cake-autorate: adding support for Asus Merlin

[Lynx]

We are trying to add support for Asus Merlin to cake-autorate.

Can anyone please test this out:

Add ASUSWrt-Merlin support and don't hardcode /root/cake-autorate by rany2 · Pull Request #292 · lynxthecat/cake-autorate

This allows the user to override the default /root/cake-autorate path and should clear the path for a more standard installation.

github.com

 

[Kingp1n]

This seems pretty promising on my T-Mobile Internet.

I appreciate trying to bring this asuswrt-merlin firmware.

 

[Lynx]

Would you or anyone else be able to test I wonder?

 

[Kingp1n]

Would you or anyone else be able to test I wonder?

I use my T-Mobile Internet as a backup.

How would I go about installing this? Would I have to temporarily make THMI as primary and directly hook-up my Asus router to it?

 

[Lynx]

Yes, ideally. I think you'd just enable CAKE on the Asus Merlin router.

Make sure these are installed: entware; bash; iputils-ping; and fping.

And then run:

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lynxthecat/cake-autorate/master/setup.sh
chmod +x ./setup.sh
./setup.sh

And then edit the config file to specify the correct interfaces:

dl_if=ifb4eth0 # download interface
ul_if=eth0     # upload interface

and bandwidths (change according to your connection specifics):

min_dl_shaper_rate_kbps=5000   # minimum bandwidth for download (Kbit/s)
base_dl_shaper_rate_kbps=60000 # steady state bandwidth for download (Kbit/s)
max_dl_shaper_rate_kbps=100000 # maximum bandwidth for download (Kbit/s)

min_ul_shaper_rate_kbps=20000  # minimum bandwidth for upload (Kbit/s)
base_ul_shaper_rate_kbps=30000 # steady state bandwidth for upload (KBit/s)
max_ul_shaper_rate_kbps=35000  # maximum bandwidth for upload (Kbit/s)

And also enable logging:

output_summary_stats=1    # enable (1) or disable (0) output monitoring lines showing summary stats

And then try running manually:

./cake-autorate.sh

 

[Kingp1n]

Yes, ideally. I think you'd just enable CAKE on the Asus Merlin router and then run:

```
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lynxthecat/cake-autorate/master/setup.sh
chmod +x ./setup.sh
./setup.sh lynxthecat/cake-autorate asuswrt
```

Thanks....if I have time this weekend I'll try to test it. Hopefully someone running 4G/LTE full-time can try it sooner. Again, we appreciate this.

 

[rlj2]

@Lynx github is wanting a device verification for me to login, but im not getting the email.. So ill post to here for now.
setup.sh needs the shebang to point to /opt/bin/bash, asuswrt sh is not showing any output with printf in the script
The script then says jsonfilter and uclient-fetch are needed. uclient-fetch is not available on asuswrt. Edit: Looks like github has issues today according to there status, when its back fine, ill update to rany

 

[rlj2]

@Kingp1n they are basically just working on the install script to be asuswrt/openwrt compatible. You can still try autorate with https://github.com/LiveWire1968/Asus-cake-autorate

 

[Lynx]

For those reading it looks like good progress is getting made towards making an installer for cake-autorate on Asus Merlin. So users with variable rate connections like 4G/5G/DOCSIS/cable can enjoy the benefit of cake with the bandwidth correctly set on the fly.

This would be a significantly superior alternative to either fudging using a fixed bandwidth (sacrificing bandwidth or letting through too much bufferbloat) or using AutoBW using spdMerlin (which relies on periodic speed tests with cake switched off to set the bandwidth), since with cake-autorate bandwidth is adjusted at sub-second intervals whilst cake is running using only ICMPs (so no unnecessary saturating of the connection when cake is turned off).

Some light configuration is probably needed for an optimum experience.

If you use cake-autorate I only have one ask: that you create a GitHub account if you don't already have one and star the repository: https://github.com/lynxthecat/cake-autorate.

 

[kuki68ster]

Yes, ideally. I think you'd just enable CAKE on the Asus Merlin router.

Make sure these are installed: entware; bash; iputils-ping; and fping.

And then run:

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lynxthecat/cake-autorate/master/setup.sh
chmod +x ./setup.sh
./setup.sh

And then edit the config file to specify the correct interfaces:

dl_if=ifb4eth0 # download interface
ul_if=eth0     # upload interface

and bandwidths (change according to your connection specifics):

min_dl_shaper_rate_kbps=5000   # minimum bandwidth for download (Kbit/s)
base_dl_shaper_rate_kbps=60000 # steady state bandwidth for download (Kbit/s)
max_dl_shaper_rate_kbps=100000 # maximum bandwidth for download (Kbit/s)

min_ul_shaper_rate_kbps=20000  # minimum bandwidth for upload (Kbit/s)
base_ul_shaper_rate_kbps=30000 # steady state bandwidth for upload (KBit/s)
max_ul_shaper_rate_kbps=35000  # maximum bandwidth for upload (Kbit/s)

And also enable logging:

output_summary_stats=1    # enable (1) or disable (0) output monitoring lines showing summary stats

And then try running manually:

./cake-autorate.sh

Should I leave the bandwidth setting on automatic or manual?

 

[Lynx]

In the Asus Merlin GUI? In which case, 'manual' most likely. I'm not sure what 'automatic' does in the GUI? Can anyone explain that?

 

[kuki68ster]

In the Asus Merlin GUI? In which case, 'manual' most likely. I'm not sure what 'automatic' does in the GUI? Can anyone explain that?

 

[kuki68ster]

View attachment 58162

I tried to install it, but got an error in the end... No auto rotate file found...

Is there a "dummy" installation instruction? I think I missed something...

 

[Lynx]

I tried to install it, but got an error in the end... No auto rotate file found...

Is there a "dummy" installation instruction? I think I missed something...

Can you show the full output with error message please?

 

[kuki68ster]

Can you show the full output with error message please?

I was able to install it trough https://github.com/LiveWire1968/Asus-cake-autorate.

 

[Lynx]

Hmm. That won't help us move the needle in terms of getting the installer on the main code base to work for Asus Merlin routers.

@rlj2 can you perhaps help us out in terms of what's missing? I think it's worthwhile trying to strike while the iron is hot in terms of adding support for Asus Merlin.

 

[kuki68ster]

Can you show the full output with error message please?

I can redo the installation, if it helps… And send you the error I am getting...

Later, I am out of my place at this moment...

 

[kuki68ster]

I can redo the installation, if it helps… And send you the error I am getting...

Later, I am out of my place at this moment...

I also would request the command to clean the installation, so I can repeat without needing the format anything

 

[rlj2]

Hmm. That won't help us move the needle in terms of getting the installer on the main code base to work for Asus Merlin routers.

@rlj2 can you perhaps help us out in terms of what's missing? I think it's worthwhile trying to strike while the iron is hot in terms of adding support for Asus Merlin.

@Lynx Im not sure what the autolog rotate error could be. When me and Rany was working on this on IRC, Most was figured out, he was making a entware init.d script to install. Then he went quiet.

 

[Lynx]

I also would request the command to clean the installation, so I can repeat without needing the format anything

@rlj2 can advise there concerning his fork. It'll be very simple.

The installer we're working on for the main code has an associated uninstaller with code to handle the Asus Merlin instance.

cake-autorate/uninstall.sh at master · lynxthecat/cake-autorate

Eliminate the excess latency and jitter terrorizing your 4G, 5G, LTE, Starlink or other variable rate connection! - lynxthecat/cake-autorate

github.com

We really should get any issues with the main code base installer sorted out to ensure Asus Merlin users can all benefit from this code.