RT-N66 Firmware Version 3.0.0.4.374.4561
- Thread starter D2theZ
- Start date
Check the dedicated Merlin build forum:
http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/forumdisplay.php?f=42
It all depends on where you come from and what you expect of the firmware.
If you want to wait for the newest release, you will wait for ever, or as long as the firmware is maintained.
After 374.40, there will be xx.41, followed by xx.42
Important is to not stay behind with security fixes, for that you need to check the Asus and Merlin release notes.
sm00thpapa
Very Senior Member
This FW totally screwed up the 2.4GHz band wi-fi. With this I am getting maybe 1 to no bars on my patio and with Merlins .39_0-em I am getting 4 to 5 bars. Asus is really forcing me to go to another brand router in the future. I really love Asus hardware but their firmware is getting worse with every release.
sm00thpapa
Very Senior Member
Not sure just go to each routers folder and if it's there just use that one.
I'm not having any problems with it on 2.4 Ghz.
3 levels. 3800 square feet plus two 8 foot wide decks front and back. Then I get almost 30+ foot perimeter.
Maybe you've got some settings messed up on the router or your adapters.
Same as jlake, absolutely no problems here with my RT-N66U and 3.0.0.4.374.4561 in a 3 story home with concrete floors and brick walls: 2.4 GHz excellent on two floors and fair on the third floor (furthest away from the router, passing two concrete floors).
5 Ghz is excellent on the floor where the router is located and fair on the next floor, passing one concrete floor.
My RT-N66U is a first generation B1, pre 3.0.0.4.271/272 firmware (July 2013) which introduced support for updated router hardware.
Can it be that there is crucial difference between the RT-N66U hardware versions that causes the serious different wireless experiences? Old is good and new is poor?
If I remember well sm00thpapa has the RT-N66W, the white model which for quite sure has the latest hardware.
sm00thpapa
Very Senior Member
I have both the 66W and 66U both are horrible with this firmware. Asus builds .27x work awesome and Merlins build. Guess my routers don't like the SDK6 builds except for Merlins. Thanks for your response.
sm00thpapa
Very Senior Member
Thanks for your response. I am very knowledgeable on wi-fi signal and settings. .4561 1 bar .276 5 bars it's the firmware for sure.
Then I don't know why you have range problems on 2.4 ghz. I don't have any problems on 2.4 ghz or 5 ghz with this firmware. Works great.
bluepoint
Very Senior Member
How is it compared to Merlin's EM builds?
Very similar in my unscientific tests. EM only beat it by about 1 meter in range.
I only have 6 Mbps DSL because I live in a rural area and that's all I can get. But my DSL speed up/down and latency is like clockwork. Very consistent at all hours of the day/night. Everyday.
So for my tests, I used ipad mini (non retina). And used ookla speed test app. As soon as latency or speed changed, that's where I ended my test. I repeated tests at least 3 times.
I can't really say about how many MB/s of throughput at long range in my tests, I can only say from a gaming (latency), or streaming 720p HD, or web browsing standpoint, this firmware has really good range. Only about 1 meter less than EM and about 2-3 meters less than sdk5.
Obviously, I had to go outside to test range and was going through two walls. 1 interior and 1 exterior.
I have 3 level home 3800 square feet and both 2.4 ghz and 5ghz give me normal latency and full 6 Mbps in every corner of house on all floors. No dead spots.
Edit: home construction is typical plain jane US construction with drywall and oak hard wood floor and some carpet, vinyl siding. Nothing difficult.
Edit 2: not all 3800 square feet is living space, but using that for relevance,since it is the actual enclosed area square footage.
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sm00thpapa
Very Senior Member
Me either wish I knew. With .4561 I get 1 or 2 bars and Netflix won't even load on my chromecast out on my patio which is about 40 feet from my router and goes through 2 walls and a glass door and metal is surrounding the tv which is my screen enclosure. With .276 and Merlins EM build I get 5 bars and can stream 1080P video to my chromecast so go figure. I may reload it and try again.
After you reload this firmware, try resetting chromecast to factory default.
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/factory-reset-google-chromecast,news-18294.html
sm00thpapa
Very Senior Member
HawkInOz
Regular Contributor
Good question! I changed mine from 40MHz to 20MHz, and it's been running stable for nearly two weeks now. Before that single change to my RT-N66U configuration, it was disconnecting all my 2.4Ghz devices (except those using the guest 2.4GHz network) every few days - requiring a reboot of the router before any of those devices could reconnect. So, why is that?
The 2.4 MHz wifi radio band by nature has a longer range, but it is also very close or even overlapping with other "home" equipment, easily suffering disturbance. This other equipment is, but not limited to: DECT wireless phones, Microwaves, Bluetooth devices. In case of bad signals: turn all suspected sources of disturbance off to find the bad guy. Keep in mind the disturbance can also reside on the other side of the wall, at your neighbors place.
By nature, the 2.4 GHz channel frequencies are such (that must have been a design mistake) that with the good old school 20 MHz bandwidth (invented with 802.11b), you practically only have 3 (three) non interferring channels, which are 1, 6 and 11 (good practise is to only select one of these 3 channels...wish my neighbors did too).
Other channels are overlapping too much and disturbing adjacent signals.
With the introduction of 802.11n, the 40 MHz bandwidth is introduced which practically makes it impossible to not interfer with other 802.11n signals on 2.4 GHz.
Besides above and most "frustrating" is the high density of 2.4 GHz wireless equipment, in crowded areas you easily find 10 to even 20 neighbor wireless networks on 2.4 GHz.
In crowded areas it is quite a must to set 2.4 GHz to a bandwidth of 20 MHz (and manual select the least occupied channel out of 1, 6 or 11) to let your signal survive in the overloaded radio spectrum.
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sm00thpapa
Very Senior Member
Administration -> Performance Tuning
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