Release Asuswrt-Merlin 386.5 is now available

[maxbraketorque]

With this upgrade `386.5_2` I too am having issues with the Guest network. Fresh install on RT-AC68U. Though, I cannot compare to any other recent version as my last version was about 2 years old.

Issue: connection attempts to the guest network fail from all clients.

The only way I have been able to connect to the guest network is to toggle `Access Intranet: Enable` and install YazFi to setup the Guest network. This is the only addon installed, but with it installed and enabled, Guest network now works.

Have you tried using Guest Network #2 or #3. #1 sometimes has issues.

 

[DigitalSnow]

Have you tried using Guest Network #2 or #3. #1 sometimes has issues.

Unfortunately, I have not had time to tinker around much yet, as I just made the changes last night and was prioritizing getting a working state. Sad to hear that guest #1 sometimes has issues; had been using it without issue on a 2018 version of 384 for so many years.

 

[L&LD]

@DigitalSnow, if you did a dirty upgrade to 386.5_2 from that 2018 version 384.xxx release, you may want to fully reset the router. Actually, probably not a matter of 'want', but a 'need' to fully reset it, I would suggest.

Fully Reset / Best Practice Setup / More

 

[DigitalSnow]

@L&LD Appreciate the follow up and doc link, though I did a fresh install and reconfigured from scratch. (factory reset, no usb, no entware, no scripts). Other than my configuration via the UI, the only change is adding YazFi.

 

[AtlantaBlue]

25-March-2022: 386.5_2 is now available, including a few fixes.

386.5_2 (25-March-2022)
  - UPDATED: openssl to 1.1.1n.
  - UPDATED: openvpn to 2.5.6.
  - CHANGED: Added Wireguard module + userspace tool to
             GT-AXE11000.
  - FIXED: Only a few DNSFilter clients are supported
           on HND models (entries limited to 255 chars).
  - FIXED: Security issue in AiCloud (backport from Asus)
  - FIXED: Cannot enable Adaptive QoS under certain scenarios
           on pre-HND router models.

Asuswrt-Merlin 386.5 is now available. This release introduces support for the RT-AC68U_V4 and GT-AXE11000 (both were originally planned for 386.4, but wifi issues with their GPLs forced both to be delayed to this release). This also merges with Asus's 386_46065 GPL code, and fixes a few issues.

The highlights of this release:

• Merged with GPL 386_46065 (note that a number of its security fixes were already present in 386.4)
• Added support for the RT-AC68U V4. Just like with the original Asus firmware, support is implemented in a combined firmware image that supports both the older and newer models. That image might not work properly however when using Firmware Recovery Mode, in which case people should use a version older than 386.5.
• Added support for the GT-AXE11000 (without its ROG UI or VPN Fusion).
• Fixes issues related to the Trend Micro BWDPI engine on the RT-AX68U and RT-AX86U.
• Dnsmasq was reverted back to 2.85 in an attempt to improve its stability
• Avahi was updated to 0.8, and a few additional fixes were backported.
• Miniupnpd was upgraded to 2.3.0.
• Fixed netatalk failing to load its modules, which was breaking Time Machine
• A number of fixes and improvements were implemented in Traditional QoS
• And a few other minor fixes and improvements, please view the changelog for more details

Please keep discussions in this thread on this specific release. General support requests should be posted in a separate thread.

This thread will be locked once the post-release feedback has quieted down.


Downloads are here.
Changelog is here.

Installed it on the 3/31/22, and have had nothing but issues with my Netgear CM500V Cable Modem. Without fail, after a while (sometimes a few minutes, sometimes a few hours), my upstream light would begin to flash and it would effectively knock me offline. Also, I couldn't do an ipconfig/release or /renew on my Windows 11 box, the system would just hang and require a reboot my PC, My Router and my CM. Just wanted you to know that this particular update didn't work out for me at all, unlike all of the rest of them that I've been using for years now. I just rolled it back to 386.4 and it's been working fine ever since.

Thank you for all the work that you do for all of us.

Regards,
Dave.

 

[RMerlin]

my upstream light would begin to flash and it would effectively knock me offline.

If the modem's upstream light starts flashing then this indicate a signal issue between your modem and your ISP. This is unrelated to the router.

 

[skeal]

After 10 days of uptime on my AX88U there was a log entry: kernel tainted nslookup, not sure what this means or why nslookup would cause a crash. Over the longterm this is not very stable firmware. Yes, I have done a factory reset and manual reload. It just seems instability of some kind after 10 days is happening. I'm reporting this because it's strange and has not happened before.

 

[ColinTaylor]

After 10 days of uptime on my AX88U there was a log entry: kernel tainted nslookup, not sure what this means or why nslookup would cause a crash. Over the longterm this is not very stable firmware. Yes, I have done a factory reset and manual reload. It just seems instability of some kind after 10 days is happening. I'm reporting this because it's strange and has not happened before.

"kernel tainted nslookup" is not a real error message, I guess you actually mean "Comm: nslookup". I can't think of anything in the firmware that invokes the user command "nslookup" so I'd review what third party scripts you're using.

 

[skeal]

"kernel tainted nslookup" is not a real error message, I guess you actually mean "Comm: nslookup". I can't think of anything in the firmware that invokes the user command "nslookup" so I'd review what third party scripts you're using.

Third party scripts include Skynet, Diversion Lite, Scribe and Scribe UI. Oh and diskcheck in AMTM. That's it. Isn't nslookup used for DDNS in Let's Encrypt though? I'm reaching here, this one baffles me.

 

[Deleted member 62525]

I noticed that on my RT-AC86U with 386.5_2 firmware, modem is rebooting itself when "Scheduled check for new firmware " is enabled - once a day.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Third party scripts include Skynet, Diversion Lite, Scribe and Scribe UI. Oh and diskcheck in AMTM. That's it. Isn't nslookup used for DDNS in Let's Encrypt though? I'm reaching here, this one baffles me.

I don't use any of those scripts myself so you'll have to review them yourself if you want to identify the cause of the problem.

 

[heywire]

So, after initially experiencing the same dreaded 2.4ghz instability, the newest official 3.0.0.4.386.48260 for AC86U is actually running stable for almost a week now for me after I did a powercycle.

Makes me want to attempt another go at Merlin, since CakeQOS was the only reason I updated from AC68U anyways.

But the Merlin changelog states that the upcoming 386.6 will be built on:
- "UPDATED: Merged with GPL 386_47885."

Does this mean that the next Merlin-release will only be equivalent to Official_Asuswrt .47885, thus not including the latest fixes from the latest Official_Asuswrt 3.0.0.4.386.48260, or do they run independent version numbers where the GPL actually is up to par with the latest Asuswrt?

 

[ColinTaylor]

I noticed that on my RT-AC86U with 386.5_2 firmware, modem is rebooting itself when "Scheduled check for new firmware " is enabled - once a day.

There shouldn't be anything happening on your router that could cause your modem to reboot. Look in the modem's log for clues.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

I noticed that on my RT-AC86U with 386.5_2 firmware, modem is rebooting itself when "Scheduled check for new firmware " is enabled - once a day.

See my post #4: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/rt-ac1900p-bad-eraseblock.78309/#post-756378

 

[dave14305]

Third party scripts include Skynet, Diversion Lite, Scribe and Scribe UI. Oh and diskcheck in AMTM. That's it. Isn't nslookup used for DDNS in Let's Encrypt though? I'm reaching here, this one baffles me.

What else is in the logs around that time? Skynet uses nslookup, but only when it’s running.

 

[Sas]

Hm, didn't see this anywhere else in the thread, so apologies if I missed it, but FYI in case it helps someone: I noticed that upgrading from 386.5 to 386.5_2 caused a massive drop in my Tx rate. Finally saw that in my Advanced Settings / Wireless section, it was suddenly set to Channel Bandwidth of 20 fixed (instead of auto 20/40/80). Setting it back to 20/40 (for 2.4) or 20/40/80 (for 5) fixed the problem.

 

[skeal]

What else is in the logs around that time? Skynet uses nslookup, but only when it’s running.

Sometime around this Skynet stopped logging. I had no blocked packet logs. Scribe said that Skynet's log file wasn't mounted. A reboot and all this went away.

 

[RMerlin]

Does this mean that the next Merlin-release will only be equivalent to Official_Asuswrt .47885, thus not including the latest fixes from the latest Official_Asuswrt 3.0.0.4.386.48260, or do they run independent version numbers where the GPL actually is up to par with the latest Asuswrt?

386.6 will only be available for the two new models, and it will be based on code from 386_47885. I have no idea which specific fixes in 48260 will be missing, as there is no changelog for this intermediary release on which 386.6 will be based. I can tell at least that the OpenSSL security issue is already fixed (it was in fact fixed in 386.5_2).

 

[RMerlin]

Note that this thread will be locked soon, as it has run its course (the last 386.5 release was a few weeks ago).

 

[heywire]

386.6 will only be available for the two new models, and it will be based on code from 386_47885. I have no idea which specific fixes in 48260 will be missing, as there is no changelog for this intermediary release on which 386.6 will be based. I can tell at least that the OpenSSL security issue is already fixed (it was in fact fixed in 386.5_2).

So I take it that the GPL_firmware version of a given version number has the same changelog and is considered identical to the corresponding Proprietary_firmware version number, then?

When, approximately, do you expect the 4820 to hit GPL and subsequently the Merlin release?
My primary concern is that 48260 seems to fix a long-standing problem with the 2.4ghz band crashing on AC86U. So I cannot risk upgrading to Merlin before the fixes from official_48260 that concerns this issue hits the Merlin branch.