Best setup for the Asus RT-AC68U (ACTUALIZED to 2019)

[AndreiV]

Hi
I’m a new 86U owner and am going through your great checklist and for the life of me I can’t find where to do step #6:

6. Change the Memory Management: Regularly flush caches (default: Yes), to No (RMerlin Tools/Other Settings page).

Where do I change this setting?

What firmware are you using?
If running Merlin firmware it is :
GUI > General > Tools > Other settings > Advanced Tweaks and Hacks

 

[erizock]

What firmware are you using?
If running Merlin firmware it is :
GUI > General > Tools > Other settings > Advanced Tweaks and Hacks

Currently using latest stock ASUS firmware Version:3.0.0.4.384_81351
But I am about to flash the latest Merlin firmware.

 

[AndreiV]

Currently using latest stock ASUS firmware Version:3.0.0.4.384_81351
But I am about to flash the latest Merlin firmware.

That is what you need to get the extra features. The settings are not available in ASUS stock firmware.

 

[erizock]

Got it. Thanks!

 

[erizock]

Got it. Thanks!

So I installed the latest Merlin firmware. And I’m in other settings. Under Advance tweaks and hacks I see 4 settings. 3 of them are already on No. One setting labeled “dhcpd: send empty WPAD with a carriage return” is checked Yes. Is that the one I have to switch to No?

 

[AndreiV]

On my AC3200 it is the first on the list. Maybe it's different on your AC86U , you'll need to ask an 86U user.

 

[L&LD]

Sorry for the late reply, but on that model (RT-AC86U), that setting isn't available.

(Had to confirm first before I replied).

 

[erizock]

Now I have my 86U all set up with the latest Merlin firmware. But I have a new challenge...
I use Roon to manage my music library at home and play across multiple sources (network streamer, iPhone, galaxy phones, MacBooks, Apple TV,etc. )
But to use Roon I need a router that supports multi casting....https://kb.roonlabs.com/Networking_Best_Practices
And of course this specific model does not support multicasting. Is there a workaround or hack to enable multicasting on the RT-AC86U?

 

[Gar]

dlandiss is correct, there is no one ultimate setup. However, there is still a 'best practices' method that is a good starting point for all further configurations.

Look at the links in my signature for more in-depth information, but for an overview, the following is what will get you going in the right direction.

1. Whether you will use RMerlin's firmware or not, flash the version of the firmware you will use and then proceed to do a full reset of the router, even if you haven't previously used it at all (i.e it is 'brand new, out of the box').
2. When resetting to factory defaults with the GUI, make sure to tick the box that says 'initialize settings...' that is right beside it.
3. If that checkbox is not available in your firmware version, then after doing a factory reset via the GUI;
4. Also, perform the 'format jffs partition on next boot' and proceed to reboot the router 3 times in the next 15 minutes or so (with 5 to 10 minutes between reboots to allow the router to configure itself as needed).
5. Now, we can manually and minimally configure the router to secure it and connect to our ISP. This means that we do not use a saved configuration file to 'restore' any previous settings.
6. This also means that we accept the defaults for most settings too, especially if using an RMerlin firmware, or we have any doubt as to what the consequences might be.

With the above completed (it is less than 1/2 hour of 'work'), we will change the following defaults:

1. Disable Universal/Implicit Beamforming on both bands in the Wireless/Professional pages.
2. Disable Airtime Fairness on both bands in the Wireless/Professional pages.
3. Disable MU-MIMO on both bands in the Wireless/Professional pages.
   
4. Set Preamble type to Short on the 2.4GHz band in the Wireless/Professional pages.
   
5. Set the Time Zone and DST Time Zone changes settings for our locale.
6. Change the Memory Management: Regularly flush caches (default: Yes), to No (RMerlin Tools/Other Settings page).
7. Change the Control Channels for both bands away from 'Auto' after testing which Control channel works best (2.4GHz use 1, 6 or 11 'only').
8. With a new router or a fully reset one such as the above steps outline, I recommend a new SSID for each band too.
9. Or, alternately, 'forget' the network on each client device that will be used in this network and then re-associate them. Some clients may need to have a 'reset networks' command and reboot too with this method. It is much easier to just use a new SSID.

With the above completed, you will have the fastest, most stable and most reliable network possible.

Of course, we can do much more with our Asus + RMerlin powered routers. Once the above is proven to be stable in your network, the additional features such as AiProtection, Parental Controls, etc. can be added as needed.

Don't forget the most powerful features of these routers: the excellent scripts available for them. My signature below contains some of the most popular ones I am currently using. For the additional 'cost' of a spare USB drive.

Hope this is enough to get you started.

Missed the change to memory management all this time, otherwise all your recommendations have been working great for me!

 

[Jibulationz]

dlandiss is correct, there is no one ultimate setup. However, there is still a 'best practices' method that is a good starting point for all further configurations.

Look at the links in my signature for more in-depth information, but for an overview, the following is what will get you going in the right direction.

1. Whether you will use RMerlin's firmware or not, flash the version of the firmware you will use and then proceed to do a full reset of the router, even if you haven't previously used it at all (i.e it is 'brand new, out of the box').
2. When resetting to factory defaults with the GUI, make sure to tick the box that says 'initialize settings...' that is right beside it.
3. If that checkbox is not available in your firmware version, then after doing a factory reset via the GUI;
4. Also, perform the 'format jffs partition on next boot' and proceed to reboot the router 3 times in the next 15 minutes or so (with 5 to 10 minutes between reboots to allow the router to configure itself as needed).
5. Now, we can manually and minimally configure the router to secure it and connect to our ISP. This means that we do not use a saved configuration file to 'restore' any previous settings.
6. This also means that we accept the defaults for most settings too, especially if using an RMerlin firmware, or we have any doubt as to what the consequences might be.

With the above completed (it is less than 1/2 hour of 'work'), we will change the following defaults:

1. Disable Universal/Implicit Beamforming on both bands in the Wireless/Professional pages.
2. Disable Airtime Fairness on both bands in the Wireless/Professional pages.
3. Disable MU-MIMO on both bands in the Wireless/Professional pages.
   
4. Set Preamble type to Short on the 2.4GHz band in the Wireless/Professional pages.
   
5. Set the Time Zone and DST Time Zone changes settings for our locale.
6. Change the Memory Management: Regularly flush caches (default: Yes), to No (RMerlin Tools/Other Settings page).
7. Change the Control Channels for both bands away from 'Auto' after testing which Control channel works best (2.4GHz use 1, 6 or 11 'only').
8. With a new router or a fully reset one such as the above steps outline, I recommend a new SSID for each band too.
9. Or, alternately, 'forget' the network on each client device that will be used in this network and then re-associate them. Some clients may need to have a 'reset networks' command and reboot too with this method. It is much easier to just use a new SSID.

With the above completed, you will have the fastest, most stable and most reliable network possible.

Of course, we can do much more with our Asus + RMerlin powered routers. Once the above is proven to be stable in your network, the additional features such as AiProtection, Parental Controls, etc. can be added as needed.

Don't forget the most powerful features of these routers: the excellent scripts available for them. My signature below contains some of the most popular ones I am currently using. For the additional 'cost' of a spare USB drive.

Hope this is enough to get you started.

Is this still accurate for merlin fw ver. 384.15?

 

[L&LD]

@Jibulationz, yes it is. It is my 'baseline' install process so that I know what/how the router should be responding to after a full reset.

After this is proven stable, further customization is possible, of course. But if issues arise, start here and add one customization/change at a time until it is proven stable too and then continue until you find the source of the problem(s).

 

[tts]

Has anyone see the actually benefits on these tweaks? I tried all of them, and can't observe any speed improvement? The speed is always around 300Mbps before and after the tweaks.

Owner of ac68u, and tried bot official and merlin firmware.

 

[L&LD]

@tts what are your ISP paid for speeds up/down? What client are you using to do the test with? What actual tests are you using? What is the WiFi environment in which the testing occurs (is it a farm, apartments, single-family home)? What construction materials are used in the home? What distance are you testing at?

These are just some of the variables. You may have been lucky to achieve the best speeds from the start.

 

[DocUmibozu]

1. Change the Memory Management: Regularly flush caches (default: Yes), to No (RMerlin Tools/Other Settings page).

Hello, I've a Ac66u rev2 (same ad ac68u), as my parents and a friend of mine.
Setting this to No has always caused hangup of the router after about 1 week of usage.
My suggestion is to try, but if you awake one morning with a network fallout, this is the first setting to restore to default.

 

[L&LD]

@DocUmibozu are you referring to the RT-AC66U_B1?

 

[DocUmibozu]

@DocUmibozu are you referring to the RT-AC66U_B1?

Yes

 

[podge]

dlandiss is correct, there is no one ultimate setup. However, there is still a 'best practices' method that is a good starting point for all further configurations.

Look at the links in my signature for more in-depth information, but for an overview, the following is what will get you going in the right direction.

1. Whether you will use RMerlin's firmware or not, flash the version of the firmware you will use and then proceed to do a full reset of the router, even if you haven't previously used it at all (i.e it is 'brand new, out of the box').
2. When resetting to factory defaults with the GUI, make sure to tick the box that says 'initialize settings...' that is right beside it.
3. If that checkbox is not available in your firmware version, then after doing a factory reset via the GUI;
4. Also, perform the 'format jffs partition on next boot' and proceed to reboot the router 3 times in the next 15 minutes or so (with 5 to 10 minutes between reboots to allow the router to configure itself as needed).
5. Now, we can manually and minimally configure the router to secure it and connect to our ISP. This means that we do not use a saved configuration file to 'restore' any previous settings.
6. This also means that we accept the defaults for most settings too, especially if using an RMerlin firmware, or we have any doubt as to what the consequences might be.

With the above completed (it is less than 1/2 hour of 'work'), we will change the following defaults:

1. Disable Universal/Implicit Beamforming on both bands in the Wireless/Professional pages.
2. Disable Airtime Fairness on both bands in the Wireless/Professional pages.
3. Disable MU-MIMO on both bands in the Wireless/Professional pages.
   
4. Set Preamble type to Short on the 2.4GHz band in the Wireless/Professional pages.
   
5. Set the Time Zone and DST Time Zone changes settings for our locale.
6. Change the Memory Management: Regularly flush caches (default: Yes), to No (RMerlin Tools/Other Settings page).
7. Change the Control Channels for both bands away from 'Auto' after testing which Control channel works best (2.4GHz use 1, 6 or 11 'only').
8. With a new router or a fully reset one such as the above steps outline, I recommend a new SSID for each band too.
9. Or, alternately, 'forget' the network on each client device that will be used in this network and then re-associate them. Some clients may need to have a 'reset networks' command and reboot too with this method. It is much easier to just use a new SSID.

With the above completed, you will have the fastest, most stable and most reliable network possible.

Of course, we can do much more with our Asus + RMerlin powered routers. Once the above is proven to be stable in your network, the additional features such as AiProtection, Parental Controls, etc. can be added as needed.

Don't forget the most powerful features of these routers: the excellent scripts available for them. My signature below contains some of the most popular ones I am currently using. For the additional 'cost' of a spare USB drive.

Hope this is enough to get you started.

Hi, I'm also a new AC68U user and about to try and install the latest merlin software. I just want to get the best wifi from the router.
I have 2 university students at home working all day, so I need a stable router with the best speed possible.
At the moment the 2.4 GHz band is giving me about 30 Mbps download from about 3 metres away, and the 5GHz is giving me 90 Mpbs from the same distance. This is on a supposed 100 Mbps plan (but it is 5:30 pm). Moving 10 metres away the signal drops significantly.

Is there anything else I can do apart from L&LD's settings above and merlin's software? I'm not really using the router for anything else.

I'm limited by the fact that unless I run many ethernet cables around the house, the router has to sit within 3 metres of the arris modem, and all my tv and stereo equipment. We are on hfc, which splits the signal to the cable tv and the arris modem.

The house is 2 levels and the router is on the ground floor, almost as far away as possible from most of the house Should I put a repeater somewhere?

Thanks

 

[Akki]

dlandiss is correct, there is no one ultimate setup. However, there is still a 'best practices' method that is a good starting point for all further configurations.

Look at the links in my signature for more in-depth information, but for an overview, the following is what will get you going in the right direction.

1. Whether you will use RMerlin's firmware or not, flash the version of the firmware you will use and then proceed to do a full reset of the router, even if you haven't previously used it at all (i.e it is 'brand new, out of the box').
2. When resetting to factory defaults with the GUI, make sure to tick the box that says 'initialize settings...' that is right beside it.
3. If that checkbox is not available in your firmware version, then after doing a factory reset via the GUI;
4. Also, perform the 'format jffs partition on next boot' and proceed to reboot the router 3 times in the next 15 minutes or so (with 5 to 10 minutes between reboots to allow the router to configure itself as needed).
5. Now, we can manually and minimally configure the router to secure it and connect to our ISP. This means that we do not use a saved configuration file to 'restore' any previous settings.
6. This also means that we accept the defaults for most settings too, especially if using an RMerlin firmware, or we have any doubt as to what the consequences might be.

With the above completed (it is less than 1/2 hour of 'work'), we will change the following defaults:

1. Disable Universal/Implicit Beamforming on both bands in the Wireless/Professional pages.
2. Disable Airtime Fairness on both bands in the Wireless/Professional pages.
3. Disable MU-MIMO on both bands in the Wireless/Professional pages.
   
4. Set Preamble type to Short on the 2.4GHz band in the Wireless/Professional pages.
   
5. Set the Time Zone and DST Time Zone changes settings for our locale.
6. Change the Memory Management: Regularly flush caches (default: Yes), to No (RMerlin Tools/Other Settings page).
7. Change the Control Channels for both bands away from 'Auto' after testing which Control channel works best (2.4GHz use 1, 6 or 11 'only').
8. With a new router or a fully reset one such as the above steps outline, I recommend a new SSID for each band too.
9. Or, alternately, 'forget' the network on each client device that will be used in this network and then re-associate them. Some clients may need to have a 'reset networks' command and reboot too with this method. It is much easier to just use a new SSID.

With the above completed, you will have the fastest, most stable and most reliable network possible.

Of course, we can do much more with our Asus + RMerlin powered routers. Once the above is proven to be stable in your network, the additional features such as AiProtection, Parental Controls, etc. can be added as needed.

Don't forget the most powerful features of these routers: the excellent scripts available for them. My signature below contains some of the most popular ones I am currently using. For the additional 'cost' of a spare USB drive.

Hope this is enough to get you started.

L&LD , can we use those settings on RT-AC5300 to get as you mentioned "the fastest, most stable and most reliable network possible"

Thanks in advance!

 

[L&LD]

@Akki, yes.

 

[Akki]

@Akki, yes.

And guess what?! - All set, on all 3 bands man everything fliesssss
Thanks alot!