Hi. I am a possible new user of this FW

[paulr]

I have the RT-N66U and I am really loosing patience with ASUS and am willing to try your build but have some questions before i make the switch. Is there a problem with the 32K NVram if I add alot of mac adresses and QOS rules? With your build are guest networks possible? Can QOS and wireless filter be applied only to specific devices and/or ip ranges on the network regardless if they are wired, wireless or guest wireless? I have roommates that I give internet too but they forget and leave their computer on downloading torrents and I would like to limit their bandwidth and also limit the devices they add to my network. I have a VOIP phone adapter connected and whenever I see high amount of downloading from them my voice quality is crap. Once i give them the WiFi password they can add any device to the network and i would like to stop that too so they wont give their friends access to my network. It seems that ASUS enabled the possibility of having all these extra guest networks but they totally separated them from any kind of manual tweaking.

If this FW cannot help me can you suggest another way I can do this? I have a computer running IpCop that is a firewall computer but I would rather not use that if I can make this router filter macs on guest networks.

[RMerlin]

Originally Posted by paulr

I have the RT-N66U and I am really loosing patience with ASUS and am willing to try your build but have some questions before i make the switch. Is there a problem with the 32K NVram if I add alot of mac adresses and QOS rules?

The original Asus firmware has been addressing the whole 64 KB since 3.0.0.4.220 (and Asuswrt-Merlin since somewhere around 3.0.0.3.144 if I remember correctly).

Originally Posted by paulr

With your build are guest networks possible? Can QOS and wireless filter be applied only to specific devices and/or ip ranges on the network regardless if they are wired, wireless or guest wireless?

QoS and Guest network capabilities are unchanged from the original Asus firmware, so you will have the same features and limitations.

Originally Posted by paulr

If this FW cannot help me can you suggest another way I can do this? I have a computer running IpCop that is a firewall computer but I would rather not use that if I can make this router filter macs on guest networks.

If you need more advanced QoS control I would recommend looking at Tomato (either Shibby or Toastman). Shibby is also able to address the whole 64 KB NVRAM (no idea about Toastman).

[paulr]

Thanks. What about DD-WRT? It looks like its a old version they have on their site that may have the NVRAM issue.

[RMerlin]

Originally Posted by paulr

Thanks. What about DD-WRT? It looks like its a old version they have on their site that may have the NVRAM issue.

I would avoid running DD-WRT on the RT-N66U unless you consider yourself pretty skilled with that sort of things. Running DD-WRT on an RT-N66U involves upgrading your CFE (a process that can irremediably brick your router if it fails), and running a special build of DD-WRT made by Fractal specifically for upgraded RT-N66U. Any regular DD-WRT flash with an upgraded CFE would also brick your router, requiring either a serial cable or jtag to fix.

So in short, DD-WRT on the RT-N66U is currently a minefield. Step in the wrong place, and you got yourself a brick.

[paulr]

I don't want to keep bothering you on here since I'm not using your FW and I am a beginner mostly but I did about a year ago give new life to one of my friends old linksys routers by loading dd-wrt on it but this ASUS is a different animal and I don't want to toss 200$ into the trash. I will post in the other part of the forum with general router questions. Thank you for your time.

[TonyH]

Hi,
General rule of thumb regarding f/w or any application software, if it does what you want and meet your requirement leave it alone. If you have a reason to upgrade or change to different f/w to meet your need, then yes. I never jump and upgrade f/w every time newer version shows up. I wait until it is proven good or upgrade when I need to. But some times my curiosity to learn things overrides this rule of thumb. So I bricked quite fa ew routers and what not but I learned in the process how to use serial console, J-tag taking apart bricked router and taking out soldering iron. Learning is fun and pain at the same time. BTW, I am 72 yo old fart still kicking.., LOL!

[paulr]

I know. I don't update just to update. I stated my reasons for updating in the first post. At this point I really don't care what FW I use as long as i can get some more security options on guest networks as well as QOS.