What is best firmware for the R7000?

[ecktt]

I recently changed out a buggy Asus RT-AC56U for a free Netgear R7000. Feature-wise, it was downgraded as the Merline firmware for the Asus had the best feature set that a home user or a SOHO could ask for without compromising the wifi performance. Reception and speed-wise, this R7000, with the latest official firmware, blows the pants off the Asus. I know that some custom firmware can add back features like OpenVPN or redundant/load-balanced Internet sources but tend to have worse reception and throughput. Is this still the case? What is the best firmware for the R7000 with the following priority?

1. Reception
2. Speed
3. Features
4. Possibly add some mesh support.

 

[TexasFlood]

I recently changed out a buggy Asus RT-AC56U for a free Netgear R7000. Feature-wise, it was downgraded as the Merline firmware for the Asus had the best feature set that a home user or a SOHO could ask for without compromising the wifi performance. Reception and speed-wise, this R7000, with the latest official firmware, blows the pants off the Asus. I know that some custom firmware can add back features like OpenVPN or redundant/load-balanced Internet sources but tend to have worse reception and throughput. Is this still the case? What is the best firmware for the R7000 with the following priority?

1. Reception
2. Speed
3. Features
4. Possibly add some mesh support.

The R7000 2.4Ghz is rated double the RT-AC56U and 5Ghz 50% faster/more bandwidth. So yeah it's got newer generation components that should do better.

Everything I've ever read says that for performance reasons you want to stick with the original Netgear firmware because it supports hardware NAT acceleration and 3rd party firmware doesn't. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong

 

[Tech9]

FreshTomato is a good firmware alternative. It has NAT acceleration support, but it's disabled by default. Features like QoS, Bandwidth Limiters, IP Traffic are incompatible with NAT acceleration. I would definitely try how stable FT is on R7000 and what's the Wi-Fi performance. On my test RT-AC68U router FT2021.7 was showing identical Wi-Fi performance as stock Asuswrt. Both routers R7000 and AC68U have the same hardware inside. There is new FT2021.8 release from Dec 24th.

FreshTomato – Alternative open source firmware for Broadcom based routers

freshtomato.org

 

[L&LD]

Check out @Voxel's firmware for the NG routers. Very happy campers there.

Of course, the R7000 was (never?) supported by @Voxel, but you can try to upgrade/trade that R7000 for the highly regarded R7800 instead for even better performance, stability, and security too.

Voxel - Custom firmware build for R7800 v. 1.0.2.90SF | SmallNetBuilder Forums (snbforums.com)

 

[TonyK132]

Is there an image for R7000 that will allow revert from Merlin 384 firmware to stock that I could download? I'd like to try Fresh Tomato by starting from scratch.

 

[Tech9]

Is there an image for R7000 that will allow revert from Merlin 384 firmware to stock that I could download?

There is, but you need to look elsewhere, not on this forum.

 

[TonyK132]

Thanks. I got the link from you in an email notice.

 

[Tech9]

Thanks. I got the link from you in an email notice.

No idea what you are talking about...

 

[cafissimo]

Thanks. I got the link from you in an email notice.

Hello, would you kindly share the link with me, please?
I am trying to revert from Merlin 384 to FreshTomato

Thanks in advance

 

[Tech9]

Just look at FrestTomato support forum and around it.

Tomato Firmware

Discussion of Tomato Firmware and any router supported by it.

www.linksysinfo.org

 

[TonyK132]

You might look at this thread. The procedure worked for me.

https://www.snbforums.com/conversations/r7000.14330/#convMessage-67944