Asus RTN66u firmware

Hello all,

I have a Asus RTN66u. I look every few weeks for a update.
Last one that is non beta & for everyone outside Japan was
3.0.0.4.376.3861

dated 2015.02.13.

Newest one
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
ASUS RT-N66U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
- Release Note -
[For Japan Only]


My question has two parts:
Has Asus stopped bring out firmware update for said above product?
Or can I use?
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
ASUS RT-N66U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
- Release Note -
[For Japan Only]

Since I am in the UK, will this affect my RTN66u in any way if I use
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410? Because I prefer to keep upto date
with all manufacturer releases.

thanks to all replies

Dan.

Dan wrote:
Hello all,

I have a Asus RTN66u. I look every few weeks for a update.
Last one that is non beta & for everyone outside Japan was
3.0.0.4.376.3861

dated 2015.02.13.

Newest one
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
ASUS RT-N66U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
- Release Note -
[For Japan Only]


My question has two parts:
Has Asus stopped bring out firmware update for said above product?
Or can I use?
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
ASUS RT-N66U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
- Release Note -
[For Japan Only]

Since I am in the UK, will this affect my RTN66u in any way if I use
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410? Because I prefer to keep upto date
with all manufacturer releases.

thanks to all replies

Dan.


Japan has different Wifi channel allocations than
other countries. Companies like Asus don't stock
separate firmware streams for fun (it would be
much easier to just load a language file, to
handle Japanese needs, if so). Part of it
is so they can maintain regulatory compliance.
Whether it is channel allocation, channel width,
power level differences, and so on. A different
firmware version might be needed.

If the firmwares have "release notes", they can
tell you what improvements to expect.

And with any luck, an attempt to use the Japanese flasher,
the flasher will check the release code for the existing
firmware image, see it is the UK version, and refuse to
flash it. Flasher behavior isn't all that consistent,
but that's a possible outcome of your attempt to use it.

And yes, after a while, all companies stop with the firmware
updates. A reason to continue to release updates, is
when there is a serious security issue.

For example, maybe you can log in from the WAN side, and
someone has discovered a trivial way of exploiting that.
Apparently, many routers, the firmware actually comes from
a single company (not Asus), and they just add a few tweaks
on top of that firmware. If an exploit is found for
the base firmware, then a lot of firmwares need to be
updated on the same day. So you shouldn't get the impression
some dude sits there all day editing and editing the
RTN66u source code, just for you. The Asus contribution
might be relatively small, compared to the firmware
development environment they bought to work with the
processor or SOC in the router. Maybe if that company
issues a new base firmware, they could roll it into
their version, with one click of the button in their
firmware development environment. The base firmware
might present an API, which makes the workings of the
base firmware, independent of any fancy GUI that Asus
provides. By using software layering, a fairly small
amount of effort might go into a new firmware being
issued by Asus. Most of the work and effort, would
go into verifying the new firmware doesn't break
anything. The software design would be minimal.

My Linksys router, got an inordinate amount of support,
but then, the hardware sucked, and it was just
icing on a poorly made cake. That was the router
that would require two reboots per evening of usage.
So sometimes, when you're getting new firmwares,
it's because the company is embarrassed about the
"great job" they did. After the last firmware I
put in the thing, it eventually bricked and
sits in the junk room.

Paul

On Sun, 30 Aug 2015 12:57:36 +0100, Dan wrote:

Hello all,

I have a Asus RTN66u. I look every few weeks for a update.
Last one that is non beta & for everyone outside Japan was
3.0.0.4.376.3861

dated 2015.02.13.

Newest one
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
ASUS RT-N66U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
- Release Note -
[For Japan Only]


My question has two parts:
Has Asus stopped bring out firmware update for said above product?
Or can I use?
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
ASUS RT-N66U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
- Release Note -
[For Japan Only]

Since I am in the UK, will this affect my RTN66u in any way if I use
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410? Because I prefer to keep upto date
with all manufacturer releases.

thanks to all replies

Dan.

You might give Merlin's firmware a shot:

http://asuswrt.lostrealm.ca/

I'm running it on my RT-AC68U and it's quite good.

Jerry

On Sun, 30 Aug 2015 14:54:47 -0400, Paul wrote:

Dan wrote:
Hello all,

I have a Asus RTN66u. I look every few weeks for a update.
Last one that is non beta & for everyone outside Japan was
3.0.0.4.376.3861

dated 2015.02.13.

Newest one
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
ASUS RT-N66U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
- Release Note -
[For Japan Only]


My question has two parts:
Has Asus stopped bring out firmware update for said above product?
Or can I use?
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
ASUS RT-N66U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
- Release Note -
[For Japan Only]

Since I am in the UK, will this affect my RTN66u in any way if I use
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410? Because I prefer to keep upto date
with all manufacturer releases.

thanks to all replies

Dan.


Japan has different Wifi channel allocations than
other countries. Companies like Asus don't stock
separate firmware streams for fun (it would be
much easier to just load a language file, to
handle Japanese needs, if so). Part of it
is so they can maintain regulatory compliance.
Whether it is channel allocation, channel width,
power level differences, and so on. A different
firmware version might be needed.

If the firmwares have "release notes", they can
tell you what improvements to expect.

And with any luck, an attempt to use the Japanese flasher,
the flasher will check the release code for the existing
firmware image, see it is the UK version, and refuse to
flash it. Flasher behavior isn't all that consistent,
but that's a possible outcome of your attempt to use it.

And yes, after a while, all companies stop with the firmware
updates. A reason to continue to release updates, is
when there is a serious security issue.

For example, maybe you can log in from the WAN side, and
someone has discovered a trivial way of exploiting that.
Apparently, many routers, the firmware actually comes from
a single company (not Asus), and they just add a few tweaks
on top of that firmware. If an exploit is found for
the base firmware, then a lot of firmwares need to be
updated on the same day. So you shouldn't get the impression
some dude sits there all day editing and editing the
RTN66u source code, just for you. The Asus contribution
might be relatively small, compared to the firmware
development environment they bought to work with the
processor or SOC in the router. Maybe if that company
issues a new base firmware, they could roll it into
their version, with one click of the button in their
firmware development environment. The base firmware
might present an API, which makes the workings of the
base firmware, independent of any fancy GUI that Asus
provides. By using software layering, a fairly small
amount of effort might go into a new firmware being
issued by Asus. Most of the work and effort, would
go into verifying the new firmware doesn't break
anything. The software design would be minimal.

My Linksys router, got an inordinate amount of support,
but then, the hardware sucked, and it was just
icing on a poorly made cake. That was the router
that would require two reboots per evening of usage.
So sometimes, when you're getting new firmwares,
it's because the company is embarrassed about the
"great job" they did. After the last firmware I
put in the thing, it eventually bricked and
sits in the junk room.

Paul


Thanks. So the Jaspanese firmware update should not be used.

On Sun, 30 Aug 2015 14:14:19 -0700, Tater wrote:

On Sun, 30 Aug 2015 12:57:36 +0100, Dan wrote:

Hello all,

I have a Asus RTN66u. I look every few weeks for a update.
Last one that is non beta & for everyone outside Japan was
3.0.0.4.376.3861

dated 2015.02.13.

Newest one
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
ASUS RT-N66U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
- Release Note -
[For Japan Only]


My question has two parts:
Has Asus stopped bring out firmware update for said above product?
Or can I use?
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
ASUS RT-N66U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
- Release Note -
[For Japan Only]

Since I am in the UK, will this affect my RTN66u in any way if I use
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410? Because I prefer to keep upto date
with all manufacturer releases.

thanks to all replies

Dan.

You might give Merlin's firmware a shot:

http://asuswrt.lostrealm.ca/

I'm running it on my RT-AC68U and it's quite good.

Jerry


I have just loaded the provided url, it looks good. But can I revert
back to a Asus firmware if need be?

Thanks

Dan.

On Mon, 31 Aug 2015 07:35:28 +0100, Dan wrote:

On Sun, 30 Aug 2015 14:14:19 -0700, Tater wrote:

On Sun, 30 Aug 2015 12:57:36 +0100, Dan wrote:

Hello all,

I have a Asus RTN66u. I look every few weeks for a update.
Last one that is non beta & for everyone outside Japan was
3.0.0.4.376.3861

dated 2015.02.13.

Newest one
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
ASUS RT-N66U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
- Release Note -
[For Japan Only]


My question has two parts:
Has Asus stopped bring out firmware update for said above product?
Or can I use?
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
ASUS RT-N66U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
- Release Note -
[For Japan Only]

Since I am in the UK, will this affect my RTN66u in any way if I use
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410? Because I prefer to keep upto date
with all manufacturer releases.

thanks to all replies

Dan.

You might give Merlin's firmware a shot:

http://asuswrt.lostrealm.ca/

I'm running it on my RT-AC68U and it's quite good.

Jerry


I have just loaded the provided url, it looks good. But can I revert
back to a Asus firmware if need be?

Thanks

Dan.

Absolutely. I've switched between Asus and Merlin's firmware several
times.

On Mon, 31 Aug 2015 09:52:58 -0700, Tater wrote:

On Mon, 31 Aug 2015 07:35:28 +0100, Dan wrote:

On Sun, 30 Aug 2015 14:14:19 -0700, Tater wrote:

On Sun, 30 Aug 2015 12:57:36 +0100, Dan wrote:

Hello all,

I have a Asus RTN66u. I look every few weeks for a update.
Last one that is non beta & for everyone outside Japan was
3.0.0.4.376.3861

dated 2015.02.13.

Newest one
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
ASUS RT-N66U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
- Release Note -
[For Japan Only]


My question has two parts:
Has Asus stopped bring out firmware update for said above product?
Or can I use?
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
ASUS RT-N66U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.378.7410
- Release Note -
[For Japan Only]

Since I am in the UK, will this affect my RTN66u in any way if I use
Beta Version 3.0.0.4.378.7410? Because I prefer to keep upto date
with all manufacturer releases.

thanks to all replies

Dan.

You might give Merlin's firmware a shot:

http://asuswrt.lostrealm.ca/

I'm running it on my RT-AC68U and it's quite good.

Jerry


I have just loaded the provided url, it looks good. But can I revert
back to a Asus firmware if need be?

Thanks

Dan.

Absolutely. I've switched between Asus and Merlin's firmware several
times.



Thanks again.