[Fork] Asuswrt-Merlin 374.43 LTS releases (Archive)

[john9527]

Still dont have internet while using a dedicated HoSpot as main source of internet, while connected to USB port via usb cable; USB2 or USB3.

I don't have a way to test USB modem access, but you can give the 44D2 build a try, in the development folder
https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ainhp1nBLzMJiF2l3WjM46lSmxrH

This updates the usb drivers and adds explicit support for Android tethering as well as other component updates/new features (see the Changelog for details).

 

[Gar]

I don't use USB, but 44D2 works fine. Thanks again!

EDIT: Still working great with IPv6 Native and DoT.

 

[madfusker]

Thanks for the lastest update John! Very much appreciated!

 

[jrmwvu04]

And mdns.

As this is seemingly now implemented, what are the benefits to disabling?

 

[ColinTaylor]

What are the implications

As this is seemingly now implemented, what are the benefits to disabling?

For those of us that don't solely play inside Apple's walled garden it just gets rid of yet another unnecessary protocol floating around our networks. Also IMHO it helps avoid potentially confusing situations where some devices are reachable by one client but not another. Or one client is using myprinter.home.lan and another is using myprinter.local. But it really depends on what sort of network setup you have and how you use your client devices.

 

[jrmwvu04]

For those of us that don't solely play inside Apple's walled garden it just gets rid of yet another unnecessary protocol floating around our networks. Also IMHO it helps avoid potentially confusing situations where some devices are reachable by one client but not another. Or one client is using myprinter.home.lan and another is using myprinter.local. But it really depends on what sort of network setup you have and how you use your client devices.

Ok. I'm vaguely familiar with bonjour from a long time ago but even so, not sure what benefit it actually provides. I remember being able to set up printers with it/zeroconf but that was about it. I'm going to switch it off for a bit and see if it changes my life.

 

[XRunner]

@john9527
Hello John!
I use your wonderful firmware latest version 374.43_43E6j9527
Everything works perfectly! Thank you so much for not forgetting about us!
But I had one question.
I would like to ask if there is a Hardware Watchdog timer in your firmware?
And if there is a hardware Watchdog timer in it, then how to activate it?

 

[john9527]

I would like to ask if there is a Hardware Watchdog timer in your firmware?

Not sure what you mean by a 'hardware' watchdog. There is a watchdog that monitors all the key processes and internet connectivity that is always enabled (there is even a second watchdog that monitors the main watchdog to make sure it's up )

 

[XRunner]

@john9527
Hardware Watchdog timer is a service that reboots the router if the CPU freezes or the kernel of the operating system crashes.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Hardware Watchdog timer is a service that reboots the router if the CPU freezes or the operating system crashes.

AFAIK there are no Asus routers that have a hardware watchdog.

 

[XRunner]

AFAIK there are no Asus routers that have a hardware watchdog.

But the firmware on the ASUS RT-N56U router has this feature!

Spoiler: Example screenshot from ASUS RT-N56U

@john9527
Is there a similar feature on Merlin LTS fork?

 

[L&LD]

@XRunner, that is not Asus firmware though.

 

[XRunner]

@XRunner, that is not Asus firmware though.

Yes, this is fork ASUS firmware for ASUS RT-N56U, the same as the Merlin fork, for example.

 

[L&LD]

That may be so, but the hardware is also from a decade ago.

 

[ColinTaylor]

But the firmware on the ASUS RT-N56U router has this feature!

Is there a similar feature on Merlin LTS fork?

That appears to be an NMI process (I would argue that's not a true hardware watchdog, like for example iLO is ). AFAIK the kernel used in John's firmware doesn't have support for that.

Yes, this is fork ASUS firmware for ASUS RT-N56U, the same as the Merlin fork, for example.

That's not a fork, it's a complete re-write using a different kernel.

 

[XRunner]

@john9527
Hello!
Can you add the functionality of the "Hardware Watchdog Timer" to a future version of Merlin LTS fork?

 

[john9527]

AFAIK the kernel used in John's firmware doesn't have support for that.

Well...couldn't resist poking around a bit
Looks like the kernel watchdog made it's appearance in the 2.4 kernel....we use 2.6. It looks like the compile options are there, but disabled. Might be worthwhile poking at it some day (NOT some day soon )

 

[ColinTaylor]

Can you add the functionality of the "Hardware Watchdog Timer" to a future version of Merlin LTS fork?

Why are you so desperate for this option? What problem are you trying to fix that the current watchdog doesn't do?

Well...couldn't resist poking around a bit
Looks like the kernel watchdog made it's appearance in the 2.4 kernel....we use 2.6. It looks like the compile options are there, but disabled. Might be worthwhile poking at it some day (NOT some day soon )

I had a quick look at the Padavan source and as far as I could see the NMI watchdog was copied from OpenWRT and uses a feature of the Ralink processor used on the RT-N56U. I could only see software for the Broadcom chips.

EDIT: Looking at that Padavan option a bit more we can see it is a toggle for the Hardware Watchdog Timer. It sets a variable called watchdog_cpu which dictates whether or not it loads the rt_timer_wdg module. So this doesn't look to me to be a hardware watchdog at all but just an alternative timer source?

 

[rkcmaster]

Hey everyone,

Thanks john9527 for the awesome firmware!

Does anyone have any idea of what can be causing apps like iftop and tcpdump to reboot the router? They work for a few seconds and then it reboots.
I had the same issue in Merlin 380.70 and thought that it could be resolved in this firmware, but it still happens. Does not happen on the original firmware though and nothing gets logged.
My router is the RT-N66U.

Thanks,
Rodrigo

EDIT: fixed by installing the packages through Entware

 

[ColinTaylor]

Does anyone have any idea of what can be causing apps like iftop and tcpdump to reboot the router? They work for a few seconds and then it reboots.
I had the same issue in Merlin 380.70 and thought that it could be resolved in this firmware, but it still happens. Does not happen on the original firmware though and nothing gets logged.
My router is the RT-N88U.

What is an RT-N88U?