86U says that after the power LED light goes out, you should release the WPS and then "Reboot your router by manually pressing the power button. " So you are to power OFF the AC86U and not let it boot just boot after releasing the WPS button. There are several other models in that link. However, most models use "Method 1".

That's a difference between our models and methods. I've tried the ASUS Method 2on my last two attempts with my AC86U test router and it's been up for 2 days. I have not readded all of the j* scripts yet..so I'm not counting chickens (nor eggs) yet.

Thanks for posting and reminding us there is a different hard factory reset based on the router model. YMMV.

 

[fritzk3]

After browsing multiple threads related to different performance issues (384.19 stability, 5 GHz signal dropping, AiMesh nodes going offline), I am beginning to think that each RT-AC86U has unique behavior. One thread I read suggested that there were manufacturing quality issues related to RT-AC86U units manufactured in 2018.

This could explain why some fortunate 86U owners report no trouble at all, while others (like me) are pulling their hair out trying to figure out why they can't achieve stable behavior.

 

[illtww]

How is this build working out for the RT----68U folks? Have a RT-68U White I was thinking about upgrading this to!

Thanks!

 

[Keith Gorham]

How is this build working out for the RT----68U folks? Have a RT-68U White I was thinking about upgrading this to!

Thanks!

You have 38 pages of reponses to find that out.

 

[illtww]

You have 38 pages of reponses to find that out.

Thanks Keith!

This thread has turned into "why wont my **86U be stable" . I see one response for the 68U pages back.

 

[OBENZ]

After browsing multiple threads related to different performance issues (384.19 stability, 5 GHz signal dropping, AiMesh nodes going offline), I am beginning to think that each RT-AC86U has unique behavior. One thread I read suggested that there were manufacturing quality issues related to RT-AC86U units manufactured in 2018.

This could explain why some fortunate 86U owners report no trouble at all, while others (like me) are pulling their hair out trying to figure out why they can't achieve stable behavior.

the same thing happened to me few months back after one update everything failed now my 86u is just a gbit switch since both wifi radios are dead. I dont think the update is to blame, rather failing routers which have been manufactured in early 2018 suffer from high failures and the update just triggers the hardware faults

 

[Keith Gorham]

Thanks Keith!

This thread has turned into "why wont my **86U be stable" . I see one response for the 68U pages back.

That would tell me that it is pretty stable for the 68U versions, especially considering that the 68U firmware is the top downloaded version.

 

[mongodb]

Hi,

So after a long while delaying the inevitable I upgraded my AC88U to 384.19 last night and things look ok as far as i can tell however i wanted to ask if the routing engine has somehow changed in this version? Reason is- i have a proxy on the same VLAN as the router and my work laptop on a separate vlan. On the laptop is use firefox and point it at the proxy to go out "directly" instead of my workplace vpn internet. All clients have the merlin router as their default gateway and on the merlin router i've got routes pointing to another internal router/firewall to get back to the wireless network. This setup worked ok on 384.8.2 but after installing 384.19 its causing a spike on the merlin router's CPU causing other internal devices to stop being able to access the internet.

Ideas?

edit: added more info.

 

[jpthsd]

I decided to try 384.19 again, having had this AC86U router for just short of three years, and using Merlin's firmware from then, this is the first release that has given me issues.
Regardless of my previous attempts, which included formatting, mounting and no restore of the JFFS partition there were still issues. That also including both a restore of the factory settings and also a reset using the reset button on the rear of the router. That did not help to resolve the issues I had.
However on this occasion I used the hard reset method, noted here...

[Wireless Router] When Standard Reset Isn’t Working: Hard Factory Reset - Models list | Official Support | ASUS Global

by using the WPS button method of hard reset, and then manually entered my settings as needed.

Even tho I had restored the factory settings previously, used the reset button the router, formatted and manually remounted the JFFS partition and made sure that the VPN client was restored to defaults that was not apparently enough, never using a backed up JFFS partition to restore. Always manually entering in details.
But this time following the WPS reset no orange warning text of a config error within my VPN client service state, which eventually resolved with a lot of work, but this time was never present, and no other issues with the wireless devices connected to it.
It is only almost four days uptime but with my first attempts the issues were apparent in a very short time and continued to be so. This time it has been its usual and typical very stable and reliable functioning as I have been used to the past three years. All my devices have remained connected with a fully working service.


Not an hardware issue at all.

Sorry I do not get it ..what actual issues did you have and what did you do to resolve it? Is it stable now? I am still 384.18 ,,,no decision yet to go to 384.19!

After readings, ,, I could there are quiet issue to flash to 384.19 so I have not made any decision to go forward to 384.19 ...maybe 384.20 instead!

 

[L&LD]

There will be no 384.20.

 

[mongodb]

There will be no 384.20.

Oh really? Why?

 

[jpthsd]

There will be no 384.20.

maybe 384.21 LoL or 385.xx

As I went by reading replies after replies in this post,,,384.19 is "scary" update. A network device should be reliable, resilient like an appliance and should NOT be up/down too often...plus everyone does work from home nowadays specially IT professionals like me , unstable network router will be disaster!! Mine is super stable with 384.18 until next time then !!


I will be looking forward for the fw update below, 08/17 , 384.xxx? what Merlin fw number convention will it correspond to the Asus FW below?

Anyone?


Version 3.0.0.4.384.82072 2020/08/1756.18 MBytes
ASUS RT-AC86U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.384.82072
- Fixed buffer overflow vulnerability
- Fixed wireless performance drop issue after send the feedback.
- Fixed static WAN IP connection issues.

Please unzip the firmware file first then check the MD5 code.
MD5: 2788c2f2e211e7396dc5004ce522679

 

[jsbeddow]

maybe 384.21 LoL or 385.xx

As I went by reading replies after replies in this post,,,384.19 is "scary" update. A network device should be reliable, resilient like an appliance and should NOT be up/down too often...plus everyone does work from home nowadays specially IT professionals like me , unstable network router will be disaster!! Mine is super stable with 384.18 until next time then !!


I will be looking forward for the fw update below, 08/17 , 384.xxx? what Merlin fw number convention will it correspond to the Asus FW below?

Anyone?


Version 3.0.0.4.384.82072 2020/08/1756.18 MBytes
ASUS RT-AC86U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.384.82072
- Fixed buffer overflow vulnerability
- Fixed wireless performance drop issue after send the feedback.
- Fixed static WAN IP connection issues.

Please unzip the firmware file first then check the MD5 code.
MD5: 2788c2f2e211e7396dc5004ce522679

Yes, @RMerlin has already told us that there will almost certainly be no more development on the 384/385 branch, he has done some early, early Alpha test builds on the Asus Beta builds of the 386 branch. When Asus finalizes a stable "release" build of the 386 series (with AiMesh 2.0 and other related/roaming improvements), we can expect new Alphas and Betas from Merlin at that point. For now, the very early Alpha is only for those willing to self-compile from the Github sources.

Edit: Personally, I am staying on 384.18 until we see significant progress on 386.1, as I had too many issues on 384.19 even after full resets and manually re-entering all the settings. Mine would run stable for about 5 days, then drop wireless clients that could not reconnect without a reboot of the router.

 

[xdj]

Ok, just shy of 4 days without mysterious reboots and now I see this.

It doesn't seem to affect anything but I'm curious why...
I've refreshed the page, logged in and out, tried different browsers, and cleared the cache/history.
Weird...
Also, can't delete an account with WebGUI in (samba)share/cloud disk that's giving me an error in the Syslog. This error is new with 384.19.

The buttons are all grayed out.

Regards,

X

 

[Deleted member 22229]

Oh really? Why?

The next Merlin release will likely be 386.1

 

[ColinTaylor]

Also, can't delete an account with WebGUI in (samba)share/cloud disk that's giving me an error in the Syslog. This error is new with 384.19.
View attachment 26401

This this post here.

 

[jpthsd]

Yes, @RMerlin has already told us that there will almost certainly be no more development on the 384/385 branch, he has done some early, early Alpha test builds on the Asus Beta builds of the 386 branch. When Asus finalizes a stable "release" build of the 386 series (with AiMesh 2.0 and other related/roaming improvements), we can expect new Alphas and Betas from Merlin at that point. For now, the very early Alpha is only for those willing to self-compile from the Github sources.

Edit: Personally, I am staying on 384.18 until we see significant progress on 386.1, as I had too many issues on 384.19 even after full resets and manually re-entering all the settings. Mine would run stable for about 5 days, then drop wireless clients that could not reconnect without a reboot of the router.

Thank you! I do the same, skip this 384.19 until next time !