RT-AC68U behaving strange. Fixable or shall I replace it?

[BarbaHacker]

Hi

I've had my RT-AC68U since forever, and it have served me well.
Recently it has started to give me some headache though.
And just for information, running the to my knowledge latest firmware, 3.0.0.4.386_51685.

I currently have three different problems that I could use your help in figuring out.
1. When checking the router either via the web interface or the ASUS Router app on the phone, it shows no connected devices. Both wired and wireless shows 0, even though I have lots of devices successfully communicating through the router.
2. When trying create an OpenVPN configuration file from the router web interface, my OpenVPN Connect client tells me it's not secure or new enough or something. Is the OpenVPN server in the router just too old?
3. Unrelated to the problems above I wanted to improve the WiFi coverage I bought an ASUS ZenWIFI AX Mini that I thought should be able to serve in an AiMesh environment, but I've not been able to connect it. Should it work with a AC68U?

So, is the missing devices some feature I missed, a known problem, or something completely unheard of?
Should I be able to still use this old router as a VPN server, or is it just to old? Would a transfer to asuswrt-merlin fw fix this? And is a switch to that generally recommended?

It's not that big a deal if I would need to buy a new router (thinking of possibly RT-AX88U Pro), if the problems mantioned above can't be fixed, but there's also no point ing wasting money, so...

/BH

 

[eibgrad]

I have the same router (in fact, several of them), and I prefer Merlin over OEM firmware for many reasons, which includes the likelihood of better support for such an aged router. But given this and many other ACs routers are considered EOL, they will lose support at the end of this year by OEM and Merlin. That's NOT to say these routers are useless, since they are and will continue to be supported by DD-WRT and FreshTomato indefinitely. So you might want to check out those alternatives, at least in the short term if you're NOT committed to a new, more modern ASUS router.

 

[Tech9]

Recently it has started to give me some headache though.

1. If this router was never reset to factory defaults and runs many clients - perhaps runs low on NVRAM. Fixable.
2. OpenVPN Connect App now requires stronger encryption. Fixable in both App and/or Router settings. VPN is good.
3. This ZenWiFi Mini (DX4) model is abandoned by Asus, last firmware update was in Jul 2022. Send it back, if possible.

thinking of possibly RT-AX88U Pro

Router upgrade will improve your Internet and local network experience. I would get a new router if the budget allows.

 

[BarbaHacker]

1. If this router was never reset to factory defaults and runs many clients - perhaps runs low on NVRAM. Fixable.
2. OpenVPN Connect App now requires stronger encryption. Fixable in both App and/or Router settings. VPN is good.
3. This ZenWiFi Mini (DX4) model is abandoned by Asus, last firmware update was in Jul 2022. Send it back, if possible.



Router upgrade will improve your Internet and local network experience. I would get a new router if the budget allows.

Thanks.
If I have done a factory reset, it has was a reeeeally long time ago. What would a factory reset help regarding RAM usage?
Ragarding the encryption, I didn't see any obvious setting that allowed me to change the encryption standard used, but I'll have to take another look then.

/BH

 

[Tech9]

- save screenshots of your settings, reset the router, update to last firmware if not done, reset again and restore the settings manually, but only the ones really needed
- for your OpenVPN server use Encryption 2048-bit, HMAC Authentication SHA256, Compression Disabled... OpenVPN Connect App will stop complaining and connect

Use this method to reset the router:

[Wireless Router] ASUS router Hard Factory Reset - Method 1 | Official Support | ASUS Global

It will clear both NVRAM settings and JFFS partition.