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Asus N66U Users Thread

AndyH
Grafter
Posts: 6,824
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎27-10-2012

Asus N66U Users Thread

Seeing as there are a fair few of us now with this router, I thought I'd start a thread so we can give advice/discuss it etc.
I'm running the latest beta (.352) which can be downloaded here - http://www.mediafire.com/?nktl6hun1yg5vbe
Major changes (from rmerlin)-
Quote
- XBox compatibility option added (it's a new checkbox on the Wireless page)
- DHCP client can be configured to Aggressive (the old behaviour of sending two new DHCP requests every 20 secs) or Normal (sending DHCP requests every 2 minutes). The latter is similar to the change I did in Asuswrt-Merlin to avoid blacklisting for Charter customers, except that Asus made it user-configurable.
- New Network Tools (wasn't in the changelog but was very visible, from a previous unreleased beta most likely), including ping, netstat, and WOL.
- WAN to LAN performance improvements to PPPoE
This is also based on the new wireless driver that Asus has been working on these past few months. My own speed tests (for the RT-AC66U) showed a notable performance increase in streaming. I've read various positive feports from other users as well.
284 REPLIES 284
Bright
Grafter
Posts: 363
Registered: ‎02-02-2013

Re: Asus N66U Users Thread

Great idea - thanks Andy!
So how stable is the 352 beta? My understanding is that this is a beta from Asus, rather than Merlin, so I assume it's missing the Merlin enhancements...?  I'm particularly interested in the wifi performance as I was one of those people that had wireless drop-outs on the earlier official Asus release. So I'm still on Merlin's 266.23, since that has wireless drivers that are stable for me.
EDIT: I have now tried Merlin's 270.26b (based on Asus  3.0.0.4.270) firmware. This has modified (but not the latest) drivers for the Broadcom wifi radios. This release does not work for me: I get wifi drop-outs in locations with weaker wifi coverage. I will therefore revert to Merlin release 266.23 which has earlier, more stable wireless drivers. I will also test Asus  Beta Version  3.0.0.4.354 which has the latest Broadcom drivers (claimed to resolve/improve wifi coverage).
NOTE: A minority of RT-N66U owners have had problems with wifi drop-outs when using certain firmware releases which contain particular Broadcom wifi drivers. I suspect this happens in locations with "difficult" wireless coverage - high levels of interference and weak signal due to walls and other obstructions.
Some useful resources:
Asus UK firmware downloads page - Main page for RT-N66U on Asus UK web site, with firmware downloads, router manual in multiple languages, etc.
Asus Global English support page for RT-N66U - similar to UK page but also contains Knowledge Base, warranty info and slightly different set of downloads.
Asus official RT-N66U support forum - useful resource for help, info, how-tos and problem resolution, with some participation from Asus support staff.
Unofficial RT-N66U support/discussion forum on SmallNetBuilder - Excellent forum used by many "expert" owners, including Merlin. A good starting point for info and support.
Custom firmwares: Asuswrt-Merlin
Merlin home page for Asuswrt-Merlin firmware - this gives some background and links to other resources, but note that it is not regularly updated. For latest info, see the SmallNetBuilder forum.
Support forum for Asuswrt-Merlin custom firmware on SmallNetBuilder - the place to go if you are running or considering Merlin custom firmware.
Official Wiki/documentation for Asuswrt-merlin on Github - very useful documentation for Merlin firmware (including changelog). Start here if you want to know how to use/set up a Merlin feature.
Download "repository" for Asuswrt-Merlin firmware on Mediafire - the place to get the latest (and earlier) Merlin firmware releases.
Source code for Asuswrt-Merlin on Github - for those who want to check out how it works or build their own custom version!
Custom firmwares: DD-WRT
DD-WRT home page - starting point for those looking to install DD-WRT firmware (Asus firmware for this router was originally based on DD-WRT).
RT-N66U thread on DD-WRT forum - a very long, but informative thread. Probably best to start at the end and work backwards!
DD-WRT Wiki - Useful background info, documentation and installation instructions.
Custom firmwares: Tomato
Tomato by Shibby home page - In Polish and English. Starting point for users wanting to install Shibby's Tomato firmware.
Tomato USB home page - Starting point for users wanting to install Tomato USB firmware.
Tomato USB firmware flashing guide - useful guide on how to flash Tomato USB firmware successfully.
Factory Reset / Firmware Recovery Mode
To erase all the settings stored in NVRAM and restore the router to Factory Default settings. This is useful if you are having problems and want to start again, and is also recommended when upgrading firmware to a major new version (which may have a different set of parameters). This process does not alter the firmware installed on the router. There are three different options:

  • In the router's Admin web interface, navigate to the Administration section, then the Restore/Save/Upload tab and click the Restore button and confirm.

  • Press the Reset button at the rear panel of the router for more than five seconds (while the router is already powered on).

  • Switch the router off, press the WPS button on the rear pannel and switch the router on. Keep the WPS button pressed for about 10 seconds while the router starts up.


If something goes wrong while you are updating the router's firmware, it may be left in a state where it cannot start up. In this case, put the router into Firmware Recovery Mode:
Power it on while you keep the reset button on the rear panel pressed. Keep holding the reset button pressed for about ten seconds until the power led is blinking slowly, then release the reset button. At that point, you can either access the router at http://192.168.1.1 (make sure you first set your PC on a static IP within the same range, eg 192.168.1.100), or through the Firmware Recovery Tool provided on Asus's support CD. You will then be able to flash a working firmware.
TBag
Grafter
Posts: 74
Registered: ‎06-03-2013

Re: Asus N66U Users Thread

In PN supplied TG582N, there is a nice and easy way to disconnect PPP session, just press the button to disconnect, and press again to re-connect. Quite simple and straight forward really. I'm running the stock F/W on my Asus RT-N66U, and disconnecting the PPP session is quite a chore. Is it any different/simpler on any 3rd party firmwares?
Bright
Grafter
Posts: 363
Registered: ‎02-02-2013

Re: Asus N66U Users Thread

Not sure about the stock firmware. On the Merlin firmware (which is based on Asus stock) it's very simple, but not immediately obvious!
On the main Network Map page click the round globe icon in the box with the Internet status. The right-hand panel then changes to show you the main parameters for the WAN link. At the top is an on/off switch for the PPPoE session. Just clicking that does the business.
TBag
Grafter
Posts: 74
Registered: ‎06-03-2013

Re: Asus N66U Users Thread

@Bright
Ok Good. I am very inclined to try the Merlin f/w. One question though, if I wanted to revert back to the stock one, how do I do that?
BTW just got this Asus RT-N66U a few days ago, it's a cracking box, placed on the second floor, and 5ghz signal reaches the ground floor, giving full whack. Brilliant.
Bright
Grafter
Posts: 363
Registered: ‎02-02-2013

Re: Asus N66U Users Thread

@TBag
If you don't like the Merlin firmware (what's not to like?!), download the Asus firmware and re-flash with that. Unlike with some of the other alternative firmwares, you can swap between Asus and Merlin firmwares just by loading the relevant firmware images - don't forget to unzip them first Wink
TBag
Grafter
Posts: 74
Registered: ‎06-03-2013

Re: Asus N66U Users Thread

Alright cheers  Smiley
AndyH
Grafter
Posts: 6,824
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎27-10-2012

Re: Asus N66U Users Thread

@ Bright
The new wifi driver has improved the wireless performance even more. Am getting full signal from my Samsung TV now which is the furthest end of the house.
Something that I'd be interested to know about is the improved PPPoE performance. There have been a couple of users on the 330/30 FTTP trial with this router getting significantly lower throughput than BT's HomeHub.
You'll also like the new network tools (screenshot attached).
Bright
Grafter
Posts: 363
Registered: ‎02-02-2013

Re: Asus N66U Users Thread

@AndyH
You've certainly given those network tools some fairly extensive user testing of late Wink
Thanks for the low-down on wifi performance. I'll be interested to hear if they've managed to improve their PPPoE performance too.
I'll give it a try out at the weekend, although I need some of the features of the Merlin firmware (such as OpenVPN) so I'll probably have to wait until 352 is released and Merlin re-baselines his firmware on it. Might be a while, although I'm pretty happy with current performance. My only issue is unreliable wifi on my iPhone at the far end of the house, so I'll see if the new wifi drivers can improve that over the weekend.
kelvin
Grafter
Posts: 70
Registered: ‎20-03-2013

Re: Asus N66U Users Thread

This is a great idea as it looks as though I will be replacing my PN router very soon and the positive comments on the ASUS make it the way to go.
I will have to do some reading around how easy it is to change before I spend the money as I have always used the supplied router and just plugged in and gone. Never set one up from scratch before.
Bright
Grafter
Posts: 363
Registered: ‎02-02-2013

Re: Asus N66U Users Thread

Bear in mind that the RT-N66U (and N56U) do not include an ADSL modem. So they are directly compatible with FTTC/FTTP using the BTOR VDSL modem or ONU. If you're on ADSL you will either need a separate ADSL modem, or you'll need to set up your existing ADSL router in bridge mode and use its modem (a more tricky configuration that some people have had difficulty getting to work). There is also the Asus DSL-N55U which has an ADSL modem built in, but is a different beast with different firmware.
kelvin
Grafter
Posts: 70
Registered: ‎20-03-2013

Re: Asus N66U Users Thread

I didn't realise the openreach modem was VDSL (I am a bit of a novice in these things).  One of those was installed when my fibre link was set up on Monday so it should simply be a case of unplugging the PN router and replacing with the RT-N66U (and then setting up all of the wireless links again
Bright
Grafter
Posts: 363
Registered: ‎02-02-2013

Re: Asus N66U Users Thread

Yes, more or less. In the existing TG582n router, log into the admin interface and disconnect the PPPoE session using the "Disconnect" button on the Broadband section. Then unplug the router. Leave the modem on - try not to disturb it if possible. Then plug the Asus router into the modem and power it up. Log into its admin page and you should get a "set-up wizard" which will walk you through the set up. It should auto-detect the type of connection (PPPoE) required. You'll be asked for your Plusnet username and password (the username is in the format username@plusdsl.net) and you can configure the wireless network. It's all very straightforward. If you have devices that can use the 5GHz wifi band, it's best to give the 5GHz network a different name (SSID) from the 2.4GHz network, then you can easily see which network your device is connected to. If you don't then you can turn off the 5GHz radio and save a bit of power.
If you get stuck with anything, come back and ask!
darklight
Grafter
Posts: 142
Registered: ‎10-03-2013

Re: Asus N66U Users Thread

I have one of these nice sexy RT-N66U router to try out, i think maybe sometime end of this week.
About shutting down the TG582n router, do you need to discounnect the PPPoE session first, or can u just switch the router off, will i get any DLM kicking in from this if i do?
And i may need to go back to the TG582n router, is there way to disconnect the session in the RT-N66U router?
Bright
Grafter
Posts: 363
Registered: ‎02-02-2013

Re: Asus N66U Users Thread

If you just switch off the router or pull out the cable to the modem the PPPoE session doesn't get dropped properly, so you have to wait for it to time out at the other end (about 8 mins) before you can log in again.
None of this should affect DLM, as long as you leave the modem connected to the line and powered up.
Disconnecting the PPPoE session on the N66U depends on the firmware version you're running. See my earlier post for instructions for the Merlin firmware. On the stock Asus firmware I think from memory (not 100% sure) you might need to go to the WAN tab and disable the WAN connection.