Asuswrt-Merlin - Project update

[heysoundude]

And for the sake of completeness, these are the numbers when using Broadcom's HW crypto engine:

type         16 bytes     64 bytes    256 bytes   1024 bytes   8192 bytes
aes-128-cbc  24085.54k    138212.27k  398918.40k  2079193.60k  9392713.14k

Performance is poor on small blocks of data, but once you move to large blocks, the results are a bit ridiculous Sadly, this is of limited usefulness for things like VPN.

Better for meshnet, I would presume?

 

[RMerlin]

Better for meshnet, I would presume?

No idea what meshnet is, but I'd expect the engine to be more useful for file encryption, or when using IPSEC, since the cipher code is in the kernel, it prevents having costly context switches between userland and kernel space with the crypto engine and the OpenSSL library.

 

[heysoundude]

I should've been more precise: If one of the interesting upcoming features in 382 is the ability to create a mesh network between routers/nodes (like AiMesh, right?), stupid fast and secure xfer links would be fairly key I should think.

 

[RMerlin]

I should've been more precise: If one of the interesting upcoming features in 382 is the ability to create a mesh network between routers/nodes (like AiMesh, right?), stupid fast and secure xfer links would be fairly key I should think.

The WPA2 crypto is offloaded to the BCM4366E's dedicated, it does not run on the main CPU.

 

[p1r473]

If you opened up a donation page (Indiegogo, GoFundMe, Kickstarter) for GT-AC5300 support, I would definitely throw money into it

 

[RMerlin]

If you opened up a donation page (Indiegogo, GoFundMe, Kickstarter) for GT-AC5300 support, I would definitely throw money into it

It's not about the money. I could probably get a free router from Asus if I asked them. It's about the increased workload in supporting a router model that has its own unique features on top of everything else in the context of a one-man project. Customized webui, VPNFusion, etc... I simply cannot devote any additional time to this project, and I'm already looking at having to drop the older MIPS models to be able to keep up with the increased workload involved in adding the HND platform and also the continual addition of new closed source bits.

Those binary objects are now requiring me to get one GPL archive for each model that I support whenever Asus issues an update. If Asus does not update a given model at the same time as others, chances are high that this model won't be compatible with the new code, preventing me from releasing updates at the same time as other models. This is why having too many different models increases the complexity of managing this project and planning releases. This is already happening as Asus does not update the RT-AC86U at the same time as the GT-AC5300. I consider the RT-AC86U to be a much more popular model, hence my decision to support that one.

 

[Trebuin]

It's not about the money. I could probably get a free router from Asus if I asked them. It's about the increased workload in supporting a router model that has its own unique features on top of everything else in the context of a one-man project. Customized webui, VPNFusion, etc... I simply cannot devote any additional time to this project, and I'm already looking at having to drop the older MIPS models to be able to keep up with the increased workload involved in adding the HND platform and also the continual addition of new closed source bits.

Those binary objects are now requiring me to get one GPL archive for each model that I support whenever Asus issues an update. If Asus does not update a given model at the same time as others, chances are high that this model won't be compatible with the new code, preventing me from releasing updates at the same time as other models. This is why having too many different models increases the complexity of managing this project and planning releases. This is already happening as Asus does not update the RT-AC86U at the same time as the GT-AC5300. I consider the RT-AC86U to be a much more popular model, hence my decision to support that one.

What would I lose by going to the GT-AC5300 without your firmware vs the RT model for example? I'm mainly looking at a triband router with the fastest usb smb server out there so I don't have to depend on a desktop.

 

[RMerlin]

What would I lose by going to the GT-AC5300 without your firmware vs the RT model for example?

https://asuswrt.lostrealm.ca/features

 

[bsdsource]

RMerlin I know you've run into an issue with acsd hanging with the RT-AC88U. I was wondering if you could flash the working 382 firmware released by ASUS to your RT-AC88U, ssh into the router and copy the acsd file to your computer to replace the one in the released GPL?

 

[RMerlin]

RMerlin I know you've run into an issue with acsd hanging with the RT-AC88U. I was wondering if you could flash the working 382 firmware released by ASUS to your RT-AC88U, ssh into the router and copy the acsd file to your computer to replace the one in the released GPL?

The acsd binary is not the problem. The MD5 is identical for both. The problem is not the wireless driver either, I even hand-copied it to a firmware image.

The problem is in the binary blobs used by rc and shared and that are included in the GPL release, which are responsible (among many things) for initializing the wifi system. They contain the same (broken) binary blobs as in the initial RT-AC3100 GPL drop (the one that had a broken firmware release).

 

[sharkus]

Firstly, it goes without saying, "Thank you!" for the continued work on firmware, it really is appreciated.
Secondly, as I have a RT-AC66U, which is performing quite well, one does wonder if it would be worth updating to a newer model that, obviously depending on decisions, would be able to use AM382 when it's ready, and if so, what would that be, an RT-AC68U?

 

[bsdsource]

RMerlin I was able to finally build a working firmware from the ASUS RT-AC3100 382 source code. I'm current using it right now. I'm attaching the syslog file since the log length exceeds maximum forum post content limit.

 

[Trebuin]

https://asuswrt.lostrealm.ca/features

Argh! Could you please support the gt5300? I just want that for the USB & wifi speed for smb & computer to computer transfers...not much else.

 

[Jack Yaz]

Argh! Could you please support the gt5300? I just want that for the USB & wifi speed for smb & computer to computer transfers...not much else.

Feel free to pitch in and develop the firmware @Trebuin

It's not about the money. I could probably get a free router from Asus if I asked them. It's about the increased workload in supporting a router model that has its own unique features on top of everything else in the context of a one-man project. Customized webui, VPNFusion, etc... I simply cannot devote any additional time to this project, and I'm already looking at having to drop the older MIPS models to be able to keep up with the increased workload involved in adding the HND platform and also the continual addition of new closed source bits.

Those binary objects are now requiring me to get one GPL archive for each model that I support whenever Asus issues an update. If Asus does not update a given model at the same time as others, chances are high that this model won't be compatible with the new code, preventing me from releasing updates at the same time as other models. This is why having too many different models increases the complexity of managing this project and planning releases. This is already happening as Asus does not update the RT-AC86U at the same time as the GT-AC5300. I consider the RT-AC86U to be a much more popular model, hence my decision to support that one.

 

[Trebuin]

Feel free to pitch in and develop the firmware @Trebuin

If I had any clue how, I would.

 

[WillyTP]

Dear RMerlin,
before everything lots of 10x from me too for your excellent firmwares.

Just asking / hoping for a future support of VLANs in your firmware.
Due to my needs I had to switch to Tomato actually, but if I could choose, I'd choose yours ;-)

Keep up the good job!

Best regards

 

[RMerlin]

Dear RMerlin,
before everything lots of 10x from me too for your excellent firmwares.

Just asking / hoping for a future support of VLANs in your firmware.
Due to my needs I had to switch to Tomato actually, but if I could choose, I'd choose yours ;-)

This is something that will have to be done by Asus, as otherwise it would be kludgy, and most likely conflict with Asus's own IPTV support (which manipulates VLANs).

Personally, I think people in need of VLANs will be better served by a managed switch anyway. Netgear has a very inexpensive 8-ports model.

Argh! Could you please support the gt5300? I just want that for the USB & wifi speed for smb & computer to computer transfers...not much else.

The RT-AC86U will give you that for nearly half the price of the GT-AC5300.

RMerlin I was able to finally build a working firmware from the ASUS RT-AC3100 382 source code. I'm current using it right now. I'm attaching the syslog file since the log length exceeds maximum forum post content limit.

I got a new RT-AC88U GPL today, haven't had time to look into it yet (was a very busy day at work). I see traces that Asus actually did try to compile it before tarring it (lots of intermediate files not usually found in their GPL drops, like Makefile.in files and such), so it's a good sign.

 

[RMerlin]

Secondly, as I have a RT-AC66U, which is performing quite well, one does wonder if it would be worth updating to a newer model that, obviously depending on decisions, would be able to use AM382 when it's ready, and if so, what would that be, an RT-AC68U?

The RT-AC68U (and RT-AC66U_B1) would be the direct successor to the RT-AC66U. One step further would be the RT-AC86U.

 

[RMerlin]

RMerlin I know you've run into an issue with acsd hanging with the RT-AC88U. I was wondering if you could flash the working 382 firmware released by ASUS to your RT-AC88U, ssh into the router and copy the acsd file to your computer to replace the one in the released GPL?

BTW, take a look at Firmware Mod Kit (not sure where it can be found since Google Code's demise). Really handy for extracting files from firmware images without having to flash them.

Binwalk might also do the trick (haven't tried it directly).

 

[David B]

I got a new RT-AC88U GPL today

Where did you get it from? The only 382 release I see on the website is the August 29, 2017 release.