RT-AC87U 384.5 Quick Internet Setup stuck on last step

[rob-tech]

Hi,

I just migrated my router to Merlin's firmware for more stability then the factory 382 build which leaked memory. I really appreciate the tweaks made by Merlin and his willingness to support the 87U on the latest 384 code.

There is just one small issue that I stumbled upon. When setting up the router from factory defaults (having reset using the GUI Initialize button to avoid problems from large codebase migrations) I could not get past Step 3 of 3 of the QIS wizard. After the wifi passwords and SSIDs were inputted and apply was pressed, the spinner would appear indefinitely and not proceed into the router. I had to click the Skip Internet Setup button to get into the main admin page. After this I noticed that the forms had my new SSIDs registered, however the radios were broadcasting on the factory ASUS SSIDs still. Only when changed one the the SSIDs from the wireless page did the new settings take effect. So the wizard placed it into a half configured state.

I already tried re flashing and multiple factory resets, I also verified the checksums on the firmware TRX. Apart from this factor, the router seems to be functioning correctly and seems to be very stable with all the functions turned on.

I hope that by bringing this to Merlin's attention, he can check out what is causing this and fix it for the next release (not sure if this is only an 87U issue as many people don't reset when doing minor upgrades and this has not been mentioned in the other thread).

 

[st3v3n]

Rob, A guess, you can try turning off everything connected, router, clients, tablets, phones, everything except the computer you use to enter the GUI, then perform a cold factory reset from a power-off state. You should be able to reconfigure from scratch/default state, saving your steps as you go, then log off, power off, wait a few moments, then (Cross fingers) power your system on in sequence; power your modem up, give it time to sync your server if you have one, then router, service devices, and then cheek in the GUI to see if all of your settings are holding or need tweaking. It should just work. If not post back; one of the resident wizards should have a better suggestion. Good luck.

 

[rob-tech]

Thank You for your reply st3v3n, I may try this in the future when the next update comes around if there are still problems. Since I already worked around the issue and input all my settings from scratch, I hope to avoid another disturbance for now as my setup is quite complex with a bunch of smart stuff like thermostats and security cameras. I'm also pleased with the stability of this build so far (lower cpu usage than factory 382).

I look forward to any other advice that may be helpful, and also to clarify one more thing, I did clear the browser cache when testing.

 

[st3v3n]

Rob, glad you've got it working well; keep an eye on the smart gear, the baddies use these goodies as their main play-ground to inplant their malware, everywhere (pardon the pun). So far we've also had zero issues with this build. Seems the browser cache trips up a lot of folks, but it's only good practice to use one tab on a clean browser when doing an update. Good luck!

 

[rob-tech]

So far so good with 1 day uptime, I just hope it doesn't leak memory and crash after approximately 50 days like the stock 382 firmware. Merlin's work is great, and the 87U is solid, I just wish Asus would also provide a 384 build with AiMesh.

 

[st3v3n]

rob, Don't know how how acquainted with Merlin's fork you are, but there are countless adopters who have used nothing but this. IMO, Asus would have gone into the dustbin of router history long ago if not for Merlin's work. He has fixed and improved Asus's builds many times over, and it's better in so many ways. Asus is moving to more and more closed-source/proprietary code, and we're grateful Merlin has chosen to move forward with this. Asus isn't cutting checks for this and donations only go so far. If the day comes when the fork can't go forward, we'll be moving to a different framework, but the only constant in the universe is change, for better or worse.

Mesh is a good concept but is a relative infant for Asus. One has to put up with the inadequacies, insecurity, and lack of so many things not in the official FW, just to have mesh. It's worthwhile to read the threads and history involved, which go back years and explain it for better than this post. Mesh works great with brands dedicated to mesh, which Merlin may or may not ever include as Asus official FW. We've never had a consumer grade router with FW as capable; you'd have go to a box build, such as PfSense to come close. Comparatively few people (or wives) want to manage those; it's a bit of work; too many only care about plug/play..

APs properly setup and configured and managed can do much as well as mesh, but no FW is set and forget, not these days. Theinternet is a 'target-rich environment' that gets worse by the moment and fewer yet comprehend how immense and daunting it's become. The debate on mesh alone will go on for a very long time, depending on convenience vs security and functionality. As long as you're happy with Merlin's work and the benefit, by all means,sending a donation his way willhelp keep this ball rolling. Welcome, hope it serves you well. Cheers.

 

[rob-tech]

I agree with you for the most part, especially with regard to internet security and the need to be informed about the security implications of new technologies. I know that no firmware is set and forget, as you still have to perform security updates occasionally. I'll definitely consider donating to Merlin. Cheers.