Question for network gurus

[G G]

Searching around on the internet and came up with another possible solution.

I can load the Merlin firmware on my Asus router and it will probably allow me to do some policy routing that may let me select a device that wouldn't go through the VPN. I will check it out further and report back what I find out.

[Weelok]

Oh interesting!!!! Please do get back on that!!!

[G G]

Originally Posted by Weelok

Oh interesting!!!! Please do get back on that!!!

Will do, I got the firmware on the router today, but I didn't leave the house to check it. I live in the boonies so we have no cell service out here.

[G G]

Okay, got the gist of how this works. When you flash the merlin firmware onto the router, it doesn't change the look and feel of the original firmware. It still looks and acts like the original Asus firmware, it just has more settings.

The way the policy based routing works is this: You turn it on, the default devices that have no policy set goes through the WAN and not the tunnel. In order for this to work you have to set static IPs on the devices connected to the router because that's the way you tell it which devices to run through the tunnel. I already set all my devices with static local IPs anyway so I didn't have to do it. You can set a device to either go through the tunnel or the WAN, but if you don't set a device it goes through the WAN. I will probably only run the Fire Sticks through the tunnel and leave everything else on the WAN. I am leaving shortly for the day and I will be able to see if the camera will be available.

[CigarNut]

Just remember this: the more complex the setup, the much more difficult it is to debug

[Weelok]

Originally Posted by G G

Okay, got the gist of how this works. When you flash the merlin firmware onto the router, it doesn't change the look and feel of the original firmware. It still looks and acts like the original Asus firmware, it just has more settings.

The way the policy based routing works is this: You turn it on, the default devices that have no policy set goes through the WAN and not the tunnel. In order for this to work you have to set static IPs on the devices connected to the router because that's the way you tell it which devices to run through the tunnel. I already set all my devices with static local IPs anyway so I didn't have to do it. You can set a device to either go through the tunnel or the WAN, but if you don't set a device it goes through the WAN. I will probably only run the Fire Sticks through the tunnel and leave everything else on the WAN. I am leaving shortly for the day and I will be able to see if the camera will be available.

That sounds like the right answer!!! Simple fix and pretty powerful firmware!!!

[G G]

Originally Posted by CigarNut

Just remember this: the more complex the setup, the much more difficult it is to debug

I hear ya. I have ran dd-wrt on a linksys router before. I can say though that running Merlin on the Asus is nowhere near as overwhelming as dd-wrt. It almost seems like dd-wrt has TOO much stuff. Merlin on Asus is great and pretty easy to understand.

Originally Posted by Weelok

That sounds like the right answer!!! Simple fix and pretty powerful firmware!!!

I can report that it's the perfect solution and it works like a charm. I was able to bring up the cameras from outside the network like it's supposed to be.

I can also say that my wifi calling works better since I bought the Asus, but it didn't come right out of the box that way.

I have used an AT&T microcell for several years and it always worked great. I was running a Linksys router until I bought the Asus. I have known for a long time that I was double NATed, but the microcell works fine as long as you do a couple port forwards. When AT&T got wifi calling enabled I tried it since I could get rid of the microcell if it would work. I have tried it several times it always dropped calls and would go in an out.

Flash forward to now, when I configured the Asus, it flashes a message telling you that certain things won't work right cause you are double NATted. So I called the phone company and told them to bridge my modem. Once the modem was bridged and I am no longer double NATed, the wifi calling so far has been working perfect. So i am of the opinion that in my set-up wifi calling is confounded by double NAT.

So far I am loving this Asus RT-AC87U and wished I had bought one sooner. I have had no problems with Linksys and always liked them as well. But this Asus is very powerful in the settings you are able to do, and the wireless is awesome as well. On the 5 ghz band it works a pretty good distance too. On my old Linksys the 5 ghz band would only work about 15 feet and drop out after that. Unless something crazy happens I have probably found a new router brand to stick with for awhile.

Thanks for the ideas and help. Without reading your replies I might not have searched as hard for an answer to find the Merlin and policy based routing feature.

[Weelok]

This question taught me a lot of new things. For one, I'm happy to hear the router works so well. I have always like Asus for motherboards and monitors and this just shows they are a good all around company. I liked the router software overlay as well. I am currently using an Apple router and while I like the router I don't like the software interface at all.

If it breaks I will probably get an Asus router based on this thread,

[8zeros]

My home router is failing and I'm looking for a new one. I need some features in Gargoyle, based on Openwrt. Bandwidth allocation stuff. Merlin doesn't seem to have that. I am on satellite and I have limits I need to control.

[G G]

Originally Posted by Weelok

This question taught me a lot of new things. For one, I'm happy to hear the router works so well. I have always like Asus for motherboards and monitors and this just shows they are a good all around company. I liked the router software overlay as well. I am currently using an Apple router and while I like the router I don't like the software interface at all.

If it breaks I will probably get an Asus router based on this thread,

I like it a lot better than the linksys so far. I have used Linksys for years and always liked them but they don't have as much control over certain things that the Asus has built in. You can flash dd-wrt on most of the Linksys routers though. With the Merlin firmware on the Asus I can't see me needing to do anything that it can't do so far.

[G G]

Update: After having this fix running for almost two week I thought I would update my findings so far.

There is a selection to lock out devices that are set to go through the VPN tunnel if for some reason the connection to the VPN is lost. I didn't set everything to go through the tunnel and didn't think it was a big deal. After about a week though the tunnel lost connection for whatever reason and I don't know how long it was down. So once I discovered it I changed that setting to lock out the devices if it's lost again. I have both firesticks going through it obviously, but also my MBP, iPhone, and iPad. So from now on I won't have to worry about the phone company knowing I am streaming.

The security cameras have been working fine as well. MY major problem is that I started out with 8 cameras when we bought the system and now for whatever reason we are down to only three working cameras and the night vision went out on one of them last week.

I am looking into buying another system. The one I have is a wired Swann system that has a DVR. Those wires are a pain in the a$$. I am looking at possibly buying a Netgear Arlo system which is truly wireless. I haven't bought yet and was wondering if anyone here has any thoughts or know anyone whom has one?

[8zeros]

You won't get as high resolution thru wireless. The compression sucks it down. Blocky and blotchy in comparison.

[Weelok]

Damn, that software is really impressive on that router. After it's locked out of the VPN does it reconnect outside of the VPN fine?

[G G]

Originally Posted by 8zeros

You won't get as high resolution thru wireless. The compression sucks it down. Blocky and blotchy in comparison.

I have looked at tons of reviews from online review sites and on youtube from regular folks. This one is pretty impressive. It's only 720P but it's very clear on all the videos I have seen. And this one doesn't connect the regular way. It doesn't connect through the router wifi. The base transmits it's own wifi for the cameras to connect only. Supposedly has up to 300 line of sight range too! I doubt real world you will get close to that though.

Originally Posted by Weelok

Damn, that software is really impressive on that router. After it's locked out of the VPN does it reconnect outside of the VPN fine?

I haven't lost the tunnel since I changed it. I will let you know when it happens. I think it blocks the device entirely. I would expect they added that just for what I am using it for, questionable streaming, so if the tunnel is lost then the device can't connect until the tunnel is re-established. Kinda gives you a heads up that way.