why big file sharing speed improvement from ...270.26 to ...374.32?

[RussellInCincinnati]

Just upgraded a client from Merlin version 3.0.0.4_270.26 (probably about 6 months ago?) to 3.0.0.4_372.32 (latest non-beta September 2013) firmware.

4 people (3 Windows folks and one Ubuntu Linux user) are using the RT-AC66U router as their fileserver on the gigabit Ethernet network. The files are stored on a (quite fast by 2013 standards) linux-ext3-formatted-on-a-Windows-PC Patriot Supersonic USB 3.0 flash drive. About 40 gig of stuff on the 128 gig memory stick, shared via Samba.

Under Merlin ..._270.26 we have not rebooted this basically free file server/router, or been aware of any hiccups, for about half a year.

The slightly odd thing was the client, who is hard-wired to the ...AC66U, calling me, an hour after the upgrade of Merlin to ...372_32, to tell me that the file sharing speed is "faster than it's ever been". This almost never happens, someone noticing a big enough difference to generate an unsolicited phone call.

What might explain this? The only "probably noticeable" Merlin file sharing speed improvements that am aware of are in the latest ...372_33 firmware, which apparently uses code from a compiler that uses more of the specific CPU hardware features of the AC66U's exact microprocessor.

 

[RMerlin]

Sorry about this. It must be a regression, I'll try to fix that as soon as possible.

...

On a more serious note, maybe all you needed was a reboot. There's been some under-the-hood improvement from Asus to Samba, but I doubt they would make a major performance impact.

 

[RussellInCincinnati]

Thanks as usual. Had not occurred to me that the little Linux box could benefit from a few-times-a-year reboot, a little like the daily reboot of a Windows PC.