Disclaimer: If you brick (i.e. ruin) your router by following this page, I will not be held responsible. Although much effort has been made to ensure the correctness of the information presented here, it is possible there are still incorrect or outdated information. I have personally tried flashing RT-N16 and RT-N12 B1 only. (If you happen to make the router unbootable, retry the Asus recovery procedure with Asus stock firmware.)
Last update: 2015-10-10
Why install Tomato firmware?
- You need a feature that is supported by one of the variants of Tomato but not the stock Asus firmware
- You’re doing P2P and the router crashes / reboots
- You’re having an issue that you suspect it to be a bug in the stock Asus firmware
- You don’t like or don’t trust stock Asus firmware
What are the downsides of Tomato firmware?
- In some cases, the WiFi behavior of the Asus firmware may be different from the Tomato firmware, because they usually use different versions of the Broadcom drivers. In general, Asus stock firmware may offer slightly higher WiFi performance than Tomato, because Asus usually uses newer Broadcom drivers, while Tomato usually sticks with an older but proven release that is more compatible with other client devices. As of June 2013, there are test builds of Tomato with newer and faster WiFi driver.
- Tomato firmware disables Broadcom Cut-Through Forwarding (CTF) by default because it is incompatible with some Tomato features. At least for some Asus models, on Asus firmware with QoS and certain features disabled, the router activates CTF (known as NAT Acceleration) and yields a throughput that is greater than on Tomato with QoS and CTF disabled. Recent Tomato by Shibby firmwares show an option for enabling CTF, but there are reports that enabling it may not actually yield a difference for some models or firmwares. Tomato by Shibby also does not support FastNAT because it is incompatible with QoS, Bandwidth limiter, IP Traffic, Bandwidth Monitor and Web usage functions. According to Shibby, the performance impact of absence of CTF in Tomato WAN->LAN throughput is as follows:
- RT-N16 without bcm_nat ~100-120Mbps
RT-N16 with bcm_nat ~ 170Mbps
RT-N66U/AC66u without bcm_nat ~240Mbps
RT-N66U/AC66u with bcm_nat ~320Mbps
RT-N18u/AC56u/AC68u without CTF ~330Mbps
RT-N18u/AC56u/AC68u with CTF ~600Mbps
R7000 without CTF ~410Mbps
R7000 with CTF ~950Mbps
(In general, people with >300Mbps broadband may consider trying out Merlin firmware first.)
Why Asus router?
- You want to run Tomato firmware, and a few Asus models are supported
- Usually cheaper than Cisco / Linksys for the same level of hardware
- You don’t like internal antennas as found in recent Cisco / Linksys models
Which Asus router to purchase?
[Older versions of this article included a section on my recommendations of Asus router. It is now deleted and I have already changed to Netgear R7000 running XWRT Merlin firmware. R7000 has the advantage of having 1GHz Broadcom dual-core ARM CPU, better than the 800MHz CPU in RT-AC68U, while the RT-AC68P (aka RT-AC68U V2) is not generally available worldwide yet, and reportedly Netgear runs cooler than Asus. In addition to R7000’s own stock firmware, it can run Tomato Shibby firmware and even Merlin firmware, but since this is an article written for Asus routers, R7000 is not further discussed here. Although I’m convinced R7000 is a really good router, It should be noted that this is definitely not a general recommendation for Netgear routers. Various Netgear models have specific quirks.]
This is really important: only buy a router with 8MB flash or more. Avoid all 4MB flash routers.
After flashing an Asus router to Tomato firmware, can I go back to Asus stock firmware?
Yes, simply use the Asus Firmware Restoration Utility from CD or web, together with the correct Asus firmware from web.
Differentiating among various models of Asus RT-N router series:
It is critical to find out the correct model of your router, its hardware revision, and the flash size before you proceed to install any third-party firmware such as Tomato to your router. Unless otherwise stated, all Tomato-supported models in this list should use the RT-N driver instead of RT driver when choosing a correct Tomato firmware.
In addition to the following list I maintain, please also read the official supported router list of Tomato by Shibby
- RT-AC5300: ARM dual core BC47094 @ 1.4GHz , 128MB Flash, 256MB RAM, 4×4 tri-band AC5300 (AC2166 + AC2166 + 1000). Not supported by Tomato.
- RT-AC3200: Essentially a dual 5GHz radio version of AC68P, 3×3 tri-band AC3200 (AC1300 + AC1300 + N600). Not supported by Tomato (this requires integration of a newer major version of Broadcom SDK than Tomato uses, so this is a large effort that is unlikely to take place soon). Can use Merlin firmware. [Note: Netgear R8000 has the same level of hardware]
- RT-AC3100:
- RT-AC1200HP: This model does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware
- RT-AC1200:
- RT-AC88U: ARM dual core BC47094 @ 1.4GHz , 128MB Flash (?), 512MB RAM, 4×4 AC3100 (AC2166 + 1000). Not supported by Tomato.
- RT-AC87U: ARM dual core BCM4709 @ 1GHz, plus Quantenna QSR1000 solution for 4×4 AC2400 (AC1733 + N600). Since this not a complete Broadcom solution it will not run Tomato. Can use Merlin firmware.
- RT-AC68P: Also known as RT-AC68U V2, since it is a bug fix version of AC68U, with the CPU changed to ARM dual core BCM4709 @ 1GHz. Use Shibby V129 or later. Can also use Merlin firmware. [Note: Netgear R7000 has the same level of hardware]
- RT-AC68U: ARM dual core BCM4708A @ 800MHz, 128MB Flash, 256MB RAM, 3×3 AC1900 (AC1300 + N600). It has a USB 3.0 performance issue that is fixed in AC68P hardware. Use Shibby V118 or later. Can also use Merlin firmware.
- RT-AC68W: Same hardware as RT-AC68U but in white color
- RT-AC66U: MIPS single core BCM4706@ 600MHz, 128MB Flash, 256MB RAM, 3×3 AC1750 (AC1300 + N450). 5GHz is only supported from Shibby Builds starting from 111. Can also use Merlin firmware.
- RT-AC66W: Same hardware as RT-AC66U but in white color
- RT-AC66R: Same hardware as RT-AC66U but sold by BestBuy
- RT-AC56U: ARM dual core BCM4708A @ 800MHz, 128MB Flash, 256MB RAM, 2×2 AC1200 (AC866 + N300), internal antennas. Use Shibby V118 or later. This is discontinued and replaced by AC56S. Can also use Merlin firmware. Note that many people have 2.4GHz issues with this router.
- RT-AC56S: Single-core and 128MB RAM version of AC56U. Note that many people have 2.4GHz issues with this router. (Tomato support is to be confirmed.)
- RT-AC55UHP: This model does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware
- RT-AC55U:This model does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware
- RT-AC54U: This model does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware
- RT-AC52U: This model does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware
- RT-AC51U: This model does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware
- RT-N66U: BCM4706@ 600MHz, 32MB Flash, 256MB RAM, dual band 5/2.4GHz support. Only supported by Toastman Builds starting from 2012-2-(end) and Shibby Builds starting from 085V. Can also use Merlin firmware.
- RT-N66W: Same hardware as RT-N66U but in white color
- RT-N66R: Same hardware as RT-N66U but sold by BestBuy
- EA-N66: This model does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware
- RT-N65U: This model does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware. Can use Padavan firmware.
- RT-N56U B1: This model does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware.
- RT-N56U: This model does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware. Can use Padavan firmware.
- RT-N53: BCM5358U @ 300MHz, 8MB Flash, 32MB RAM, dual band 5/2.4GHz support. Supported by Shibby build starting from 104 with 5GHz support.
- RT-N53 H/W version A1: Supported by Shibby build starting from V114
- RT-N18U: Basically a 2.4GHz N only version of AC68U, i.e. dual core ARM CPU @ 800MHz. Supported by Shibby build starting from V122 (includes a bug fix for V121).
- RT-N16: BCM4718 @ 480MHz, 32MB Flash, 128MB RAM, 2 USB 2.0. Officially it is recommended to use RT driver versions of Tomato, although I use RT-N driver and it works for me. It seems that many Tomato developers have this router, so this is a nice router for Tomato if your broadband is less than 150Mbps and you don’t need 5GHz WiFi. I use one too.
- RT-N15U: BCM5357 @ 500MHz, 8MB Flash, 64MB RAM, 1 USB 2.0. Supported by Shibby build starting from 093.
- RT-N15: This model is totally different from RT-N15U. It does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware. You’re screwed.
- RT-N14UHP: Seems to use Broadcom BCM5358, triple 9dB antenna. It is far too expensive for a router without 1000Mbps Gigaibit Ethernet. There is a forum report indicating success of flashing Tomato as if it is a N53 router, i.e. use RT-N
- RT-N14U: This model does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware. Can use Padavan firmware.
- RT-N13: This model does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware
- RT-N12+:
- RT-N12 LX: This model is totally different from RT-N12 (without LX). It does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware. You’re screwed.
- RT-N12E B1:
- RT-N12E: This model is totally different from RT-N12 (without E). It does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware. You’re screwed.
- RT-N12 H/W version 1: BCM4716 @ 300MHz, 4MB Flash (too small for recent firmware), 32MB RAM. Recommended to use RT driver versions of Tomato, although RT-N driver should also work. Beware there are reports of instability with this router.
- RT-N12 H/W version B1: BCM5357B0@ 300MHz, 8MB Flash, 32MB RAM. Only supported by Toastman Builds starting from 2012-2-6 and Shibby Builds starting from 083V. Use RT-N. (Note: There are many web pages listing this model having 4MB flash only, but the unit I tried really has 8MB flash, and many experts in relevant forums agree this model has 8MB flash too.) (Newer shipments may have changed the chipset to BCM53572.)
- RT-N12 H/W version C1: Same as RT-N12 B1 but with a “Black Diamond” appearance
- RT-N12 H/W version D1: (To be confirmed) BCM53572. This is functionally the same as C1 but equipped with a built-in signal amplifier. Use RT-N
- RT-N12HP B1:
- RT-N12HP: This is functionally the same as D1 but equipped with two 9dbi antenna. A review reported that its WiFi signal is good enough even after passing through two concrete walls. There are multiple reports that Tomato works.
- RT-N12 VP: I suspect this to be a cost-down version of RT-N12 D1, losing the signal amplifier and the antennas may become non-detachable. There is a report of success using Tomato RT-N5x firmware.
- RT-N11P: This model does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware. Can use Padavan firmware.
- RT-N11: This model does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware
- RT-N10P: RT-N53572 @ 300MHz, 8MB Flash. With a 5dbi antenna, it seems to be a nice 150Mbps WiFi budget variant of the excellent RT-N12 series. Supported by Shibby build starting from V114.
- RT-N10P V2: Unknown (To be confirmed)
- RT-N10+: This model is totally different from RT-N10U. It does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware. You’re screwed.
- RT-N10+ B1 , C1: This model is totally different from RT-N10U. It does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware. You’re screwed.
- RT-N10+ D1: (To be confirmed) BCM5356 @ 300MHz, 4MB Flash (too small for recent firmware), 16MB RAM. There is a forum reporting stating success with flashing tomato, but with the following limitations: 1. Power LED does not behave correctly; 2. WAN/LAN ports are shifted, such that LAN Port 4 needs be used for WAN, and the original WAN port becomes LAN Port 1; 3. GUI nvram clear must not be used otherwise it goes back into firmware restoration mode
- RT-N10 LX: This model is totally different from RT-N10U. It does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware. You’re screwed.
- RT-N10E: This model is totally different from RT-N10U. It does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware. You’re screwed.
- RT-N10E B1: (To be confirmed) I suspect this is very similar to RT-N10+ D1. I have NOT found any report of success of running Tomato on this.
- RT-N10 H/W version 1: BCM5356 @ 300MHz, 4MB Flash (too small for recent firmware), 16MB RAM. Some versions of tomato support this model (Build 52 or earlier). Some do not and WILL BRICK your router. Exercise extreme caution.
- RT-N10 H/W version B1 / C1 / D1: This model is totally different from H/W version 1. It does not use Broadcom chipset and therefore cannot run Tomato firmware. You’re screwed.
- RT-N10U: BCM5357 (or BCM5356U?) @ 300MHz, 8MB Flash, 32MB RAM, 1 USB 2.0. It is functionally a 150Mbps N-Lite (instead of 300Mbps N) version of RT-N12 B1 with a USB port added. Only supported by Toastman Builds starting from 2012-2-6 and Shibby Builds starting from 079V (with a USB LED fix in 093)
- RT-N10U B: Same as the original RT-N10U, but with a “Black Diamond” appearance
Choosing the right version of Tomato
There are several forks of Tomato by different developers, and some of which are no longer maintained. For corporate environment, Toastman Builds are usually more suitable because it has DHCP disabled by default, such that a router that has lost its settings and rebooted will not run DHCP server accidentally. For home users, many people prefer Shibby Builds – some variants come with Transmission BitTorrent client.
Shibby Builds:
Shibby Builds are available from http://tomato.groov.pl
How to choose:
- For Shibby Builds, look into the K26ARM folder if your router uses an ARM CPU (i.e. RT-AC68P, RT-AC68U, RT-AC56U, RT-N18U). Otherwise, if you have an RT-AC router (with MIPS CPU) instead of a RT-N router, look into the K26RT-AC folder. For RT-N routers, look into the K26RT-N folder. Special cases: For RT-N66U, you have a choice between using the K26RT-AC version or the K26RT-N version. For RT-N16 or RT-N12 H/W version 1, you have a choice of RT-N driver or the old RT driver.
- Find the latest release by version number with the appropriate language suffix (-EN or none for English). To avoid the OpenSSL heartbleed bug, use only V117 or later.
- Choose a “K26USB” or “K26” (without USB) firmware depending on whether the router hardware has USB ports or not
- For specific models such as RT-AC66U, RT-N66U or RT-N53, there may be special builds for them, different from other models. For RT-N53 the file is named in the format of tomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-XXX-RT-N53.trx
- If both MIPSR2 and MIPSR1 firmware are listed, use only MIPSR2 firmware for the Asus RT-N models described on this page
- If your router has more than 8MB Flash, you may use the AIO (All-in-one) firmware with all features
- If your router has a USB port and you need to run a BitTorrent client on the router, choose BT-VPN, otherwise I suggest Big-VPN. (See the builds.png below)
- Verify that its file size is less than the flash size of your router. Be very careful if you have a 4MB Flash router – you may need to use Mini variants in order to fit the 4MB Flash requirement. However, recent releases may not have any variant that will fit into 4MB.
- Stay away from NVRAM60K versions or those with other model names (Ex000, F7Dxxxx, etc.)
- There may special test builds with a newer and faster WiFi driver.
Here’s the builds.png that illustrates the different configurations of Tomato by Shibby. This is not necessarily the latest version, if necessary please search each folder for the latest version.
Toastman Builds:
Toastman Builds are available from http://www.4shared.com/dir/v1BuINP3/Toastman_Builds.html (Start from early 2012 It seems to require creating a free account for downloading.)
For latest build types, find “Toastman Releases” from linksysinfo.org
- Mini – no USB, no CIFS, no Zebra
- MiniIPV6 – no USB, no CIFS, no Zebra + IPv6
- Std – normal build
- Ext – normal + Extra utilities + NTFS
- VPN – normal + Extras + NTFS + VPN
- VPN-NOCAT – normal + Extras + NTFS + VPN + NOCAT portal
How to choose:
- For Toastman Builds, go to the RT or RT-N folder according to your Asus model requirement discussed above.
- Read the changelog and see which version you want to try out, or just go to the latest version. To avoid the OpenSSL heartbleed bug, use firmware 2014-4-22 or newer.
- If your router has USB port(s), find those firmwares with “USB” in the filename, otherwise find those firmwares without “USB” in the filename.
- Unless you have to use the VLAN feature, do not choose a VLAN firmware.
- Unless you have to use the Captive Portal feature, do not choose a NOCAT firmware.
- Get a firmware with VPN in the filename, and verify that its file size is less than the flash size of your router. Be very careful if you have a 4MB Flash router – you may need to use Std or Mini variants (instead of VPN) in order to fit the 4MB Flash requirement.
- Stay away from NVRAM60K versions or those with other model names (Ex000, F7Dxxxx, etc.)
Installation Procedure (adapted from patricksheedy.net)
Note: some people say you need to install DD-WRT first. I do NOT recommend anyone to install DD-WRT first before installing Tomato on Asus routers.
If you use a modem with router function provided by the ISP, make sure you have admin password for it AND the modem provides an option to be configured as “Bridge mode“. Otherwise I’d recommend NOT installing Tomato in your case.
- Download a suitable tomato firmware as described above
- Install the Asus router utility from the CD that came with the router. Run \Utility\setup.exe from the CD to install it. If you no longer have the CD you can also download it from the Asus website.
- Disable Firewall on your computer.
- Disable anti-virus on your computer.
- Connect your computer to one of the LAN ports of the router with an ethernet cable.
- Assign a static IP of 192.168.1.10 and subnet mask 255.255.255.0 to your computer LAN port.
- Disconnect the router WAN port if you already have a cable plugged into that port.
- From Windows Start menu, run ASUS Utility -> RT-N Wireless Router -> Firmware Restoration. (If you experience problems uploading, try running it as Administrator.)
- Click the Browse button and select the file that you downloaded in step #1. Don’t click the upload button yet.
- Put the router in recovery mode: Unplug the power cord of the router. Hold down the black Restore button using a pen (not the red button). Plug the power cord back in. Once the power light starts flashing slowing, release the Restore button. The power light should continue to flash. The flashing light means the router is ready to accept the new firmware in recovery mode.
- Click the upload button in the Restoration utility. If it warns about incorrect Asus firmware, ignore it. The firmware should now start uploading into the router. Don’t touch anything while the firmware is being uploaded. (Note: these steps worked when I flashed my RT-N16. However, the utility could not find my RT-N12 B1 when I tried to flash the router, although it did work for other people. After failing for more than a dozen times, I tried to perform the upload first before putting the router in recovery mode, then it finally worked. Later I tried a different unit of RT-N12 B1 strangely it could be flashed the first time using the normal procedure. If neither of these procedures work, please see the Addendum in The Wiert Corner, and the tftp method described by Simeon W in the comments section.)
- No matter whether the utility says the upload is completed, or it hangs at a certain percent, DO NOT PANIC, and WAIT FOR FIVE MINUTES before you do anything else.
- After five minutes, open a browser and go to http://192.168.1.1. Login with user “admin” (or “root”) and password “admin”. You should be logged into Tomato. [Note: if you cannot access the router configuration page here, try pressing the WPS button (could be a different button for some models) for 30 seconds while powering on the router – See Demian’s comment below.]
- Administration -> Configuration -> Restore Default Configuration -> Erase all data in NVRAM memory(thorough) -> OK (Note: there is a forum report saying this reset function does not work properly on RT-N53 – in this case, try the hardware reset button.)
- After it is completed, login again, enable DHCP (for Toastman Builds), change admin password, enable WiFi security if you use WiFi, plug in your WAN connection and configure it. Also take a look at the CPU frequency, you may need to manually change it if it is not correct. (Note: overclocking your router is usually not a good idea from my experience.)
- Change your computer LAN port back to use DHCP (dynamic address) and dynamic DNS.
- If there is anything abnormal, some models require an additional reset by WPS button: Unplug the power of the router. Hold the WPS button on the back of the router. Plug the router back in. Hold the button for about 30 seconds and release it. You will need to reconfigure everything again – you must not backup the settings and restore settings – this defeats the purpose of the reset.
Troubleshooting
- If you happen to make the router unbootable, retry the Asus recovery procedure with Asus stock firmware. (This occurred to me once when I tried to upgrade a RT-N12 B1 from a 2012 Toastman Build to a 2014 Tomato by Shibby. After some struggle with the timing precision required by the Asus Firmware Restoration utility, I recovered it successfully using Shibby V117 tomato-K26-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-117-Max.trx )
- If you upgraded from DD-WRT to tomato but cannot login, it’s because you did not get the password before the upgrade, so you need to reset it – google for it
- If something does not work as expected, try “Erase all data in NVRAM memory(thorough)”, and/or use the reset button. You may also try the WPS button in addition to the reset button. If you run Toastman build, remember that after this you’ll have to use static IP instead of DHCP to connect to the router before you can re-enable DHCP again.
- If you experience WiFi issues, try a different WiFi channel, turn off Interference Mitigation and APSD Mode, use 20MHz instead of 40MHz channel bandwidth. Turn off power saving at the WiFi client side (or set it to CAM if there is no off setting). Auto channel in some configurations may yield channel 12 or channel 13, and many client devices do not support these channels without changes to an advanced setting (could be a driver property in case of Windows client). If you’re using a test build with a newer WiFi driver, try falling back to the normal build, and vice versa. If you’re using RT-N16 or the original RT-N12 H/W Version 1, you have an additional choice between RT driver or RT-N driver – try each of them to see which one works better. If you’re using RT-N66U, you have an additional choice between the RT-N version and the RT-AC version.
- If 5GHz does not work, check that you are using the correct build (especially for RT-N53 firmware, which may be different from others). Set Country to EU. Also try clearing the NVRAM data, and clearing it using the hardware reset button.
- If AC mode does not work, set mode to Auto and Channel bandwidth to 80MHz. Make sure you are on the latest Tomato compiled for RT-AC.
- With very new router models that are not completely supported, sometimes the Ethernet port order may be reversed. Look for a newer firmware, or try “Invert Ports Order” option.
- If your router reboots while doing BitTorrent, etc., reduce the number of connections in the router and/or BitTorrent client.
- If you use Shibby BT-VPN and found the built-in Transmission BitTorrent client to be unstable even after reducing the number of connections, you may try Big-VPN or BTgui instead, then install Transmission as optware. This should be more stable. Google for it.
- If you have a 150Mbps+ broadband internet but found that Tomato is not delivering a reasonable WAN-to-LAN performance, try to make use of the bcm_nat module for Fast NAT. Google for it.
- Royee (see the comments section) found that the Windows driver for the network adapter needs to be updated in order to connect to the Tomato router.
![](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="500" height="500"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>){kind=avatar}
Moonlight Knight 
Hi, you wrote ASUS RT-N12 B1 has 8MB flash, but i think its only 4MB
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asus_routers
Thanks for the comment. I did some google searches, and found that different pages/forums state it differently: some state 8MB as I did, some state 4MB as in your example. I checked a unit of RT-N12 B1 unit – it really does have 8MB flash.
Hi, maybe this is a hint my RT-N12 B1 made in 2012 w/serial last four are 3192 has 8mb flash RAM. I flashed DD-WRT Mega generic after mini*.trx of course from discovery mode and I use it to connect as client to AP while we type.
The CPU information on firmware is odd claiming
BCMD144 chip rev 1
MIPS 74K V4.9
via cpuproc from telenet w/
system type as Broadcom BCMD144 chip rev 1
Tom
I got this:
system type : Broadcom BCM5357 chip rev 2 pkg 8processor : 0
cpu model : MIPS 74K V4.9
BogoMIPS : 149.91
cpu MHz : 300
Found an ST compatible serial flash with 128 64KB blocks; total size 8MB
Hi, YES RT-N12 C1 does have 8MB flash – shibby confirmed it:
http://www.linksysinfo.org/index.php?threads/can-support-rt-n12-c1.37361/
AND RT-N10U BLACK – is same like RT-N10U WHITE (shibby confirmed too)
http://www.linksysinfo.org/index.php?threads/can-support-rt-n10u-black.37862/
So, thanks for info 😉
Can I download a toastmaster build without paying?
Yes.
Yes, you just need to be registered.
Be carefull with VERSION!
Early this year (2012) no registration was necessary. It seems that its policy is changed now.
This guide was awesome, thanks 🙂
Pingback: Addendum to Guide to “Install Tomato firmware on Asus RT-N66U / RT-N16 / RT-N12 B1 / RT-N12 C1 / RT-N10U router 韌體教學 | Moonlight Knight” « The Wiert Corner – irregular stream of Wiert stuff
Do you know if wget in tomato firmware supports more like -i
than the STD stock Asus version
I don’t know, but I think you can get the answer by asking in http://www.linksysinfo.org Tomato firmware forum
Hey, I just wanted to thank you for this comprehensive guide – my RT-N16 behaved exactly as described, everything went well; I installed Shibby’s AIO (all in one) flavour of Tomato.
I’m pleased to learn that it went well for you. Thanks!
Thank you so much for the guide this was the only one I could find for RT-N12 B1/C1, most of them are in Chinese since Asus is a popular Taiwanese brand.
I experienced no problem at step 11 at all. The hardest part is probably choosing the right firmware because there are so many and it is easy to pick up a wrong one that will screw up the router. But I think Asus routers are unbrickable and heck I flashed a USB build on it and its still okay. The main thing is probably keep it under the total flash size.
Hello,
This looks like a very good guide to follow when I have a new router. I’m trying to decide on which router to buy, an Asus RT N16 or an N66U. Of course, it’s clear which one is best, however it also costs about 100$ more.
Actually the only reason to buy a new router is to improve connectivity on short distances in an apartement complex with a lot of interference (I’m hoping that increasing the signal strength wil help with connectivity during peak hours). I have no 5Ghz-compable equipment and don’t expect to get it in the next few years.
Would the N16 be a safe choice, or should I not take any ‘risk’ and get the NT66u?
From what I understand, increasing the signal strength from default value does improve connectivity somewhat in certain types of measurement. However, beyond a certain value, it no longer helps. If you’re concerned about interference, my experience is that increasing signal strength does not help much. Other than experimenting with different channels, different advanced WiFi settings, and different versions of Broadcom drivers (from different firmware), 5GHz is your only answer. Some high-end Android phones already support 5GHz WiFi. 5GHz WiFi clients for PC should also become cheaper.
Thats not very good news, but it helps a lot. It would mean that its probably best to try a cheap(er) router, since it may not be possible to completely solve the issue. If it doesnt work, i guess the only options left would be to either move or build a faraday cage in the appartment 🙂
Since we have recently bought 2 android phones and a tablet, its not an option to upgrade to 5ghz (the old ball n chains wouldnt approve 😉
jwiersem, I would run a scan of wireless networks within range and see if maybe, just maybe, channels 1, 6, or 11 has access points that are significantly weaker than the others. It’s possible that someone has, for example, setup an access point on channel 2 or 3, which ends up tromping on channels 1 & 6, which could mean 11 would be a better choice. inSSIDer is free for Windows, works with most wireless cards, and gives you a visual representation of what channels are in use by which SSIDs that’s fairly easy to wrap your head around.
There are free Android apps for this purpose as well.
I use Inssider, but changing the channel doesn’t help much since there are around 50 networks in range which are evenly divided accross 1, 6 and 11. My signal is the most powerful of all but apparently the interference is still too large for the wireless to work well during peak hours.
Pingback: Guide to Install Tomato firmware on Asus RT-N66U / RT-N16 / RT-N15U / RT-N12 B1 C1 / RT-N10U router | 世界是平的
Isn’t it just good practise to erase NVRAM data before flashing any firmware to avoid problems?
Not only is it a good practice, it is required in many cases. My understanding of Tomato installation is that NVRAM should be erased after the firmware is flashed.
Hi. I need help in flashing tomato to RT N15U. I can’t seem to flash it as it always encounter problem. I tried firmware update and restore. But unable too.
Please try the several methods mentioned in the article, including the one in the comment section. If none are working, try to google search for Tomato installation on RT-N16 (because it was really poopular), there are other methods that people use. One involves doing a “ping” command to precisely time the invocation of firmware restoration. Another involves using tftp instead of the Asus utility.
I followed your directions as closely as possible and eventually got my RT-N15U flashed to Tomato 1.28 USB Big-VPN. At first things were finicky and I was afraid I misflashed to Tomato so I went back to the latest stock ASUS Firmware. After realizing (and reading up) that I needed to reset NVRAM and restore everything to default settings for everything to function properly I promptly redid the whole process and I’m now enjoying the power and flexibility of Tomato firmware on my RT-N15U.
The hardest part was to get the router into restore mode (had to try quite a number of times) but the end result is simply fantastic. The settings certainly aren’t for n00bs and sometimes feels a bit more complicated than when I messed around with DD-WRT on another router, but I’ve got no complaints especially since its an open-source project.
Keep up the good work guys. Love my ASUS RT-N15U more now since its been on Tomato USB Firmware. 🙂
I’m having no luck connecting to the Internet after installing Shibby 1.28 MIPSR2-104 K26 Max on my Asus RT-N53. Have cycled power. WAN Status stuck on Renewing.
Any ideas?
As of this writing, for RT-N53, you HAVE to be using this firmware: http://tomato.groov.pl/download/K26RT-N/build5x-104-EN/Asus%20RT-Nxx%20(with%20USB)/tomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-104-RT-N53.trx
After you flashed this firmware, perform the Erase settings in the procedure above, THEN use the reset button to do a hardware erase. (I read a forum post commenting that the web-based erase does not work.)
Great guide! When I had issues flashing my RT-N16 A1 with the ASUS tools, even after putting the router into recovery mode, I found that manually loading the firmware on using tftp in Mac/Unix/Cygwin worked.
Put the router into recovery mode, set a static IP address on the computer then run in the shell:
tftp 192.168.1.1
binary
put [filename].trx
Wait several minutes while firmware transfers and router updates. Reboot twice, waiting 3 minutes in between each reboot, and the router should now have tomato installed.
Used your guide following every stop, correct firmware, and procedure. Now my router is bricked. The restoration program is not helping. FML.
Which Asus model? Other than the restoration utility, you may also use the tftp method described by Simeon W in the comments. You’ll also find other pages describing tftp or unbrick for Asus routers from google.
Have an ASUS RT-N66U router and want to use a RT-N53 as a repeater.
1. How is this set up correctly?
2. Will the RT-53 repeat 5 GHz at 40 Mhz?
I have been have a difficult time locking into the 5 GHz band.
I am frequently disconnected with a weak signal using Intel’s Advanced-N laptop network card.
Thanks
1. See if this helps: http://www.howtogeek.com/104007/how-to-extend-your-wireless-network-with-tomato-powered-routers/
2. I’ve no idea. Perhaps you may try this forum: http://www.linksysinfo.org/index.php?forums/tomato-firmware.33/
I did later notice that particular router will not work with Tomato Shibby; “5GHz radio does not work.”
ASUS also mentions “Currently, the RT-N53 only supports the 2.4GHz repeater setting.” 😦
The “5GHz radio does not work” was an outdated description. If you read the changelog it says it does.
Even if Asus firmware does not support 5GHz repeater, it does not imply Tomato does not work at 5GHz for WDS + Access point – perhaps you may ask in the forum. You may also give it a try, and go back to Asus firmware if you don’t like it.
Do you know if I can install RT-N12 ver. C Tomato into my RT-N12HP? or do you know of any CF that supports this router?
Yes, I’ve read that people have successfully flashed Tomato (by Shibby) and DD-WRT on RT-N12HP.
I can confirm this. I flashed my new N12HP to Tomato by Shibby. It works well.
With the Asus firmware I could not get Australian channel setting, it was too simple and we don’t get the router here, so not localised. Tomato fixed that problem. BTW, default radio power (Asus firmware) is 80 milliwatts and it goes to 200, not sure at what point it ‘s too much, have to play with that. It’s a lot more configurable on Tomato which shows up to 400 milliwatts. I’m not going to bother with DD-WRT on it unless there are issues.
Thanks for the confirmation.
well I forgot my password and username for my RT-AC66R is there a way to recover it help please asap!!!!!!
There is usually a hardware button on Asus router that allows you to clear all router settings including the password. Please check the Asus manual.
Which firmware would suit RT-N12HP better. Tomato or DD-WRT?
Getting one soon and probably flash it. Been playing with old Linksys WRT54GL firmware and prefer Tomato to DD-WRT on that router, although the dd mini version ran ok.
Does the N12HP overclock OK? That may sway me to DD-WRT as the setting option is there rather than needing to SSH like with Tomato.
Any info on what power output works sweet also?
I played with that on the Linksys and found anything over 45mW didn’t really help signal strength up to 60mW and then 70mW started dropping distance signal strength back down again.
I’ve never used DD-WRT, but I believe DD-WRT has more features and Tomato is more stable and has better QoS. I use 60mW on my RT-N16.
Cheers, stability was a main desire for me so Tomato is what I’d try on the N12HP first. What power level was the N16 when standard? The N12HP supposedly goes up to 200mW on Asus firmware as it has an inbuilt amp.
One other thing I’m looking for is good access restriction settings so I can effectively limit net access for the children, particularly my Xbox addicted son.
I’ve been playing with the access restriction settings in Tomato with my old WRT54GL and the settings are so much better than the simple system in my BoB2. When I look at the Asus, if it’s not as good with restriction as Tomato I will definitely be flashing it.
Oh, BTW, if anyone is interested, iiNet BoB2 runs a Broadcom chip…… 😛
That would be a great challenge for a good Dev, complicated bit of gear. I took photos of the main chips in mine so there are numbers that can be shown. Easy to open it.
there is new tomato firmware for RT-AC66U, but only 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
http://tomato.groov.pl/download/K26RT-N/build5x-110-EN/RT-AC66U-beta/
shibby did it today…
Thanks!
So you mentioned “Some versions of tomato support this model. Some do not and WILL BRICK your router.” for “RT-N10 H/W version 1” (on the back of the router, it should simply say ‘RT-N10’ without a specific version). The specific versions that work are Tomato version 52 and lower. The download for Shibby’s Tomato is at http://tomato.groov.pl/download/K26/build52-032H-EN/ Make sure you get “tomato-K26-1.28.9052RAF-EN-MIPSR2-032H-mini-VPN.trx” as it’s 3.8MB and will fit into the 4MB flash.
I am trying to flash my Asus RT-N53 But there are so many builds and i am not familiar with this whole firmware thing so could you suggest a build for me to flash?
unknowntomato-K26-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-110-IPv6-VPN.trx2013-06-11 14:534.8 MB
unknowntomato-K26-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-110-Max.trx2013-06-11 14:536.2 MB
unknowntomato-K26-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-110-MiniIPv6.trx2013-06-11 14:534.2 MB
unknowntomato-K26-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-110-MiniVPN.trx2013-06-11 14:534.2 MB
unknowntomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-110-AIO.trx2013-06-11 14:539.4 MB
unknowntomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-110-Big-VPN.trx2013-06-11 14:537.6 MB
unknowntomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-110-BT-VPN.trx2013-06-11 14:537.7 MB
unknowntomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-110-BT.trx2013-06-11 14:537.5 MB
unknowntomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-110-Mega-VPN.trx2013-06-11 14:539.0 MB
unknowntomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-110-Nocat-VPN.trx2013-06-11 14:537.5 MB
unknowntomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-110-RT-N53.trx2013-06-11 14:536.6 MB
unknowntomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-110-Tor-VPN.trx2013-06-11 14:537.5 MB
unknowntomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-110-VPN.trx2013-06-11 14:537.6 MB
Observe that there is only one filename with “N53”.
http://tomato.groov.pl/download/K26RT-N/build5x-110-EN/Asus%20RT-Nxx/tomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-110-RT-N53.trx
Pingback: Wifi speeds down 3.52Mbps up 2.93Mbps on Thrive. - Page 3
Hi moonlightknighthk, thank you very much for the guide, not too many around on the net showing much detail on the exact version/types of routers supported!
Which is the cheapest and most basic Asus router you would recommend one that supports VPN?
This is my 1st venture onto tomato firmware and I need it work with together with a netgear 834v4 adsl router, all wired ( no wireless needed) if that is possible even!
I suggest RT-N12 Hardware version D1. I’m not sure what’s the ideal setup for running a Tomato router together with your Netgear ADSL router – perhaps set the ADSL router to run in bridge mode (assuming that’s possible), and let the Asus router running Tomato firmware perform the routing and VPN jobs.
Hi thanks yes I will check to see if my netgear can do such, seems this is the right way to bridge it and just use the modem only from it. Thanks the RT-N12 is nice and not too pricey… am half tempted on the N16 though 🙂
I am from Brazil and I have a Asus RT-N16 with tomato version 1.28.0542 8M but I have some troubles case it is in chinese. Should you help me with a tuto to change to english language? Sorry about my english… tanks!!!
Please try using the button on the router to erase its configuration.
If erasing the configuration by the button does not solve your problem, it means that the router may be running a Chinese variant of Tomato. In this case, you’ll need to follow the instructions in this blog and flash Tomato by Shibby to your router.
Just wanted to say a big thank you to moonlightknighthk, your guide tempted me to give it a shot and it worked.
I did run into a major issue and checked your trouble shooting suggestions but none worked. I was unable to log into my Asus router, it just kept attempting to think while loading the tomato or dd-wrt firmware router login page with nothing being displayed, was a real mystery but then updated my network Ethernet driver and it worked straight away afterwards, its good to note only a few people on the internet seem to have had this issue !
Other then that I no longer need to mess with any clients or software or openVPN config and cert files, now I just switch on my pc or anything connected to it and its secure and safe as can be!
That’s good to know. Did you try unplugging and reinserting the network cable before updating the driver, or the Windows repair connection function (which simulates the unplug and insert I believe)?
Yes I did, tried repair thru win also but no joy. The PC had gone for a repair service and the guys used a generic network driver for it. I had to do a windows update and noticed the name of the network controller changed and driver was up to date.
Tried to post the suggestion on the few other people around the net that had the same issue but it was many years ago am sure they did something to fix it in the end !
1st thing I did once I got it all working was to backup the firmware 🙂
Is it correct, that I have to enter all my configered data from scratch after a NVRAM reset?
There is no way to backup/restore that static IP’s, DHCP-Configuration, the WLAN-Settings, additional VLAN’s etc.?
Simply speaking, yes. If you really want to automate the configuration restoration, you’ll need to cherry pick from nvram export results (instead of restoring everything, which would defeat the purpose of NVRAM erase). There are a number of pages of related information that can be found from google, one of which is http://tomatousb.org/forum/t-561198 Also take a look at http://thepoch.com/tumblr/how-to-backup-and-restore-your-tomato-based-router.html
Just wanted to drop a note here regarding the Shibby Tomato builds on Asus RT-N16’s. I was unable to flash any Shibby builds – tried the latest at the time (5X-112-EN) and ended up with my router indefinitely in recovery mode (slow PWR blinking LED). I read a user have luck with older Shibby builds like 101, but I tried it and no luck. From what I understand, his recent builds are buggy with the RT-N16.
I thought i had bricked it (despite their reputation of being unbrickable), and got it to finally stop slow blinking by performing a 30/30/30 reset. Then flashed DD-WRT mini, and upgraded to DD-WRT mega to get OpenVPN support.
Thanks for the note. I’ve been running Shibby 109-NEWDRIVER on my RT-N16 since mid-June (86 days uptime to be exact) without router stability problems (the new wireless driver seems faster but less stable with Ralink RT3070 in my environment though). I have also used version 104 RT-N driver on RT-N16 before and did not encounter any issues.
does this custom firmware does dlna server? what devices/client have anyone tested to play it to?
MiniDLNA
May I ask how to create iptables rules for staff and guest ssid?
I have 3 SSID. staff, guest and dmz networks.
I have created br0(192.168.1.51) Mapped to staff ssid.
br1(2.1.1.1) mapped to Guest ssid.
Firewall is 192.168.1.1 connected to LAN port.
The objective is:
1)Staff SSID (br0) has access to everything
2)Guest SSID (br1) cannot access Staff SSID (192.168.1.0/24), but ONLY can access to Internet
3)Another newly created DMZ SSID (br3-3.1.1.x/24) ONLY can access Staff networks (192.168.1.0/24), but CANNOT access Internet
How can I set the iptables rules? Anyone familiar with the firewall rules?
I suggest you post your questions to http://www.linksysinfo.org/index.php?forums/tomato-firmware.33/
Shibby’s v116 is available at http://tomato.groov.pl/?page_id=164
Can someone tell me the difference between the firmware for my RT-N66U in the directory K26RT-N and K26RT-AC? Both seems to work with RT-N66U, but I’m not sure, which AIO I should apply.
Advices and informations?
http://www.linksysinfo.org/index.php?threads/shibby-114-on-rt-n66u-k26rt-ac-or-k26rt-n-branch-for-bcm_nat.69179/#post-236059
I’ve tried pretty much everything and nothing will work. Tomato (shibby) build 116, Asus RT-53N.
The web interface tries and hangs for half an hour. Nothing happens.
Firmware restore stubbornly insists that the device is not in rescue mode, even though the power light is blinking.
tftp times out.
At the end of the day, the firmware is still stock.
Did you use the special firmware with -N53 suffix in the filename? http://dl.groov.pl/download/K26RT-N/build5x-116-EN/Asus%20RT-Nxx/tomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-116-RT-N53.trx
Yes, I did. The problem seems to be a result of the flashing process not working – after everything I tried, the router had a fully working stock firmware. It seems as if the firmware was never (even partially) modified.
I eventually got it working by flashing dd-wrt through the web interface, then using the firmware recovery utility to flash tomato. The recovery utility worked the first time after I flashed dd-wrt (even though it had failed at least four times with the stock firmware).
Good job. You’re right that the recovery is not behaving consistently, something I have experienced before.
I have RT N15U and 2 questions:
1. Can anyone help me with Step 6: Assign a static IP of 192.168.1.10 and subnet mask 255.255.255.0 to your computer LAN port.?How do I do Step 6?
2. Which Tomato software for RT N15U?
Thanks!
GoOd day .. I’ve been planning to use tomato on my ASUS RT-N12HP.. Please help me what version should i apply ..
http://tomato.groov.pl/download/K26RT-N/build5x-116-EN/Asus%20RT-Nxx/tomato-K26-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-116-Max.trx
Pingback: Tomato firmware on Asus RT-N66U
I have a couple of RT-N12 D1 model routers. I’ve tried many times now to flash the firmware. I can get the router into “flash mode” by holding the pin in on power up. The power light starts orbing on/off indicating its in flash mode. But, when I use the Asus Firmware utility, after 30 seconds, it complains that its unable to find the wireless router. I have the NIC on my PC set to 192.168.1.10. Any advice?
Normally you should power it up in recovery mode, then start the recovery utility. However, sometimes I find that the the reverse is necessary, i.e. start the recovery utility first, then immediately power up the router in recovery mode. And the timing precision is critical.
What shibby build would you recommend for the D1 revision? I am also having the same issue as Ryan.
http://tomato.groov.pl/download/K26RT-N/build5x-119-EN/Asus%20RT-Nxx/tomato-K26-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-119-Max.trx
Thanks for the guide, moonlightknighthk. I was able to load 119-max onto my RT-12 D1 but now the reset button doesn’t work. I’ also tried pressing the Wps button along with the reset button but my router doesn’t reset. Any idea on how I can get it to reset? Thanks.
In the tomato web settings, Administration->Configuration->Restore Default Configuration->Erase all data in NVRAM memory(thorough)->OK
I did that too and the router is working fine except the hard reset button on the router doesn’t seem to do anything now when it’s pressed. Does tomato kill the router reset button? Is there another way to perform a hard reset?
Did you hold the Reset button for more than 5 seconds?
Yeah, tried 5s, 10s,15s even 30s, but it doesn’t do anything. Tried WPS button too and nothing happens. Weird, everything is fine except for that.
Thanks, this is a great guide. I have one suggestion. Everything worked well for me except that I was unable to get my upload to work until I exited the Asus restore app and then ran it again as Administrator. You should probably update the guide to indicate this.
Thanks, added.
Hi Moonlight Knight. You wrote in your piece that you were going to confirm if Tomato works on Asus RT-N14UHP.
What’s the picture like?
Thanks.
Seems no support yet. If you’re willing to try out the ARM firmware anyway, prepare for shifted LAN/WAN LEDs, or in the worst case, you may need to restore to default Asus firmware.
Reblogged this on integralistul.
Hi, are the any method to back to stock asus fimware?
Yes, simply use the Asus Firmware Restoration Utility from CD or web, together with the correct Asus firmware from web.
Running AC56u and easy to install
I just bought an RT-N16 because I wanted to install Shibby AIO like I have on my Netgear and Linksys routers. However, I was shocked that the instructions seem to require a computer with Windows. I do not have access to such a machine as all the boxes here run FreeBSD or Linux. Is there no way for non-Windows people to install Tomato on the RT-N16
http://www.chrishardie.com/2013/02/asus-router-firmware-windows-mac-linux/
http://blog.isaach.com/2012/06/tomato-macintosh-and-asus-rt-n16.html
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Asus_TFTP_Flash
Hi moonlightknighthk,
First of all, thank you very much for this awesome article / tutorial. This is pure gold for an amateur like me that has never used a custom firmware before.
Now… I read on another site that putting a firmware that’s close to the total flash memory of a router might have effects on performance. I’m asking because I will receive an Asus RT-N12 D1 today (8MB flash), and I’m hesitating between tomato-K26-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-128-Max.trx (6.5MB) and tomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-128-VPN.trx (7.9MB). I will probably not use the VPN function right off the bat, but I might use it at some point to access my PC remotely.
Thanks!
Max
RT-N12 D1 does not have USB port, so K26USB is not likely to be the best choice.
http://tomato.groov.pl/download/K26RT-N/build5x-128-EN/Asus%20RT-Nxx/ so then, ipv6-vpn and mini-vpn would be the only choice for the RT-N12 D1 in order to setup a VPN? That would be quite a hit feature-wise compared to the max one, isn’t it? Thanks!
I suggest you try Max, I believe (but not 100% sure) it includes VPN: http://tomato.groov.pl/download/K26RT-N/build5x-128-EN/Asus%20RT-Nxx/tomato-K26-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-128-Max.trx
Alright good sir, thanks! In case it doesn’t, I found that some people run the USB VPN releases on the (non-usb indeed) RT-N12 with very good uptime here http://anon.groov.pl/index.php?model=Asus+RT-N12+B1 . So I guess filling the flash doesn’t matter all that much…
Hello, I bought my router (ASUS RT-N16) with DD-WRT already installed on it. Do you have a guide on how to update it to Tomato (shibby)?? A friend of mine was saying I could just update to tomato through the DD-WRT firmware upgrade area. Do you have any advise for my situation?
If you upgrade from DD-WRT, you need to take care of the password issue before you attempt to upgrade, see http://www.polarcloud.com/tomatofaq#installing_from_ddwrt_hyperwrt
I suggest using Asus Firmware Restoration Utility to flash Tomato instead.
I was unable to access the router configuration page at http://192.168.1.1/ after step 12 on my Asus RT-N15U so I checked Patrick Sheedy’s original guide which has one additional step about manually resetting the router settings:
“Now reset the settings to default: Unplug the router. Hold the WPS button on the back of the router. Plug the router back in. Hold the button for about 30 seconds and release it.”
After doing this step I was finally able to access the configuration page. It is possible that some Asus routers do not require this step, which is probably why it is omitted from this guide, but the RT-N15U sure does. So if you, random Googler who stumbled on this page, have problems accessing the configuration page after flashing the firmware: reset the router settings.
Can confirm, I just flashed my Asus RT-N18U using the latest AIO image for it, and the modem required the setting reset trick with WPS button. The modem booted up seemingly OK, and even gave IP addresses with DHCP but the GUI just didn’t load at all. Thanks for the information!
Hi. Now that’s some great in-depth guide!
I tried to tomato my RT-N18U. It all went fine until the main part – connecting to the internet. It says DNS server isn’t responding / Your computer is trying to use a DNS server that is incorrect or doesn’t exist. The weird thing is that when I try to Erase all data in NVRAM memory, at the end of erasing process I get some connection (Skype is up, also can browse some pages for 1-2sec). In the router menu WAN status says connected (Releasing and Renewing it doesn’t get me connection as Erasing NVRAM does). What could be a cause of this?
Several things to try:
– Hardcode DNS to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
– After erase NVRAM in GUI, use the correct button on RT-N18U to erase NVRAM again
– Use this AdvancedTomato for RT-N18U:
https://advancedtomato.com/downloads/router/rt-n18u
Thanks for a quick answer.
– Where do I change my DNS? In TCP/IPv4 settings? That didn’t work.
– Tried that in many different ways.
– I’m using RT-N18U-AT-ARM-2.9-131-AIO-64K.trx.
I guess all I can do is to retry installation. Maybe an older version?
Then try:
http://tomato.groov.pl/download/K26ARM/131/tomato-RT-N18U-ARM–131-VPN-64K.zip
http://tomato.groov.pl/download/K26ARM/130/tomato-RT-N18U-ARM–130-VPN-64K.zip
http://tomato.groov.pl/download/K26ARM/129/tomato-RT-N18U-ARM–129-VPN-64K.zip
Do you have to configure anything more after installing tomato? I can’t figure on which side the problem is. My ADSL modem finds RT-N18U as [unknown] and can’t even ping it, etc.
As I said earlier weird thing is that after reseting I get internet connection for 1-2sec.
Did your setup with RT-N18U work with the ADSL modem before flashing Tomato? I find it odd that your ADSL modem can actually “find” a device behind it – as a modem it shouldn’t see anything at all. My expectation for an ADSL setup is like this:
ADSL line — ADSL modem in bridge mode — Tomato router — PC
Make sure your ADSL modem is really a modem, not a router. If it is a router, turn off its routing mode to use bridge mode. Having two routers is asking for trouble.
That is exactly the way it is. Internet -> modem (Pirelli DRG A125G) -> RT-N18U -> PC.
Yes, everything works OK with default firmware. I’m using up to 8-9 devices on my home network and everything runs smoothly. The thing is that Download Manager stopped working for unknown reasons (says downloading but 0 peers) so I figured custom firmware might help (+ it’s way more functional than DM).
Isn’t it already working as a bridge? Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to use my Asus even with default firmware.
It is an ADSL router. I have reasons to suspect you’re running it in router mode, which is most probably the default. My guess is that the stock Asus firmware may have worked with double routing because the IP subnet do not clash. With Tomato firmware perhaps the IP subnet clashed.
Check the WAN IP at the RT-N18U. If it is 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x your ADSL router is operating in router mode, so you have two DHCP servers running (which is really bad), and unwanted NAT. This will explain why the Download Master was not functional in stock firmware in your setup – because even the stock firmware did not get a real internet IP.
Now that I installed stock software back again – DM seems to be working fine again… A few days back it wasn’t working after the same procedure.
WAN connection type is set to automatic IP. Everything is by default.
I access Asus menu by 192.168.2.1 tho’ and Pirelli 192.168.1.254. Can it be a conflict somewhere when installing Tomato?
The Pirelli is running DHCP server and performing NAT for subnet 192.168.1.x. Tomato also defaults to 192.168.1.x so it’s a conflict. You need to change the Pirelli to bridge mode, with DHCP server disabled and NAT disabled, and let Tomato get the WAN IP (not 192.168.x.x).
Hello,
I just bought the rt-ac56u. I flashed the last firmware from ASUS. Everything was working.
I flash the V132 VPN version for my router.
Apparently the operation was correct, type 192.168.1.1 in my browser I have acces to my router configuration now with the tomato version.
My computer, modem, phone see my router but I have no internet connection.
If I use the wifi from my modem it is working, same thing if I plug my modem directly in my PC. But through my router nothing.
Is there an option to activate in my router or something?
I try using the AIO v132 but same problem.
And I can’t even put back the stock firmware from ASUS using firmware restoration it failed around 60% or sometime around 90%
Any help would be very useful.
Thanks.
Firstly, make sure you have reset the NVRAM to factory default configuration after installation of Tomato.
I guess your problems are caused by your modem behaving as a router, so the AC56U becomes a second router – which is bad. I think there are two ways to solve this:
1. Direct connect your modem to the PC, take the AC56U offline. Go into the modem configuration, configure it to use “Bridge mode”. Then connect the AC56U and performs any necessary WAN configuration such as PPPoE or DHCP client (depends on your ISP). This way you only have one router on the network.
2. Only if you can’t get the modem to operate in bridge mode, then try to configure the AC56U to use an IP of 192.168.2.1 and set its DHCP server to distribute 192.168.2.1 to 192.168.2.254. After this, you need to tell the PC to re-obtain the DHCP IP, by ipconfig command or unplug and reconnect the network cable. This way you still have two routers, and does double NAT.
3. Google “modem double nat”
To restore Asus firmware, make sure you disconnect the PC and AC56U from the modem, such that the PC and AC56U are isolated inside home LAN.
Hello,
Yes after flashing the tomato firmware I have reset the NVRAM..
Unfortunately the option to put my modem in bridge mode doesn’t exist. I don’t know why but my F.A.I (as almost all of them in fact in France) decided to remove that option from their modem.
I try to use the DMZ mod but it didn’t seemed to to any good. It is possible I used it wrong.
I was able to restore ASUS firmware using an old firmware and after that updating it.
I’ll try your solution number two then hopefully it will work.
But something is weird because when I put my router between my modem and my PC and with the router under ASUS stock firmware it is working fine, I have an internet connection, so why not with the tomato version?
Thanks for your help, I don’t know why but it is very hard to find forum for that…
I believe (but cannot confirm) that Asus stock firmware does some smart detection of the presence of another router, and thereby automatically configure something necessary for your setup. My solution 2 is not ideal, and many things (such as BitTorrent UPnP) may not work.
The forum to ask Tomato question is http://www.linksysinfo.org/index.php?forums/tomato-firmware.33/
Ok I will try some things hopefully it will work.
Thank you.
Well I tried your method n°2 and some things about double NAT but nothings works.
I think I’ll try to send my router back and get back my money.
Thx.
Hello my friend. I have a RT-N12 D1 router and I want to run firmware which allows VPN. I see OpenWRT is not supported, DD-WRT supported with some firmware http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=275902&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=75&sid=3f611d3e83a1380e363c67fbd77dc24b I was wondering if maybe it is best I stick to original firmware or maybe if Tomato works stable I can try it? I of course would want updated firmware from this year.
If your stock firmware does not support the type of VPN you want, you can try Tomato. However, do not switch from DD-WRT to Tomato.
DD-WRT only works with outdated builds not sustainable.Do you mean not use their GUI to update firmware but Broadcom CFE?
I meant: if you install DD-WRT first, then use its GUI to install Tomato, this will not work (unless you do additional steps before and after it).
So using the ASUS recovery tool or the CFE MiniWeb server in recovery mode will clear values and I can install fresh through doing that? At least that is what I believe.
hi, did update on RT-AC56U. Though it works fine, the LED lights other than power do not light up at all. Is this a known bug or any other ideas ? thanks
It is a known issue.
thanks
Do you know if there is any news on AC56S?
I don’t know. Please try, and post the particular filename/version you tried, and your results. Be prepared to use the Asus Firmware Restoration utility to recover from a failure.
Thank you for this excellent guide, and your maintenance of it over several years.
I have an RT-N12 D1. Like others I had to re-flash many times before getting it to finally succeed. The Asus recovery tool seems to often lose connection to the router part way through the process.
Twice I got Tomato working, but only for wireless and LAN. It refused to pick up a WAN ip from my cable modem, sitting there saying “renewing…” forever (e.g. 20 minutes). It finally worked after Tomato “Administration>> Configuration >> Restore default >> Erase all data in NVRAM (thorough)”. Followed by letting it set for 2+ minutes and a power cycle.
RT-AC3200 seems to be supported by Shibby Tomato now, though iirc there may be a couple missing features… just ordered mine, so haven’t double-checked, will see how well the stock firmware is before swapping for Tomato… been meaning to setup VPN so I can use that when I’m remote/unsecure… Also wanting a better connection to my backroom HTPC, it seem to stutter sometimes between my nas (wired to router), and my htpc via wifi to an RT-N66U running the latest tomato… Hope bumping to AC helps.
What did you end up with?
I’m about to go and purchase the Asus AC3200 and load up Tomato shibby.
(I’m assuming the stock firmware is undesired, since it’s probably susceptible to security flaws, moreso than shibby would be?)
Also curious what features are unsupported if you know of them?
I’ve been trying to flash advanced tomato and tomato and have the same issue with both.
I tried using the CFE method as well as the restoration utility with the same issue both times.
They both finish transferring and say completed.
The utility goes on to do the restoration and says it’s completed and will reboot.
– Then it never fully comes back. The power light stays on and the ethernet I’m plugged into will continue to show activity, but I can’t get to 192.168.1.1.
I’ve done this at least 8 times, waiting up to 60minutes on some of the flashes to see if it will finally boot up correctly. It seems to just be in a boot loop – resetting itself every 15-20seconds.
When I ping 192.168.1.1 I can’t reach the destination.
I tried clearing the NVRAM after waiting using the wps button. It blinks rapidly like mentioned then reboots.. but no change. Also tried clearing NVRAM immediately before and after a flash.
I tried newer and older versions of both AdvancedTomato, as well as Tomato by Shibby – same results every time.
Using the CFE method gives the exact same results as with the Restoration utility
Flashing back to Asus Stock or Merlin works fine – it boots up after flashing in about 1 or 2 mins and I can access the GUI with no issues. I haven’t tried DDWRT because their site has been down all day.
I just received my RT-AC68U from Amazon.com . It shows Revision C1 on the back.
Could it be it’s a newer, unsupported revision?
I would really love to get AdvancedTomato running on here- Any help is appreciated!
AC68U C1 has different hardware and very few users have got it. It is quite likely Tomato does not support it yet.
Ah, that makes sense.
I was able to download DD-WRT and it flashed with no issues. I ended up going back to Merlin though just for preference.
I was searching around but I couldn’t find anyone talking about rev.C1 anywhere.
http://www.snbforums.com/threads/rt-ac68u-hardware-versions.30793/#post-243037
Hi. Does Shibby Tomato no longer support HFS/HFS+ drives? This feature page (http://tomato.groov.pl/?page_id=81) says it does, but there is no HFS checkbox in the GUI for build 137 and when I ssh in I can find no hfs kernel modules with “lsmod” nor can I find any hfs files when I run the find command from root directory.
Do I need to run an older version?
I have an ASUS RT-56U
PS: The LEDs still don’t work with the latest build.
I don’t know about HFS, but there are different builds for the same firmware version, with different features. Make sure you choose a build that includes the features you want.
Unfortunately for the RT-56, there are only two download options: AIO and VPN. AIO (all in one) has the largest file size so I assume it has all possible features and this is what I’m running.
Thanks for your reply and your excellent guide.
I see that ASUSWRT-merlin supports HFS but I really want the parental controls that Tomato has.
I think Asuswrt Merlin firmware has AiProtection, that has some sort of parental control as well.
I am currently using ASUS RT N18U router. Flashed the Tomato advanced firmware. I am having USB problems in connecting a USB Modem to this router. I used the basic setup/WAN and chose 3G from the drop down list. After which I went to USB support attached device section and tried to mount the device. The device is shown on the list. When I click on the mount device. It will not mount. It gives out this message “Failed to mount verify the device is plugged in and try again”. The basic settings section states status connecting. I have tried to reboot the device and also I have re-flashed the firmware but nothing seems to work. Why is this? What am I doing wrong?
Thanks for the tutorial,
I have an Asus RT AC56u. And I installed the Tomato v3.3 138 AIO as described here. And everything went fine. I did all the resets after the installation. I was able to configure the VPN client with my expressVPN account. And everything works fine.
The problem I have is that everyday in the morning the internet connection is not working. The WAN disconnects from the IP Router (Fritzbox).
– Fritzbox IP 192.168.178.1
– Tomato WAN IP 192.168.178.56
– Tomato IP 192.168.1.1
– Tomato WAN status: it says connected.
– On Fritzbox router, the Tomato router does not show up at all.
– If I just go to Tomato WAN status and press Renew. Everything just starts working again. Until next day.
It does not look to have any relation with the VPN settings, as the WAN it is just disconnected.
About the two routers being in different networks, I am ok about it, as I can decide if I want to connect direct or through the VPN depending on the router.
I would appreciate any good ideas.
Thanks in advance.
S
Try different DHCP setup/settings on both of your routers, especially if you’re running two DHCP services. If possible, try not to have two DHCP services.
Hi there, great guide you have right here. I just wanted to ask you this, I have an ASUS RT-N12HP Wireless-N300 and I wanted to use it as my repeater. I have it in the 2nd floor while my router is on the first floor. I followed the procedures said by ASUS on their tutorials, sadly, it could only connect through the router BUT without an internet access. I’ve read that ASUS routers are shitty as repeaters and people are using DD-WRT or Tomato firmware so they could use the ASUS’ repeater function. Do you have any suggestions? 🙂
Check this out:
https://learntomato.com/setup-wireless-repeater-wds-bridge-tomato/
Thanks for the reply. But I have 2 different routers. The primary router is the defsult router we got from our internet service provider. Something called baudtec or something. The 3-in-1 router I have, which I will use as a repeater is my Asus one, it”s in the 2nd floor. Is it still possible to follow this guide?
Then it’s less likely to work (but not impossible). You’ll have to try it to find out. If it doesn’t work, you’ll need to find another firmware that supports repeater mode.
FYI: the Asus AC3200 is in fact now supported with the K26ARM7 firmware.
http://tomato.groov.pl/?page_id=69