R7000: corrective firmware. Why is it taking so long????

If I lost all my data files after an OS update, sure I would be pissed.  But I keep backups of my data.

When it comes to routers, I'm used to doing a factory reset after every update (years of using DD-WRT will do that to you).  The amount of time it takes to reconfigure a router from scratch pales in comparison to reinstalling an OS and personal data.  Is it a nuisance?  Yes, but I don't consider it a major one.  I am sympathetic to the guy who took 3 hours to reconfigure his router, though I think his configuration is unnecessarily complex.

I probably saw the same person write about access control being like another door to break.  Well, this is a door that is inside the house with a child lock.  Nobody should feel safer using it, and yet I've seen someone on this forum use it in lieu of proper security.  As in, this person used access control without WPA2 encryption. That's like putting a child lock on the front door!

Because it is so trivially defeated by cloning the MAC address of an authorized computer, access control should literally only be used to control child access to Wi-Fi.  I also have reason to believe that enabling access control disables hardware-assisted forwarding and, therefore, negatively impacts speeds.  So, feel free to use it, but understand what you are getting for it and at what cost.

I only brought up Asus because you intimated that you were ready to jump ship by asking Jim769 about his experiences with one.  I would certainly not make any presumptions about your financial status.  It's great that you love the router.  The R7000 is one of the top selling routers according to smallnetbuilder.com.