RT-N66U on 374.41 upgrading to 378.51 Just choose the *.trx ?

[ringding]

Hello all! I had a question about jumping to the newest version 378.51 (from 374.41) on my RT-N66U, The Dark Knight. Such a great name. I was reading about all the great stuff in the new changelog.txt when i saw this from the 378.50.... it says:

378.50 (7-Feb-2015)
- IMPORTANT: You must do a factory default reset, and manually
reconfigure your setting if coming from a version
older than 378.50. Failure to do so can
lead to various issues with wifi, OpenVPN,
and the new AC68U bootloader...."
Reading even FURTHER back it said for the notes on the 378.50 Beta 1:
378.50 Beta 1 (25-Jan-2015)
- IMPORTANT: You must do a factory default reset......"

BUT it does NOT say that you "MUST do a factory default reset and to manually reconfigure your settings, etc" before the 378.51 part of the changelog.

However, it says if coming from a version "older than 378.50" i DOES say to do the factory default reset etc.

So for my RT-N66U, which is back at 374.41 going to 378.51 (so upgrade 'path' of "374.41 to 378.51") what EXACTLY do i do? I have the RT-N66U_3.0.0.4_378.51_0.zip downloaded and the RT-N66U_3.0.0.4_378.51_0.trx extracted. From here, i would THINK since this isn't a beta and it doesn't say anything in the top of the changelog.txt Near any of the notes on 378.51 about doing a factory reset, that i can just goto http://192.168.x.x/Advanced_FirmwareUpgrade_Content.asp and click "CHOOSE" and point to the new *.trx correct?

Typically thats what "programs" do, and the page in the router even says "Note:

1. The latest firmware version include updates on the previous version." (but i realize this is firmware).

So, I would think from reading the changelog file section about 378.51 and the line that "the latest firmware version includes updates on the previous versions." That no factory default reset is needed, but i'd hate to assume, and have it 'blow up' on me. Last time i tried to go up a version the wifi all but croaked, and i got lucky and found the old .trx i had and i threw that back in. I miss the sweet "Merlin Hat" graphic that was there for about a day but it couldn't even stream 720p/DTS media from the USB HDD to my ASUS TF300T Touchscreen. I may have grabbed a beta or i think there used to be ones marked alpha or experimental and i "rolled the dice". Well i don't want to go through THAT again--I'm sure it was my fault for not asking.

So i wanted to get confirmation on the upgrade process, given my model (RT-N66U) and my upgrade 'path' of 374.41 to 378.51 THANKS!!

 

[ahduck]

Older than 378.50 meaning you have to restore to factory defaults if your current firmware is 378.50 or below. This includes the current firmware you are using which is 374.41.
But since you are using N66U, you might want to consider using john's fork of Merlins firmware. http://www.snbforums.com/threads/fork-update-for-374-43-available.18914/
The wifi range is way better then newer 376 - 378 versions.

 

[ringding]

Older than 378.50 meaning you have to restore to factory defaults if your current firmware is 378.50 or below. This includes the current firmware you are using which is 374.41.
But since you are using N66U, you might want to consider using john's fork of Merlins firmware. http://www.snbforums.com/threads/fork-update-for-374-43-available.18914/
The wifi range is way better then newer 376 - 378 versions.

Yeah that's why i went back down was the wifi range was weak. I can stream 1080p/DTS from the top floor where the RT-N66U is to the depths of the solid concrete basement. on this version, that's why i ONLY saved the 374.41 trx file.

So that fork is for just the N66U? I Glanced at the first few posts it's great to know there are other people as nerdy as i am--no offense but if there's a device that can be improved by "OpenEnthusiasts" then point me towards it. Thanks bud.

So where's the link to that guys fork of the N66U CFW? Wait i would need to put in Merlin's 374.42 and 374.43 before doing that fork, right? Hehe this is fun so yeah ill get to 374.43 via merlin's and then do you have the link to that fork's files? I didnt see it...

Thanks again btw... all these people have the same router that's great. Great minds think alike.

 

[L&LD]

You may want to look at the hggomes fork too. Current to the latest available RMerlin version in addition to maximum available Tx power at your control.

 

[gffmac]

You may want to look at the hggomes fork too. Current to the latest available RMerlin version in addition to maximum available Tx power at your control.

Link?
Thanks

 

[ahduck]

So where's the link to that guys fork of the N66U CFW? Wait i would need to put in Merlin's 374.42 and 374.43 before doing that fork, right? Hehe this is fun so yeah ill get to 374.43 via merlin's and then do you have the link to that fork's files? I didnt see it....

Actually the link is in the 1st page on the top.
http://www.snbforums.com/threads/fork-update-for-374-43-available.18914/
Direct link to John's Fork.
https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=09332fc159a7e129&id=9332FC159A7E129!241&ithint=folder,&authkey=!AAkPBWqV-s4-fQc

Link?
Thanks

You probably need to PM hggomes for permission.

 

[ringding]

ahduck....
i am confused now... i read that you need to be on 374.43 BEFORE you can use that fork. I am on 374.41 like i said, so you are saying that i can go straight to that onedrive.live.com link and go into the newest dir that would be 7 and then ill checkmark all the txt's and the RT-N66U_3.0.0.4_374.43_2-07j9527.trx, it zipped them all and downloaded (thats nice of them but the zip needs a checksum i'd think, well i'll assume it didnt corrupt...
so i can apply this RT-N66U_3.0.0.4_374.43_2-07j9527.trx ON TOP of Merlin's 374.41 if i understood you right. Can you confirm that? And what is the difference between "John" and "hggomes" forks?
It's great that there are options. Its really great. Since i am happy with how the wifi range is, i want to stay in the 374 area, and it looks as if i am not the only one!! So i wasn't just imagining that wifi drop in speed and distance. But i like the sound of L&LD's comment "You may want to look at the hggomes fork too. Current to the latest available RMerlin version in addition to maximum available Tx power at your control." THAT sounds like the best of both worlds, so to speak. How did he accomplish that? And is that just opinion or does everyone seem to agree?
So did he leave the wifi alone at the 374.x level but on his fork did he do all the other good changes? I'm especially interested in the SAMBA changes i saw in the Merlin changelog for the newest version of his CFW but i dont want to sacrifice the wifi reliability, speed and distance that i have under the 374.4 so many flavours to choose from!! I use the N66U mainly for a NAS. I saw that it supports a USB hub (i forgot if it said powered hub or not but i can ask that question when i get more drives-- i have two 2TB drives hooked up to it now, and i use them for mainly XBMC/Kodi (SMB shares for multimedia files; mainly 720p & 1080p Matroska (.mkv) movies with DTS or AC3 (Dolby Digital 5.1). Kodi is a media center app for many platforms i use it on a raspberry pi2, a little SoC that you map LAN shares to and hookup HDMI to your DTS/DD5.1 reciever, turn passthru audio on, and watch glorious "backups of your own bluray disks" that "i make myself into .mkv format." ;-) So a new version of SAMBA cant hurt!!

You guys seem to have been at this more that i have... i HATED the WRT56G Linksys LOOK of the FW, so i gladly flashed them all with tomato. But ASUS's "basic layout" (esp. the main page) was nice and sharp out of the box (i thought), and the way Merlin stuck with the basic design i though was a great idea.
There were little tiny changes in the one update i chose, like the spots where the drives show up said "USB 2.0" where now they dont say anything (unless a drive is plugged in). And the signature "Merlin-Hat" i thought was neat. I set most my IP's static except the raspberry pi/pbpi2 just because i didn't want to "configure networking manually" on the installer, and it gets the SMB/hostnames all the same, which is nice. It is nice to let the router do the work that it should... primary DNS, DHCP (but allow static ips esp. wired devices, and to House my Media, even better. So im going to read changelog for update 7 RT-N66U_3.0.0.4_374.43_2-07j9527.trx (i assume that that J is for "John"?)

You may want to look at the hggomes fork too. Current to the latest available RMerlin version in addition to maximum available Tx power at your control. Where is a link to that? And how did he accomplish the best of both worlds? I can't find the PM "button" lol.
But that means hggomes has all the upgrades that i read where in the 385.51 AND the wifi power of 374.41 ?? Please let me know if

A.) i can put this Update 07 (from your link to the onedrive, which is "John's" fork, Right?) N66U_3.0.0.4_374.43_2-07j9527.trx on top of the 374.41 by Merlin without flashing back to factory---Just choose the file and let it update since its a 374.4x , correct?

B.) Like gffmac asked, where is hggomes files at or do i need to PM to ask? I'll try that...EDIT:: I dont see a PM button is it considered a "conversation" now? It has been a while and the board seems updated since i last remembered.. i went to a members list and saw he was a "Very Senior Member" and he joined around the time i got my N66U; circa 2012 or so. Can you tell me how to ask him if i can read threads about his fork and access the files? Forums have come a LONG way since i used them back in the day.​

I need to google "DSCP comcast errors"... i have a bridged modem/router Arris "gateway device" they called it for the docsis 3.0--they said it had to come with wifi because we get POTS phone thru it, and it HAD to have 4 LAN ports and DHCP/WiFi etc so i made them bridge it and disable DHCP and WiFi etc... so the N66U is the big boss now I MANAGE MY DEMARK!! hehe it's a control issue; i admit it... but thats why i bought it!!!...

The N66U has been working like a dream on LAN only FTP/torrent/speedtest.net and DCC file send tests. LAN file speeds have been great too. N66U found a node that had a 10/100 NIC so i bumped it up... now all cat5 is on GBps ahhhh. Now that i am DOCSIS 3.0 I want the N66U to be taking advantage of the extra phat pipe, and it has... but these CFW's can really make HUGE differences.

ahduck & L&LD, thanks guys. i know i typed too much but the amount of caffine i inhaled made me do it!!! If you guys could

PLEASE ANSWER THE 2 (TWO) QUESTIONS (Labeled A.) and B.) I INDENTED ABOVE, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT!).​

Thanks!!

PS little things like the john 07 changelog says
NEW: Implememnts an option to override incorrect DSCP settings seen
on IPv4 Comcast connections (port from Shibby Tomato). This may improve
internet speeds for Comcast customers. Option added to gui (Firewall/General).
The above isn't in my GUI. So i'd like to get it there (i have comcast 50mbit service) and i can hit 7MB/s on UT, lets see if this will work...