[Release] Asuswrt-Merlin 384.18 and 384.13_10 is now available

[RMerlin]

Not going to buy another new Asus router after having been able to use my 87U as a router for only 3 years

The RT-AC87U still works, and still gets security updates. If you think the grass is greener elsewhere, you'll be disappointed. Asus are among the manufacturers who provide the longest support for their routers.

Netgear's own Quantenna router (the R7500) was dropped after about 18 months. Meanwhile, the RT-AC87U with almost identical hardware and released almost at the same time still gets updates despite being almost 6 years old (not 3 like you mention).

Amazon was selling it new only last year and Asus own firmware was already basically dead.

The last RT-AC87U firmware update was only two months ago, so not sure what you are basing this on.

 

[grifo]

The RT-AC87U still works, and still gets security updates. If you think the grass is greener elsewhere, you'll be disappointed. Asus are among the manufacturers who provide the longest support for their routers.

Netgear's own Quantenna router (the R7500) was dropped after about 18 months. Meanwhile, the RT-AC87U with almost identical hardware and released almost at the same time still gets updates despite being almost 6 years old (not 3 like you mention).

They generally provide long support but with big differences between models, for example the AC68U is older then the AC87U but it's still fully supported. So when buying a new router you don't know which one is going to be out of support earlier and which won't. That's a mistake from Asus IMO, they should provide the same level of support for all models.

I wrote 3 years because that's when I bought it (June 2017, when I signed up to the forum), back then certainly I was expecting it to have a longer lifetime than the AC68U which cost quite a bit less and had older hardware and that's one of the reasons I bought it.

The last RT-AC87U firmware update was only two months ago, so not sure what you are basing this on.

In fact I wrote basically dead, as in not getting any new features like the older 68U has, from aimesh to the latest open nat and gaming tools, but just small security fixes, some of which they probably got from your firmware. Someone who bought a new 87U last year isn't going to be too happy with his purchase.

BTW I don't think you need to jump the gun to defend Asus, you're already doing a lot more for them than they do for you.

 

[AntonK]

The RT-AC87U still works, and still gets security updates. If you think the grass is greener elsewhere, you'll be disappointed. Asus are among the manufacturers who provide the longest support for their routers.

Netgear's own Quantenna router (the R7500) was dropped after about 18 months. Meanwhile, the RT-AC87U with almost identical hardware and released almost at the same time still gets updates despite being almost 6 years old (not 3 like you mention).

The last RT-AC87U firmware update was only two months ago, so not sure what you are basing this on.

Hi RMerlin.

Why does ASUS not provide GPLs for the RT-AC88U a touch more recent than the one's they offer? Their latest firmware for this router was posted just a week ago or so. Why must your firmware be not allowed to take advantage of the security and other fixes they list with their most recent firmware releases? It's a big company, I get it. One wouldn't expect a GPL release within days or weeks of a new firmware release. But still, 1 year behind? Nothing but a couple of binary blobs in that time?

Just a hint of reasoning for the above would reduce customer dissatisfaction, I would think...

Thanks,
Anton

 

[QuikSilver]

Hi RMerlin.

Why does ASUS not provide GPLs for the RT-AC88U a touch more recent than the one's they offer? Their latest firmware for this router was posted just a week ago or so. Why must your firmware be not allowed to take advantage of the security and other fixes they list with their most recent firmware releases? It's a big company, I get it. One wouldn't expect a GPL release within days or weeks of a new firmware release. But still, 1 year behind? Nothing but a couple of binary blobs in that time?

Just a hint of reasoning for the above would reduce customer dissatisfaction, I would think...View attachment 24553 View attachment 24554

Thanks,
Anton

I'd imagine it has to do with the fact that firmware is on version 385 while the source is 384 like the rest of the other models. Think that means he'd have to make a firmware strictly for that model to implement 385 while others are still rocking along with 384.

 

[dave14305]

I'd imagine it has to do with the fact that firmware is on version 385 while the source is 384 like the rest of the other models. Think that means he'd had to make a firmware strictly for that model to implement 385 while others are still rocking along with 384.

Don’t forget the AC68U at 3.0.0.4.385.20630.

 

[QuikSilver]

Don’t forget the AC68U at 3.0.0.4.385.20630.

Wasn't aware it was on 385. Would think point still stands though.

 

[SNBForums User]

One more data point of another in a very long history of "dirty" upgrades on my RT-AC68U and one more success, which adds to my many multiple dozens of said "dirty" upgrades over the span of multiple years of Merlin FW installations without a single need for a factory reset---ever. The RT-AC68U router life has been, and is, good.

 

[RMerlin]

Hi RMerlin.

Why does ASUS not provide GPLs for the RT-AC88U a touch more recent than the one's they offer?

You're asking the wrong person...

Think that means he'd have to make a firmware strictly for that model to implement 385 while others are still rocking along with 384.

Unrelated. 385_20490 code was identical to 384_81846 for instance.

 

[zoggy]

just upgraded to 384.18 on my rt-ac88u and noticed the left bar menu is a bit wonky.
I see per source it should be GameBoost but shows "Game" and then for GameProfile it shows "Open NAT" with icon missing:

 

[L&LD]

@zoggy, reboot.

 

[zoggy]

@zoggy, reboot.

Not sure what you wanted me to reboot, but I suspect you were actually trying to just say to clear browser cache.
Did so, which fixed the GameProfile (Open NAT) icon. Looks like it is just by design to say "Game" for gameboost area

 

[Sylphia]

Just built wireguard module with git commit #ae2212da560cffe0daec1878fefde46a83906f24 (3 commits ahead of tag v1.0.20200623) running on ac86u (merlin 384.18), no more blog errors.
FYI.

 

[ankhazam]

Not going to buy another new Asus router after having been able to use my 87U as a router for only 3 years. Amazon was selling it new only last year and Asus own firmware was already basically dead. Poor IMO.

@grifo, sorry but your argument is as invalid as it gets... It has not been 3 years... but around 7 years.... which is decades in terms of networking equipment.
You can check my profile here on SNB where I ask for some questions concerning my AC87U back in 2014.
I own this router and it was a pretty good time.... Made totally better with @RMerlin 's involvement...

Just this spring I have jumped to the AX88U (2019 release) which I hope will be supported for the next few years.

 

[grifo]

@grifo, sorry but your argument is as invalid as it gets... It has not been 3 years... but around 7 years.... which is decades in terms of networking equipment.
You can check my profile here on SNB where I ask for some questions concerning my AC87U back in 2014.
I own this router and it was a pretty good time.... Made totally better with @RMerlin 's involvement...

Just this spring I have jumped to the AX88U (2019 release) which I hope will be supported for the next few years.

You haven't understood my post. I never wrote that the AC87U has been around for 3 years, I know full well when it came out. I wrote that I've been able to use it for 3 years as I bought it 3 years ago. Back then I was undecided between the AC68U and the AC87U and I went for the more expensive latter because I thought that being new and better hardware it would have had longer support.

I'm a network designer so I know full well the lifetime of networking equipment and if we follow that standard the AC68U which is older than the AC87U should be dead and buried by now and instead it's still fully supported and cranking out new features. So it's your argument to be invalid. Logic isn't an opinion mate.

 

[ankhazam]

You haven't understood my post. I never wrote that the AC87U has been around for 3 years, I know full well when it came out. I wrote that I've been able to use it for 3 years as I bought it 3 years ago. Back then I was undecided between the AC68U and the AC87U and I went for the more expensive latter because I thought that being new and better hardware it would have had longer support.

I'm a network designer so I know full well the lifetime of networking equipment and if we follow that standard the AC68U which is older than the AC87U should be dead and buried by now and instead it's still fully supported and cranking out new features. So it's your argument to be invalid. Logic isn't an opinion mate.

Ok, I did misunderstand you from that single sentence.

I agree with your point... Though allow me to argue further In 2017 the AC87U for me has been already considered a no-go for a new buyer.... At that time I would have looked at AC86U, AC88U or the multi-radioed ones but for sure would've have skipped the 802.11ac production-prototype monster of the AC87U.

 

[grifo]

Ok, I did misunderstand you from that single sentence.

I agree with your point... Though allow me to argue further In 2017 the AC87U for me has been already considered a no-go for a new buyer.... At that time I would have looked at AC86U, AC88U or the multi-radioed ones but for sure would've have skipped the 802.11ac production-prototype monster of the AC87U.

Yeah, back then I was totally new to Asus routers and had never heard of this forum until June 2017 when I bought the AC87U, for years up to that point I had been using Cisco routers at home as a byproduct of my job, then I got a new 1 Gbps FTTH link and quickly I needed a high performance router with ac WiFi and advanced features that didn't cost an arm and a leg.

The AC88U was too big for my needs and the AC86U wasn't out just yet IIRC so it came down between the AC68U and the AC87U, I figured the AC87U would be the best bet being the newer of the two, it turned out the AC68U would have been the much better bet.

 

[Makaveli]

I agree with your point... Though allow me to argue further In 2017 the AC87U for me has been already considered a no-go for a new buyer.... At that time I would have looked at AC86U, AC88U or the multi-radioed ones but for sure would've have skipped the 802.11ac production-prototype monster of the AC87U.

This I agree with.

When I was looking at an asus router I knew to stay away from the AC87U based what I saw in this forum and it being based on a Quantenna chipset instead of broadcom. It always had these weird quirks which was a red flag for me.

 

[Mutzli]

I found that selling your old router when a new one from ASUS comes out a good strategy. Over the last few years I went from an AC87U to an AC86U and about a year ago I switched to the AX88U. Each time I got some decent money selling them on eBay since the "old" router was still being sold by ASUS and you'll stay current.

 

[grifo]

This I agree with.

When I was looking at an asus router I knew to stay away from the AC87U based what I saw in this forum and it being based on a Quantenna chipset instead of broadcom. It always had these weird quirks which was a red flag for me.

Yep, I wish I had found this forum before getting the AC87U rather than after. Though it has been one of the most popular routers among SNB members judging by the Merlin fw download stats, for a long time it was second only to the AC68U, until the AC86U surpassed it.

And a lot of people are still asking for continued support for it on the forum, to Asus obviously since there isn't anything RMerlin alone can do about it. Asus could do it if they wanted to but they've chosen not to while working on stuff like open nat for even older models.

 

[grifo]

I found that selling your old router when a new one from ASUS comes out a good strategy. Over the last few years I went from an AC87U to an AC86U and about a year ago I switched to the AX88U. Each time I got some decent money selling them on eBay since the "old" router was still being sold by ASUS and you'll stay current.

Yep that's a good strategy that I often use for other type of kit, it's almost like renting stuff and always having for latest kit for a reasonable fee. For routers I tend to stick to what has proven to be reliable and problem free over time as it has to be available at all times when I'm not around.