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Sprint Home Wifi Router [Wi-Fi Connect][Asus AC66u]


marioc21

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I downloaded an app from Play Store, WiFi Analyzer.  It showed me my neighbor's WiFi Channel they're broadcasting on.  Surprisingly, they're mostly on Channel 6 and 11, so I switched mine to 1 and now my use to be unstable network is rock solid. This router is great.

 

That is a good Android app.  I have used it for years.

 

But why are you surprised that neighboring networks are mostly on channels 6 and 11?  That is to be expected from the automated setup using general public.  In the US, only channels 1, 6, and 11 are non overlapping.  For that reason, access points tend to default to those channels.

 

AJ

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That is a good Android app.  I have used it for years.

 

But why are you surprised that neighboring networks are mostly on channels 6 and 11?  That is to be expected from the automated setup using general public.  In the US, only channels 1, 6, and 11 are non overlapping.  For that reason, access points tend to default to those channels.

 

AJ

I figured most of the channels would default to 1, and I thought Smart Connect would be smart and default to a channel with less interference.  Still a solid router, but the Smart Connect feature is flawed in my setup.

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Sprint hit this out of the ballpark. Before on my old D-Link router, my phonecalls over WiFi used to start off great. But after 3 minutes, my phone call would start to lag due to amounting latency building up. Any call over 5 minutes would be useless as I would be speaking over people that are trying to make sure I was still on the line.

 

With this Asus, all that is now gone. Only thing I haven't noticed is an improved coverage. Seems about the same to me.

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Just ordered mine, Cam - I think was her name - said 5-7 business days! 

 

Edit: Will this show up as a device in your account or no?

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Just ordered mine, Cam - I think was her name - said 5-7 business days!

 

Edit: Will this show up as a device in your account or no?

Nope.

 

Edit: Yep!

 

xvLvLAT.png

 

Sent from my Nexus 5

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Just ordered mine, Cam - I think was her name - said 5-7 business days!

 

Edit: Will this show up as a device in your account or no?

It shows up as a $0 add on on my iPhone line.

 

 

Sent from Josh's iPhone 6+ using Tapatalk

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Set my router up last night. Was easy to get everything going. I did turn off smart connect because I want separate names for the 2.4 and 5GHz networks. 

 

I did notice that WiFi calling set was much faster than it was with my old router, connected to Sprint services very quickly. Haven't made a call using it to see if there is a difference in call quality. 

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Has anyone discovered how to flash Asus's OEM firmware to this device? Is it possible to put the Sprint WiFi Connect into Rescue Mode and use Asus's Firmware Restoration tool in order to bypass the router's firmware signing?

 

Current WiFi Connect firmware: 3.0.0.4.378_4443-ge73b6a7

 

Current RT-AC66u Beta firmware: 3.0.0.4.378.4850

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Has anyone discovered how to flash Asus's OEM firmware to this device? Is it possible to put the Sprint WiFi Connect into Rescue Mode and use Asus's Firmware Restoration tool in order to bypass the router's firmware signing?

 

Current WiFi Connect firmware: 3.0.0.4.378_4443-ge73b6a7

 

Current RT-AC66u Beta firmware: 3.0.0.4.378.4850

This was what I was wondering. Called and got mine ordered last night, but don't need wifi calling due to the 800 voice being on every tower around our house. I plan on experimenting when I get mine.
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I found these directions for installing aftermarket firmware like Merlin or TomatoUSB to a RT-AC66u:
 
http://www.shadowandy.net/2013/10/upgrading-asus-rt-ac66u-tomatousb.htm
 
 
Seems you can put the router in Recovery Mode by holding the Reset pin for 30 seconds while powering up the router. Once the Power LED starts flashing, run the Asus Firmware Restoration tool on your computer connected to LAN1 over ethernet with DHCP enabled. After the flash, clear the NVRAM by holding the WPS button while powering up. Tada!
 
The directions are the same as installing unlicensed firmware to the T-mobile CellSpot (RT-AC68u):
http://www.pocketables.com/2014/09/flash-firmware-t-mobile-cellspot-wifi-router.html

 

Who wants to try and report back?

Edited by goku chewbacca
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How were you all able to track the order? Aside from what the agent told me I have no order number or anything... ?

 

You'll get an email when the order is processed. What time of day did you call? If before 4pm CT, you should get the email today.

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I found these directions for installing aftermarket firmware like Merlin or TomatoUSB to a RT-AC66u:

 

http://www.shadowandy.net/2013/10/upgrading-asus-rt-ac66u-tomatousb.htm

 

 

Seems you can put the router in Recovery Mode by holding the Reset pin for 30 seconds while powering up the router. Once the Power LED starts flashing, run the Asus Firmware Restoration tool on your computer connected to LAN1 over ethernet with DHCP enabled. After the flash, clear the NVRAM by holding the WPS button while powering up. Tada!

 

The directions are the same as installing unlicensed firmware to the T-mobile CellSpot (RT-AC68u):

http://www.pocketables.com/2014/09/flash-firmware-t-mobile-cellspot-wifi-router.html

 

Who wants to try and report back?

I'm waiting on you to try ????

 

I flashed my T-Mobile cell spot like that but only after swapping to the ac68u firmware( I did the full firmware/software swap). I only have a Linux desktop now and a chromebook so I don't think I could even try to do it now.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

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I'm waiting on you to try ????

 

I flashed my T-Mobile cell spot like that but only after swapping to the ac68u firmware( I did the full firmware/software swap). I only have a Linux desktop now and a chromebook so I don't think I could even try to do it now.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Tmobile blocked out that method with their latest shipped routers. You can't change it anymore.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5

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Tmobile blocked out that method with their latest shipped routers. You can't change it anymore.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5

Glad I hacked on mine right out the box.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

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Tmobile blocked out that method with their latest shipped routers. You can't change it anymore.

I saw that T-mobile released a firmware update that prevents you from installing Asus or aftermarket firmware using the CellSpot router's web interface. Are you saying that they released a newer update that also prevents you from flashing firmware in Recovery Mode using Asus's Firmware Restoration tool?

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I never got a tracking number, but ours showed up today.

 

We have a 50 DL and 5 UL package from Time Warner, and before on our old router, we were only capable of getting no more than 30 down on wifi. Now, we're sitting pretty with this:

iUH751a.jpg

 

B)

 

And that is on 5 GHz in my bedroom, which is upstairs and through 3 walls from the router location. This thing is pretty great. Thanks Sprint!!

 

-Anthony

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FYI, thread participants...

 

Robert is presently traveling through rural territory with limited wireless coverage, but he has asked that you not engage in discussions of overwriting the Sprint Wi-Fi calling firmware.  That just takes advantage of Sprint and defeats the spirit of offering this free Asus router -- to provide Wi-Fi calling in difficult coverage locations and to lessen the load on the macro network.  We realize that you probably can find such alternate firmware discussions elsewhere.  But S4GRU will not host them here.

 

Please think about ethics.  And thanks for your cooperation...

 

AJ

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FYI, thread participants...

 

Robert is presently traveling through rural territory with limited wireless coverage, but he has asked that you not engage in discussions of overwriting the Sprint Wi-Fi calling firmware. That just takes advantage of Sprint and defeats the spirit of offering this free Asus router -- to provide Wi-Fi calling in difficult coverage locations and to lessen the load on the macro network. We realize that you probably can find such alternate firmware discussions elsewhere. But S4GRU will not host them here.

 

Please think about ethics. And thanks for your cooperation...

 

AJ

I was hoping someone would say something about that. I agree that it isn't ethical to be trying to override the software on a device that was given to you free of charge. I don't see the point of doing so, either, considering you'd probably get rid of the Sprint WiFi calling prioritzation, which would completely defeat the purpose of getting the router from Sprint anyways.

 

-Anthony

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I disagree about arguments regarding ethics or usefulness of flashing more featureful firmware. The Sprint router is given to the customer and not lent. Ownership and device fees are spelled out in the device manual.

 

Other than removing Bridge and Repeater modes, there was no need for Sprint to disable the features they did in order to make WiFi Calling the top priority for QoS.

 

Flashing Asus or aftermarket firmware doesn't stop my device from connecting to the router for Wifi Calling and Data in order to reduce traffic on Sprint's inadequate network. Just make Wifi Calling traffic top priority on your newly enabled QoS page. Google tells me it's on UDP port 4500, and you can check netstat logs during a Wifi Call to confirm this.

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I disagree about arguments regarding ethics or usefulness of flashing more featureful firmware. The Sprint router is given to the customer and not lent. Ownership and device fees are spelled out in the device manual.

 

Other than removing Bridge and Repeater modes, there was no need for Sprint to disable the features they did in order to make WiFi Calling the top priority for QoS.

 

Flashing Asus or aftermarket firmware doesn't stop my device from connecting to the router for Wifi Calling and Data in order to reduce traffic on Sprint's inadequate network. Just make Wifi Calling traffic top priority on your newly enabled QoS page. Google tells me it's on UDP port 4500, and you can check netstat logs during a Wifi Call to confirm this.

It's not yours yet...enough said. If you want to mess with the firmware, wait a year and then do it. Until then, this is Sprint property being leased to you for free.
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I disagree about arguments regarding ethics or usefulness of flashing more featureful firmware. The Sprint router is given to the customer and not lent. Ownership and device fees are spelled out in the device manual.

 

Other than removing Bridge and Repeater modes, there was no need for Sprint to disable the features they did in order to make WiFi Calling the top priority for QoS.

 

Flashing Asus or aftermarket firmware doesn't stop my device from connecting to the router for Wifi Calling and Data in order to reduce traffic on Sprint's inadequate network. Just make Wifi Calling traffic top priority on your newly enabled QoS page. Google tells me it's on UDP port 4500, and you can check netstat logs during a Wifi Call to confirm this.

 

The site admin has requested that members not discuss overwriting the Wi-Fi calling firmware, yet you are already arguing against that request.  Four of your five posts here have been in this thread, so your primary purpose at S4GRU seems to be hacking the Wi-Fi calling firmware.

 

While your intentions may be good if you manually enable QoS for Wi-Fi calling, you are still violating the spirit in which Sprint extended this offer for a free Wi-Fi calling router.  And others will not enable QoS -- they will just take the free router and run, Wi-Fi calling be damned.  That is why S4GRU discourages or prohibits certain discussion topics.

 

Basically, if you want to flash alternate firmware and enable QoS or not, you buy your own router.  If you want a router for free, you accept Sprint's locked down Wi-Fi calling firmware.  As the saying goes, "Do not look a gift horse in the mouth."

 

Also, unnecessarily posting "Sprint's inadequate network" is a gross simplification and generalization.  It is a non constructive negative comment, hence against the rules.

 

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/1197-s4gru-posting-guidelines-aka-the-rulez/

 

AJ

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