ASUS router RT-AC68U

[yorkytime1]

I just purchased this router.  Got it up and running yesterday.  Thank goodness it was pretty easy even for a dummy like me.  But I do not know how use any of the bonus features of this router.  I can see all my devices when connected....that is great.  And I found a traffic analyzer was included.  Beyond that I am pretty clueless.  Thank goodness it seems to work well without any input from me.  LOL  I am wondering do I need to install any software to expand the abilities of this router?

[BirdDog]

Just changed TV to obtain address automatically and now shows Manual assignment in the list on router, the address I assigned which was the same as the automatic. Thanks GW, at least I understand the difference between Manual and Static assignment now. One of those things that is very nuanced.

Good day when an old geezer learns something new.  

[GW]

I heard that. I'm retard but not quite full retarment age. It's good to (be able to) learn something every day

[Gwalk900]

Of course we have to remember that networking is at least as much Art as Science.

[GW]

After all this router chat I decided to go ahead and set my wireless printer to a manually assigned address rather than leave it on the flipfloppy DHCP. Maybe now I won't have to chase that thing down and recapture it a few times a year. I hate when that happens.

[BirdDog]

Actually beginning to understand all the bells and whistles on this Cadillac router. Sure has taken me long enough. There's still things I haven't delved into because no need to, like VPN.

[GabeU]

Maybe it's too much to answer here, but what's the purpose of a VPN, especially to a home internet user? 

[HughesNetCorpor]

I have absolutley nothing to add to this conversation as far as advise and such. I just came over to bring you all a wee cup of tea 😛

[BirdDog]

There are the work from home folks which need a VPN connection to the office server. And have you heard of the "Dark Web"? I definitely don't need to delve into that.

[Gwalk900]

Gabe, work related stuff.
You remember that work "thing" ? 🙂

[Gwalk900]

Dang, that old pup beat me again !

[GabeU]

Ah.  That makes sense.  And yep, heard of the Dark Web.  There's that program on Showtime about that.  A bad thing, no doubt. 

[GabeU]

Yep, I remember work, though it fades further from memory each day that goes by.  LMAO. 

[BirdDog]

Basically a secure tunnel over the internet which only each end have the keys to. The government uses it a lot too, so many employees use it at home also to work from home.

[GabeU]

When I was managing an HVAC wholesale branch back in the early 2000s I used to be able to connect to my business' computer system from home to do orders.  That's was back when cable modems were in their infancy and I was one of the first customers in that area to use one.  It was SOOOO fast for the day. 

[BirdDog]

Yea, I set up one dial-up VPN connection back in 2001 or so between a parking garage management office and the actual parking garage that monitored the in/out traffic and tolls that were taken in. It was with XP, that says how long ago it was.

[Knerkin Akin]

Those were the good old days. Back in 1984, I developed an e-mail system that ran on a Tandem Non-Stop computer. It had 100 800 rotary lines for dial-in access. Our sales person called from NJ one day asking if I could accommodate X.25 networking. "Of, course..." This was the first major networking protocol I had ever dealt with. I couldn't believe it. We installed the software and the hardware interface, and bingo! Magic, I was connected to their internal network with roughly 500 employees able to connect simultaneously. Yes, we've come a long way since then, but still...!  

[GabeU]

Knerkin,

Today's capabilities aside, just the possibility of being able to do things like that was amazing.  Something that really opened up a whole new world for businesses and such.  To be able to electronically connect and send/receive data?  Who'da thunk? 

[Knerkin Akin]

Yes, I agree. One of the major features of the system was the ability to create business letters, with company logo/letterhead, on a Facit color printer, placed in the mail stream the next day. We developed a package for the US Postal Service that would have cost around $5,000 per post office so they could insert letters into the mail stream throughout the USPS system. When I demonstrated the installation for the local post office, we even printed the PostNet barcode together with the address on the envelope. The postmaster was horror struck. "You can't print that on an envelope. Only the Postal Service can do that." They turned it down. Oh, how different the Postal Service might be today if they were enthusiastic about digital stuff back in 1984.

[raden]

I have this same router now for about 6-8 months, I am going to check out all the Merlin info. myself but if you will just go to your router's website to start out, they have a great site and pretty easy to understand in setting up your router within their system. I have checked the firmware upgrade and it did upgrade its own firmware about 2 months ago. I just checked last week and it was up to date. You can change all categories, such as channel and etc.. There's also a download for their entire manual and I am still learning myself. But, I just set up their cloud service and you can have your own personal cloud and many cool things without leaving ASUS. Also, I am learning about the different 3rd party firmware you can download and do you really need to with this excellent router. I didn't have time to read all of the other folks great info but I intend to so I can learn more myself but this router and all it offers is quiter a lot of features that you can definitely use to your better usuage. Read all above from other members!