Release Asuswrt-Merlin 386.3 is now available

[RMerlin]

Asuswrt-Merlin 386.3 is now available for all supported model. This release introduces major changes to OpenVPN client handling, and also introduces the ability to generate QR Codes to make it easier to connect your mobile clients to your Wifi network.

August 6th 386.3_2 is now available.

  - NOTE: closed down the Issue tracker on Github, as 90%
          of it was people asking for technical support,
          or failing to use the supplied submission form.
  - CHANGED: Re-disabled jitterentropy-rngd on non-HND
             models.  It kept using CPU time every two
             seconds and had a very marginal impact on
             the entropy pool (which it never could push
             above the target threshold of 1024).
  - CHANGED: Moved the "Redirect Internet traffic" setting on
             the OpenVPN Client page to the Network Settings
             section to increase its visibility, as too many
             users are forgetting to configure it.
  - CHANGED: Display "Internet traffic not redirected" instead
             of "Public IP Unknown" on the OpenVPN Client
             status display when Redirect Internet traffic
             is set to "No".
  - FIXED: Only the first OpenVPN client would be used if
           you had multiple clients connected and the first
           one had a Redirect Internet set to "No".  Now,
           setting this to "No" means that client's routing
           table will no longer get a default gateway
           configured, allowing traffic to be processed
           by other RPDB tables if there wasn't a matching
           route within that client's table.
  - FIXED: IPV6-compatible DNSFilter servers weren't
           properly configured in dnsmasq.
  - FIXED: DNSFilter client rules may get corrupted after a
           reboot.

NOTE: On first boot with 386.3, you must either force-refresh the browser page (shift-reload), or clear your browser cache. Failure to do so will prevent the new QR codes from being properly displayed, due to an old cached CSS.

The highlights of this release:

• QR Codes can now be generated both on the Network Map (first index page of the webui), and on the Guest Network page. QR Codes are supported by iOS as well as most modern Android mobile devices (see your device's documentation for more information on how to use it) making it easier to connect to a Wifi network.
• Introducing VPN Director, which replaces the previous per-client Policy routing rules with a centrally managed page. More details in the Wiki: https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin.ng/wiki/VPN-Director.
• OpenVPN routing handling was rewritten, allowing the implementation of VPN Director, but also bringing additional fixes and improvements. Routes are now created by the firmware itself rather than by the OpenVPN process.
• OpenVPN DNS handling was revised, resolving various quirks and issues related to it
• Improved OpenVPN kill switch behavior, it can now be used with clients set to route All traffic through
• Component updates: nano (5.7), curl (7.76.1), dnsmasq (2.85-openssl), openvpn (2.5.3), getdns (1.7.0), stubby (0.4.0)

Please review the Changelog for more details.

Please keep discussions to this specific release. This thread will be locked after a while once the release feedback has died down.

Downloads are here.
Changelog is here.

 

[RMerlin]

Known issue:

• Cannot run multiple OVPN clients if one of them has Redirect Internet set to "No", all traffic still gets routed through it (Fixed in 386.3_2)
• Some users Liking a post that contains only the word "Reserved" ( ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

 

[isr25]

Thanks Merlin and all Alpha/Beta testers!

 

[shabbs]

I assume code base is same as Beta 3? Just a rev bump?

 

[torstein]

Ahhh the smell of a freshly flashed firmware... almost like a fresh cup of coffee. Thanks @RMerlin. I'm super excited for the OpenVPN improvements!

 

[Lynx]

Congratulations RMerlin. And thank you to the beta testers.

I would be curious about your backstory RMerlin. What got you into Asus Routers to the present extent? I bought my Asus Router because of your hard work, and I am quite sure the same is true for many others. In fact I'd be curious to know how large the percentage of Asus Merlin users is across all users. No doubt it is growing.

What I see cultivated in your work and this forum, and the various other contributors, is a real commitment to excellence.

Anyway - a huge thank you!

 

[Makaveli]

Just upgraded thank you sir.

I wasn't part of the beta so i'm going to assume this is the area to generate QR codes.

 

[SomeWhereOverTheRainBow]

Asuswrt-Merlin 386.3 is now available for all supported model. This release introduces major changes to OpenVPN client handling, and also introduces the ability to generate QR Codes to make it easier to connect your mobile clients to your Wifi network.

NOTE: On first boot with 386.3, you must either force-refresh the browser page (shift-reload), or clear your browser cache. Failure to do so will prevent the new QR codes from being properly displayed, due to an old cached CSS.

The highlights of this release:

• QR Codes can now be generated both on the Network Map (first index page of the webui), and on the Guest Network page. QR Codes are supported by iOS as well as most modern Android mobile devices (see your device's documentation for more information on how to use it) making it easier to connect to a Wifi network.
• Introducing VPN Director, which replaces the previous per-client Policy routing rules with a centrally managed page. More details in the Wiki: https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin.ng/wiki/VPN-Director.
• OpenVPN routing handling was rewritten, allowing the implementation of VPN Director, but also bringing additional fixes and improvements. Routes are now created by the firmware itself rather than by the OpenVPN process.
• OpenVPN DNS handling was revised, resolving various quirks and issues related to it
• Improved OpenVPN kill switch behavior, it can now be used with clients set to route All traffic through
• Component updates: nano (5.7), curl (7.76.1), dnsmasq (2.85-openssl), openvpn (2.5.3), getdns (1.7.0), stubby (0.4.0)

Please review the Changelog for more details.

Please keep discussions to this specific release. This thread will be locked after a while once the release feedback has died down.

Downloads are here.
Changelog is here.

Is there a reason why Trend Micro will be turned off after flash and the primary user name on samba storage page and ftp server page would be changed from the routers admin user name back to the default admin.
?

 

[Zork]

Dirty Upgraded and all smooth

 

[shabbs]

Just upgraded thank you sir.

I wasn't part of the beta so i'm going to assume this is the area to generate QR codes.

You also generate one from the Guest Network tab for your Guest Networks.

 

[Mensra]

I attempted to do a dirty upgrade from beta 3 to the production, no joy. It appears to upload the production version and reboot, but the GUI still shows that I’m on beta 3.

 

[Deleted member 22229]

Just flashed works good. Thanks !!!

 

[paul0363]

I attempted to do a dirty upgrade from beta 3 to the production, no joy. It appears to upload the production version and reboot, but the GUI still shows that I’m on beta 3.

Remove any USB devices from the router, reboot and retry.

 

[Mensra]

Remove any USB devices from the router, reboot and retry.

Tried that didn’t work

 

[leeleehu77]

Dirty Upgraded and all good so far. RT-AC5300, RT-AC86U & RT-AX86U

 

[Treadler]

386.3 working fine here.

 

[gerardr]

I attempted to do a dirty upgrade from beta 3 to the production, no joy. It appears to upload the production version and reboot, but the GUI still shows that I’m on beta 3.

Similar experience here with RT-AX58U firmware on RT-AX3000. I double click on the file, the screen blanks and shows "Applying Settings" and I can come back 3-5 minutes later and it's the same. Shift-Reload only shows the beta3 firmware page.

OK, re-downloaded the '.zip' file, this time from OneDrive, rebooted the router, and then re-applied the 3_0 firmware and my RT-AX3000 is happily running this newest release. The router wasn't short of free memory, so I'm not sure why it worked this time.

 

[AntonK]

Perfect upgrade from Beta3, all systems are go!

 

[RMerlin]

I assume code base is same as Beta 3? Just a rev bump?

No, there are a few changes.

merlin@ubuntu-dev:~/amng$ git log --oneline 386.3-beta3..386.3
a3ce9d122f (HEAD -> master, tag: 386.3, origin/master) Bump revision to 386.3 final; updated documentation
b97c0d7c48 webui: improve QR readability by adding a lighter quiet zone around the QR code
34134a3367 inadyn: freedns: fix memory leak and some grammar in log messages

 

[RMerlin]

Is there a reason why Trend Micro will be turned off after flash

No reason why this setting would get changed.

and the primary user name on samba storage page and ftp server page would be changed from the routers admin user name back to the default admin.

Makes me wonder if something in your settings may be corrupted if you are seeing random settings changes after the upgrade. There was no change to either portions of the code.