[Maylyn's Review] ASUS RT-AC87U

[trichard]

Guys ... one question ...

Flashing FW from orginal to Merlin to DDWRT and bcck to Merlin without factory reset ... how will it the router behave ?

From Orginal FW / Merlin latest firmware .... my 3 phones (Huawei Mate 7/Samasung NOTE3/Samsung Note2/Sausmung S5 will drop over the night.... I have confirm that .....

Yesterday I flash in DDWRT again .... then reflash back to Merlin latest FW ..378.50

Since the router last rebooted 16 hours ago ... all the 4 phone stay connected since then .....

Any explaination??

 

[trichard]

I'm also using iPhone 6 Plus and on Merlin .50 but sometime got full bar on 5Ghz but no internet, need to select 2.4 then 5 again, very frustrating.

Would you be able to interpret the log for me? What's DHCPREQUEST(br0) & what's DHCPACK(br0)? Thanks!

One thing for me .... I have never experence connected 5Ghz full bar but no internet .... I only have 5Ghz drop when phone in sleep mode over the night....

I wonder what is the difference between your sertting and mine ... me in AP mode..

 

[trichard]

I can tell you its not the drivers, as you should know by now I am running dd-wrt firmware for over 4 days now and everything I use is perfect, 5GHz is just perfect also, no iOS or and device drops locks or anything . Why am I telling you this , because Asus uses the same drivers and can not get it right at all, when now mine is working perfectly FINALLY! Yes put a cooler under it also.
Best of luck, with Asus firmware, I know, I tried them all. I now love this router !!!

Hey ... from DDWRT .. dont factory reset ... and just flash in Merlin latest FW ... and see after that back to Merlin try to whether do you still have problem free ??

 

[ArcticCheetah]

I'm also using iPhone 6 Plus and on Merlin .50 but sometime got full bar on 5Ghz but no internet, need to select 2.4 then 5 again, very frustrating.

Would you be able to interpret the log for me? What's DHCPREQUEST(br0) & what's DHCPACK(br0)? Thanks!

Increase the DHCP leased time.
No need to thank me.

 

[oric1]

Increase the DHCP leased time.
No need to thank me.

I won't thank you but I liked your post

Just one silly question. It would be excellent if I do not see these 2 entries in my log? Is that possible?

 

[oric1]

One thing for me .... I have never experence connected 5Ghz full bar but no internet .... I only have 5Ghz drop when phone in sleep mode over the night....

I wonder what is the difference between your sertting and mine ... me in AP mode..

I'm in router mode.

 

[ArcticCheetah]

I won't thank you but I liked your post

Just one silly question. It would be excellent if I do not see these 2 entries in my log? Is that possible?

I don't think their firmware can adjust logging options but you can try looking at settings to decrease the verbosity setting.

 

[trichard]

Hey ....for those who are daring enough ( own risk ok ) ..... I have tried this method.

1) From Asus official firmware ... I follow this step and goes into DDWRT .

dd-wrt for RT-AC87R - SmallNetBuilder Forums

2) After install DDWRT (the 2.4Ghz LED will not be lighted) .... I do a Factory default .... then straight away I upload Merlin firmware ....

That was 21 hour ago ...

3) Those phone that will drop when not in use no longer drop anymore. IPAD included .

4) Anyway I never have 5GHZ Full bar but no Internet issue .... only have the sleeping mode drop ...

Am I now somehow mix DDWRT rom (enjoying dfran1 good experience now) but at the same time into Merlin Rom (which I like the GUI ) ??

 

[zer0ne]

Mind if i ask what channel bandwidth did you all choose for 2.4Ghz for those having 5Ghz problem?

 

[dfran1]

Hi dfran1, can share the stable version of the ASUS RT-AC87U dd-wrt firmware? Thanks!

follow the first post here and post 3 contains the firmware I use 1-20-2015

Use this link and follow the instructions, IF something does not work, you screwed up a step, do it again.

5 days now and absolutely NO problems at all!!!
even all my iOS devices after they go to sleep (or I should say when I wake up in the morning) all work PERFECTLY and that is on the 5GHz also!!,
my USB drive works absolute great with dd-wrt, I always see my server on all devices every time I use it (unlike asus firmware it was a hit and miss, or a reboot), everything works for me, MAYBE you have something that might not MAYBE, but the forums are your best friend.

this is the dd-wrt forum

This is someone who thought he may have bricked his router but did not, this is good to know in case you screw up the process

here are the downloads, again use 1-20-2015 only the one after does not work for us!!!

 

[dfran1]

Hey ... from DDWRT .. dont factory reset ... and just flash in Merlin latest FW ... and see after that back to Merlin try to whether do you still have problem free ??

I personally have absoluty no interest in going back, I have tried them all with WPS resets and everything mentioned in every forum and found absolutely not one asus firmware or variation of it last more than a week at best, most of the time they fail after 24 hours somewhere.

But best of luck, if that's what it takes then

BUT you will only know after a few days for sure.

 

[renfred89]

I personally have absoluty no interest in going back, I have tried them all with WPS resets and everything mentioned in every forum and found absolutely not one asus firmware or variation of it last more than a week at best, most of the time they fail after 24 hours somewhere.

But best of luck, if that's what it takes then

BUT you will only know after a few days for sure.

Do update us in the usage of ddwrt.. to me, using ddwrt is too much a hassle to maintain the operation..

I'm not even sure of whether i would brick it..

 

[Questor]

Thanks for all the info. May have to explore dd-wrt.. does it have access point application?

the vlan loop messages in system log has been around for sometime, and usually it does not pose a connectivity issues in real life, except flooding the log with identical messages over time. It happens randomly and unpredictably. if you could ignore this, perhaps it will be less painful for you.

This is true for the router, but not when I'm using the AC87U as a access point.

Went out today, came home and the entire log of the access point is filled with vlan loop messages. Internet was still more or less working, but very slow, and improved after I rebooted the access point. The AC87U used as router did not have to be reboot and seems to be working fine.

Like one of the previous posts, something is wrong when you use two AC87U in tandem. I was using one AC87U as an access point standalone and it was working with my N66 for some time (even though there was dropout on the 5Ghz).

 

[dfran1]

Thanks for all the info. May have to explore dd-wrt.. does it have access point application?



This is true for the router, but not when I'm using the AC87U as a access point.

Went out today, came home and the entire log of the access point is filled with vlan loop messages. Internet was still more or less working, but very slow, and improved after I rebooted the access point. The AC87U used as router did not have to be reboot and seems to be working fine.

Like one of the previous posts, something is wrong when you use two AC87U in tandem. I was using one AC87U as an access point standalone and it was working with my N66 for some time (even though there was dropout on the 5Ghz).

Is this what you want to know? I know the interface is different BUT once you play with it for little bit I actually prefer it to all else. There is also a great app IOS that costs $5 but it works great.

LINK to your answer

Video

 

[trichard]

Latest update ....

Router up time

on 5GHz Band .... 2 phone I making sure it never leave home and the other 2 phone does left yesterday and back connected since...

I don't have the 5Ghz full bar but no internet issue. And it seem like the sleep mood dropped connection also gone already ... after flashing DDWRT and overwriting Merlin...

 

[dfran1]

Latest update ....

Router up time


on 5GHz Band .... 2 phone I making sure it never leave home and the other 2 phone does left yesterday and back connected since...


I don't have the 5Ghz full bar but no internet issue. And it seem like the sleep mood dropped connection also gone already ... after flashing DDWRT and overwriting Merlin...

this may very well be an answer for now at least for others.
so for others to know
you said you installed merlins in the firmware upgrade of dd-wrt.
then did you reset to after merlin install (I also take it the _50 not ts)? or just configure?
any reboots you did or just apply.?
you are saying no problems at all yet right?

 

[trichard]

this may very well be an answer for now at least for others.
so for others to know
you said you installed merlins in the firmware upgrade of dd-wrt.
then did you reset to after merlin install (I also take it the _50 not ts)? or just configure?
any reboots you did or just apply.?
you are saying no problems at all yet right?

My step as follows:

1) Follow this posting to flash in DDWRT - SmallNetBuilder Forums - View Single Post - dd-wrt for RT-AC87R

2) Load factory default in DDWRT .

3) Browse to update firmware page load in Merlin 378.50.

4) End of the cycle ... power cycle the router ... no need to press the RESET .... then start to configure everything that you need in Merlin interface.

I am not sure from step 3 to step 4 ... did I mix some setting in the router .... become combining stability of DDWRT + using Merlin interface which most of us like ??

Now it is into 37 hours of connection already for both phone. Going to break the cycle liao as going out liao ........

Give it a try ..... who know it might have surprise result !.. it is stable for me since the pass 37 hours.... all whatapps / Q00 advertisement all functioning well in both wake and sleep mode..

Plus ... own risk .... I am not sure will it break your router during CNY ....

 

[renfred89]

My step as follows:

1) Follow this posting to flash in DDWRT - SmallNetBuilder Forums - View Single Post - dd-wrt for RT-AC87R

2) Load factory default in DDWRT .

3) Browse to update firmware page load in Merlin 378.50.

4) End of the cycle ... power cycle the router ... no need to press the RESET .... then start to configure everything that you need in Merlin interface.

I am not sure from step 3 to step 4 ... did I mix some setting in the router .... become combining stability of DDWRT + using Merlin interface which most of us like ??

Now it is into 37 hours of connection already for both phone. Going to break the cycle liao as going out liao ........

Give it a try ..... who know it might have surprise result !.. it is stable for me since the pass 37 hours.... all whatapps / Q00 advertisement all functioning well in both wake and sleep mode..

Plus ... own risk .... I am not sure will it break your router during CNY ....

well good for you bro! if i have the time i would try it, though from my knowledge, this is just a placebo effect. haha

 

[trichard]

well good for you bro! if i have the time i would try it, though from my knowledge, this is just a placebo effect. haha

Try it out ... See if it solve the problem and will know is it placebo...

I can feel how happy is dfan1 when the router finally work as it suppose to be ....

 

[renfred89]

Try it out ... See if it solve the problem and will know is it placebo...

I can feel how happy is dfan1 when the router finally work as it suppose to be ....

its too time consuming, complex and very risky. I can't imagine if i brick it. haha.

for the time being, just bear with it. haha