Asus U86 Router question ?

foster grant · 31 Jul 2019 at 14:21

OK so I just got one of these https://www.overclockers.co.uk/asus...0-wifi-with-4-port-gigabit-lan-nw-10n-as.html

and want to ask anyone who knows is the "Game Boost" and LAN Boost " function just a gimmick ?

thanks .

BigT · 31 Jul 2019 at 14:44

I scanned the manual and saw no mention of 'Game Boost' but generally the gaming features mentioned in the blurb refer to two concepts that are real but wrapped up in marketing speak.

The first is Quality of Service, which looks at the packets going out of your router and prioritises those it recognises as gaming over everything else. In theory if your bandwidth is saturated your 4K netflix will experience buffering before your game ping spikes.

The second is the ability built-in to easily connect to something called the Gamers Private Network. In essence this is a VPN service that has been designed to route traffic to game servers in the most efficient route, minimising hops and other things and thus lowering your latency (ping). No idea if it works or not but the theory would be sound. I get lower latency to some US servers when connected to a US VPN provider than my open internet connection for example. Like all decent VPNs there is a subscription cost to it. Of course for it to work it needs to know where the game servers are so it'll only make a difference on their supported list of games: https://wtfast.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/210169943

There are plenty of routers that could provide both these features but I would guess that the Asus software makes them more accessible and easier to setup and you pay for that privilege.

foster grant · 31 Jul 2019 at 14:48

Right OK thanks bigT

V_R · 31 Jul 2019 at 14:51

Fellow 86u owner. Both gimmicks imo. Leave them off and forget about them. While you're there, install Merlin.

TheMightyTen · 31 Jul 2019 at 15:08

V_R said:
............While you're there, install Merlin.

This +10000000000000000

foster grant · 31 Jul 2019 at 15:35

V_R said:
Fellow 86u owner. Both gimmicks imo. Leave them off and forget about them. While you're there, install Merlin.

OK if installing merlin goes wrong what do I do ? lol

Avalon · 31 Jul 2019 at 15:48

Follow the documented reset process like it says?

foster grant · 31 Jul 2019 at 16:09

Avalon said:
Follow the documented reset process like it says?

OK well if I'm right , I would go and download the merlin firmware to my desktop , then go into the router and do a manuel upgrade from the desktop ?

V_R · 31 Jul 2019 at 16:21

Yes, though tbh if you're not comfortable in doing it maybe its not for you.

foster grant · 31 Jul 2019 at 16:24

V_R said:
Yes, though tbh if you're not comfortable in doing it maybe its not for you.

OK well with a slight rise in heart rate lol..I did it and it seems to have worked

Also i dont suppose anyone knows who or what "ARRIS Group Inc " means?...its showing in my client list ?....not seen it before would it be my VM TV Box.

V_R · 31 Jul 2019 at 22:20

foster grant said:
Also i dont suppose anyone knows who or what "ARRIS Group Inc " means?...its showing in my client list ?....not seen it before would it be my VM TV Box.

A quick Google suggests it may well be your Virgin kit. Can you not work it out via the MAC address?

foster grant · 1 Aug 2019 at 00:03

V_R said:
A quick Google suggests it may well be your Virgin kit. Can you not work it out via the MAC address?

Yeah I think you're right VR , I'll have another mooch about in the morning

thanks

foster grant · 1 Aug 2019 at 14:41

OK so in my router which has the merlin firmware on it....under "Client Status" devices seem to come and go ie listed then not listed then listed then not listed it happens to wireless and wired devices? didnt happen before I installed Merlin.

Steampunk · 1 Aug 2019 at 15:49

foster grant said:
OK well with a slight rise in heart rate lol..I did it and it seems to have worked

Also i dont suppose anyone knows who or what "ARRIS Group Inc " means?...its showing in my client list ?....not seen it before would it be my VM TV Box.

Arris make Virgin kit, both Tivo V6 and Superhub 3.

foster grant said:
OK so in my router which has the merlin firmware on it....under "Client Status" devices seem to come and go ie listed then not listed then listed then not listed it happens to wireless and wired devices? didnt happen before I installed Merlin.

Merlin probably just updates the status more often or more accurately. Devices will time out if they go to sleep, or phones that drop Wifi when they sleep, etc.

foster grant · 1 Aug 2019 at 18:05

Steampunk said:
Arris make Virgin kit, both Tivo V6 and Superhub 3.

Merlin probably just updates the status more often or more accurately. Devices will time out if they go to sleep, or phones that drop Wifi when they sleep, etc.

Right thanks Steam

beachBOYken · 2 Aug 2019 at 11:38

foster grant said:
OK so in my router which has the merlin firmware on it....under "Client Status" devices seem to come and go ie listed then not listed then listed then not listed it happens to wireless and wired devices? didnt happen before I installed Merlin.

Do you mean the network device map that shows all connected devices?

I had that issue where devices would keep disappearing and re appearing, the devices are not actually disconnecting. It's a minor bug all be it a little annoying.

Saying that It was fixed in recent firmwares, have you installed the latest merlin firmware 384.13 ?

This is a good place to check out anything Merlin related-

https://www.snbforums.com/forums/asuswrt-merlin.42/

Keep all the Ai cloud, game boost stuff disabled.

The only feature I have enabled is AiProtection.

foster grant · 2 Aug 2019 at 11:42

beachBOYken said:
Do you mean the network device map that shows all connected devices?

I had that issue where devices would keep disappearing and re appearing, the devices are not actually disconnecting. It's a minor bug all be it a little annoying.

Saying that It was fixed in recent firmwares, have you installed the latest merlin firmware 384.13 ?

This is a good place to check out anything Merlin related-

https://www.snbforums.com/forums/asuswrt-merlin.42/

Yeah beach...and I'm still getting that bug sadly

beachBOYken · 2 Aug 2019 at 11:44

foster grant said:
Yeah beach...and I'm still getting that bug sadly

Crap, it was fixed with 384.11 onwards, maybe the bug has been introduced again in latest then. I will try to find out as that always annoyed me.

V_R · 2 Aug 2019 at 18:13

@foster grant Did you do a factory reset after you installed it?

foster grant · 2 Aug 2019 at 18:33

V_R said:
@foster grant Did you do a factory reset after you installed it?

No VR I didnt , should I have ?