Installation Step-by-step guide, Asuswrt-Merlin/RT-AX88U

[Ningex]

Hello
is there a step by step guide to install, Asuswrt-Merlin/ for RT-AX88U?

Here on wiki is some information

Home

Third party firmware for Asus routers (newer codebase) - RMerl/asuswrt-merlin.ng

github.com

but how do I start? I have a router (second hand), Linux OS also, but what next?


File here is also 2.5 years old, should I use this or another?

Asuswrt-Merlin - Browse /RT-AX88U at SourceForge.net

Alternative firmware for Asus wireless routers

sourceforge.net

 

[L&LD]

New M&M 2020

If the above link doesn't give you a stable router/network, continue with the links below.

Fully Reset Router and Network

L&LD | SmallNetBuilder Forums

 

[Ningex]

3. There is no reason for a tutorial for OpenVPN. If you just go in and enable it, hit apply, and export the OpenVPN file (and then import it to the device you want) it just works.
===========================================================================

Okay, you're talking about a paid-for VPN service, not an OpenVPN connection back to your home when you're out and about.

I don't use nor recommend those services at all. Someone else will need to help with that.

Try to set " Username / Password Auth. Only " to NO, you use both password and certificate
Seems you use a very old FW, which one and router model?

With the links above, that you show, i was happy to configure the router for the first time, so far so good.
However amout of parameters which is still unsolved is big.

Since these are specific settings of the router, I have summarized the events below.

Router specification
____________________


Model: RT-AX88U

Firmware version: 384.19

Firmware build: Fri Aug 14 19:20:07 UTC 2020 merlin@9a4e0c6


The firmware is up to date.

Asuswrt-Merlin - Browse /RT-AX88U/Release at SourceForge.net

Alternative firmware for Asus wireless routers

sourceforge.net

VPN specification
_________________

I have NordVPN - which is a paid VPN service.
Instructions on how to set it up properly would be appreciated.

However, You said you were using FREE OpenVPN,
if so, which FREE service would you use, and if so, I bet you already have instructions on how to configure it.
Which one is that?

Which VPN service on OpenVPMyou recommend to use?


VPN configuration
_________________
In this menu I can do the following

There will be 2 wifi networks
internal : 5 GHz
external/guest : 2.4 Ghz

Configuration
CLIENT-CONTROL:
fill in the description
upload the file
set service status: ON
automatic when posting : yes


AUTHENTICATION SETTINGS:
Fill in user name
enter password
directly below it says : warning : "You need to define a certification authority". So what should I do?

" Username / Password Auth. Only " : NO,



The rest is beyond my understanding. I ask for guidance

3. regarding VPN settings: should I change something there?
4. here are also attached settings of WIFI 2.4 GHz and WIFI 5GHz [attachment #2][attachment #3].
Regarding the WIFI settings: should I change anything there?


5.Is there any single book/publication/cert,
where I could learn about these things?


Thanks a lot!

 

[Hawk]

There is step by step tutorial how to set up VPN on Asus router, I recommend go through it, will answer all your question about VPN.
How to Set Up VPN on Asus Router | NordVPN Support

 

[L&LD]

As stated, there are few steps required to create an OpenVPN server on the router. The steps are as quoted above.

You import the .ovpn file on the device you want to connect back to your network with.

There is nothing more than this to use the free OpenVPN capabilities of the router.

 

[Ningex]

There is step by step tutorial how to set up VPN on Asus router, I recommend go through it, will answer all your question about VPN.
How to Set Up VPN on Asus Router | NordVPN Support

Thanks Hawk,
I know that, but it applies to the original firmware, in Merlin it looks quite different from picture 3 or 4,Merlin has real abundance of options

As stated, there are few steps required to create an OpenVPN server on the router. The steps are as quoted above.

You import the .ovpn file on the device you want to connect back to your network with.

There is nothing more than this to use the free OpenVPN capabilities of the router.

But wait, if I understand you correctly: You mean that I should set up a VPN as a service in my router? To tunnel the connection of any/mobile device through my router? That's a great idea! But that's kind of a business/corporate play. Other hand : I could offer this service to my relatives.

Also, router server seems as rather, different function than what a normal user might think of. If i am wrong please correct me.

At the moment, router is a coupling device between my internal network (no matter how sophisticated the network is) and the external network.
I would still, to protect the activity of my network, want to configure the router securely. In achieve that, I would route my activity into a **tunnel** that goes through my ISP's servers, where one end of the tunnel is my router and the other is a VPN provider with no logging, like NordVPN/others.

But what you're suggesting to me is of the internal network configuration - connecting various devices to my router, and going from there straight to ISP's.

Or did I misunderstand you somewhere?

Thanks

 

[Ningex]

I worked a little on my grammar