[RT-N66U] Cloudcheck on FW 3.0.0.4.378.9313

[episyron]

Hi, I have been running a new stock FW version 3.0.0.4.378.9313 now couple of hours and so far so good. But I was wondering if the new Cloudcheck agent feature is any good. So is anybody using it already? Useful?

 

[RMerlin]

I tried it last night on a different router, and to be honest, I'm not sure I see the point. Personally, I dislike the fact that Cloudcheck is doing blackbox-stuff to your router to "optimize it". I'd like to know what they are actually doing to it. Their website lacks any details as to what their Smartifi technology does, just some vague "we make your wifi work better". That sounds almost like snakeoil to me.

 

[wouterv]

I even doubt their service is free, the website suggest it requires a monthly fee.
I also dont see why Asus got involved, it hardly cant be else than Asus get paid for every active user.

See also:
http://www.snbforums.com/threads/of...e-version-3-0-0-4-378-9313.28056/#post-215850

 

[wirelessEngineer]

I have been using the Cloudcheck APP for a while because it was available even before this firmware release. You can see my previous post that I added when I purchased the router.

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/mobile-app-for-asus-routers.21626/

I don't know their plan, but it seems that they are not making any changes on the routers actively based on my experience. I mostly use the app to see whether there is any issue in my network or any stations. Typically, it is not easy to know what's going on, or who connects to my router, and what speeds they get etc. and I could get the information from the Cloudcheck app easily. So, it was useful to me so far. Based on the release notes, it seems that they only offer diagnostics and recommendations, which is in line with what I have observed so far. I haven't upgraded the firmware yet, but I can try and see if there are any differences.

******** Release notes ********
Cloudcheck agent enables intelligent wifi diagnostics that provides complete visibility into home network performance and offers actionable recommendations for improvements.

 

[RMerlin]

You need to use the Smartifi option to allow it to manage your router. The rest are just generic monitoring tools.

 

[wirelessEngineer]

You need to use the Smartifi option to allow it to manage your router. The rest are just generic monitoring tools.

Yes, I used two generic monitoring tools (WiFi sweetspots and Speed Test) for other routers like my Comcast router to measure wifi and broadband speed, and used Smartifi feature for ASUS router.

 

[wouterv]

A

Yes, I used two generic monitoring tools (WiFi sweetspots and Speed Test) for other routers like my Comcast router to measure wifi and broadband speed, and used Smartifi feature for ASUS router.

And what does the Smartifi option do to your router?
Do you have screen shots or do you see what settings are actually tuned?

 

[RMerlin]

Do you have screen shots or do you see what settings are actually tuned?

That's the thing: nobody knows.

 

[wirelessEngineer]

And what does the Smartifi option do to your router?
Do you have screen shots or do you see what settings are actually tuned?

I copied the screenshot from iOS app store. What I saw from mine is similar to this screenshot. The app doesn't say what it is changing, but it sometimes say that I have an interference problem, or my station A is using a slower band, and switch to 5GHz. For example, my laptop often sticks to 2.4GHz even though it is quite close to AP, and 5GHz is much better. In that case, the app says that it is better to switch to 5GHz, but it doesn't force on its own. My laptop sometimes can't connect to the internet because of incorrect IP address, and the app says I need to refresh, or restart the laptop to fix. This happened when I moved my laptop from work to home. I guess it is my laptop issue, and the app doesn't fix it, but it gives me some hints, and internet works if I renew ipconfig or restart laptop. I have seen other advice from the app, but can't remember all of them.

 

[Cloudcheck Products]

Thank you for your interest in Cloudcheck.

If we haven't answered your specific question here, we'd be delighted to be in touch with you and answer your questions directly. Please complete our contact form and we’ll get back to you shortly.

We are currently testing a beta release of our Smartifi Router Monitoring function with select ASUS models. Smartifi offers monitoring, diagnostics, and actionable recommendations to help identify and solve WiFi connectivity and quality problems. In order to use Smartifi, you need a compatible router and the Cloudcheck app. Once we receive your consent to monitor the network performance through the app, we activate Smartifi functions.

You can test drive the functionality by downloading the apps from the Google Play and IOS stores.

We are currently in the process of putting together an FAQ for Smartifi features and functions, and apologize for the inconvenience until then. Here is a preview of unique Smartifi features:

1) Automatic WiFi Throughput Measurement for all devices on a WiFi Network:
Broadband speed test tools don't separately measure the throughput of the link between a WIFI router and a WiFI enabled device. The standard WiFi throughput testing for this case is done by iPerf. iPerf testing typically requires two laptops connected in a WiFi network. Both laptops must have iPerf software to do the measurement.

Cloudcheck Smartifi allows accurate measurement of the WiFi throughput on all devices connected to the WiFi Network, without requiring any special software on the devices. This patented throughput measurement technique is unique to ASSIA. The lab and field tests show over 95% accuracy compared to iPerf tools.

On the main Smartifi Screen, you will find a list of all devices connected to WiFi Router with the WiFi throughput values for each device/link.

2) Coverage Diagnostics/Performance Alerts

Smartifi provides coverage Diagnostics and performance alerts. Smartifi Diagnostics relies not only on the signal strength level but also correlates this value with the data throughput to avoid false positive. This helps identify potential holes in network coverage as it is experienced by an end user . (Signal strength alone is NOT a good indicator of how the end user perceives coverage.)

3) Interference/Noise Diagnostics

Smartifi identifies interference and noise issues and offers alternatives for improvement. Home WiFi environment features large number of WiFi devices, neighboring WiFi networks, devices emitting wireless signals beyond WiFi network, which all impact the interference and noise experienced at the WiFi router. Smartifi helps select the right band, channels and channel settings to mitigate the problems.

We uploaded several screen shots for your reference in case you don't yet have the Cloudcheck app or the compatible ASUS model.

In this release of Smartifi, we don't modify any network parameters or do automated optimization. Smartifi+ is the future version of Smartifi and will be able to take automatic action to optimize WiFI network performance. Please let us know if you'd like to be an alpha user for the Smartifi+ product, we will let you know when the product becomes available.

Cloudcheck is a consumer-facing brand of ASSIA Inc., a respected broadband management solutions provider to major telecommunications carriers across the world. The company was founded in 2003 by Dr. John Cioffi, renowned expert in broadband technology and professor emeritus of electrical engineering at Stanford University. For more information about ASSIA please visit http://www.assia-inc.com/.

Hi, I have been running a new stock FW version 3.0.0.4.378.9313 now couple of hours and so far so good. But I was wondering if the new Cloudcheck agent feature is any good. So is anybody using it already? Useful?

 

[Cloudcheck Products]

I tried it last night on a different router, and to be honest, I'm not sure I see the point. Personally, I dislike the fact that Cloudcheck is doing blackbox-stuff to your router to "optimize it". I'd like to know what they are actually doing to it. Their website lacks any details as to what their Smartifi technology does, just some vague "we make your wifi work better". That sounds almost like snakeoil to me.

RMerlin,

Thank you for your interest in Cloudcheck.

If we haven't answered your specific question here, we'd be delighted to be in touch with you and answer your questions directly. Please complete our contact form and we’ll get back to you shortly.

The current ASUS firmware release contains an enhancement to allow Cloudcheck interact with the ASUS router to provide useful Diagnostics and Recommendations for the Home WiFi network, as explained in the previous post. (ex: wifi throughput measurement without iPerf)

There is no active management or modification of network parameters with Smartifi. We try to answer as many questions as possible and get individual feedback before the mass market launch campaign. We'd love to give you more information about the features, functions and how the product works if you'd be interested.

We had an Indigogo campaign where we raised funds for our Smartifi+, a future product we are working on and not yet released to public. This future product attempts to optimize WiFi network management by big data analytics and machine learning techniques. You are also welcomed to be an alpha user for our Smartifi+ products, if interested. (Smartifi+ is NOT included in this current release)

 

[wouterv]

...
In this release of Smartifi, we don't modify any network parameters or do automated optimization. Smartifi+ is the future version of Smartifi and will be able to take automatic action to optimize WiFI network performance.
...

Good marketing story.
Above phrase of the story is the scary part, it indicates that Cloudcheck does have the ability to open a door to a third party on the Internet to actively effect router behaviour.

 

[Cloudcheck Products]

I even doubt their service is free, the website suggest it requires a monthly fee.
I also dont see why Asus got involved, it hardly cant be else than Asus get paid for every active user.

See also:
http://www.snbforums.com/threads/of...e-version-3-0-0-4-378-9313.28056/#post-215850

Thank you for your interest in Cloudcheck.

If we haven't answered your specific question here, we'd be delighted to be in touch with you and answer your questions directly. Please complete our contact form and we’ll get back to you shortly.

The Cloudcheck app and the Smartifi service are free for consumers.

You can test drive the functionality by downloading the apps from the Google Play and IOS stores.

 

[Cloudcheck Products]

Good marketing story.
Above phrase of the story is the scary part, it indicates that Cloudcheck does have the ability to open a door to a third party on the Internet to actively effect router behaviour.

Thank you for your interest in Cloudcheck.

If we haven't answered your specific question here, we'd be delighted to be in touch with you and answer your questions directly. Please complete our contact form and we’ll get back to you shortly.
You can test drive the functionality by downloading the apps from the Google Play and IOS stores.

Cloudcheck Smartifi Router Monitoring service is activated only after the end-user provides explicit consent. Cloudcheck doesn't share information with any third party and doesn't have a capability to allow a third party to change router settings.

Cloudcheck collects network service parameters (such as signal strength) and don't perform any intrusive content inspection (such as dpi).

You can test drive the functionality by downloading the apps from the Google Play and IOS stores.

 

[wouterv]

Thank you for your interest in Cloudcheck.

If we haven't answered your specific question here, we'd be delighted to be in touch with you and answer your questions directly. Please complete our contact form and we’ll get back to you shortly.

This forum is the perfect platform to answer the questions, so it will be clear to the user community.

You can test drive the functionality by downloading the apps from the Google Play and IOS stores.

Sorry, I am not interested to use this functionality, I am only concerned about the end-users privacy.

Cloudcheck Smartifi Router Monitoring service is activated only after the end-user providers explicit consent. Cloudcheck doesn't share information with any third party and doesn't have a capability to allow a third party to change router settings.

Can the Cloudcheck Smartifi Router Monitoring service easily be de-activated, after it is activated? (I strongly suggest Asus to a add an "Activate Yes/No" switch in the router GUI).
Can you explain "the end-user providers", is that the Internet Service Provider of the end-user?
The third party I refer to is Cloudcheck or the ASSIA company, which is allready a concern to me.
What are the router settings Cloudcheck or the ASSIA company is able to change?

Cloudcheck collects network service parameters (such as signal strength) and don't perform any intrusive content inspection (such as dpi).

Can you exactly indicate what network parameters are collected, where these are stored and for what period of time these are stored?

You can test drive the functionality by downloading the apps from the Google Play and IOS stores.

No thanks.

 

[RMerlin]

Can the Cloudcheck Smartifi Router Monitoring service easily be de-activated, after it is activated?

In the app you can disconnect the account. Afterward, if in doubt, you can also disable the services through nvram (I didn't notice if it was automatically disabled by the app or not):

service stop_cloudcheck
nvram set enable_cloudcheck=0
nvram commit

 

[wouterv]

In the app you can disconnect the account. Afterward, if in doubt, you can also disable the services through nvram (I didn't notice if it was automatically disabled by the app or not):

It would be great if that stop and disable would be possible- and the service status be visable from the GUI (similar to AiProtection).
Even better it would be to leave the whole service out of the firmware and make it optware to be installed at choice of the router owner.

I don't understand why Asus took the decision to include this third party package, I bet there are numerous software manufacturers who would like their package be included in standard firmware, hoping for at least a fraction of the installed base going to actively using their (payed) services or being able to collect strategic/privacy information.

Do routers go the Windows and Android way and get many "nice" applications packed to push the end user?

 

[RMerlin]

Do routers go the Windows and Android way and get many "nice" applications packed to push the end user?

Since every single router of a given performance class uses the same chipset, the only way to distinguish yourself from the competition is with added value, in the form of software.

 

[L&LD]

This is a very bad road to go down.

I hope the RMerlin firmware gives us the option of downloading stripped and 'Asus/RMerlin' only build to flash to our routers.

 

[wouterv]

This is a very bad road to go down.

I hope the RMerlin firmware gives us the option of downloading stripped and 'Asus/RMerlin' only build to flash to our routers.

I fully agree.
Routers shall for consumers be reliable black boxes and distiguish them selves in reliability and performance for a good price.
What we, visitors and contributers to forums like this, do is only valid for a minority of the users.
Far most users operate their router with the as-shipped stock firmware.
The Asus router manuals are way behind (e.g. for RT-N66U of 2012), the majority of the users are not even aware of fancy router features, they buy a router as pure router.
Routers and the growing number of consumer products with embedded firmware shall be made for their purpose, without any bells and wistles, without "we know what is good for you" software add-ons and without potential backdoors.

Let's fight for it!