[Experimental] Asuswrt-Merlin 384.13 test - AiMesh/DNSSEC through OpenSSL

[Treadler]

Well I give up. Can not get AX88U and AC68U to mesh wirelessly. Even with stock firmware. Works with ethernet connection but not without it. Thought I had it working after adding the node with a cable, took it out to my shop and it connected but any clients trying to connect on the 2.4 would not get any internet. 5ghz and LAN connections worked.
Think I'll try an AC86U and see if that works.

Haha, I fought a similar battle today. AX88U > AC86U.
If meshing wirelessly, every (& I do mean every) wireless client must first be disconnected from your wifi.
This means that the set up must be done via a wired client.

So, I finally got them meshed, but the node (not far distant) kept going ‘offline’.
Then the node got ‘unmeshed’. Sigh!
Back to using a single router, spare one in cupboard. For me, Aimesh is a great idea, perhaps needing a tad more fine tuning. ;-)

 

[king006]

Haha, I fought a similar battle today. AX88U > AC86U.
If meshing wirelessly, every (& I do mean every) wireless client must first be disconnected from your wifi.
This means that the set up must be done via a wired client.

So, I finally got them meshed, but the node (not far distant) kept going ‘offline’.
Then the node got ‘unmeshed’. Sigh!
Back to using a single router, spare one in cupboard. For me, Aimesh is a great idea, perhaps needing a tad more fine tuning. ;-)

Then you really do something wrong. I have been using it for months and without problems between an RT-AC86U and RT-A86U. But also RT-AC68U and RT-AC68U at different locations. Is roaming on? smartconnect? turn that off. Perform a factory reset of both and reconnect step by step via WiFi or LAN. If WiFi, then put both side by side and connect.

 

[Swistheater]

So far so good here no mesh issues yet.

 

[Treadler]

With DNSSEC enabled, I still can’t get to this site with the new 384.13 Alpha1.

sa.gov.au

Disable DNSSEC, & no problem getting to it.

My ‘root canary’ test is improved, but not as good as the one in post #1.
(I’m using Cloudflare).



Otherwise, all seems fine.

So here’s a thing.
Changed DNS from Cloudflare to Quad9, & I can get to sa.gov.au just fine!
Testing continues.........

The root canary test with Quad9 produces a horrible result though, lots of red X’s. Go figure.

 

[Gitsum]

Works fine with the alpha thank you for @RMerlin

@Gitsum,

Set both to factory reset. Then Merlin alpha on the main router and on the node the stock firmware. Then make an Aimesh connection over WiFi (you want that anyway?). Both routers must then stand side by side for the connection. Does it work afterwards?

Is the roaming option on? that the connection is lost because the node is farther away than is set there?

I've done all that. Like I said before, it won't mesh via WIFI. Even after factory resets with ASUS stock firmware on BOTH routers. I've ordered an AC86U to give that a try.
Anyone else been successful with WIFI mesh between AX88 and AC68 ??

 

[FTC]

Hi, I installed this code 6 hours ago in my rt-ax88 and I am seeing higher temps than before (CPU temp around 86C when it used to be around 72C or lower with previous versions). Anyone seeing this ?

 

[skeal]

Hi, I installed this code 6 hours ago in my rt-ax88 and I am seeing higher temps than before (CPU temp around 86C when it used to be around 72C or lower with previous versions). Anyone seeing this ?

Actually yes I am seeing a jump by about 10 degrees Celsius.

 

[RMerlin]

Asus made some changes to power management on the AX routers with 384_6210, that might be why. They disable power management on certain hardware revisions.

 

[FTC]

Asus made some changes to power management on the AX routers with 384_6210, that might be why. They disable power management on certain hardware revisions.

Good to know.. Any way to reenable PM ? (through nvram settings or command line).. the alternative for me is to add a fan, because I am not confortable with a CPU temp of 86C when the router is mostly idle...

 

[L&LD]

Good to know.. Any way to reenable PM ? (through nvram settings or command line).. the alternative for me is to add a fan, because I am not confortable with a CPU temp of 86C when the router is mostly idle...

You may not be comfortable, but the router is okay with it. Operating as designed.

 

[FTC]

You may not be comfortable, but the router is okay with it. Operating as designed.

I agree that 86C is under *MAX temp* specs, the problem is how higher it can reach when the CPU is pegged hard.. and I may not be controlling it at that time.. note that most silicon tjunction max temps use to be around 100C, so the margin has been reduced significantly.

 

[RMerlin]

Good to know.. Any way to reenable PM ? (through nvram settings or command line).. the alternative for me is to add a fan, because I am not confortable with a CPU temp of 86C when the router is mostly idle...

If Asus decided to disable it, I'm sure it was for a perfectly good reason. The fact it's done based on HW revision makes me believe that there might have been an errata in the CPU, and newer revisions might use a newer CPU revision. So no, I don't recommend bypassing that change.

I agree that 86C is under *MAX temp* specs, the problem is how higher it can reach when the CPU is pegged hard.. and I may not be controlling it at that time.. note that most silicon tjunction max temps use to be around 100C, so the margin has been reduced significantly.

This isn't a linear increase. They didn't just add 10C to the base temperature, it's just that the potential temperature difference between 0% and 100% CPU load will be much smaller now, as when at 0% load, the CPU won't drop temperature as much as before.

 

[jerry6]

i have no use for aimesh , can i still run this FW ON MY 5300 DO i have to turn off mesh somehow or do i just run this FW like the previous versions .

 

[AndreiV]

i have no use for aimesh , can i still run this FW ON MY 5300 DO i have to turn off mesh somehow or do i just run this FW like the previous versions .

First post Jerry :

Before you begin
Make a backup of both your Settings and your JFFS partition before you start playing with these experimental builds.

To use the new dnsmasq support you don't need to do anything: just enable DNSSEC support, then watch the general behaviour. DNS-over-TLS settings should not have any impact on these tests.

For AiMesh support, during this test phase, you must manually enable it. To do so, log in over SSH, then run the following commands:
Code:
touch /jffs/.gomesh
reboot

So , no, AiMesh is off until switched on manually.

 

[Olivier]

I've done all that. Like I said before, it won't mesh via WIFI. Even after factory resets with ASUS stock firmware on BOTH routers. I've ordered an AC86U to give that a try.
Anyone else been successful with WIFI mesh between AX88 and AC68 ??

@Gitsum Working successful between one RT-AX88 as main router and two RT-AC68Us nodes AImesh.

 

[Kingp1n]

@RMerlin,. The downgrading & upgrading of the stock FWs on the nodes (RT-AC68Us) is working flawlessly. I had tried AIMesh in the past with RMerlin prior to the experimental FW and it seems my nodes are more responsive then before...it may be a placebo affect but it seems whatver you did on this FW has made created less drops on my devices. Awesome job!

 

[RMerlin]

.it may be a placebo affect but it seems whatver you did on this FW has made created less drops on my devices. Awesome job!

My firmware defaults to disabling certain features like Airtime Fairness which are known to be problematic with certain devices. That might explain the difference if your stock firmware still had that feature enabled.

 

[Broken Hope]

Is WPA 3 that is added to a beta bios on the AX board on here something that can be added to older models, or only the AX routers?

 

[Mutzli]

I agree that 86C is under *MAX temp* specs, the problem is how higher it can reach when the CPU is pegged hard.. and I may not be controlling it at that time.. note that most silicon tjunction max temps use to be around 100C, so the margin has been reduced significantly.

Your router is probably also using more power now. Mine is still running at around 70C when idle and around 75C when under load.

 

[FTC]

Your router is probably also using more power now. Mine is still running at around 70C when idle and around 75C when under load.

Yes I agree.. in any case I just added my low speed 5v fan under it.. and its back to 64C again..