Looking to install merlin firmware (coming from stock)

[L&LD]

@zero7404 you're welcome to skip any steps that you don't feel necessary in both the M&M Config and the Nuclear Setup guides, at your own risk (to stability, reliability, and performance).

The guide may be from 2015, but getting a router to a good/known state hasn't changed much since then either.

If you follow the M&M Config steps and there are issues, the good news is that the 'fix' should be readily available and applicable. Vs. going on wild goose chases with random bugs/glitches that are only unfortunate interactions between old settings/new variables (and possibly how those variables are used) and the new firmware you are now running, including interactions with client devices that were using microcode and expectations from possibly different wireless drivers and the issues that could entail too.

That is why a 'new' network configuration is suggested (Nuclear Reset). If any issues arise, it will only be due to incompatible settings or expectations and not from the possible interactions from new/old firmware and new/old client settings and new/old variables and/or drivers and all those interactions between all of those aspects (and more) too.

The bottom line is this, if any issues do arise after following the steps in full, the resolution should be quick and efficient.

 

[Mbsurfer70]

Planning to install merlin firmware on RT-AC68U, I've a raspberry pi which I may be able to configure with pi-hole. I'd like to run Nextdns at the router for network-wide filters. Is it simpler to learn to use pi hole (which I know nothing about) or to use the Nextdns CLI Client? ALSO, I may be able to install the cli client, that said can someone point me to a good resource on this? I'm learning this kinda network admn stuff and not sure I can figure out the script commands to setup the clients with the github readme

 

[dosborne]

Pi-Hole is pretty much a one line install. https://pi-hole.net/

curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash

No idea about the other stuff

 

[Mbsurfer70]

Pi-Hole is pretty much a one line install. https://pi-hole.net/

curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash

No idea about the other stuff

Sweet, thanks. Pi-hole is clearly a much simpler way to go about it. The router based options is too involved, maybe I'll configure it like that another day myself

 

[zero7404]

revisiting this after a while .... i deferred doing an upgrade to Merlin firmware for other reasons. But i think I can give it a shot now.
my stock setup is on 382_52288 (pretty old i am guessing). i see Merlin shows the AC87U as end of life and no longer supported but i think ? that i can get some additional life from their latest 384.13 ....
just a couple of basic questions about doing this:

1 - just upload the firmware to the router for upgrade ?
2 - noticed that signature updates still take place on the router (i think that is for Trend Micro security updates), does that continue/maintain itself after installing the merlin firmware ?

thanks again and sorry for the rudimentary questions

 

[L&LD]

1. Yes. Use the web GUI to upgrade as usual. However, a full reset is recommended afterward. See the M&M Config in the link below.

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

2. Yes. They will continue to update once the router is brought to a good/known state on the new firmware (which is what the M&M Config ensures).

 

[zero7404]

1. Yes. Use the web GUI to upgrade as usual. However, a full reset is recommended afterward. See the M&M Config in the link below.

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

2. Yes. They will continue to update once the router is brought to a good/known state on the new firmware (which is what the M&M Config ensures).

thank you once again.

the only daunting part of this is going into the new firmware and rebuilding my wifi, setting preferences all over again. taking notes to make sure i capture all that before the flash.

hopefully this should give an extra year or 2 to the router, stability and functions-wise. will also give me some time to research what's new out there and wifi 6. prefer to stick with ASUS if they still offer the free Ai protections on new hardware.

 

[L&LD]

The following links may help make that 'daunting part' a little less daunting for you.

New M&M 2020

M&M 2020 Specifics

 

[zero7404]

@zero7404 I would not use the NAS provided access. That is just one more attack vector you're open to.

OpenVPN is what I would use instead.

RMerlin is sometimes more secure than stock and sometimes stock is more secure than RMerlin firmware, depending on which one 'jumps' first to issue a fix (as noted by RMerlin himself in another thread).

The AiProtection behavior you are referring to is a closed source blob from TrendMicro. Nothing possible for RMerlin to 'fix' on his own.

With RMerlin firmware, here are some improvements.

vhttps://www.snbforums.com/threads/open-wrt-security-hole.63024/#post-565448

In addition, you can install/enable DoT, Skynet, Diversion and other scripts that will 'harden' your router against outsiders with RMerlin firmware installed. Something that is not possible with stock at all.

revisiting this thread, i know it's been a while but i only recently decided to install merlin on my AC87R.

concerning AiProtection behavior, the comment you made above .... I am seeing the same dates for 'Protection since ...'

when I did the upgrade to Merlin 384.13_10, i did it by simply uploading the new firmware. nothing else. that seemed to be the easiest path forward.

can i clear/reset any existing ram or the JFFS, would that reset anything related to logs/AiProtection counters and log data ?

sometimes the network protection section of the router 'forgets' that i cleared out security events that were logged and some new protection activity that appears sometimes brings back old protections that I've already deleted.

just checking to make sure the router is running correctly and that AiProtection is up to date and doing it's job. the signature version I have installed is 2.250.

 

[L&LD]

That signature version is the latest.

Unless there is an updated firmware you can install (I'm not sure there is), I would be considering a new router 'soon'.

If your router is working as you need, it would be risky to do a full reset on it. (Never bring down a running system, on purpose).

However, if you did want to be sure the router was working at its highest performance, security, and stability peaks, the following link may help.

When you're ready to do so.

Fully Reset / Best Practice Setup / More

 

[ColinTaylor]

@zero7404 Because it took you nearly a year from your initial post to actually install Merlin's firmware I'm not sure it's suitable anymore for your stated purpose which was "i think it is likely much more up-to-date than the regular Asus release".

As you previously noted Merlin's support has ended for that model and the last update to the firmware was 28/6/2020. Whereas Asus has kept updating its firmware for the 87U with security fixes, the latest update being 18/5/2021. So you might want to reconsider which is the most suitable firmware for you.

 

[zero7404]

That signature version is the latest.

Unless there is an updated firmware you can install (I'm not sure there is), I would be considering a new router 'soon'.

If your router is working as you need, it would be risky to do a full reset on it. (Never bring down a running system, on purpose).

However, if you did want to be sure the router was working at its highest performance, security, and stability peaks, the following link may help.

When you're ready to do so.

Fully Reset / Best Practice Setup / More

thanks for replying so quickly on this ...

why would I need to consider a new router soon, the router I have works fine .... obsolescence with hardware ?

concerning new models, i was casually looking around. but Asus doesn't quite list what year their models are released so it's not easy to tell what's new and what's been around for some years. 6 years so far with my current AC87 is pretty good, but if software hasn't significantly improved over the years with respect to firewall security then i don't see a reason to change it out yet since it serves my home network adequately.

 

[L&LD]

Look at the changelogs for the RMerlin firmware since your version to see why you need a new supported router.

Changelog | Asuswrt-Merlin

Online threats, fixes, workarounds, and exploits never stand still. You need to move forward too or be left behind.

The RT-AC87U was a one-off for Asus. It is to their credit that they're still supporting it (in one way or other), many/most/all other manufacturers dumped support for the chipset used (Quantenna's QSR1000 4x4 chipset) many years ago.

The current router recommended are RT-AC86U (2018), RT-AX88U (2019), RT-AX86U (2021). the (Year) in brackets is when the router was generally available and may indicate which model will have the longest support from today.

 

[zero7404]

to get some idea for comparison ... the merlin v i am on is 384.13, whereas ASUS's official is lower in version number, but more recently released.

could be that the ASUS official fw has more specific updates and better for my router ...
would i be able to simply upload the latest official from ASUS and install it on the router while running a merlin fw ?

 

[ColinTaylor]

to get some idea for comparison ... the merlin v i am on is 384.13, whereas ASUS's official is lower in version number, but more recently released.

Ignore the differences in numbers. Higher doesn't always mean "better". It's just that Asus and Merlin have a different approach to how they number their releases. Merlin uses a single number across all his supported models.