Got it to work by using the ASUS firmware restoration executable on the disc it comes with and simply pointing it to the RC-AC68U.trx file.
Now smoothly running dd-wrt.
Posted: Mon May 01, 2017 14:50 Post subject: DD-WRT on RT-AC66u B1
Hello everyone who contributed to this subject. I would like to apologize for being so ignorant to fully understanding the concept that has already been shared. My confusion stems from the FW that is used to enable dd-wrt on to Asus system in question. It's my understanding that you first install RT-AC68u using the restore method and then using the dd-wrt AC66u vs. Or do you restore by installing dd-wrt RT-AC68u?
Am I correct? If not could someone please provide a step by step break down. Once again, I do apologize for not being as bright as most of you. However, I do appreciate all of the help you provide this DD-WRT community.
Posted: Tue May 02, 2017 16:08 Post subject: DD-WRT on RT-AC66u B1
To all who gives a dayum, I uploaded just about every .trx file from both the 66u and 68u family. I use both FW restoration tool and the Asus web base tool. Using both tools they say I successfully uploaded, but never properly rebooted. I've waited 30 min to an hour to see if it would properly reboot. Still no luck.
Is there any other way to do this? My stats are as follows:
Asus RT-AC66u
H/W Ver: B1
F/W Ver: 3.0.0.4.380_3264
MFG Year: 2016
If there is any more info. needed please let me know.
Posted: Tue May 02, 2017 19:12 Post subject: Re: DD-WRT on RT-AC66u B1
WrightIT wrote:
It's my understanding that you first install RT-AC68u using the restore method and then using the dd-wrt AC66u
No. First you load dd-wrt for RT-AC68u. Then you don't load anything else.
Also, don't bother with installing the ASUS utility crap to load firmware. Simply hold the reset button while turning it on. Hold until the power led flashes slowly. Now it is in recovery mode and you load whatever you like from the web interface.
If your router doesn't boot after you loaded firmware, it is probably because what you loaded isn't compatible. AFAIK none of the dd-wrt builds made for AC66u will work.
The reason we use dd-wrt builds intended for AC68u on the AC66u B1 router is because those routers are similar.
However I must point out that while dd-wrt for AC68u on the AC66u B1 seems to work fine, I discovered one possible issue; the OpenVPN client doesn't start automatically on reboot. I made a thread on it here: https://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1077096. Did anyone else either experience or NOT experience this issue?
It's probably easy to work around it, but I actually went back to the ASUS fw because of this. (It also has an OpenVPN client, which is all I really need.)
Also, don't bother with installing the ASUS utility crap to load firmware. Simply hold the reset button while turning it on. Hold until the power led flashes slowly. Now it is in recovery mode and you load whatever you like from the web interface.
Hey gaxaxe. Thank you for taking time out to try to come to my rescue. Nevertheless, I did it your way and every other way I read. The close I came to getting it complete is the instructions that is included in the attachment enclosed. I'm so puzzled how everyone, with B1 hardware, can get it to work except me. I guess I'm unfortunately special. lol!
On the label it says model number AC66U B1, HW version B2, production year 2017.
I used the file on betas/2017/12-04-2017-r33986/asus-rt-ac68u/
Straight from the box, plug in power and lan cable, turn it on, skip setup wizard(still have to setup wifi password though), go to administration, pick the trx file on your PC, hit update.
The web page will ask you to manually reboot the router when finished, simply press the power button to turn off then on.
voila, you have a router running ddwrt.
I bought these routers to operate my 200M broadbands. So far, all of them run flawlessly.
I bought the same router (model number AC66U B1, HW version B2, production year 2017) yesterday and used the recovery tool to update to the latest rt-ac68u beta firmware after putting the router to recovery mode (Stock firmware said something about certification compliance when I tried to flash with beta firmware from webgui).
I couple of minor things are not working. For example the 5ghz wireless indicator and wan connectivity LEDs. Will post updates if I find anything else.
EDIT1: Also the web interface is sometimes acting up, the UI elements look distorted and I get response errors where I have to refresh the page.
Hi guys. I think you two, with the last two posts. What are the CFE bootloader versions in your routers ? Check the CFE version via Telnet:
Code:
nvram get bl_version
If LEDs do not work, then theoretically there could be a problem with NVRAM or a problematic retouching of the router configuration. At that time, the factory setting from the CFE memory block is loaded into the router. In this CFE bootloader, all the basic router settings are stored, and if they fit in with the firmware, everything works badly, incorrectly or inappropriately.
It's just my idea (idea) that should be tested . I am not yet an expert in this regard.
Of course, you need to be very careful if you want to override the CFE bootloader on your router.
This is why there are procedures for firmware flashing, in which case you need to perform a NVRAM reset in one case, and vice versa, in other cases, do not perform the NVRAM reset procedures (you would be re-setting the router's factory setting from CFE). _________________ Asus RT-N16 @ Fresh Tomato (2019.3.118)
Asus RT-N18U @ Fresh Tomato (2019.3.118)
Asus RT-AC66U-B1, H/W Ver.:B2 @ Asuswrt Merlin (384.13)
Try to make NVRAM reset now - just after flashing, and reconfigure everything again manually. But I do not know if it will help.
I would like to know what version of CFE uses "abyssalh" because he did not mention the malfunctioning LEDs.
I personally do not know what is the procedure for firmware flashing in AC66U_B1, but it should apply the same procedure as when flashing into AC68U. At least I think so. _________________ Asus RT-N16 @ Fresh Tomato (2019.3.118)
Asus RT-N18U @ Fresh Tomato (2019.3.118)
Asus RT-AC66U-B1, H/W Ver.:B2 @ Asuswrt Merlin (384.13)