Downgrading to stock - things to consider?

[MvW]

Hi folks,

I'm really sorry, but I don't see any other option anymore than to 'downgrade' to Asus stock firmware. Although it's technically switching, it feels like downgrade. It feels like forcing a winning race horse to join a local merry-go-round. I want to emphasize, this has nothing to do whatsoever with Eric's excellent work nor all the work of the other devs, but I just can't keep up. My head's a huge mess, I have to jot every single change down because two minutes later it's all gone, so for the stability of our home network, which my son heavily relies on currently because of school from home, I have to make sure things stay stable and suppress my urge to play and experiment. Which is a shame, because I was hoping that it would help me to get my mind of the things that have happened the past years.

Over the past two days I had to start fresh three times over, outside of school hours, mostly late in the evening or at night, following @L&LD 's guides to the letter, but I manage to mess things up, even with only Diversion and SkyNet (which I will both miss the most) installed and my network becomes unusable. Because or my limitations, which are both physical as well as mental, I really should be in bed at those times and connected to the required machinery to get a good nights' rest.

But somehow it keeps turning out the same (which I blame on myself and specifically not on the stability of Asuswrrt-Merlin - I really want to emphasize that): random wireless connections as well as random wired connections get flaky and unstable (to say at the least), dnsmasq won't stop complaining about config errors and refuses to resolve anything that's not local after a plain and simple install of Diversion so I'm lost. I see quirks I can't explain and don't even know where to start troubleshooting. Unmounting and pulling out my usb stick (which is new and freshly formatted btw) followed by a reboot is the only way to restore internet access and all things turn back to normal.

Severe memory loss and brain issues prevent me from accessing the knowledge to debug things and the forum is not anymore what it used to be (please take no offense to those who have tried to help me out). It's like I'm not up to the task anymore and I don't succeed in finding the support I need, nor do I have the energy to do so. After I got sick my wife decided to trade me in for an aged specimen with less defects and left me and my autistic son behind, which resulted in moving to a fitting home, so my energy levels are already low and I decided I can't afford to spent more energy on my network or other 'irrelevant' stuff as I need every bit of it to keep taking care for my son, as I am the one who mainly takes care of him.

Well, so much for the whining, the sentimental part. It is what it is and I know we all get our own deck of cards in life and have to deal with them, so I don't want to complain. For the ones who know me (of have recognized me from my two previous nicknames around here) it might give some context.

What I do need is some last advice, before I pack my virtual bags and go:

What are things to take in consideration when downgrading to stock? I downloaded both FW_RT_AC86U_300438641634.zip and FW_RT_AC68U_300438641634.zip (the latest stable releases) from ASUS US for my main router and my node. How to proceed from there? Perform a firmware 'upgrade', reset to factory defaults and start fresh (without all the goodies)? Please advice.

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,
Marco a.k.a. M@rco a.k.a MarCoMLXXV

 

[bbunge]

After you flash whichever firmware you choose do a Hard Factory Reset (https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1039074/) then configure manually. That's it! Nuclear reset is not needed.
However, I do recommend you use the most recent Asus firmware which for bot of your routers is listed as beta on the Asus support site. Both work well and fix several security issues.
Come back to Merlin when you can.

 

[KingBravery]

Just flash the stock firmware. Then factory reset and tick initialize all settings.

If after you back to stock but still face those problem, it maybe caused by your device itself.

Why don't you use Merlin firmware but without those addons?

Hope you may rest after settling the downgrade.

 

[Andy1932]

Just flash the stock firmware. Then factory reset and tick initialize all settings.

If after you back to stock but still face those problem, it maybe caused by your device itself.

Why don't you use Merlin firmware but without those addons?

Hope you may rest after settling the downgrade.

This. Maybe start out a little slower, instead of loading a bunch of add-ons you may not really need. Maybe skip skynet for a while and just use something like adguard dns, instead of diversion to see if your issues lie elsewhere.


(No disrespect to diversion or skynet )

 

[L&LD]

@MvW, I wish you and your son all the best going forward.

As others have stated, flash the firmware you want to use (stock or RMerlin, the advice is the same) first. Then, do a full reset via the WPS Button method @bbunge linked for you above, appropriate for the router you're doing it for.

Take care of yourself, take care of your son. Better days will come soon enough where you can focus your attention better on the options and features that RMerlin firmware offers. And, during normal hours that keep you healthy, strong, and fresh for all your responsibilities.

I do not recognize you or your handles, but I do have a few customers that are more like friends with similar issues. For one of them, it has taken the better part of a year to get them to use a smartphone again without feeling anxious. They (along with everyone else today) need to be connected and online just to do the normal things that need to get done. It was a major milestone when they allowed me to set up their home network once again for them.

I think you're further ahead than you realize. Even though you've hit some stumbling blocks, for now, you still did all this on your own while caring for your son too. Take the 'win' for the success it has been. You'll conquer the mountain next time and then, it will feel like a hill.

Please don't 'leave' the forums just because you go to stock firmware. Read what you find interesting, join the discussions where you can. You're more than welcome here.

If you have more network issues, I'm sure that we'll all be here to help as best we can.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Hi folks,

I'm really sorry, but I don't see any other option anymore than to 'downgrade' to Asus stock firmware. Although it's technically switching, it feels like downgrade. It feels like forcing a winning race horse to join a local merry-go-round. I want to emphasize, this has nothing to do whatsoever with Eric's excellent work nor all the work of the other devs, but I just can't keep up. My head's a huge mess, I have to jot every single change down because two minutes later it's all gone, so for the stability of our home network, which my son heavily relies on currently because of school from home, I have to make sure things stay stable and suppress my urge to play and experiment. Which is a shame, because I was hoping that it would help me to get my mind of the things that have happened the past years.

Over the past two days I had to start fresh three times over, outside of school hours, mostly late in the evening or at night, following @L&LD 's guides to the letter, but I manage to mess things up, even with only Diversion and SkyNet (which I will both miss the most) installed and my network becomes unusable. Because or my limitations, which are both physical as well as mental, I really should be in bed at those times and connected to the required machinery to get a good nights' rest.

But somehow it keeps turning out the same (which I blame on myself and specifically not on the stability of Asuswrrt-Merlin - I really want to emphasize that): random wireless connections as well as random wired connections get flaky and unstable (to say at the least), dnsmasq won't stop complaining about config errors and refuses to resolve anything that's not local after a plain and simple install of Diversion so I'm lost. I see quirks I can't explain and don't even know where to start troubleshooting. Unmounting and pulling out my usb stick (which is new and freshly formatted btw) followed by a reboot is the only way to restore internet access and all things turn back to normal.

Severe memory loss and brain issues prevent me from accessing the knowledge to debug things and the forum is not anymore what it used to be (please take no offense to those who have tried to help me out). It's like I'm not up to the task anymore and I don't succeed in finding the support I need, nor do I have the energy to do so. After I got sick my wife decided to trade me in for an aged specimen with less defects and left me and my autistic son behind, which resulted in moving to a fitting home, so my energy levels are already low and I decided I can't afford to spent more energy on my network or other 'irrelevant' stuff as I need every bit of it to keep taking care for my son, as I am the one who mainly takes care of him.

Well, so much for the whining, the sentimental part. It is what it is and I know we all get our own deck of cards in life and have to deal with them, so I don't want to complain. For the ones who know me (of have recognized me from my two previous nicknames around here) it might give some context.

What I do need is some last advice, before I pack my virtual bags and go:

What are things to take in consideration when downgrading to stock? I downloaded both FW_RT_AC86U_300438641634.zip and FW_RT_AC68U_300438641634.zip (the latest stable releases) from ASUS US for my main router and my node. How to proceed from there? Perform a firmware 'upgrade', reset to factory defaults and start fresh (without all the goodies)? Please advice.

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,
Marco a.k.a. M@rco a.k.a MarCoMLXXV

Install the latest stock Asuswrt firmware 41994 beta RC2-11 for each model, reset all, and configure the router from scratch.

Reset FAQ
Reset Button/webUI Restore (preferred)
WPS Button Hard Reset

My install notes can guide a basic configuration. With familiarity, you can step through it and have a network in about 20 minutes.

OE

 

[shelleyevans]

This thread makes me so grateful to be part of this generous, patient community. Thanks to all of you. And my best to you, @MvW. These are challenging times.

 

[BreakingDad]

Please don't 'leave' the forums just because you go to stock firmware

I believe there is a special place on the forum for "those" people .

Joking, stay strong @MvW we're all sad old men with no lives and happy to help anyone.

I would give Merlin one more shot however, do a full wipe of everything and start afresh. Without diversion initially. Start a new JFFS, then add just skynet. If all is well try diversion later. There are other ways of blocking adverts, a simple Pi3 running pihole or adguard for example, or even just ublock origin on the browser.

Use 20mhz for 2.4ghz on maybe channel 11 and fully open 5ghz 20/4080mhz? channel 64 on that router not sure. As for wired, maybe try new cables on the disconnecting devices.

Spend a Saturday doing it when the house is quiet. slowly and carefully. Take care buddy.

 

[mromero]

I can relate to your personal challenges. Many of us do not have the time we had in our youth to be frittering away on tweaking, patching, testing etc.

That time, especially in this age of pandemics and economies in a tailspin, is best invested in making money, taking care of loved ones and trying to enjoy what is left of our time in this dimension.

I am using Merlin 384.19 that in my mind is the last good iteration for the RTAC86U.

No fans, no gizmos hanging off the router, smooth sailing.

Using UNBOUND latest version and a commercial grade router in front of the Asus. No use for Trend Micro.

May yet follow you and downgrade to the official Asus non 386 version.

 

[jpthsd]

@MvW, I wish you and your son all the best going forward.

As others have stated, flash the firmware you want to use (stock or RMerlin, the advice is the same) first. Then, do a full reset via the WPS Button method @bbunge linked for you above, appropriate for the router you're doing it for.

Take care of yourself, take care of your son. Better days will come soon enough where you can focus your attention better on the options and features that RMerlin firmware offers. And, during normal hours that keep you healthy, strong, and fresh for all your responsibilities.

I do not recognize you or your handles, but I do have a few customers that are more like friends with similar issues. For one of them, it has taken the better part of a year to get them to use a smartphone again without feeling anxious. They (along with everyone else today) need to be connected and online just to do the normal things that need to get done. It was a major milestone when they allowed me to set up their home network once again for them.

I think you're further ahead than you realize. Even though you've hit some stumbling blocks, for now, you still did all this on your own while caring for your son too. Take the 'win' for the success it has been. You'll conquer the mountain next time and then, it will feel like a hill.

Please don't 'leave' the forums just because you go to stock firmware. Read what you find interesting, join the discussions where you can. You're more than welcome here.

If you have more network issues, I'm sure that we'll all be here to help as best we can.

Like my case, 386.1 on both AX86U & AC86U and kept getting "circling" (buffering right word to use) on AC86U. Once I got onto the AsusWRT firmware on both, it's been running a-OK since last 3 days no buffering. My network AiMesh AX86U main, AC86U node are servicing 25 WiFi, 15 wired devices.

Maybe 386.2 will have better improvements & fixes? (My last experience with 384.18 was awesome until 386.1 hit & miss...)...would love to get on another Merline fw again ...until next time!!

 

[BreakingDad]

until 386.1 hit & miss

Unfortunately Merlin can only work with what Asus give him. I suspect that most issues stem from Asus's own firmware rather than Merlins additions and fixes.

 

[jpthsd]

Unfortunately Merlin can only work with what Asus give him. I suspect that most issues stem from Asus's own firmware rather than Merlins additions and fixes.

Agreed,,,much appreciate Merlin's work. I didn't mean at all 386.1 bad, it could be the isoalted case 386.1 is not suitable for my setup and maybe it's much working better with 386.1_2 so until next maybe 386.2 ! will keep trying new Merlin firmware..I like the down/up meters right on the main page and other monitoring capabilities Merlin's firmware offered! (my only goal for my home network is the stable, med-strong wifi/wired network rather than rich feature-set like vpn, dns)

 

[MvW]

Okay, that didn't take long, but I'm back to Asuswrt-Merlin. Stock firmware is like having a racing horse with only 2 legs. I discovered NextDNS, applied for a paid subscriptions and decided to subscribe to ProtonVPN, and that's when you start to run into the 'limitations' of stock firmware when you're already used to Merlin.
So, I decided to take it slow. At least I tried. I've succesfully setup an AIMesh Network, installed the NextDNS CLI client, SkyNet. I'm going leave Diversion for what it is. And I've installed some of @Jack Yaz 'lighter' scripts because they've prove to be useful. Allthough there's still enough to learn.

I would like to thank @L&LD and the others above who have taken the trouble to assist me and your encouraging words, which have led me to believe that I can master this again. I will probably need your help shortly to setup my VPN subscription. I managed to do so succesfully on stock firmware, but it's just too limited (no PBR, not able to used NextDNS combined with ProtonVPN, and if I'm not mistaken I should be able to do so on Merlin).

So, thanks again. This is a great community indeed.

Ps. @L&LD I could have sworn I saw a 2021 firmware guide coming by somewhere on the forum, but it's not on your about page. Is it current? With over 16.000 posts it's kinda hard to keep track of you

 

[L&LD]

"Stock firmware is like having a racing horse with only 2 legs." So true!

I'm exceptionally busy these days, but I hope these links may help you.

Best Practice Update/Setup Router/AiMesh Node(s) 2021


Don't forget that the above is built on the 'original' that has stood the test of time for me and my customers.

M&M Config https://www.snbforums.com/threads/n...l-and-manual-configuration.27115/#post-205573


My signature link has a few posts, but it is limited in what can be added, I will try to see if I can add/improve the links in the coming few days.

L&LD | SmallNetBuilder Forums


Glad to see you back on the RMerlin firmware @MvW. Stay safe and take care.