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I have an ASUS RT-68UC router. I successfully installed DD-WRT on it about 2 yrs ago, build r28493M.
Recently, I wanted to upgrade it so I went to https://www.dd-wrt.com/site/support/router-database. Entering the router info got me
RT-AC68U Firmware - Webflash image asus_rt-ac68u-firmware.trx 2017-09-07 26,30 MB
. No real version info, though I notice the download url is https://www.dd-wrt.com/routerdb/de/download/Asus/RT-AC68U/-/asus_rt-ac68u-firmware.trx/4392
. Is 4392 the version here?
I downloaded it, went to the router's Administrate/Firmware Upgrade
and well, upload and applied.
Didn't go well. 10 mins or so later, no router. Eventually, power on/power off. Still not good.
I eventually recovered it via the ASUSTEK Web CFE
recovery mechanism and I now on : DD-WRT v24-sp2 (04/22/14)
version. One post I saw mentioned that you get the Web CFE when you have the wrong firmware, in order to avoid bricking.
Big advice on ddwrt wiki is to know which firmware to use. But aside from looking up the router database, which had no instructions whatsoever re upgrade flashing, at least for this model, what is the strategy to pick the correct firmware version and the correct installation/firmware upgrade instructions? DD-WRT wiki has endless pages some of which are really really old. Some instructions tell you to use 30-30-30
resets, some say nope, 30-30-30 is for old routers, don't use.
What are the ways to find authoritative sources for firmware versions & install/upgrade instructions within DDWRT? I don't mind reading through complex instructions, once I know they are current and apply to my device.
Edit: while it would be great if I got an exact answer to my question, it would be really nice if someone could sketch the broad strategies for dealing with DD-WRT about this, for other routers too. I am sure the build developers do a wonderful job - I like DD-WRT itself - but the website makes it quite hard to find one's bearing if one is not already an expert. Should I look elsewhere entirely?
https://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Supported_Devices#Asus lists RT-AC68U (AC1900)
, but only the earliest compatible DD-WRT.
The supported devices table says that it's recommended to use the Asus Recovery Tool for the initial flash. Did you do this? Otherwise I can't offer specific help for your router. DD-WRT is maintained by volunteers and documentation is often left to users of the software so it might not be consistent or up to date. I've had good experiences with OpenWRT so you could try and see if your router is supported and if the documentation is more up to date. – AdmiralFreebee – 2018-03-12T08:26:11.653
Yes, but that's first install, not firmware upgrade. And, on a mac, so I would have to look for the ART equivalent. And, I think my device is not on compatibility lists for some of the other router projects. Thing is, I like DDWRT, the software. The instructions/guidance are what I'm struggling with. – JL Peyret – 2018-03-12T17:45:45.097
I would recommend to always do a full reinstall of DD-WRT when you're doing a major upgrade. Still not an answer but that's what I used to do on my old WRT54GL. Minor version updates were fine with the built in upgrade interface but I always performed major updates with a full reinstall. – AdmiralFreebee – 2018-03-15T08:03:54.990
not necessarily a dummy guide. 2-3 paragraphs of "this is where i look and this is my approach is sufficient, as long as it clearly indicates what to do". figure out which firmware applies to your router is not - that's precisely what the DDWRT website is lacking. I also dont need to be told what to do once I have identified the firmware and found the instructions for it - I'll just follow those instructions. – JL Peyret – 2018-03-18T16:49:16.080
but... to be clear, for 200 pts, I'll pick answers providing a general approach to dealing with DDWRT navigation way over someone pointing me to my specific router's firmware. – JL Peyret – 2018-03-18T17:16:59.293
2Excellent question. I'm struggling with exactly the same problem for my AC87U. I've got a bsc.in CS, 30 years experience as sysadmin/networkadmin... If I can't figure out which one I need, what's a normal user supposed to do? – Tonny – 2018-03-18T19:35:23.197
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DD-WRT is not a company, but rather a group effort by hobbyists. The only sure way not to miss out on something is to google your router with
– harrymc – 2018-03-19T07:35:48.403site:dd-wrt.com
. There will usually be a page dedicated to the router (yours is here) that you should compare with the router-database, but more recent builds may be found in the forum. You must search and analyze all this info, and most importantly - to have ready a sure-fire emergency recovery method for a bricked router. Installing DD-WRT is not for everyone.