Overclocking RT-AC56U

[fedez16]

Much clearer now. thank you sir

 

[jdubau55]

When I tried to go straight to the link to run the command I get a page that says something about making changes and to refresh the page. I'm on the latest FW. Can the edit be done using winscp? If so what are the login settings and where is the file found?

"Settings have been updated. Web page will now refresh.
Changes have been made to the IP address or port number. You will now be disconnected from RT-AC56U.
To access the settings of RT-AC56U, reconnect to the wireless network and use the updated IP address and port number"

Happens wired or wireless.

I was able to SSH in using winscp. Now I just need to find the file to edit. Any help? Maybe it's in the thread, but the thread is 29 pages long.

My last question is really do I need to overclock? Home connection is only 15Mbps and I want to make sure I get full speed over VPN. Will stock 800mhz setting achieve 15Mbps over OpenVPN with 256 AES encryption?

 

[RMerlin]

When I tried to go straight to the link to run the command I get a page that says something about making changes and to refresh the page. I'm on the latest FW. Can the edit be done using winscp? If so what are the login settings and where is the file found?

"Settings have been updated. Web page will now refresh.
Changes have been made to the IP address or port number. You will now be disconnected from RT-AC56U.
To access the settings of RT-AC56U, reconnect to the wireless network and use the updated IP address and port number"

Happens wired or wireless.

I was able to SSH in using winscp. Now I just need to find the file to edit. Any help? Maybe it's in the thread, but the thread is 29 pages long.

My last question is really do I need to overclock? Home connection is only 15Mbps and I want to make sure I get full speed over VPN. Will stock 800mhz setting achieve 15Mbps over OpenVPN with 256 AES encryption?

Don't know about aes-256-cbc, but it'd be fine with aes-128-cbc.

 

[jdubau55]

Thanks. I think it's currently set on 256. I will try and turn it on when it's not peak web usage in my house. Don't want to upset the wife and kids with a possible internet blackout.

 

[Kiddie]

Hello there!

After my RT-AC56U router CFE version update (1.0.2.3 (EU) -> 1.0.2.6 (EU)) I can CONFIRM that 1.0.2.6 (EU) version is unlocked for overclocking the router. CFE updated through Merlin. Tried to update while using Tomato, but mtd-write responded with error about missing .so files.

Responses through SSH after reboot:

nvram get bl_version
1.0.2.6

nvram get clkfreq
1100,666

cat /proc/dmu/temperature
CPU temperature : 71▒C (using without additional cooling ATM)

cat /proc/cpuinfo
Processor : ARMv7 Processor rev 0 (v7l)
processor : 0
BogoMIPS : 2398.61

processor : 1
BogoMIPS : 2398.61

Features : swp half thumb fastmult edsp
CPU implementer : 0x41
CPU architecture: 7
CPU variant : 0x3
CPU part : 0xc09
CPU revision : 0

Hardware : Northstar Prototype
Revision : 0000
Serial : 0000000000000000

 

[kvic]

Thanks for telling people 1.0.2.6 (EU) works. Another success story here.

My RT-AC56U came with 1.0.2.3 (US). Purchased one year ago. I didn't open the case so no idea about the exact PCB revision. What I know is that it's not red PCB. Hence should be later than rev. 1.6. Probably manufactured end of 2013. So I would guess PCB rev. 2.0. Previously I tried 1.0.2.8 (US) with no luck at all on DDR clock.

With 1.0.2.6 (EU), I get DDR clock to 666MHz. Tried 800MHz but system failed to boot. Now, I'm happily running with clkfreq=1200,666!

Note that there is no 1100MHz for CPU clock. It'll be automatically up'ed to 1200MHz.

Anyhow, it's the DDR clock that makes the huge performance difference! Hence, I envy those with a more recent RT-AC56U that works with DDR clock at 800MHz.

 

[Kiddie]

Also have an update about DDR clock here.

Tried 800 MHz DDR clock on 1.0.2.6 (EU), but after reboot freq reverted to stock (800,533) so I assume DDR clock on 1.0.2.6 (EU) can be overclocked only to 666 MHz. So I am also running 1200,666

Happy flashing everyone!

@kvic , what is your CPU temp on these settings?

 

[kvic]

Idle CPU temp 75C. Ambient temp is about 25C. I did CPU/memory intensive benchmark before. CPU went as high as 81C. But that's not much different from my previous clkfreq=1000,533 except idle CPU temp is about 2-3C higher

Also have an update about DDR clock here.

Tried 800 MHz DDR clock on 1.0.2.6 (EU), but after reboot freq reverted to stock (800,533) so I assume DDR clock on 1.0.2.6 (EU) can be overclocked only to 666 MHz. So I am also running 1200,666

Happy flashing everyone!

@kvic , what is your CPU temp on these settings?

 

[DomFel]

1.0.2.7 EU on the 56U - 800mhz on the RAM works great!

 

[Kiddie]

1.0.2.7 EU on the 56U - 800mhz on the RAM works great!

Glad to hear! Is that 1.0.2.7 EU is new one? What temps do you get with new clocks?

 

[carl]

lol this is great! just got a mfr refurb rt-ac56u from newegg, about 60 bucks.
had to update the cfe to 1.0.2.8 (us) to get the ram oc to stick:

1100,800
Processor : ARMv7 Processor rev 0 (v7l)
processor : 0
BogoMIPS : 2398.61
processor : 1
BogoMIPS : 2398.61
Features : swp half thumb fastmult edsp
CPU implementer : 0x41
CPU architecture: 7
CPU variant : 0x3
CPU part : 0xc09
CPU revision : 0
Hardware : Northstar Prototype
Revision : 0000
Serial : 0000000000000000

may try 1200, but happy for now - you guys are THE BEST!!!!!!

 

[Shonk]

family member picked up an RT-AC56U the other day

on 1.0.2.3 eu i could overclock the cpu but not the ram anything apart from 533 reset it back to 533

I just updated the cfe to 1.0.2.7 eu and rebooted it
even though its still reporting as 1.0.2.3 (presume i need to factory it cant do that remote)
merlin reports the correct 1.0.2.7 btw..

1000,800 works now (havnt tried higher cpu speeds as 1000 is fine)

ASUSWRT-Merlin RT-AC56U_3.0.0.4 Mon Jun 22 10:23:51 UTC 2015
admin@CakeLan:/# nvram get bl_version
1.0.2.3
admin@CakeLan:/# nvram get clkfreq
1000,800
admin@CakeLan:/# cat /proc/dmu/temperature
CPU temperature : 71°C
admin@CakeLan:/# cat /proc/cpuinfo
Processor : ARMv7 Processor rev 0 (v7l)
processor : 0
BogoMIPS : 1998.84
processor : 1
BogoMIPS : 1998.84

 

[Shonk]

I was going to use the US 1.0.2.9 but noticed this in the cfe
which made me avoid it

0:macaddr==00:90:4C:0E:C0:00

seems a bit dodgy with two equals signs

also there are a few things changed
with no info about why
for example
1:ccode=ALL

 

[Vegas]

Can anyone give me a link on tuturial how to update CFE on Asus RT-AC56U?

 

[kvic]

First post from this thread shall be sufficiently detailed for flashing CFE.

Btw, good news for AC56U users who can't overclock memory to 800MHz.

Recent firmware i.e. 378.55 (I haven't checked other versions) provides a new memory clock at 775MHz. A new step between 667MHz and 800MHz.

775MHz is rock solid on my AC56U which fails at 800.

 

[ASAT]

nvram get model
RT-AC68U

nvram get clkfreq
1200,800

nvram get bl_version
1.0.2.1

cat /proc/cpuinfo
Processor : ARMv7 Processor rev 0 (v7l)
processor : 0
BogoMIPS : 2398.61

processor : 1
BogoMIPS : 2398.61

Features : swp half thumb fastmult edsp
CPU implementer : 0x41
CPU architecture: 7
CPU variant : 0x3
CPU part : 0xc09
CPU revision : 0

Hardware : Northstar Prototype
Revision : 0000
Serial : 0000000000000000

cat /proc/dmu/temperature
CPU temperature : 56 C (2x USB fans w/external power)

openssl speed aes-256-cbc

Doing aes-256 cbc for 3s on 16 size blocks: 3771557 aes-256 cbc's in 2.99s
Doing aes-256 cbc for 3s on 64 size blocks: 984519 aes-256 cbc's in 3.00s
Doing aes-256 cbc for 3s on 256 size blocks: 250821 aes-256 cbc's in 3.00s
Doing aes-256 cbc for 3s on 1024 size blocks: 63078 aes-256 cbc's in 2.98s
Doing aes-256 cbc for 3s on 8192 size blocks: 7842 aes-256 cbc's in 2.99s
OpenSSL 1.0.2d 9 Jul 2015
built on: reproducible build, date unspecified
options:bn(64,32) rc4(ptr,char) des(idx,cisc,2,long) aes(partial) blowfish(ptr)
compiler: arm-unknown-linux-gnueabi-gcc -I. -I.. -I../include  -fPIC -DOPENSSL_PIC -DZLIB_SHARED -DZLIB -DOPENSSL_THREADS -D_REENTRANT -DDSO_DLFCN -DHAVE_DLFCN_H -I/media/ware2/Entware.arm.2015.07/openwrt_trunk/staging_dir/target-arm-openwrt-linux-gnueabi/opt/include -I/media/ware2/Entware.arm.2015.07/openwrt_trunk/staging_dir/target-arm-openwrt-linux-gnueabi/include -I/media/ware2/Entware.arm.2015.07/arm-unknown-linux-gnueabi/arm-unknown-linux-gnueabi/sys-root/usr/include -DOPENSSL_SMALL_FOOTPRINT -DOPENSSL_NO_ERR -DTERMIOS -O2 -pipe -march=armv7-a -mtune=cortex-a9 -fno-caller-saves -mfloat-abi=soft -fpic -fomit-frame-pointer -Wall
The 'numbers' are in 1000s of bytes per second processed.
type  16 bytes  64 bytes  256 bytes  1024 bytes  8192 bytes
aes-256 cbc  20182.24k  21003.07k  21403.39k  21675.12k  21485.51k

 

[ASAT]

Here's the other one:
nvram get model
RT-AC56U

nvram get clkfreq
1200,775

nvram get bl_version
1.0.2.8

cat /proc/cpuinfo
Processor : ARMv7 Processor rev 0 (v7l)
processor : 0
BogoMIPS : 2398.61

processor : 1
BogoMIPS : 2398.61

Features : swp half thumb fastmult edsp
CPU implementer : 0x41
CPU architecture: 7
CPU variant : 0x3
CPU part : 0xc09
CPU revision : 0

Hardware : Northstar Prototype
Revision : 0000
Serial : 0000000000000000

cat /proc/dmu/temperature
CPU temperature : 61 C (AC powered desktop fan)

openssl speed aes-256-cbc

Doing aes-256 cbc for 3s on 16 size blocks: 5461643 aes-256 cbc's in 3.00s
Doing aes-256 cbc for 3s on 64 size blocks: 1470374 aes-256 cbc's in 3.00s
Doing aes-256 cbc for 3s on 256 size blocks: 381077 aes-256 cbc's in 3.00s
Doing aes-256 cbc for 3s on 1024 size blocks: 96122 aes-256 cbc's in 3.00s
Doing aes-256 cbc for 3s on 8192 size blocks: 12039 aes-256 cbc's in 3.00s
OpenSSL 1.0.2d 9 Jul 2015
built on: reproducible build, date unspecified
options:bn(64,32) rc4(ptr,char) des(idx,cisc,16,long) aes(partial) idea(int) blowfish(ptr)
compiler: arm-brcm-linux-uclibcgnueabi-gcc -I. -I.. -I../include  -fPIC -DOPENSSL_PIC -DOPENSSL_THREADS -D_REENTRANT -DDSO_DLFCN -DHAVE_DLFCN_H -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections -O3 -Wall -DOPENSSL_BN_ASM_MONT -DOPENSSL_BN_ASM_GF2m -DSHA1_ASM -DSHA256_ASM -DSHA512_ASM -DAES_ASM -DBSAES_ASM -DGHASH_ASM
The 'numbers' are in 1000s of bytes per second processed.
type  16 bytes  64 bytes  256 bytes  1024 bytes  8192 bytes
aes-256 cbc  29128.76k  31367.98k  32518.57k  32809.64k  32874.50k

 

[DomFel]

I wonder why the BogoMIPS value at 1100 or 1200mhz doesn't change: it's always 2398.61.

 

[sfx2000]

I wonder why the BogoMIPS value at 1100 or 1200mhz doesn't change: it's always 2398.61.

Remember, BogoMIPS is not an indication of CPU peformance, it's the result of an internal timing loop...

CPU 1 - bogomips : 3999.99
CPU 2 - bogomips : 3591.58

Which one do you think might be faster/more powerful?

Suprise - CPU 2 (Intel Celeron 1037U@1.8GHz) - this is an intel "big core" on Ivy Bridge, CPU 1 is an Intel Silvermont Core (J1900@2.0 GHz)

I think the best quote for BogoMIPS is below:

The reasons (there are two) it is printed during boot-up is that a) it is slightly useful for debugging and for checking that the computers caches and turbo button work, and b) Linus loves to chuckle when he sees confused people on the news.'

In other words, don't sweat it...

 

[sfx2000]

I wonder why the BogoMIPS value at 1100 or 1200mhz doesn't change: it's always 2398.61.

Probably because it doesn't go any faster - I've seen where one can set an NVRAM setting to a value, but it's beyond range of capabilities, so SW/HW picks the upper end and stops...