Firmware updates provide important changes to your device, from vulnerability patches to performance improvements and support for new functionalities.
With ASUS routers specifically, you have various ways to update the router firmware from auto-updates and manual updates via the web interface to the mobile app.
We’ll cover these and other related topics like updating the firmware on AiMesh nodes, flashing third-party versions like Asuswrt-Merlin, and what to do if the firmware update fails in this article.
Before you start, please keep a few things in mind:
- You must ensure the firmware upgrade process doesn’t get interrupted as this can permanently brick your device.
- Interruption can be due to power or connection loss. As such, updating with stable power supply and a wired connection is ideal.
- While updating the firmware is important, you generally shouldn’t install the updates as soon as they’re released. ASUS’s firmware updates in particular have a reputation of being buggy and causing various problems. As such, you should wait a few weeks after the release to ensure the update is stable.
- Checking the changelogs is a good idea if you aren’t sure whether you really need the firmware update. You can view your current firmware version at the top of the router dashboard.
Table of Contents
Update ASUS Router Firmware
Auto-Update
Most ASUS routers periodically check if any firmware upgrades are available. If any are found, you’ll be prompted to update in the router dashboard.
- Launch any web browser and enter
router.asus.com. - Enter your credentials to log in to the router dashboard.
- Under Advanced Settings, click on Administration > Firmware Upgrade.
- In the Check Update section, press the Check button.
- If an update is available, click on the Firmware Upgrade button.
Manual Update
Auto-updating is more convenient, but sometimes you won’t be able to connect to the ASUS servers to check for updates. Or you might want to flash an older firmware version. In such cases, a manual update can be useful.
- Go to the ASUS Download Center and search for your router model.
- Once you find it, go to the Driver & Utility > BIOS & Firmware section.
- Download and unzip the firmware file.
- Follow Steps 1-3 from the auto-update section to get to the Firmware Upgrade page.
- Click on the Choose File or Upload button. Select the extracted
.trxfile from Step 3.
- The upgrade should take a few minutes to complete. Reboot the router afterward if it doesn’t do so automatically.
ASUS Router Mobile App
If you have a compatible router, you can also update the router firmware using the ASUS Router mobile app. For tutorial purposes, we’ve tested this on Android, but the same steps apply to iOS devices as well.
- Launch the ASUS router app and select Manage a connected router.
- Enter the router’s credentials to log in, then tap Settings at the bottom.
- Select Firmware Upgrade > Check Firmware Version.
- After checking for firmware updates, press Upgrade Now when prompted.
- The process will take a few minutes to complete, at which point, your router will reboot.
Update AiMesh Node / Lyra Firmware
Updating the firmware on AiMesh nodes is mostly the same process as described in the manual update section earlier.
- To start, log in to the router dashboard. You should land at the Network Map tab.
- Ensure the number of AiMesh Nodes is correct. If some modes are not detected, click on AiMesh Node > Search.
- After the nodes are detected, go to Advanced Settings > Administration > Firmware Upgrade.
- Download the firmware file for the nodes from the ASUS download center and extract it. Then, upload the extracted file in the AiMesh Node section.
As for Lyra devices, you can’t flash a specific firmware version manually. Instead, you can launch the app and go to Settings > System > Firmware Update. If any updates are available, you can use the Live Update feature to upgrade the firmware.
How to Flash Asuswrt-Merlin
We’ve seen many users switch from Asuswrt (official) to Asuswrt-Merlin (third-party alternative) because the official firmware updates were very unstable, while Merlin provided various bug fixes and customization options. If your router is supported, you can flash Asuswrt-Merlin firmware with the following steps:
- Locate your router’s folder on SourceForge and open it.
- We recommend checking the Release channel rather than the Beta channel.
- Download the preferred firmware version from here.
- After this, the steps are the same as the manual update section. Extract, upload, restart, and you’re done.
How to Use ASUS Firmware Restore
We did warn that interrupting a firmware update can permanently brick your device and render it useless. But that’s not always the case. Typically, after a failed update, your router enters emergency/rescue mode.
The power LED on the router will blink unusually as an indication. Since the device is powered on, it can still be salvaged by flashing the firmware again. ASUS provides a Firmware Restoration utility for such scenarios.
- To start, go to the ASUS Download Center and search for your router model.
- Select Driver & Utility > Driver and Tools.
- Select your OS version from the dropdown menu. Click on Expand All if required. Then, locate and download the ASUS Firmware Restoration zip file here.
- Extract the file and run the Rescue installer.
- Select the language and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
- Connect your PC to the router with an Ethernet cable.
- Press Win + R, type
ncpa.cpl, and press Enter. - Right-click the Ethernet connection and select Properties.
- Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click on Properties.
- Select the Use the following IP address and Use the following DNS server addresses options.
- Set a Static IP for your device here with the following values:
- IP Address:
192.168.1.10 - Subnet Mask:
255.255.255.0
- IP Address:
- Press Ok > Ok to save the changes.
- If your router is already in Rescue mode (indicated by abnormal LED blinking), skip ahead to Step 17. Otherwise, enable Rescue Mode first.
- Unplug the power cord from the router.
- Long-press the Reset button and connect the power cord while the reset button is still held down. Don’t release the Reset button until Rescue mode is enabled. The power indicator should start flashing slowly once this happens.
- Launch the Firmware Restoration utility installed in Step 6.
- Click on Browse and open the firmware file for your router.
- Press Upload and wait for a few minutes.
- After the rescue completes, the power LED should be steady now instead of blinking. Wait until your router reboots, then press Close.
If the rescue was successful, you can reset your TCP/IPv4 settings to default now. Simply follow Steps 8-10 again but select the auto-obtain options. On the other hand, if the rescue fails, your only option is to contact ASUS Customer Service Center.
