Release Asuswrt-Merlin 386.2_6 is now available

[Darcy]

https://www.snbforums.com/members/l-ld.24423/#about

Thanks for the link. I’ll try again over the weekend

 

[Darcy]

Could be memory shortage: Reboot the router and try again to update the firmware.
Or us this script to flush memory and hit "upload firmware" immediately after:

#!/bin/sh
#
echo 'Memory usage BEFORE Clear...'
free
#
# Clear Swap-File(s)
sync; swapoff -a
#
# Clear PageCache, dentries and inodes.
# Note, we are using "echo 3", but it is not recommended in production instead use "echo 1" (Clear PageCache only)
sync; echo 3 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches
sync; echo 1 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches
#
echo 'Memory usage AFTER Clear...'
free
#
exit 0

Thank you for the script, I will try it this weekend

 

[Sicario]

WiFi radar is not working for me, does it work for anyone else?

 

[John Adler]

dirty update
works fine !
thxs Merlin

 

[JohnDeere]

Hi folks,

I've just upgraded my AC86U from 386.2_2 to this 386.2_6 and realized that OpenVPN Server1 is unable to start. Previously I used OpenVPN Server1 without problems. After upgrade it just doesn't start. I had to turn on Server2 - with same advanced settings - and that one works fine.
I tried settings to default, restarting, turning it off and back on, but still does not work.

"OpenVPN server daemon failed to start.
Please check your device environment or contents on the Advanced Setting page."

Please, anyone has any idea what can I do....? Thanks!

I decided to revert back to 386.2_2 from where I upgraded. I restored settings from 386.2_2 and OpenVPN Server1 still won't start... I did a factory reset, initialized all settings, then unplugged, turned off-on, restored 386.2_2 settings and Server1 still unable to start. At least WiFi 5G is working again, however 2.4G still dead.

Server2 runs fine. It also ran fine under 386.2_6.
Any suggestions...?
I may try to upgrade to 386.2_4 to see if it helps...

 

[AntonK]

Update working like a well-oiled machine here.

Thanks Merlin

 

[ahlongxp]

Thanks.

 

[JohnDeere]

I decided to revert back to 386.2_2 from where I upgraded. I restored settings from 386.2_2 and OpenVPN Server1 still won't start... I did a factory reset, initialized all settings, then unplugged, turned off-on, restored 386.2_2 settings and Server1 still unable to start. At least WiFi 5G is working again, however 2.4G still dead.

Server2 runs fine. It also ran fine under 386.2_6.
Any suggestions...?
I may try to upgrade to 386.2_4 to see if it helps...

Now I'm on 386.2_4, OpenVPN Server1 still not working. I see this in the log:

Jun 8 13:48:55 kernel: bcm63xx_nand ff801800.nand: timeout waiting for command 0x4
Jun 8 13:48:55 kernel: bcm63xx_nand ff801800.nand: intfc status c80000e0
Jun 8 13:49:00 kernel: bcm63xx_nand ff801800.nand: timeout waiting for command 0x1
Jun 8 13:49:00 kernel: bcm63xx_nand ff801800.nand: intfc status f80000e0
Jun 8 13:49:17 rc_service: httpd 1729:notify_rc stop_vpnserver1
Jun 8 13:49:44 rc_service: httpd 1729:notify_rc restart_chpass;restart_vpnserver1
Jun 8 13:49:44 openvpn: Starting OpenVPN server 1 failed!

By the way, CPU load is constatntly 100%.
I think this might be relevant... If anyone has any idea, please let me know. Thanks!

 

[GHammer]

The Apple devices connect fine (5 GHz); the others (many IoT devices, most on 2.4 GHz) don't...

Then I'd say that your hardware picked a coincidental time to fail.
I have a number of low, mid- normal powered IoT devices, some at -68 dBm or lower signal. None have had a bit of problem.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

Now I'm on 386.2_4, OpenVPN Server1 still not working. I see this in the log:

Jun 8 13:48:55 kernel: bcm63xx_nand ff801800.nand: timeout waiting for command 0x4
Jun 8 13:48:55 kernel: bcm63xx_nand ff801800.nand: intfc status c80000e0
Jun 8 13:49:00 kernel: bcm63xx_nand ff801800.nand: timeout waiting for command 0x1
Jun 8 13:49:00 kernel: bcm63xx_nand ff801800.nand: intfc status f80000e0
Jun 8 13:49:17 rc_service: httpd 1729:notify_rc stop_vpnserver1
Jun 8 13:49:44 rc_service: httpd 1729:notify_rc restart_chpass;restart_vpnserver1
Jun 8 13:49:44 openvpn: Starting OpenVPN server 1 failed!

By the way, CPU load is constatntly 100%.
I think this might be relevant... If anyone has any idea, please let me know. Thanks!

Flash back to Newest STOCK ASUS Firmware. (Do not restore from any backups.)

If the radios work, then you know it's not hardware related and it's your setup.

 

[gotjazz]

WiFi radar is not working for me, does it work for anyone else?

me neither I just noticed. I see the pages but nothing new (besides my own channels) appears anywhere when I click start collecting data. Also no connected devices on the troubleshooting site

 

[dazedandlost]

Here to report an effortless/flawless dirty u/g from _4 to _6.

Better than flawless, actually. Some weirdness observed while using _4 has seemingly vanished after _6 – whether that will continue or actually has anything to do with it or not, I dunno.

I mention this only because I have noticed a couple of other threads describing more or less what I was seeing: (almost) everything seemingly running fine but gui refusing to let me talk to the router. Amtm wouldn’t either, as I recall.

Skipping the details, I eventually found that, repeatably, a router power cycle would “fix” the problem and a power on (gui or amtm) reboot would bring it back. Having found a workaround I could live with, I left it there.

fwiw

Thank you to Merlin, and contributors.

 

[bluepoint]

I did a factory reset, initialized all settings, then unplugged, turned off-on, restored 386.2_2 settings and Server1 still unable to start. At least WiFi 5G is working again, however 2.4G still dead.

Any suggestions...?

Install Merlin's latest firmware for your router model then do a factory reset then manually set settings. Do not restore settings from backup.

 

[StR]

I am currently running Merlin 384.15 (which oddly does NOT appear in the official changelogs) on my RT-AC86U - is there anything specific that I need to do before moving right up to this current build (386.2_6)?

In the past - I have been simply doing a "dirty" update (Assuming this term means "right over top" of the existing firmware) with no issues as of yet.

Appreciate any tips or warning before I set out to upgrade this router.

Cheers!

VP

Just in case: when upgrading from 384.* to 386.*, make sure you give the router 1-2 hours to settle after the upgrade; don't panic if the web-interface is getting stuck: the new firmware needs to do some "house keeping".
If you read the changelog for an early 386. branch, you'll see it noted.

Also, be prepared for the CPU and WiFi chips' temperature to rise with the new firmware (you may want to take a note of those while on 384.x. You can find the thread discussing how to mitigate that in hardware (with a fan or more involved methods)

 

[WET]

Both 386.2_6 & 386.3_alpha breaks UPnP Media Server (miniDLNA). I use AIMesh node (AC68U) as the UPnP Media Server because I have backup disk and thumb drive running scripts off of main router (AC86U). Unless both main router and AIMesh node are both on 386.2_4 UPnP Media Server is not visible to clients.

 

[Wistuplu]

From 386_4 to 386_6. Careless dirty upgrade as usual. Not the smooth usual experience. I ended up with issues in my entware installation on the usb stick. Next time, I might unmount the USB stick before triggering the update.

For the rest, all good. Thank you very much to RMerlin, the "Senior" members and the whole community here at snbforums.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

From 386_4 to 386_6. Careless dirty upgrade as usual. Not the smooth usual experience. I ended up with issues in my entware installation on the usb stick. Next time, I might unmount the USB stick before triggering the update.

For the rest, all good. Thank you very much to RMerlin, the "Senior" members and the whole community here at snbforums.

There was an Unbound "patch" and it wrecked my install.
All, freshly redone now.

 

[KGB7]

My devices don't like the firmware that are connected to the AC68U router on 2.4Ghz band. Every hour on the hour, while streaming a movie, tv show; a device will stop streaming and has no internet connection for about 30 sec. Even though a device is still connected to a router via wifi. Tried different channels and still no joy.

Nothing odd in the logs.

 

[kernol]

Thanks for the link. I’ll try again over the weekend

I can confirm I have updated 2 x AX86U's and also an AC86U to 386.2_6 without any issues at all. Nothing wrong with the firmware release - so definitely something awry with your setups. The link I sent you has many links from @L&LD covering more topics than you need - but focus on these two ...
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/major-issues-w-rt-ac86u.56342/page-4#post-495710
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/n...l-and-manual-configuration.27115/#post-205573
Good luck .

 

[Protos]

Dirty Flash
Running like a dream ...... seems to fix some of the flakiness I experience with _4
Quite happy.