Running out of NVRAM

[tracker.ca]

We have a router that servers around 200 clients, and consistently run out of NVRAM, resetting to factory defaults.
Analysing the NVRAM content, 10Kb are in use by client_info_tmp and nmp_client_list and I believe this is the main issue.
We moved everything we could to JFFS (8x OpenVPN, routes, port forwarding) but doesn't seem to help much.

Is there a way to completely disable the Client List?

Is there any new router (compatible with Merlin) with more than 64Kb of NVRAM?

 

[Blinkyz]

We all have a router, this is a forum for that!
Without model ,brand and FW version , difficult to help

 

[RMerlin]

We have a router that servers around 200 clients, and consistently run out of NVRAM, resetting to factory defaults.
Analysing the NVRAM content, 10Kb are in use by client_info_tmp and nmp_client_list and I believe this is the main issue.
We moved everything we could to JFFS (8x OpenVPN, routes, port forwarding) but doesn't seem to help much.

Is there a way to completely disable the Client List?

Is there any new router (compatible with Merlin) with more than 64Kb of NVRAM?

Erase these two nvram, and make sure you run 380.59. Asus moved that data to the JFFS partition now, to save up on nvram space.

 

[tracker.ca]

We all have a router, this is a forum for that!
Without model ,brand and FW version , difficult to help

Sorry Blinkyz... missed that because I thought it was not relevant to the question, as the problem happened in two different routers (N66U and AC56U), and Merlin Firmware versions (from .50 to .58)

RMerlin already provided good news with version .59 moving the problem variables to JFFS. I will test the firmware update and report back.

 

[tracker.ca]

Erase these two nvram, and make sure you run 380.59. Asus moved that data to the JFFS partition now, to save up on nvram space.

Thanks RMerlin, will test that right away!

 

[tracker.ca]

Erase these two nvram, and make sure you run 380.59. Asus moved that data to the JFFS partition now, to save up on nvram space.

Well, it is a partial success.

After upgrading and erasing both variables, client_info_tmp comes back and it is the biggest one of the two (7.7K in our case). Only nmp_client_list got moved to JFFS, giving a net gain of only 2.6K

Is there any of the new routers with more NVRAM or do all of them max out at 64K? I don't really care for the WiFi capabilities.

 

[RMerlin]

Well, it is a partial success.

After upgrading and erasing both variables, client_info_tmp comes back and it is the biggest one of the two (7.7K in our case). Only nmp_client_list got moved to JFFS, giving a net gain of only 2.6K

Is there any of the new routers with more NVRAM or do all of them max out at 64K? I don't really care for the WiFi capabilities.

The 2015 generation of routers (RT-AC88/AC3100/AC5300) come with 128 KB.

Make sure you also erased any leftover OpenVPN key/certs.

 

[bbunge]

My N66R running 380.59 only has nmp_client_list in /jffs However, I have a couple of AC68's running John's fork with scripts that run daily to clean out client list. See: http://www.snbforums.com/threads/nmp_client_list-eating-up-all-nvram-space.20491/

 

[sfx2000]

We have a router that servers around 200 clients, and consistently run out of NVRAM, resetting to factory defaults.

You're probably exceeding the capabilities of the Router/AP you have... hence your problems here and on other threads...

 

[appleseed]

these routers can serve 200 people, but I don't know if they can efficiently serve 200 people...like the engineers actually sought this capability at the planning stage, Asus agreed with it, and the out-the-door price is commensurate with that. It seems not, but I don't know - what about 250 users - wonder what the limits are before running into quirks like this.

stealth edit: sfx2000 already said it

 

[sfx2000]

50 users - maybe...

200 - probably not...

 

[tracker.ca]

You're probably exceeding the capabilities of the Router/AP you have... hence your problems here and on other threads...

I am well aware of that, but the customer's internal IT is familiar with it and doesn't want to move to a bigger solution. I am trying to accommodate...

We have dozens of other routers serving 10-100 users and they are mostly stable (except for the scheduled reboot as you expertly pointed out).

This installation in particular is running 8 OpenVPN Servers (all scripted and running from JFFS), Scripted site-blocking, IPTraffic, no WiFi, with the WAN side on a Gigabit fiber. Other than the issue of the NVRAM filling up and resetting the router to defaults, there are no complains from the customer! </sarcasm>

 

[ulaganath]

You can't run home router for Comercial usage volume. You need to have ap which actually handle such a volume. Ubiquity is one among them

Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using Tapatalk

 

[sfx2000]

This installation in particular is running 8 OpenVPN Servers (all scripted and running from JFFS), Scripted site-blocking, IPTraffic, no WiFi, with the WAN side on a Gigabit fiber. Other than the issue of the NVRAM filling up and resetting the router to defaults, there are no complains from the customer!

Oh wow... I'm assuming this rolled out slowly over time, and now one is in a situation like this.. Consumer gear isn't really designed for applications like what you mention..

There will probably come a time where it'll be more productive to look at other solutions that scale better - for VPN, Routing, and AP's - and that time might be sooner than later

Probably not a huge capital expense, and lower operating costs, with less risk to the business - less of a technical issue, and more of a business case.

 

[tracker.ca]

Well, I want to report that once the issue with the NVRAM filling up was solved by removing the variables, the router has been stable and running fine for the last 12 days, with the NVRAM usage at a comfortable 53Kb.
Like I mentioned before, it is not my call to switch to a bigger, beefier solution, as the internal IT is comfortable with the solution. Historically they have been using DD-WRT OpenVPN forever and it always worked fine, switching to Merlin was the icing on the cake!
In the end, a router like an AC56U is a dual core, 256Mb linux box... it can do a lot and be very stable! We had routers running for more than a year without the need to reboot...

Thanks to all that provided positive feedback!