Several Questions Re:Asuswrt-Merlin Feature Implementation

[fenixreign]

@RMerlin - First I want to thank you and any contributors for your selfless work and support of this amazing firmware. Second, if I have posted in the wrong place, please let me know and tell me where I should have put this.

I have some questions about your opinions and some of the features on both the stock ASUSWRT and Merlin, as I am looking to replace one of the few routers you (justifiably) didn’t support, the RT-AX89X. I did search each question here on the forums, but didn’t see any results that adequately or directly answered.

1. Other than having to wait for the updated GPLs, was 3006 significantly more difficult to adapt than 3004?
2. On the currently supported routers, is VLAN implementation in the 3006 builds working or did ASUS screwup their implementation?
3. In the 3004 codebase, does Merlin implement CIFS/SMB such that the iOS issue detailed here on stackexchange is remedied? While ASUS finally implemented SMB 2.0 into the official FW, any Apple device connecting to my current SMB fileshare has that error.
   1. Are there any other differences between Merlin’s and the OFW SMB implementation?
   2. How difficult would it be to implement full functionality support for Samba?
4. Does Merlin allow for read/write access to the embedded file system (can I edit or replace the files in /etc/ or only /temp/) even if only via SSH command-line?
   1. If not, can it be implemented?
      1. If it can be, would it require editing source-code and would the edits obviously violate licensing or U.S. copyright?
5. Is the internal RAM for the ASUS Broadcom based routers on-package (as with most ARM-based-CPU devices) or soldered to the motherboard (similar to x86 laptops)?
   1. Is there anything in the code that you know of that would prevent a board-level chip replacement/upgrade for the RAM or storage (I am unsure if the FW is stored on EEPROM, NVRAM, flash, eMMC, etc.)?

This last request is for anyone that has hands-on experience with the WiFi 7 routers, especially the GT-BE98 Pro:

1. Would you be willing to share a “review” with me? Feel free to DM me here on the forums. I trust the users here significantly more than Amazon, eBay, B&H, etc. If I get enough responses with important info, I will combine and anonymize the information and post it somewhere relevant.

 

[RMerlin]

Other than having to wait for the updated GPLs, was 3006 significantly more difficult to adapt than 3004?

Yes. Implementing SDN and integrating VPN Director with it took weeks of work just for that particular feature, on top of the rest of the 3006 GPL merges involved, and the new WIfi 7 support.

On the currently supported routers, is VLAN implementation in the 3006 builds working or did ASUS screwup their implementation?

Works fine in my tests, you'd have to ask users who are actually using it for more feedback. I don't use VLANs.

In the 3004 codebase, does Merlin implement CIFS/SMB such that the iOS issue detailed here on stackexchange is remedied?

That module was only added in Samba 4.2. Asuswrt and Asuswrt-Merlin run Samba 3.6.5 for space reasons.

Does Merlin allow for read/write access to the embedded file system (can I edit or replace the files in /etc/ or only /temp/) even if only via SSH command-line?

1. If not, can it be implemented?

No. The firmware is a read-only partition, and that's not going to change. The /etc directory is created in RAM and therefore gets recreated on every reboot, with a mixture of dynamically generated files and read-only files copied from flash. If you need some form of customization, see the documentation on the Wiki on customizing config files and adding user scripts.

s the internal RAM for the ASUS Broadcom based routers on-package (as with most ARM-based-CPU devices) or soldered to the motherboard (similar to x86 laptops)?

1. Is there anything in the code that you know of that would prevent a board-level chip replacement/upgrade for the RAM or storage (I am unsure if the FW is stored on EEPROM, NVRAM, flash, eMMC, etc.)?

Discrete chips. Can't really be upgraded. There's been a few very rare cases of people attempting such an upgrade, but it was mostly with much older models, that had a much simpler boot design. The bootloader is separate from the firmware, and hardcoded for a specific hardware configuration. Simply not worth the effort, assuming it could even still be possible.