DFS implementation for RT-AC66U

[mk1mk1]

Apparently other Routers like the Asus RT-AC68U and the Netgear R7000, while using the same BCM4360 ac-chip, already support the selection of channels above 100 on 5GHz in Europe, as DFS is now officially implemented in the Broadcom driver.

So is it possible to use/implement the part/driver, enabling this function in their firmware, in the RT-AC66U's Asuswrt-Merlin firmware?

 

[Shonk]

I believe the arm driver is much newer than the mips driver..
Asus need to update the ac66u driver

 

[mk1mk1]

Other possibilities?

Isn't there any way to get the newest (mips) driver directly from Broadcom?

Do all custom firmware projects rely on the official manufacturer's implementations?
This seems extremely inconvenient to me.

Are there maybe other products that already use a newer version of the mips driver under GPL from which it could be taken?

 

[RMerlin]

Isn't there any way to get the newest (mips) driver directly from Broadcom?

Do all custom firmware projects rely on the official manufacturer's implementations?
This seems extremely inconvenient to me.

That's the way it works. Source code for wireless drivers is only available to OEMs who pay Broadcom for access to the SDK, since it's composed of proprietary source code.

 

[_robodoc_]

RT-AC66U, Merlin .45 firmware

Browsing the wireless driver commands I found DFS related commands which are obviously functional (e.g. dfs_status, dfs_channel_forced).
It seems the wireless driver is DFS ready.

So why DFS is not yet supported by this router ? Would it be possible to use the according piece of code which handles the wireless driver in the RT-AC68U for the AC66U ?

 

[RMerlin]

RT-AC66U, Merlin .45 firmware

Browsing the wireless driver commands I found DFS related commands which are obviously functional (e.g. dfs_status, dfs_channel_forced).
It seems the wireless driver is DFS ready.

So why DFS is not yet supported by this router ? Would it be possible to use the according piece of code which handles the wireless driver in the RT-AC68U for the AC66U ?

Not from me, as I have zero way of testing it. If Asus hasn't enabled it on the RT-AC66 then there must be a reason - could be that the feature is simply broken. Keep in mind that the "wl" tool is the same accross all routers, so the fact the command supports the dfs commands doesn't imply the driver itself works properly.

 

[mk1mk1]

Why should they?

If Asus enabled DFS (or any other feature) in their older and therefore cheaper router, they would risk more people to buy the older one with a smaller margin and they would maybe loose money.

Even if most people probably wouldn't care, why should they do that?

This is especially problematic since the successor (RT-AC68U) isn't actually that different. Netgear even called their successor to the technically very similar R6300 just R6300v2; the latter being the equivalent to the RT-AC68U.

So let's hope that there will somehow in the near future appear a working driver somewhere on the internet.

 

[RMerlin]

If Asus enabled DFS (or any other feature) in their older and therefore cheaper router, they would risk more people to buy the older one with a smaller margin and they would maybe loose money.

Even if most people probably wouldn't care, why should they do that?

Fortunately, that's not the way Asus thinks. Look at their old RT-N16. They added tons of new features such as OpenVPN and Dual WAN support to it despite the model being years old.

People tend to buy products based on a budget. If they allocate 150$ to their budget, and the competitor's 150$ product has more features, they will go with the competitor.

The RT-AC68 did not replace the RT-AC66. It covered the 200$-budget slot, while the RT-AC66 is now covering the 150$ budget slot. They both have their place on the market, and will attract different buyers based on their budget.

Asus's main competition isn't their own higher-end devices - it's their competitor's devices which sell at the same prices.

This is especially problematic since the successor (RT-AC68U) isn't actually that different. Netgear even called their successor to the technically very similar R6300 just R6300v2; the latter being the equivalent to the RT-AC68U.

The RT-AC68 is actually quite different from the RT-AC66. The CPU is about 3 times faster, and is a completely different chip. The CPU architecture is also completely different. The router is based on a newer version of Broadcom's SDK (6.37 versus 6.30 for MIPS devices).

 

[Embattle]

I really hope they add it soon, since I live in London I'm seeing more and more people on the limited range of 5ghz channels.

 

[_robodoc_]

New AC66 Firmware 3.0.0.4.376.2524 is out.

Still no DFS support.

 

[Shonk]

its the same driver as the last build is why

 

[Embattle]

About time they update it surely