ASUS RT-AC88U AsusWrt-Merlin Firmware 386.1 Beta 2

The AsusWrt-Merlin firmware was developed with the primary goal of boosting the original ASUS firmware, fix bugs and also add new improvements. This package includes a customized firmware targeted at ASUS routers that brings various changes without modifying the interface of the original firmware.

Switched to the new 386 codebase. 386 introduces AiMesh 2.0, finalizes the move to OpenSSL 1.1.1 firmware-wide, adds a new speedtest (powered by Ookla).

NOTE: For developers, note that firmware code is once again back on the master branch, with both mainline and ax being reunified again.
NOTE: Some users upgrading might have to go through some database maintenance on first boot, which means the router might be slower or have a non-responsive webui for a while. This can take anywhere from 5 minutes up to an hour, depending on your model, just give it time to complete the process.

Changes:

- NEW: Added support for the RT-AX86U.
- NEW: Added support for the GT-AC2900, with a few restrictions: Non-ROG UI is used, VPN Fusion is not supported, A few other ROG-specific features are not supported This is an experiment done in collaboration with Asus.
- NEW: Added support for the RT-AC68U V3.
- NEW: Added stub and stub-v2 compression options to OpenVPN clients. Not added to server, since compression is considered deprecated, and will be removed most likely in OpenVPN 2.6, for security reasons.
- NEW: Added tls-crypt-v2 support to OpenVPN clients.
- NEW: Added option to select an OpenVPN client when running Oookla Speedtest.
- UPDATED: Merged GPL 386_41035 (beta GPL from Asus).
- UPDATED: Openssl to 1.1.1i.
- UPDATED: Updated to OpenVPN 2.5.0. Note that OpenVPN 2.4.0 or newer is now required by the exported client config file. You can still manually configure an older client to connect with your router.
- UPDATED: nano to 5.2.
- UPDATED: curl to 7.72.0.
- UPDATED: zlib to 1.2.11.
- UPDATED: lz4 to 1.9.2.
- UPDATED: e2fsprogs to 1.45.6.
- UPDATED: dropbear to 2020.81.
- UPDATED: miniupnpd to 2.2 (git snapshot from 20201129)
- UPDATED: Switched userspace ipset from 6.32 to 7.6 (to match with upstream)
- CHANGED: firmware update checks are no longer using the server address stored in nvram, for security purposes. Devs who were using that nvram should instead edit the webs_scripts/ to use their own URL.
- CHANGED: The old legacy cipher setting is now only available when running with static key authentication.
- CHANGED: Tweaks to the OpenVPN webui layout
- CHANGED: OpenVPN clients will now NAT all outbound traffic, regardless of the source subnet.
- CHANGED: Reworked the display of DNSPrivacy presets
- CHANGED: Added AdGuard (ad blocking) and CIRA Canadian Shield (non US-based service) to the DNSPrivacy presets.
- CHANGED: At boot time, OpenVPN killswitch will only be applied for clients set to auto-start with WAN.
- CHANGED: Increased number of available mount points for addon webpages to 20.
- CHANGED: Multiple routes can now be defined per client on the OpenVPN client-specific configuration.
- CHANGED: Improved NAT acceleration report for newer models on the sysinfo page. Now query the hardware for the current state instead of reporting the nvram values.
- CHANGED: When logging allowed connections is enabled, also log outbound LAN connections (reverts to the behaviour from a few years ago)
- FIXED: DHCP could fail to renew its lease with some ISPs when Trend Micro engine was enabled (workaround provided by Asus)
- FIXED: OpenVPN client remote IP wasn't updated on client stop/restart.
- REMOVED: Option to disable NCP. The NCP cipher list is now used both for NCP and non-NCP endpoints.
- REMOVED: fq_codel support for Adaptive QoS. Due to a change in how Trend Micro configures QoS, it is no longer possible to intercept these to inject fq_codel.
- REMOVED: Support for the Cloudcheck mobile app.

Installation Notes:

- This custom firmware can be applied like any regular update.
- You should not need to reset to factory defaults.
- You can revert back to an original ASUS firmware at any time.
- Do not load a saved copy of your settings.   

About Router Firmware:

Before you consider downloading this firmware, go to the system information page of the router and make sure that the currently installed version isn't either newer or matching this release.

Due to the large variety of router models and different methods for upgrading the device, it is highly recommended that you read and, above all, understand the installation steps before you apply the new firmware, even if you are a power user.

In theory, these steps shouldn't be much of a hassle for anyone, because manufacturers try to make them as easy as possible, even if they don't always succeed. Basically, you must upload the new firmware to the router through its administration page and allow it to upgrade.

If you install a new version, you can expect increased security levels, different vulnerability issues to be resolved, improved overall performance and transfer speeds, enhanced compatibility with other devices, added support for newly developed technologies, as well as several other changes.

If you're looking for certain safety measures, remember that it would be best if you perform the upload using an Ethernet cable rather than a wireless connection, which can be interrupted easily. Also, make sure you don't power off the router or use its buttons during the installation, if you wish avoid any malfunctions.

If this firmware meets your current needs, get the desired version and apply it to your router unit; if not, check with our website as often as possible so that you don't miss the update that will improve your device.

  It is highly recommended to always use the most recent driver version available.

Try to set a system restore point before installing a device driver. This will help if you installed an incorrect or mismatched driver. Problems can arise when your hardware device is too old or not supported any longer.