Asus RT-AC66U will not take dd-wrt

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AlpineYJ
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Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 15:26    Post subject: Asus RT-AC66U will not take dd-wrt Reply with quote
I have tried every which way I can find - using many different versions of dd-wrt, and always get the same result. It reboots, and then just stays here:



I'm a relatively experienced dd-wrt user that has used dd-wrt on numerous routers for many years. This router arrived yesterday.

It will take Merlin or any Asus version firmware with no issues.

Yes, I am clearing the NVRAM when needed on each attempt.

Any suggestions?
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GreyDoc
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Joined: 04 Jun 2015
Posts: 392

PostPosted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 15:29    Post subject: Reply with quote
which file(s) did you try?
AlpineYJ
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 15:52    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have tried these. Each had exactly the same result.

    dd-wrt.v24-29387_NEWD-2_K3.x_mega_RT-N66U.trx
    dd-wrt-29362-Asus_RT-AC66U.trx
    dd-wrt-29134-Asus_RT-AC66U.trx
    dd-wrt-29387-Asus_RT-AC66U.trx
    dd-wrt-22118-Asus_RT-AC66U.trx
    dd-wrt-25697-Asus_RT-AC66U.trx
    dd-wrt-Asus_RT-AC66U.trx (this one is the version recommended from the router database for this unit)
GreyDoc
DD-WRT User


Joined: 04 Jun 2015
Posts: 392

PostPosted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 16:12    Post subject: Reply with quote
the router database is old, don't use it. have you followed the wiki? https://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Asus_RT-AC66U

the latest build for AC66U is ftp://ftp.dd-wrt.com/betas/2016/03-31-2016-r29387/asus-rt-ac66u/
AlpineYJ
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 16:20    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yep, I have followed the wiki. It gets past step 7, but never renders the dd-wrt page as described in step 8. The only thing shown is in the image above.

I have tried the latest 29387 beta for AC66U - no love (same result). Sad
Per Yngve Berg
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 13 Aug 2013
Posts: 6858
Location: Romerike, Norway

PostPosted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 17:10    Post subject: Reply with quote
What you see is not dd-wrt, but the Asus Restoration screen. Did you let it boot up fully before accessing it with a web browser?
muckerphuck
DD-WRT User


Joined: 08 May 2008
Posts: 65
Location: 3rd Rock

PostPosted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 17:54    Post subject: Reply with quote
don't clear nvram, don't 30-30-30 on this router. Only reset to defaults on the web gui before and after flash.

If you try to access the router too soon after boot you can get the recovery screen. If it refreshes to that screen, wait a few minutes then refresh your web browser page.

_________________
[Charter] E31U2V1 DOCSIS 3.1 - Cable Modem
[Broadcom] Netgear R6300v2 - Main Router - Netgear Stock Firmware
[Broadcom] Linksys WRT54GL -Access points x 2 - DD-WRT v2.4-r37932 mini generic (12/08/18 ) K2.4
[Broadcom] Asus RT-AC66U - Bridges x 2 - DD-WRT v3.0-r29193 giga (03/02/16 ) K3X
[Broadcom] Asus RT-N16 - Access Point - DD-WRT v3.0-r37442 big ( 10/19/18 ) K3X
[Mikrotik] Wap60g - Bridges x 2 - RouterOS v6
hubermania
DD-WRT User


Joined: 24 Aug 2012
Posts: 223

PostPosted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 18:21    Post subject: Reply with quote
Been there, seen that. On the rt-ac66u you can reset to defaults aka erase nvram with the WPS button: power off, press and hold WPS button for 5 sec, power on, continue holding WPS for 10 sec, release wps.

This and the web gui are the only ways I found to reset to defaults on the rt-ac66u. It works with both the Asus and DD-WRT firmware.

_________________
[Broadcom] Asus rt-ac66u r35531 ('66 should only be factory reset through the DD UI)
Fix RT-AC66U "wl1 [2.4 GHz TurboQAM]". DD-WRT failsafe UI @ http|https://169.254.255.1/
mcannon-gso
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 20 Oct 2006
Posts: 14
Location: High Point, NC

PostPosted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 20:47    Post subject: Re: Asus RT-AC66U will not take dd-wrt Reply with quote
AlpineYJ wrote:
I have tried every which way I can find - using many different versions of dd-wrt, and always get the same result. It reboots, and then just stays here:



I'm a relatively experienced dd-wrt user that has used dd-wrt on numerous routers for many years. This router arrived yesterday.

It will take Merlin or any Asus version firmware with no issues.

Yes, I am clearing the NVRAM when needed on each attempt.

Any suggestions?


To do the initial flash it is recommended to use the ASUS firmware restoration utility. Have you flashed it using this utility?

http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/wireless/RT-AC3200/Rescue_2000.zip?_ga=1.52514472.1283159284.1455197532

_________________
Netgear R6700:DD-WRT v3.0-r29346 std (03/25/16) (Router)
Netgear AC1450:DD-WRT v3.0-r29346 std (03/25/16) (AP)
Asus RT-AC88U:ASUSWRT by Merlin 380.58 (VPN Router)
jrico
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 01 Apr 2016
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 0:48    Post subject: Asus RT-AC66U wont load dd-wrt Reply with quote
So I just read another post with same issue.
Here the facts;
router firmware 3.0.0.4.378_9533-g2949056
DDWRT file, 2016/03-31-2016-r29387/asus-rt-ac66u/

I can clear nvram, then upload the above file. I get a message to manually reboot after file loads. I manually reboot then router is not loading old or new OS. Stuck on Asus recover page. I then uploaded and let it sit for over an hour, checked again still on Asus recover page. Tried manual reboot, still same issue. I can use the Asus recover tool and reload the original OS. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance. Very Happy
AlpineYJ
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 3:06    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well, no love at all on my end. I tried the WPS button holding trick to no avail. Yes, I have tried using the recovery tool, and get the same results.

What jrico is describing is exactly what is happening to me.

Right now, I'm looking the nvram contents, and it appears that the boot loader is resetting nvram entries based on what is in the boot loader. One can change them, commit them, and when the box is rebooted, the settings are reverted.

From my reading, the boot loader has these in place to prevent people from setting certain variables in nvram to change things (like region, CPU clock, etc) due to some recent FCC legislation. It's possible that earlier versions of this router were not set up like this - but the one I just picked up from Amazon - IS set up like this.

I don't know what dd-wrt does when it attempts to flash in, but is it explicitly setting/changing things in nvram that it expects to be there between resets and restarts?

I'm experimenting with building (ie - hexing up my old one) my own boot loader for this thing that doesn't do those horrible things. After I get that in place (I am pretty close), I'll give dd-wrt another spin.

I'll probably mess with it another half day or so, and then purposefully brick it before sending it back for a refund.
bjornbai
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 08 Jan 2014
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 7:24    Post subject: Re: Asus RT-AC66U will not take dd-wrt Reply with quote
mcannon-gso wrote:
AlpineYJ wrote:
I have tried every which way I can find - using many different versions of dd-wrt, and always get the same result. It reboots, and then just stays here:



I'm a relatively experienced dd-wrt user that has used dd-wrt on numerous routers for many years. This router arrived yesterday.

It will take Merlin or any Asus version firmware with no issues.

Yes, I am clearing the NVRAM when needed on each attempt.

Any suggestions?


To do the initial flash it is recommended to use the ASUS firmware restoration utility. Have you flashed it using this utility?

http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/wireless/RT-AC3200/Rescue_2000.zip?_ga=1.52514472.1283159284.1455197532


I re-flashed two of my old RT-AC66U devices a few weeks ago. I never got the ASUS firmware restoration utility to work.

However I had no problems flashing an official ASUS firmware using the Asus Restoration Web interface.

When the ASUS firmware was up and running; I could install DD-WRT without any problems.
Ah-Pin-Kor
DD-WRT User


Joined: 19 Sep 2015
Posts: 267

PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 7:35    Post subject: Reply with quote
@alpineYJ, if you need some old cfes for ac66u, there are some here:
http://www.snbforums.com/threads/asus-routers-cfe-dumps-collection.17793/
Have to verify your h/w version though. There seems to be different versions.

_________________

Netgear R7800 kongpro 19.07 20190919 || Netgear R7000 36070M kongac (Client Bridge=5GHz, AP=2.4GHz with bridged VAP)
Linksys WRT32X davidc502 OpenWrt || Linksys WRT1200ACv1 Gargoyle 1.11.x
Linksys WRT1900ACSv2 dd-wrt 39956
AlpineYJ
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 11:28    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you! That place is where I've been reading about messing with those. Smile
jrico
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 01 Apr 2016
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 12:39    Post subject: Asus RT-AC66U wont load dd-wrt Reply with quote
I was wondering the same thing about a change in the router, I too just ordered mine off Amazon this week. Well if anyone gets the newer version to work let me know. I am out of ideas also.

Thanks
James
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