Asus RT-N66U Firmware Upgrade

[bob4432]

Looking to upgrade the firmware on my old but trusty Asus RT-N66U, currently running a firmware that is 2 updates old due to stability results I have read online regarding the newer Asus firmwares. I have thought about switching to ASUSWRT Merlin as the stock firmware works well, well at least until the last 2 updates according to different online sources I have found.

The one thing I need to know regarding switching to the current Merlin firmware is if it fully supports the router to be a print server like the stock Asus firmware does. This is of paramount importance since I currently do not have a home server up and running to take care of print server duties for the network.

Anybody running the current ASUSWRT Merlin stable release - 380.65_4 date March 30, 2017, on a RT-N66U can you verify that the print server in fact does work like the standard ASUS firmware 3.0.0.4.380_3831. I have my network on a UPS so I expect uptimes in the 6mos to 1year timeframes, which the Asus 3.0.0.4.380_3831 has supported, but I do not like being this far behind in firmware updates on the router, but it looks like Asus is trying to figure out the problem as the last 2 firmwares are only ~45 days apart, thus the switch to Merlin sounds appealing to me from all I have read. FWIW, I use both 2.4 & 5GHz radios, laptops running Win7, Win10 along with Android phones, iPads and hardwired computers running a host of different OSs will be used with this router.

Thanks in advance,
Bob

 

[boomerang]

This is not a big deal. Save a config file for your current firmware. Flash to Merlin and it will retain all your settings. If the print server functions work, you're golden. If not, you can poke around and experiment some or just flash back to the config file you saved. Stock and Merlin versions can be flashed without jumping through any hoops. Just pull in the file and go.

There is a lot of love for that line of ASUS routers but my personal experiences tell me they are flaky regardless if they are running stock or with Merlin. ASUS is always trying to figure out their problems with these routers. I have the N66U in storage and an AC66U running right now. They are have both been flaky regardless of what they're running. The AC version I have is a refurbed warranty replacement and it sometimes goes weeks without giving me problems but within the past three days I have had to reboot it four times. The wireless was and is unreliable.

 

[EXCellR8]

same thing could be said for most consumer routers on the market... there are so many variables it's nearly impossible to produce consistent results.

RT-N66U is a great little unit but I think you can get it flashed over to Tomato as well, just not quite as easily.

 

[bob4432]

Thanks, will give the Merlin firmware a go first & see how that goes & if issues arise will give tomato a shot if it supports the print server option.

Bob

 

[bob4432]

Did a check on the Merlin site and it appears to no support the print server function on the RT-N66U, at least not at all reliably. Anybody run Tomato on one of these and if so, can you give me your experience?

I have a couple of old routers on Tomato, one being the Linksys WRT54g V2 and the other a Asus WL-520GU unit. Both of these routers went over a year each without a reboot (network gear is all on UPS). I may bring these out of the closet and read up on the current version of Tomato for each and see if either support the USB printing to a Multi Function Printer (just need printing and faxing, don't need the scanning option) device and if so, may switch to that as the main router as the WiFi is fast enough for my needs if I am on Wifi and since my Internet connection is only 50Mb/s down, 5Mb/s up, the 100Mb/s switch will not be a bottlneck for the ISP connection....Time to do some more reading/testing...

Thanks all for the info.

Oh yeah, any certain Tomato 'version' better than others? I think I have read about regular Tomato, Shibby Tomato and possibly others - is one more reliable or have a better support group than the others?

Thanks again,
Bob

 

[VirtualLarry]

I run Shibby Tomato 138-MultiWAN (and use the multi-WAN feature).

 

[bob4432]

@VirtualLarry - this may be a dumb question but I will ask anyway - is the the MultiWAN naming convention just to let people know that they have the MultiWAN feature working well if it is needed and is good for both single WANs and MultiWANs or should I go w/ a non-MultiWAN named version, which would be 132, from 10-19-2015? I am assuming to go w/ the newer, MultiWAN even though I only have 1 WAN connection but just want clarification.

Also, are you using any USB printer (Canon MF4150 specifically) and if you are, how is the reliability? I know I need to build a low power home server as the current one puts off quite a bit of heat (Phx, AZ) and draws 100W+ from the wall...

Thanks in advance,
Bob

 

[VirtualLarry]

I've never used a print server feature of a router, and don't know if Tomato even has one. My last two Brother inkjets, including my current one, have network capability built-in. Cause, that's how I roll.

Edit: The "MultiWAN" firmwares, just mean that it supports the multi-WAN feature, you can still use them with a single WAN. All of the MultiWAN stuff isn't really fully debugged yet, I have issues with policy-based routing working with mine, and there are some other features in Tomato that are still primarily designed for single-WAN, and I don't know how they will behave with Multi-WAN.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Couldn't you just pick up one of those tiny little under-$20 multi-function "Travel routers", one that has a USB port, and use that as a tiny little print server? I think that I've seen a few with USB ports.

 

[bob4432]

Thanks, will check out the "Travel routers", appreciate the info

Bob

 

[VirtualLarry]

I know I need to build a low power home server as the current one puts off quite a bit of heat (Phx, AZ) and draws 100W+ from the wall...

I think my QNAP NAS units (I have TS-212, TS-431, and TS-451 models, as well as a few other brands) support using one of their multiple USB ports as a print server.

If you're needing a small server, and a print server, consider one of these small NAS units. They don't draw much power, and you can leave them on 24/7.

 

[bob4432]

I think my QNAP NAS units (I have TS-212, TS-431, and TS-451 models, as well as a few other brands) support using one of their multiple USB ports as a print server.

If you're needing a small server, and a print server, consider one of these small NAS units. They don't draw much power, and you can leave them on 24/7.

Appreciate the info and I have looked into them, but I also use the home server to run a sftp server along w/ a https server. Last I looked these devices did not offer a full OS to have the ability to operate the sftp/https servers but will look again and see if they have .