Upgrade from RT-AC1900P to?

[michae1a1ee]

Hello,
I'm currently running an Asus RT-AC1900P as my main router with a second RT-AC1900P as an AiMesh node on my 1st and 3rd levels of a townhouse, respectively. I feel I've had good coverage with this setup but I'm wondering if it might be time to upgrade at least my main router. The RT-AC1900P has had the low nvram alerts come up. I've managed to get rid of the alert for now using a script and the instructions to run it that I found in these forums. Thank you SNB Forums! But, I'm not sure how long that will last. Rather than wipe the main router, I'm questioning whether it might be time to start with something new.

I'm considering the RT-AX86U as the main router. I'm wondering a few things:
Will this provide me with more nvram or at least be a solution to the low nvram I've seen with my current RT-AC1900P?
Will an RT-AX86U work fine with one or both of my RT-AC1900P devices setup as AiMesh nodes? (in other words, does the device you use as an AiMesh node matter with the router you're pairing it with or are the newer routers better off without AiMesh nodes?)
Thanks for your thoughts and input as always.

 

[L&LD]

What are your ISP speeds? If the current setup gives you a high enough percentage of those speeds for your needs/wants, then I suggest you wait for WiFi 7 (gen 2) equipment to be introduced. Not that I'm suggesting you buy WiFi 7 gear. Rather, the prices for AX routers will/should fall substantially (at least on sales).

I don't like running different routers for main/nodes in AiMesh. Let alone running AC class and AX class routers (I don't find the network stable enough with those mismatches).

I suggest that whatever model you consider buying, you buy 2 of them. Don't open both boxes though. Test with one router first (don't forget to turn off your old nodes, at least during these tests) and see if your coverage/throughput is satisfactory. You may be pleasantly surprised.

2x RT-AC86Us in a customer's home could have been easily replaced with a single RT-AX68U, for example (even if the customer insisted I install the second RT-AX68U router too in the end). And, to put this in perspective for you, the RT-AC86U is the superior wireless router over the RT-AC68U and its variants (such as your routers).

A single router, well placed, in the areas needing coverage, will be superior to any AiMesh setup using wireless backhaul. Consider running a few Ethernet cables to that middle floor to get a substantial increase in your network performance with a single RT-AX68U, GT-AX6000, or RT-AX88U Pro.

[ 386.4 alpha Build(s) ] Testing available build(s)

There are some odd regressions being discussed on the dnsmasq-discuss list from the PiHole guy (Dominik). https://lists.thekelleys.org.uk/pipermail/dnsmasq-discuss/2021q3/015598.html https://lists.thekelleys.org.uk/pipermail/dnsmasq-discuss/2021q3/015596.html I see Merlin is testing 2.86 out...

www.snbforums.com

 

[michae1a1ee]

Thank you for that detailed response. I forgot to mention that I have wired backhaul between my router and AiMesh node. My ISP speed is currently not very impressive. 100Mbps download and 30Mbps upload. I would likely need to upgrade both my service and my cable modem to take advantage of a newer router, but the upgrade could also be considered future proofing. I do hear your point about the upcoming drop in price for WiFi 6 devices, although I would likely buy one of these used to save money.

 

[drinkingbird]

Hello,
I'm currently running an Asus RT-AC1900P as my main router with a second RT-AC1900P as an AiMesh node on my 1st and 3rd levels of a townhouse, respectively. I feel I've had good coverage with this setup but I'm wondering if it might be time to upgrade at least my main router. The RT-AC1900P has had the low nvram alerts come up. I've managed to get rid of the alert for now using a script and the instructions to run it that I found in these forums. Thank you SNB Forums! But, I'm not sure how long that will last. Rather than wipe the main router, I'm questioning whether it might be time to start with something new.

I'm considering the RT-AX86U as the main router. I'm wondering a few things:
Will this provide me with more nvram or at least be a solution to the low nvram I've seen with my current RT-AC1900P?
Will an RT-AX86U work fine with one or both of my RT-AC1900P devices setup as AiMesh nodes? (in other words, does the device you use as an AiMesh node matter with the router you're pairing it with or are the newer routers better off without AiMesh nodes?)
Thanks for your thoughts and input as always.

As far as the low NVRAM, have you tried merlin 386.11 with a factory reset and manual reconfigure? That frees up a lot of NVRAM. But if you have a lot of custom client names it still may not be enough.

 

[michae1a1ee]

As far as the low NVRAM, have you tried merlin 386.11 with a factory reset and manual reconfigure? That frees up a lot of NVRAM. But if you have a lot of custom client names it still may not be enough.

I am currently running Merlin 386.11, but I didn't do a factory reset and manual reconfigure since I got the router, probably 3 years ago. Yesterday I figured out how to run a "clean-up script" I found on here,
for line in `nvram show | grep =$ `; do var=${line%*=}; nvram unset $var; done; nvram commit
and my NVRAM usage is now showing as 61017/65536 bytes. The flashing warning error at the top of the firmware has gone away as a result of running the script, so it seems my issue is resolved for now (also the router hasn't crashed today, fingers crossed), so it does appear it was NVRAM that was causing my network to go down frequently over the last short while.

So perhaps I don't actually need to upgrade to a new router, but I already started thinking about it so the upgrade bug has hit me and I'm considering my options.

 

[drinkingbird]

I am currently running Merlin 386.11, but I didn't do a factory reset and manual reconfigure since I got the router, probably 3 years ago. Yesterday I figured out how to run a "clean-up script" I found on here,
for line in `nvram show | grep =$ `; do var=${line%*=}; nvram unset $var; done; nvram commit
and my NVRAM usage is now showing as 61017/65536 bytes. The flashing warning error at the top of the firmware has gone away as a result of running the script, so it seems my issue is resolved for now (also the router hasn't crashed today, fingers crossed), so it does appear it was NVRAM that was causing my network to go down frequently over the last short while.

So perhaps I don't actually need to upgrade to a new router, but I already started thinking about it so the upgrade bug has hit me and I'm considering my options.

That script is temporary. 386.11 includes a script to remove a few of the VPN instances and that helps a lot. However if you have been upgrading and haven't reset in years, that would definitely be a worthwhile investment of time. It will clear out those extra VPN variables plus lots of other clutter. You might be surprised at how big of a difference it can make performance wise too. I remember I tried dirty upgrading 384 to 386 years ago and my Internet speed was capping at 250 meg at 100% CPU. After several weeks of that, figured I'd give a reset a try. Same config, was now getting my full 350 at 65% CPU.

 

[ColinTaylor]

I am currently running Merlin 386.11, but I didn't do a factory reset and manual reconfigure since I got the router, probably 3 years ago. Yesterday I figured out how to run a "clean-up script" I found on here,
for line in `nvram show | grep =$ `; do var=${line%*=}; nvram unset $var; done; nvram commit
and my NVRAM usage is now showing as 61017/65536 bytes. The flashing warning error at the top of the firmware has gone away as a result of running the script, so it seems my issue is resolved for now (also the router hasn't crashed today, fingers crossed), so it does appear it was NVRAM that was causing my network to go down frequently over the last short while.

So perhaps I don't actually need to upgrade to a new router, but I already started thinking about it so the upgrade bug has hit me and I'm considering my options.

As per the previous post, that "hack" is obsolete. See the release notes for 386.11 for the proper way to free up NVRAM on the RT-AC68U (or do the suggested factory reset).

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/asuswrt-merlin-386-11-is-now-available-for-ac-models.84975/

  - CHANGED: Reduce max OpenVPN clients to 2 for RT-AC68U and
             DSL-AC68U due to lack of NVRAM on these two
             models.  Note that existing settings are not
             automatically removed, you must run the following
             command over SSH to remove them from nvram and
             the /jffs/openvpn/ directory:

                clear_vpnclients.sh

             A backup will be saved in /jffs/openvpn_backup.tgz.

 

[michae1a1ee]

Thank you @drinkingbird and @ColinTaylor for those comments.
I guess I spoke too soon in my earlier post as although I am not a home right now, I can see that my home network is completely offline as of some time within the last hour. So my RT-AC1900P router has crashed again. I guess I can start by trying the clear_vpnclients.sh command that @ColinTaylor suggested first, but ultimately it sounds like I should do what @drinkingbird has said and wipe the whole router.
Can I do that without removing Merline 386.11?
And correct me if I'm wrong, the general consensus on here is to re-enter all the router settings I want manually, therefore I should probably take notes or screenshots of my current router settings pages in order to reproduce them manually afterwards, yes?

 

[ColinTaylor]

Doing a factory reset doesn't change the installed version of the firmware.

If you have a lot of customised settings to re-enter a compromise would be to backup your current settings (Administration - Restore/Save/Upload Setting), do the factory reset, and then reload your settings file. This process will effectively filter out any old or obsolete NVRAM variables. Of course this won't solve any fundamental misconfiguration or hardware problems.

Are you running any addon scripts on your router?

 

[michae1a1ee]

Doing a factory reset doesn't change the installed version of the firmware.

If you have a lot of customised settings to re-enter a compromise would be to backup your current settings (Administration - Restore/Save/Upload Setting), do the factory reset, and then reload your settings file. This process will effectively filter out any old or obsolete NVRAM variables. Of course this won't solve any fundamental misconfiguration or hardware problems.

Are you running any addon scripts on your router?

I'm not running any addon scripts on my router.
What is the process for doing a factory reset then if Merlin is installed?

 

[michae1a1ee]

I'm not running any addon scripts on my router.
What is the process for doing a factory reset then if Merlin is installed?

Just found the factory reset options, firmware or hardware button methods:

[Wireless Router] How to reset the router to factory default setting? | Official Support | ASUS Global

 

[ColinTaylor]

I'm not running any addon scripts on my router.

That simplifies things.

What is the process for doing a factory reset then if Merlin is installed?

It's the same as stock firmware. Use either the standard method (button or GUI) or a hard reset (using the WPS button method).

 

[drinkingbird]

Just found the factory reset options, firmware or hardware button methods:

[Wireless Router] How to reset the router to factory default setting? | Official Support | ASUS Global

I would do the hard reset procedure as that should format JFFS also.

If you really want to go nuclear
1. Hard reset (WPS Button method)
2. Configure just enough to get in, soft factory reset via the GUI with "initialize defaults" checked off
3. Configure just enough to get in, let the CPU settle down
4. Set "format jffs at next boot", apply and reboot
5. Let CPUs settle, configure your stuff, reboot again.

 

[michae1a1ee]

@drinkingbird I like the nuclear route. Will likely do that when I have some more time, and after I've had a chance to manually make notes on my setup customizations.
I'm planning on heading to the house with the router issue tonight. I won't have a lot of time but I'll definitely be rebooting the router seeing as it's offline currently.
I'm wondering if the suggestion from @ColinTaylor to run the command:
clear_vpnclients.sh
will buy me some time in terms of router stability/nvram issues? Is that still worth doing given the symptoms I've mentioned?

 

[ColinTaylor]

There's no reason not to run clear_vpnclients.sh. All it does is remove redundant information from the router. It may not help, but it won't make things worse.

Look in the router's System Log for clues as to why it's offline. If you prefer you could save the log, upload it to somewhere like pastebin.com and provide a link to it for us to look at.

 

[michae1a1ee]

I ran the command. Here are my results and syslog attached:
NVRAM usage
58862/65536 bytes after clear_vpnclients.sh
58789/65536 bytes after reboot

 

[ColinTaylor]

Thanks for the log file. Unfortunately it doesn't really go back far enough to identify the start of the problem. The only clue is the following repeating line:

Maximum number of concurrent DNS queries reached (max: 150)

That indicates that the router has stopped receiving replies from it's upstream DNS servers. This usually means that the router has lost all internet connectivity. I would look in the log of the modem connected to the router's WAN port. The problem may lie there or with your ISP.

 

[michae1a1ee]

@ColinTaylor Thank you for the insights.
Is this something that indicates my cable modem needs to be restarted? Perhaps I'll do that regardless while I'm here. I've attached the only log entries I can get from the cable modem.

 

[ColinTaylor]

It's not entirely conclusive but the "SYNC Timing Synchronization failure" errors look a bit worrying to me. I would definitely reboot the modem in any case. But I'd also contact your ISP and say you're having connections problems. They may be able to detect a fault on their side.

 

[Tech9]

So perhaps I don't actually need to upgrade

Don't believe in fairytales a single router will give you better coverage. Newer routers may have up to 30% better coverage because of better sensitivity radios. Most routers have transmit power limited by local RF regulations. If you are happy with the 2x RT-AC1900P - no rush to upgrade. Save your time and money. You are on the right track cleaning up the system and can squeeze few more years out of what you already have.