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Teach Your Router New Tricks With DD-WRT

snydeq writes "InfoWorld's Serdar Yegulalp offers an in-depth look at DD-WRT, open source router firmware that can 'breath new life — and advanced features — into your old wired or wireless router.' Quality-of-service controls, iptables-based firewall, IPv6 support, DNS controls, Kai Daemon for allowing game console network tunneling, and a host of features for using your router as a public-access hotspot are among the many possibilities for hacking your router with DD-WRT."

173 of 257 comments (clear)

  1. no fucking shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    welcome to 5 years ago dipshits

    1. Re:no fucking shit by Fireking300 · · Score: 1

      While the technology is old news, the article is new. Though I wonder why it made front-page of slashdot

    2. Re:no fucking shit by Mashiki · · Score: 3, Informative

      Paid advertisement for a lie? Because it sure the hell isn't open source.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    3. Re:no fucking shit by lord3nd3r · · Score: 1

      xD my thought exactly.

      --
      g0t b33r?
    4. Re:no fucking shit by niftydude · · Score: 2

      Yep - openwrt (http://openwrt.org/) or tomato (http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato) would be the more common open source router firmwares available.

      dd-wrt is very much closed source.

      --
      You can never know everything, and part of what you do know will always be wrong. Perhaps even the most important part.
    5. Re:no fucking shit by Mashiki · · Score: 1

      Yeah I'm a huge fan of tomato, I've been using it on my routers for several years. Though I might give openwrt a go on my next router, since my wrt54gl is getting a bit long in the tooth.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    6. Re:no fucking shit by gumbi+west · · Score: 2

      Installed Tomato on my WRT54GL and I lost about 5 dB. After spending about a month mucking with all the settings (and loving that I could do that) I had to go back so I could sit where I am now and use the internet. I used to have to use a less comfortable chair.

      Also, there is no QOS to say things like: prioritize movies from my server to my TV, or give my laptop the bandwidth of the internet connection if I'm moving files up or down from the server.

      But YMMV.

    7. Re:no fucking shit by Kamiza+Ikioi · · Score: 1

      I have an article for Caldera Linux laying around here somewhere if you guys wanna go further in the WayBack machine.

      --
      I8-D
    8. Re:no fucking shit by shentino · · Score: 2

      Which would you rather trust for the "security" excuse they use to lock down the firmware?

      A private company with closed source stuff that you can't be sure doesn't have some abusive feature sweethearted into it on demand of another company or the government?

      Or an open source sunshine drenched codebase maintained by geeks with a passion for programming who consider it a personal affront if their crap gets hacked or bugged?

    9. Re:no fucking shit by shentino · · Score: 1

      Was the stealing shameful or not?

      It's only stealing if the "victim" does not consent to it.

    10. Re:no fucking shit by repetty · · Score: 1

      Also, there is no QOS to say things like: prioritize movies from my server to my TV, or give my laptop the bandwidth of the internet connection if I'm moving files up or down from the server.

      But YMMV.

      I think you need to look at Tomato again. It has QoS. Not sure what you are talking about.

    11. Re:no fucking shit by Andy+Dodd · · Score: 1

      Especially since I haven't seen a DD-WRT release in a LONG time.

      I'm fairly certain I was running build 13064 (the "latest development release" listed on dd-wrt.com) over a year ago.

      "Recent News" on dd-wrt.com has the latest entry as 10/13/2010

      No-IP updating has been broken for over a year. The router says it's updating, but I still get inactivity nastygrams every 30 days from No-IP

      --
      retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
    12. Re:no fucking shit by Khyber · · Score: 1

      Quite shameful stealing, in fact. DD-WRT writer claims a lot of work as his when it's not.

      There are also major GPL violations.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    13. Re:no fucking shit by alexo · · Score: 1

      Tomato supports a very limited number of 802.11n routers, particularly the simultaneous dual band ones.

    14. Re:no fucking shit by Vhann · · Score: 1

      Was the stealing shameful or not?

      It's only stealing if the "victim" does not consent to it.

      Depends on where you live. Theft is defined, for example, in Canada's Criminal Code here (the definition says "if you take something without having been specifically allowed to" rather than "only if you are specifically denied the right to").

      But that definition is mostly irrelevant here since OpenWRT code wasn't stolen.

    15. Re:no fucking shit by Vhann · · Score: 1

      DD-WRT is STOLEN source.

      Just fyi.

      OpenWRT code wasn't stolen. If anything, Brainslayer (main dd-wrt dev) just doesn't respect the GPL fully (dd-wrt integrates proprietary binary-only drivers in a way that the GPL forbids).

      That being said, even though I don't fully agree with how Brainslayer treats the GPL, I think it is fair to say that dd-wrt contributes in a positive manner to popularizing OpenWRT (Brainslayer and OpenWRT devs even seem to talk and share code and advices from what I read).

      If you want to learn more, here's an article about it and if you really don't agree with how dd-wrt does things, use OpenWRT, Tomato, HyperWRT or whatever else. Personally, I use OpenWRT (you have to know your way around to use it), but for most people, OpenWRT is too complicated and dd-wrt is already less proprietary than default (and it gives more exposure to projects like OpenWRT).

    16. Re:no fucking shit by Khyber · · Score: 1

      It's not OpenWRT code that's stolen, it's the modules made by other people that have been stolen and integrated without their knowledge.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    17. Re:no fucking shit by RoFLKOPTr · · Score: 1

      What router are you using? Eko has been updating his K26 (pretty much all recent Cisco Linksys routers use K24) firmware every few months. I'm using a WRT160Nv3 running K26 build 17084.

    18. Re:no fucking shit by gumbi+west · · Score: 1

      It has really rudimentary QOS I could manage things I didn't want to manage but not things that I wanted to be able to manage. As I said, "there is no QOS to say things like: prioritize movies from my server to my TV, or give my laptop the bandwidth of the internet connection if I'm moving files up or down from the server."

  2. Re:Screw dd-wrt by tibit · · Score: 1

    I know nothing about the project, but I wonder whether your hardware is fast enough to do whatever pppoe needs done to push data faster. Isn't your DSL link limiting the speed to what you see? How did you verify that it's DD-WRT's problem? Just asking.

    --
    A successful API design takes a mixture of software design and pedagogy.
  3. Speak of the devil by watermark · · Score: 1

    I just installed it for the first time on my router yesterday (linksys e2000.) Easy to install and it's working well. Good QOS is nearly mandatory in my house.

    1. Re:Speak of the devil by fluffy99 · · Score: 1

      I just installed it for the first time on my router yesterday (linksys e2000.) Easy to install and it's working well. Good QOS is nearly mandatory in my house.

      QOS is nice, but implementing it only on one end is pointless. Is your provider actually doing QOS on the downstream traffic?

    2. Re:Speak of the devil by swalve · · Score: 1

      It isn't pointless, but expecting the rest of the internet to adhere to your QoS priorities is a little... futile. That's why you (ok, *I*) set up a simple service priority queue, and let TCP/IP throttle the downstream if it isn't getting ACKs in time. If your VOIP and other interactive services get first crack at the outgoing queue and other services have to wait, the upstream servers will slow down their barrage and everything will mostly work out. Just let TCP/IP do what it was designed to do.

      I imagine there are some incoming priority hacks that you can do too, where priority packets get to bypass the buffer, but I don't know how.

    3. Re:Speak of the devil by watermark · · Score: 1

      My provider isn't doing anything as far as I can see, even bittorrent runs at full speed. I think you may be thinking of the priority bit on IP6 traffic, because QOS at the router level is different http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Quality_of_Service#Priorities_explained .

    4. Re:Speak of the devil by fluffy99 · · Score: 1

      No, I was thinking of true QOS, where the router is honoring COS/TOS or even just simple queue prioritizing based on tcp ports (what some routers call QOS). I doubt the provider is even looking at those bits, since they aren't guaranteed to reflect the urgency of the packets. I wasn't even thinking IPV6 as I wasn't away of any VOIP providers using it yet.

      But as pointed out, prioritizing your outbound traffic can be of some benefit if all your inbound traffic is tcpip, and not streaming video or people portscanning you (seems to be my problem lately).

  4. Open-Source my ass! by Heretic2 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Since when has dd-wrt been "Open Source?" It's very much closed-source. OpenWRT is actually open source, as in, you can download the code, modify, and compile it yourself. dd-wrt is closed, and often includes proprietary drivers.

    1. Re:Open-Source my ass! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I'm running an email server and webserver, right now, from an OpenWRT box. It's on an Asus WL-520GU. These devices typically have 4MiB of storage, for the kernel and file system, so I picked the WL-520GU for its USB port. All the website and all the mail are stored on a 4GB flash drive.

      I won't tell you what the web address is, though. The router can easily handle a light slashdotting (e.g., if I get modded up to 3 or so), but I have crappy expensive cable internet, so the upstream bandwidth is really slow.

    2. Re:Open-Source my ass! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative
    3. Re:Open-Source my ass! by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      Went to Tomato last year. Clean interface, works well. Won't go back to DD-WRT

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    4. Re:Open-Source my ass! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Noob-Friendly_Customized_install.sh_for_compiling_from_source

      http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Building_From_Source#Building_DD-WRT_From_Source

      http://firmware-mod-kit.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/ firmware-mod-kit-read-only

      svn://svn.dd-wrt.com/DD-WRT

      What's the problem? It seems it is not as easy as "emerge dd-wrt", but it seems they have all or most of the stuff there.

    5. Re:Open-Source my ass! by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Agreed, however, the nice thing about DD-WRT is that there's one place to go for virtually all routers, but for Tomato the mainline only handles a small group of devices. (I am very lucky and happen to have only supported devices...)

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    6. Re:Open-Source my ass! by batkiwi · · Score: 3, Informative

      TomatoUSB started life as a USB storage addition to tomato, but is now the "extended router list" distro for Tomato.

      I run it on my linksys E3000 and love it. Gigabit, dual band N, and performance to spare.

    7. Re:Open-Source my ass! by nonsequitor · · Score: 1

      DD-WRT is also an OpenWRT fork from what I heard, hardly an "open source" model Slashdot should be promoting.

    8. Re:Open-Source my ass! by Temkin · · Score: 1

      Sure, try to download from ther SVN.

      More than 20Gbytes, their server has a _crappy_ connection, it could last weeks...

      So you're saying their QoS really works? :)

    9. Re:Open-Source my ass! by galaad2 · · Score: 1

      Since when has dd-wrt been "Open Source?" It's very much closed-source. OpenWRT is actually open source, as in, you can download the code, modify, and compile it yourself. dd-wrt is closed, and often includes proprietary drivers.

      the source IS AVAILABLE and has always been.

      svn co svn://svn.dd-wrt.com/DD-WRT

      http://svn.dd-wrt.com/browser

      --
      root@127.0.0.1
    10. Re:Open-Source my ass! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The buildscripts don't work. You can compile it to working firmware, but that takes quite a bit of modification, for example the licence verification binary blob is not included, so you need to bypass all calls to it (or write a stub saying it's valid)

    11. Re:Open-Source my ass! by ace123 · · Score: 5, Informative

      DD-WRT is open source in the same sense that the original Linksys firmware was open-source. Clearly, the GPL parts are open source, including all kernel modules and command line tools based on BSD/Linux. And yes, it must be possible to compile a bootable image with minimal shell support (otherwise they wouldn't be complying with the GPL). However, (this was true two years ago--haven't checked sense) DD-WRT has several binary blobs and closed-source components that handle higher-level tasks (for example, at the time I was looking into this, it was not possible to extend the webserver.)

      Additionally, DD-WRT was still on the age-old nvram model of configuration, rather than using a read-write overlay filesystem to allow editing any configuration files. This means that some things were a pain in the ass to change once you have flashed the router, and building a custom image requires compiling a 10GB svn checkout. I'm sure you got it to compile, but I'm just saying that compiling isn't as easy as it should be. I (as did many other angry slashdotters) wasted several hours trying to compile DD-WRT. This is why the words "open source" in the description gave such a backlash.

      Anyway, I didn't bother to figure out the compilation process, and I just went over to OpenWRT for my Linksys WRTSL54GS (kernel 2.6 broadcom with b43 -- works really well), Airlink AR-430W, and D-Link DIR-615. They all work really well.

      That said, DD-WRT is a fine firmware if you want something that works and does more than the default images--I have friends who love it. It does Client Bridging which is the one feature I sorely miss from openwrt. So in my opinion it's a good choice if you are the sort of person who wants things to work and doesn't plan to write scripts or tweak things from source. And because fewer things are configurable and Brainslayer tests it on a ton of routers, you can be sure that an image will work on your hardware without tweaking anything (if it's on the Supported Devices list).

    12. Re:Open-Source my ass! by queBurro · · Score: 1

      me too, have mediatomb on mine as well, which serves vids up from the USB ok to my laptop/phone... :)

      --
      sag
    13. Re:Open-Source my ass! by bogie · · Score: 1

      I guess you probably know better than me, but some googling shows at least some people setting up a wireless client briding with openwrt.

      --
      If you wanna get rich, you know that payback is a bitch
    14. Re:Open-Source my ass! by alexo · · Score: 1

      Still, Tomato supports a very limited number of 802.11n routers, particularly the simultaneous dual band ones.

    15. Re:Open-Source my ass! by Heretic2 · · Score: 1

      Since when has dd-wrt been "Open Source?" It's very much closed-source. OpenWRT is actually open source, as in, you can download the code, modify, and compile it yourself. dd-wrt is closed, and often includes proprietary drivers.

      the source IS AVAILABLE and has always been.

      svn co svn://svn.dd-wrt.com/DD-WRT

      http://svn.dd-wrt.com/browser

      Just because you've checked binary blobs for wireless drivers into a source control system, and made access to the source control system public does NOT mean it is "Open Source." Good luck modifying a bcrm47xx driver in dd-wrt! Hope you like to edit in hex or binary.

      In summary: Not Open Source.

    16. Re:Open-Source my ass! by Heretic2 · · Score: 1

      Again: Where exactly is the source to the bcrm47xx driver? In a binary fucking BLOB.

  5. And Netflow as well! by lyonlebrun · · Score: 2

    You can also enable rflow (which appears to match NetFlow v5) on DD-WRT routers, so you can find out who's hogging the bandwidth.

    1. Re:And Netflow as well! by mattventura · · Score: 1

      I can do that on any linux box (or openwrt) with iftop. Why is this significant?

    2. Re:And Netflow as well! by mattventura · · Score: 1

      why would i want to use another linux box to do this?

      Did you not completely read the post? I said you could do it on a linux box OR openWRT. DD-WRT is basically like manufacturer firmware, only with more features. OpenWRT is much closer to a full linux distro than a stock router firmware.

    3. Re:And Netflow as well! by karnal · · Score: 1

      Because someone on here always has to one-up someone else's post of why something is useful. For instance, I could post that my motorcycle I bought has fuel injection. Then someone would come along and state "WELL, MINE HAS HAD THAT FOR YEARS GET WITH THE TIMES". That's what douches do.

      --
      Karnal
  6. old news and openwrt is better by ZeroNullVoid · · Score: 2, Informative

    This is old news, also DDWRT is a closed source solution that for some routers you have to pay for features.  Openwrt has much more for the price and if something is wrong you can fix the bug yourself.

    1. Re:old news and openwrt is better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Your font is old so shut up.

    2. Re:old news and openwrt is better by hjf · · Score: 1

      Openwrt hardware support sucks.

    3. Re:old news and openwrt is better by ustolemyname · · Score: 3, Funny

      Since he just used the 'code' tag, technically you are looking at your font.

    4. Re:old news and openwrt is better by Ant+P. · · Score: 1

      It supported my DG834 better than DD-WRT, which does not.

    5. Re:old news and openwrt is better by MidnightBrewer · · Score: 2

      And "by yourself" you mean if you're a programmer capable of troubleshooting and writing code for routers. It's far less trouble and more cost-effective to just go out and buy a new router.

      --
      "Give a man fire, and he'll be warm for a day; set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life
    6. Re:old news and openwrt is better by hjf · · Score: 1

      It doesn't support my WRT600N, which is like 4 years old.

    7. Re:old news and openwrt is better by Custard+Horse · · Score: 1

      Fellatio can only do half-duplex though. Which is just as well...

  7. Tomato by RenHoek · · Score: 5, Informative

    I used DD-WRT for some time, but if you want QOS bandwith managment for games (which was what I was really after), you have to buy your way into the forum where a premium version can be downloaded.

    Anyway, after some more looking I found 'Tomato' which fitted what I was looking for a lot better. Feel free to try it for yourself.

    http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato

    1. Re:Tomato by afabbro · · Score: 1

      Tomato-USB (which, not surprisingly, adds USB support) is also a fine package.

      --
      Advice: on VPS providers
    2. Re:Tomato by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Tomato seems to be a little stale, at the moment. See TomatoUSB: http://tomatousb.org/

    3. Re:Tomato by RenHoek · · Score: 1

      Yes, but some advanced QOS features are only present in the premium version.

    4. Re:Tomato by leighklotz · · Score: 1

      Tomato seems to be a little stale, at the moment. See TomatoUSB: http://tomatousb.org/

      I have to cron reboot my tomato router daily and it still goes into the ozone sometimes.
      Any advice for upgrading from tomato to tomato-usb (no-usb) on a WRT54GS from someone who's tried that route?
      I spent some time at the tomato-usb site so I saved nvram off box for reference and will save away the various config pages. So just firmware upgrade to the 2.4kernel no-usb build and 30-30-30 reset?

    5. Re:Tomato by Hlt4668 · · Score: 1

      Tomato is stale? Spend 5 minutes looking around and you can find close to weekly updated builds http://www.4shared.com/dir/v1BuINP3/Toastman_Builds.html most stable and functional firmware i've encountered to date.

    6. Re:Tomato by repetty · · Score: 1

      Tomato seems to be a little stale, at the moment.

      Anyone who would use the term "stale" to describe software would probably also use the term "snappy."

      Go to the back of the line.

    7. Re:Tomato by alexo · · Score: 1

      The original Tomato has no support for 802.11n.
      Even the derivatives support a very small number of N routers.

    8. Re:Tomato by BlueRaja · · Score: 1

      ^ this. DD-WRT claims to have QoS, but it doesn't actually work, and never has - multiple independent tests have proved this. Tomato's QoS actually *does* something.

    9. Re:Tomato by leighklotz · · Score: 1

      As GP said, you have to look to forks. Google "tomato" and top hit is main polarcloud site, which is stale.

    10. Re:Tomato by Kaz+Kylheku · · Score: 1

      "Mee Too"

      After thorough research of the available options, I went with Tomato on my WRT54GL.

      No discussion of custom firmwares is complete without ... mentioning all of them.

    11. Re:Tomato by HunterZ · · Score: 1

      TomatoUSB is a bit stale now too, but someone named Toastman is continuing to improve his own fork of it: http://tomatousb.org/forum/t-379538/new-toastman-builds

      I like that it comes with some good out-of-the-box QoS settings, although they're perhaps a bit harsh for a small home LAN.

      --
      Arguing about vi versus Emacs is like arguing whether it's better to make fire by rubbing sticks or banging rocks.
  8. Re:Tomato 2nd'd by nullchar · · Score: 1

    Even better than stock Tomato (who's GUI and features are awesome) is TomatoVPN that includes a build of OpenVPN!

  9. Re:Web server! by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 1

    Assuming you are serious about "simple", no problem.

    Even stock routers come with web servers(the config webpage being the interface of choice) and OpenWRT or DDWRT offer webservers that are a touch more customizable.

    The only downsides are that running a webserver can be an excellent way of discovering how little RAM most routers have, and you either have to get one with USB host support, or scrounge enough GPIO lines to bodge in an SD card interface, if you actually want to serve any nontrivially sized stuff.

    It is also, of course, Not Recommended to let the box that handles minor functions like all your internet traffic, DNS, etc. get 0wn3d. So don't do that.

  10. Re:Not a panacea by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

    One thing that the various WRTs did give me was proper control of iptables so I could do things like redirect to squid and the like. Yes, you won't get goodies like openvpn on slim hardware, but still, even having a bit more direct control of the networking that is there can be a boon.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  11. With projects like this and OpenWRT by shish · · Score: 1

    When there are all these good firmwares around, why do so many companies stick with their shitty proprietary ones?

    (Also applies to cheap NAS boxes; I just bought one where half the text was translated terribly from chinese, and the other half not at all -- with the aid of google translate I eventually figured out that to edit a user's password I had to click "Clam Party"... would just sticking freenas on it be so hard? :( )

    --
    I mod down anyone who says "I will be modded down for this", regardless of the rest of their comment
    1. Re:With projects like this and OpenWRT by ThurstonMoore · · Score: 1

      Buffalo routers come with ddwrt installed. It seems a lot of people have a lot of trouble with ddwrt but ive installed it on a bunch of routers with no problems.

    2. Re:With projects like this and OpenWRT by KingMotley · · Score: 1

      Because OpenWRT doesn't support anything from linksys made in the past 3 years? The current line (e4200, e3200, e2500, e1500, e1200, x2000, n610), the previous line (e3000, e2000, e1000), or the line before that (WRT120N, WRT320N, WRT350N, WRTN610N), or all but one the line before that (WRT160N, WRT310N, etc).

    3. Re:With projects like this and OpenWRT by Kaz+Kylheku · · Score: 1

      The real question is, why aren't more devices open so you can replace their shitty firmware.

      Another question is, why don't the devices which can have custom firmware toot their horn about it more? I mean, you would think that a major advantage like that would deserve some real-estate on the box that the device comes in.

      It's easy to see why those devices which CAN have custom firmware still come with shitty firmware. The nonproprietary firmware is more feature loaded and complicated. This means shipping a thicker user manual in the box, which costs more. Also it means testing all those features for regressions in between releases of the device.

  12. dd-wrt isn't open source by peril · · Score: 1

    The dude that runs this project is a douche. Don't support it. I attempted to build his stuff from scratch to see if it's even possible . Build scripts were poorly documented, and I knew after I had downloaded like 8GB of source that something was fishy.

    It may work for you - but this guy does very little to help openwrt.

    Please use openwrt - or x-wrt.

    --Adrian

    1. Re:dd-wrt isn't open source by nonsequitor · · Score: 1

      Build or download a firmware image for your model router and DD-WRT should let you flash it from the admin webapp same as it would a new version of DD-WRT firmware.

    2. Re:dd-wrt isn't open source by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      So all the versions of openwrt and x-wrt are compatible with my Buffalo router HW?

      --

      --
      make install -not war

    3. Re:dd-wrt isn't open source by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1

      I was just looking up the instructions for a G300NH and it looks easy:

      http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/buffalo/wzr-hp-g300h?s

      That said, there's no incentive for me to upgrade from DD-WRT to OpenWRT. DD-WRT works flawlessly and has all the features I want so far, but if you want to do really advanced stufff OpenWRT looks like a better option.

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    4. Re:dd-wrt isn't open source by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      That version's for the Buffalo WZR-HP-G300H . Mine is a WHR-HP-GN . Will that version work on my HW?

      --

      --
      make install -not war

    5. Re:dd-wrt isn't open source by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1

      Looks like it's not supported yet:

      https://dev.openwrt.org/wiki/WantedHardware

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    6. Re:dd-wrt isn't open source by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      OK, thanks for clearing that up. I'm going to try to send them one.

      --

      --
      make install -not war

  13. Stale Firmware by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

    I looked into a Buffalo router that comes with DD-WRT preinstalled and Buffalo tech support. But the latest firmware is almost 2 years old. Surely there's been bugs and vulnerabilities in it found since then, but no patches.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

    1. Re:Stale Firmware by el_tedward · · Score: 1

      But that would require them to like.. UPDATE IT. That's expecting way too much.

      For other SOHO network devices with proprietary firmware, I imagine it's much worse.

  14. It turned my Linksys Router by Roachie · · Score: 4, Funny

    into a brick.

    Which, interestingly enough, was an improvement. WiFi is from the devil.

    --
    This sig is not paradoxical or ironic.
  15. Burn in hell, Sveasoft / James Ewing by haruchai · · Score: 2

      Props for being the first to have custom firmware for the Linksys WRT54G but talking about earning the right to be the poster boy for "complete fucking asshole".
    Heard you're broke - sucks to be you.

    --
    Pain is merely failure leaving the body
    1. Re:Burn in hell, Sveasoft / James Ewing by Gojira+Shipi-Taro · · Score: 2

      Yea that dude got his social skills the same place Hans Reiser did, apparently.

      --
      "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
    2. Re:Burn in hell, Sveasoft / James Ewing by Kaz+Kylheku · · Score: 1

      But what does a comment like this make YOU look like, hmm?

    3. Re:Burn in hell, Sveasoft / James Ewing by haruchai · · Score: 1

      For starters, a far better person than one who makes fake LinkedIn profiles about former disgruntled customers indicating they're child molesters and gay prostitutes.

      --
      Pain is merely failure leaving the body
    4. Re:Burn in hell, Sveasoft / James Ewing by HunterZ · · Score: 1

      I think it's ironic that after everyone got pissed off at Sveasoft and flocked to DD-WRT, DD-WRT started pulling shenanigans with source code availability as well.

      I only run and recommend Tomato (and variants) now, unless you are wanting to set up a non-WDS wireless bridge or repeater.

      --
      Arguing about vi versus Emacs is like arguing whether it's better to make fire by rubbing sticks or banging rocks.
    5. Re:Burn in hell, Sveasoft / James Ewing by haruchai · · Score: 1

      No love of OpenWRT?

      --
      Pain is merely failure leaving the body
  16. In Soviet Russia by Roachie · · Score: 1

    DD-WRT routes your TEACHER!
     

    --
    This sig is not paradoxical or ironic.
  17. Re:People still use dd-wrt? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

    How do I replace the DD-WRT firmware that came with a Buffalo router with openwrt or x-wrt?

    --

    --
    make install -not war

  18. Replace Astaro Router? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

    Which FOSS router OS/SW can I use to replace what's installed on an Astaro router? I stopped paying for the annual license so it stopped working, but the HW is just fine. Twin WAN, firewall, antivirus, internal VLANs, VPN... but closed and locked down. I'd still pay to subscribe to patches, but not on something that just disconnects from the networks when I'm late.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

    1. Re:Replace Astaro Router? by aztracker1 · · Score: 2

      More work, but OpenWRT is probably your best bet. ymmv though. I'm pretty happy with myy RouterstationPro board and OpenWRT setup.

      --
      Michael J. Ryan - tracker1.info
    2. Re:Replace Astaro Router? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      OpenWRT is well supported with security update and bugfix patches?

      --

      --
      make install -not war

  19. Where did this article come from? by afabbro · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Leave it to InfoWeek to be both completely confused and 5 years behind the times.

    To wit, this article with the same premise from Lifehacker in 2006. And that was before DD-WRT sucked.

    First, the author's router is not "an old router". In fact, it ships with DD-WRT. Take an old WRT-54G 1.0 and stick DD-WRT and that would be breathing life into an old router. All you're doing here is using a Buffalo-preconfigured (and encrypted, closed-source) version of DD-WRT.

    But more to the point...DD-WRT? Ick. If you want QoS (as the author seems to), you need pay for the commercial version. The QoS in the free version is known broken and has been for quite a while, and there is little motivation to fix it. Also, old routers cannot use the QoS, because you need 4MB or bigger flash. Maybe it works in newer routers but who cares - there are plenty of better alternatives to DD-WRT.

    Finally, for Slashdotters, let me say two words that will have you running screaming from DD-WRT: software activation.

    Tomato is a fine, free (in all senses) alternative, and I personally love the Tomato-USB version.

    --
    Advice: on VPS providers
    1. Re:Where did this article come from? by Frederic54 · · Score: 1

      I am using TomatoUSB on both my E1000 and E3000, it's a so powerful firmware, and the GUI is really nicer than dd-wrt.
      Also dd-wrt was unstable for me, they release version too often and sometimes they are buggy.

      I am using the Toastman build of TomatoUSB, with IPv6, OpenVPN, QoS, all the bell and whistles.

      --
      "Science will win because it works." - Stephen Hawking
  20. Re:People still use dd-wrt? by treeves · · Score: 4, Funny

    Tomato?
    Not until they legalize marinara.

    --
    ...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
  21. Why the obsession with DD-WRT? by mattventura · · Score: 1

    I always look at DD-WRT vs OpenWRT like this: DD-WRT is like an improved stock firmware. Sure, it has lots of features that probably aren't available in the preload, but it still just feels like a manufacturer firmware. OpenWRT, on the other hand, lets you go 100% CLI (it didn't even come with a web interface until a few releases ago). In general, if you could do it with a plain old linux box, you can do it just as easily on OpenWRT. For example: I look in /etc/config. In OpenWRT I see human readable, easy to edit config files. In DD-WRT, I see obfuscated things.

    1. Re:Why the obsession with DD-WRT? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      DD-WRT: Ubuntu (but worse)
      OpenWRT: Debian/FreeBSD

      If you're in love with raw Linux you'll reflexively gag at the ugliness of DD-WRT's design (nvram, startup scripts, packages, etc).

    2. Re:Why the obsession with DD-WRT? by haus · · Score: 1

      What are you talking about? OpenWRT has had a web interface for at least 5 years.

      If this were FireFox that would be like 270 version releases ago.

    3. Re:Why the obsession with DD-WRT? by mattventura · · Score: 1

      IIRC web interfaces existed for OpenWRT but LuCI was not included until 8. Back when I ran 7 I never installed any web interfaces and used SSH access exclusively.

  22. DD-WRT works, but Linksys WRT54GS chokes 21 Mbps by _Shorty-dammit · · Score: 4, Informative

    I used DD-WRT for years on an old Linksys WRT54GS (I think that's the model) router and it worked great for me. But after upgrading my internet to 100 Mbps I found out it pukes out at around 20.5 Mbps or something like that, haha. Almost wanted to swear at my ISP, and then decided to try plugging straight into the new Cisco modem/router they gave me, and found all the bandwidth I was paying for was there after all. Haha. But plug back into the Linksys and it chokes me back to just over 20 Mbps again. Couldn't believe it.

  23. Re:People still use dd-wrt? by mattventura · · Score: 1

    We need a little more information than just "Buffalo router". If the router doesn't have firmware upgrade page, there's typically some recovery method involving TFTP that allows you to flash a new firmware image.

  24. Tomato Rocks if You Need Basic Features by Quantum_Infinity · · Score: 1

    Tomato totally rocks as long as you need basic router features (and by basic I mean, compared to DD-WRT, it still offers far more features than those that come with stock firmware). I bought an Asus RT-N16 and got tired of its stock firmware - crappy connection, never saw uptime of more than 4 days. Replaced it with Tomato about three months ago and haven't rebooted the router since then. It has all the features I need - mac filtering, vpn tunneling, UPnP, NAS, QoS.

  25. Check your radios, folks by willoughby · · Score: 1

    I have a cheap router with an Atheros radio. DD-WRT did not deal with it well at all, with the WiFi connection dropping & very unstable. The router works beautifully using OpenWRT - WiFi included. DD-WRT probably works great with a Broadcom radio 'cause that's where it was born but my Atheros radio router likes OpenWRT much better.

    1. Re:Check your radios, folks by operator_error · · Score: 1

      As a happy DD-WRT user for users, with many SO-HO routers and LANs to my name, I never buy any routers unless it shows up on the DD-WRT router support database first. To do anything less is probably a waste of time.

      http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/support/router-database

      BTW, how is this word actually pronounced? Does is sound like rowter or rooter? /troll

  26. Worked on my ASUS RT-N16 by sneakyimp · · Score: 1

    I have nothing to do with any authors or developers but have had a pretty good experience with DD-WRT.

    I bought an ASUS RT-N16 on sale some time ago:
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320038

    I liked the speed specs and also the USB ports -- I wanted to set up a network printer. The firmware that came with this router was GARBAGE. I mean totally, utterly, completely USELESS. My internet connection would constantly drop, forget about printing or NAS. I downloaded a particular build of DD-WRT and installed it and the router suddenly did everything it was supposed to. It stays up and running for months at a time. I'm really glad I found it.

    It's also nice to hear about Tomato and Open WRT. I'll look into those when I need to get my next router -- which I shouldn't need for a good long time.

    1. Re:Worked on my ASUS RT-N16 by aztracker1 · · Score: 1

      I had much better luck with TomatoUSB on my RT-N16 than I did with DD-WRT, though that was over almost a year ago... still running strong. :)

      --
      Michael J. Ryan - tracker1.info
    2. Re:Worked on my ASUS RT-N16 by LanMan04 · · Score: 1

      I have the same router and I run TomatoUSB on it, works GREAT!!!

      --
      With the first link, the chain is forged.
    3. Re:Worked on my ASUS RT-N16 by Harry+Coin · · Score: 1

      ASUS RT-N16 + TomatoUSB + Optware + DLNA + external 1TB drive = PC-free movie streaming to 7+ devices in my home. Highly recommended.

      --
      That's pre 7-11 thinking....
  27. Re:Tomato 2nd'd by Gojira+Shipi-Taro · · Score: 1

    Yep, Tomato VPN is fantastic. I've been running on an ASUS router for quite a while now.

    --
    "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
  28. version clusterfck by MagicM · · Score: 1

    My experience with DD-WRT for the WRT54GL has been less than optimal. After much tinkering it's stable with the features I want, but it took quite some effort.

    If you're considering installing DD-WRT, know that there's a good chance that the "stable" version listed on the main site is probably not your best bet, nor is whatever the router database suggests. Instead, hit up the forums, find the relevant forum for your hardware, read all the way through the sticky posts marked "READ ME" (in the case of WRT54GL the "peacock thread") and if you still feel like going for it, then by all means do.

    1. Re:version clusterfck by Artifex · · Score: 1

      Please upvote this -- there's been a longstanding issue with the searchable "recommended" firmware being wrong in many cases.
      Check out this excerpt from a thread in the Broadcom section of the forums for proof:

      We are very aware of the confusion users have finding builds. The Database was intended to simplify the process but "NewMedia-NET GmbH" has done a poor job of maintaining the Database. We forum moderators have already brought it to their attention long ago and they have begun asking for our feedback before uploading new builds to the Database. For the time being there are still bad builds in the Database and it is still recommended by the forum moderators to use our recommended builds in this thread. When all the kinks are worked out of the organizational process to select builds for the Database then this thread may go away.

      sticky'd thread dated May 16, 2009, with first post updated June 9th this year.

      --
      Get off my launchpad!
  29. Re:Doesn't do what I want by Amouth · · Score: 1

    not that it's an optimal fix - but you can on DD-WRT set a timed reboot cycle.. only problems i've seen with DD-WRT that i would consider a bug is it doesn't do DST changes to the clock except on boot (which screws up time profiles twice a year and hence why i have it set to reboot when they happen).. the other problem is (at least on the version i'm using) iptable entries are backwards when you enter them.

    --
    '...if only "Jumping to a Conclusion" was an event in the Olympics.'
  30. Re:Doesn't do what I want by TheRealGrogan · · Score: 1

    Hmm, I have used DD-WRT for that many times, using Linksys WRT54GL routers. I have three of them at home... the main one has the Internet connection (cable) and does the DHCP assignments and NAT'ing etc. A cable runs upstairs to another one that acts as an ethernet switch and wireless access point. I have a third DD-WRT router running as a repeater bridge, to cover the rest of the house with WIFI. Nary a glitch... these routers have been running for years and literally go hundreds of days without a reboot (Well, the repeater bridge isn't on a UPS, so it gets hard booted when the power blinks out, or before we start the generator but that's not often)

    I also do this for motels and lodges that are too cheap to buy proper equipment. WRT54GL routers, with DD-WRT. One of my favourite cases is a motel property that needed their network extended across the parking lot to their other building. It's a mickey mouse solution, but it works for them and only cost a few hundred dollars in parts and labour. A wireless repeater bridge across the parking lot (I upped the TX power a little on both routers) that has both ethernet switch ports (with another switch plugged into one of the ports that feeds the rooms) and wireless. The same SSID as the main network too and clients can roam. Nothing goes wrong with this setup unless someone messes with it. (Last time I was called there one of the routers had reverted back to defaults... someone used the reset button)

    I'd investigate the laptop as the "hunk of junk". You could reboot the router to force a client to re-establish a wireless link, or deal with the client. It could also be a flaky router in the mix.

  31. same thing steve jobs did by decora · · Score: 1

    are you saying that steve jobs is a douche?

  32. GPL Liicense & Humble Pie by E.I.A · · Score: 1

    I use dd-wrt on my cisco router, and it is far superior to the previous cisco firmware. Though I am humbled to learn that I went for dd-wrt when open-wrt was sitting right beside it. A look at the wikipedia article indicates that dd-wrt is still under GPL, but tonight I know what I'll be doing; I'll be changing to tomato or open-wrt. A word on the /. article: I am quite surprised at the "hostile" reactions; the concept of tweaking a router with open-source firmware is a fantastic one, and I can easily pardon a small error. Minus the venom, I am grateful to /. and the /. community for (harshly) furthering my education. Now, onto that 30/30/30 process once again. Thanks /., and angry geniuses!

    --
    Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them being made. - Otto von Bismarck
    1. Re:GPL Liicense & Humble Pie by dr2chase · · Score: 2

      I think the reaction is hostile because it's not news, and it's probably not the most appropriate advice for most people. I spent a long time, years ago, looking very hard at the choices for my router (Linksys WRT54G 2.2) and settled on Tomato because that looked like it maximized the feature/hassle quotient. I'm pretty sure it's the right choice for most people who might ever install 3rd party firmware on a router.

    2. Re:GPL Liicense & Humble Pie by E.I.A · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Perhaps it is not news, but it "matters" to me. I am actually really happy that I read the comments on this article. I think there is sometimes a syndrome with geeks where they assume everyone is precisely at - or proximal to - their level/experience. My guess is that many readers are still unaware of the alternatives in firmware. And I still think that regardless of error, the discussion accomplished something; it introduced better options. I just finished a two-year degree in IT, and I am no wizard - not even close. Just 4 months ago, I was thrilled to discover open-source firmware for my router. Am I naive for thinking there are not more like myself? Do the little guys not count?

      --
      Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them being made. - Otto von Bismarck
    3. Re:GPL Liicense & Humble Pie by E.I.A · · Score: 1

      That much seems pretty obvious; Of course you don't go formatting/flashing any system until you have a working plan, unless you're making mischief. But thanks for the warning.

      --
      Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them being made. - Otto von Bismarck
    4. Re:GPL Liicense & Humble Pie by dr2chase · · Score: 1

      It's not that you count, or not, but that focusing on DD-WRT is (apparently) far for the best choice for the vast majority of people who are ever likely to flash their router, and apparently also (though I did not know this) if you are an open-source purist. Tomato's got a nice UI with relatively well-organized options, OpenWRT has the open-ness. DD-WRT gave the impression of being not as easy to configure/understand.

      Understand, this for me is not unlike choosing a cell-phone provider, where you're trying to figure out what the heck the plans actually are, and how will you actually use the phone, and who has service in my area, and which of the available phones are supported by which carrier, etc. You have to read a bunch, ask around a little, and hope for the best, because it's a PITA to actually give each carrier a trial, especially since they want a 1-year commitment.

      Or to use an example nearer to my interests, telling someone what's the best bicycle to buy. It depends on a lot of stuff, but broadly, you can be pretty sure that the high-end carbon bike is usually the wrong choice, the $50 craigslist special is the wrong choice unless they really know how to wrench, the 60-lb cargo bike is the wrong choice if they live in a 3rd-floor walkup with no garage or shed, etc. Most people, a cheap 3-speed with a front basket and a dynamo hub for lighting would get the job done. 8 speeds, if there are hills.

    5. Re:GPL Liicense & Humble Pie by E.I.A · · Score: 1

      Do you think you could rewrite that in a car analogy instead? Anyway, I see your point. But I can still say that I have enjoyed dd-wrt while I've used it, though I will be moving on after this article to tomato or open-wrt. While not a purist, I hope to become one. I have ableton on my windows partition, and could easily make midi music on that side, but instead, I insist on making things "work" in Linux with open-source software. And though it has promoted me to consider purchasing a straitjacket for myself, I have no regrets and will persist. I have also rejected photoshop for GIMP, and I am enjoying it completely. It's always interesting learning about what I don't know, and this article discussion has been interesting.

      --
      Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them being made. - Otto von Bismarck
  33. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  34. Old news and my OpenWRT does it better by Rotten · · Score: 1

    Not exactly "news", both dd-wrt and truly open source open-wrt has been out outperforming stock firmwares for 5+++ years

  35. Re:Doesn't do what I want by Peristaltic · · Score: 1

    After reading some of these posts, I'm going to try Tomato when I get bored, but I've got a WRT54GL / DD-WRT setup as well- it's been running for a couple of years without so much as a hiccup. I set it up primarily to bump the TX output for better coverage, and literally forgot about it until now.

  36. Not bad for free. by aeroseth · · Score: 1

    I just installed it tonight on and old Netgear WG602 v3 I wanted to make a client instead of using my USB WiFi stick. The GUI is nice with tons of features.

    --
    "Is that real poncho or a Sears poncho?" ~~FZ
  37. "firmwares" is not a word by jabberw0k · · Score: 1

    Firmware is already a collective plural -- like software, hardware, and clothing. You don't have "two softwares" or "two clothings" -- you have two pieces of software, or two items of clothing. Likewise, you should write: "When there are all these good firmware packages around..." Also, swearing is impolite. Good points, though.

  38. Re:People still use dd-wrt? by Astronomerguy · · Score: 1

    Fuck dd-wrt. Hasn't everyone switched over to openwrt or tomato these days?

    I'm a Toamto-holic. dd-wrt just would not work properly on my Cisco/LinksysWRT160N V3 despite careful configuration changes etc. In frustration I installed Tomato and it worked first try right out of the gate. I had also used it on an older Linksys router and it never gave me any grief. Its features cover off my needs and it's been completely hassle free. Just my own experience.

  39. Re:People still use dd-wrt? by Astronomerguy · · Score: 1

    ...wishing I had mod points...

  40. Re:DD-WRT works, but Linksys WRT54GS chokes 21 Mbp by motokochan · · Score: 2

    The "CPU" that is used in that device won't actually go much beyond 20mbit. It just simply can't handle faster streams, especially if you're using NAT on your internal network. NAT adds a bunch of overhead. Supposedly the GL can go up to 30mbit as it has a newer processor.

  41. Re:Screw dd-wrt by X0563511 · · Score: 1

    ppoe's not that bad.

    I had similar experiences myself, but with a simple TCP/IP router role (eg, not acting as a modem). It was slower than you'd expect, and it had *plenty of free RAM and CPU.

    * plenty being relative, of course.

    The trouble with OpenWRT is, however, you have to go back to the 8.x White Russian release. 9.x and Kamikaze won't fit into flash smaller than 4mb. This is quite limiting. For example, most Linksys 802.11b/g gear (excepting the WRT54GL) seem to use a 2mb flash.

    --
    For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
  42. Re:People still use dd-wrt? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

    Router Model WHR-HP-GN
    Firmware Version DD-WRT v24SP2-EU-US (08/19/10) std - build 14998

    I know how to flash the image. What I need to know is which OpenWRT or x-wrt version will work on the HW, and how to build the firmware image, including reliable source repos - or where to get a trustworthy, optimized binary for the HW.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

  43. Re:Screw dd-wrt by swalve · · Score: 1

    I found that its speed of dd-wrt (not pppoe, just regular routing) was comparable to the stock firmware on my WRT54g. The problem is, the hardware is just crap. With dd-wrt I looked at the cpu usage, and it was pegging when I was trying to download something. I put some version of Fedora onto an old Deskpro with a couple of NICs in it to make a homebrew router, and it increased my speed about 150%. Just offloading the routing to this box and still using the wrt54g for wireless was a big improvement. And my (hackish) QoS (just service priorities) works 1000% better than whatever crap was on dd-wrt.

    Now, that little PIII 733 sits at 0.0 0.0 0.0 no matter what I throw at it. I also put the OS onto a little 2gb CF card, and the little thing boots up fast as heck and its dead silent, and barely gets warm.

  44. Which one is the best and stable for WRT54GL v1.1? by antdude · · Score: 1

    I am still using the latest stock firmware. It works fine for me, but I don't want to have to keep upgrading and reconfiguring. So which ones are the stable, simple, etc.? I don't want to have to fiddle with frequent upgrades, reconfigurations, etc.

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  45. Re:DD-WRT works, but Linksys WRT54GS chokes 21 Mbp by caseih · · Score: 2

    Very few consumer routers can handle 100 Mbps throughput across the NAT (well, technically PAT) layer. They simply don't have the CPU power, bus speed, and memory required. I would be interested to know what routers are capable of such speeds and are compatible with the likes of OpenWRT.

  46. Re:People still use dd-wrt? by jabelli · · Score: 1

    I have a WRT54G v5, dd-wrt micro is the only thing that will fit in the damn flash.

  47. Kai Broken? by LeonPierre · · Score: 1

    Hasn't the Kai support been broken for a while now?

    --
    "If it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet"
  48. Re:Screw dd-wrt by Fjandr · · Score: 1

    DD-WRt has QOS settings, but they're function so horribly they may as well not even be there. That, and the hardware in most DD-WRt routers isn't capable of keeping up with more than basic functionality.

  49. Try making sure... by thrill12 · · Score: 1

    ...PPTP/VPN (server) is disabled in DD-WRT. That pretty much chokes it.

    --
    Slashdot: stuff for news, nerds that matter, matter for news, stuff that nerd
  50. IPv6 by SrmL · · Score: 1

    Good luck with IPv6 without ip6tables...

  51. Router with whitelist feature? by Compaqt · · Score: 1

    Is there an easy-to-use router package with a whitelist feature?

    It would be nice if it had an easy workflow. I.e., instead of editing a whitelist file, you'd have something like:

    -user tries to visit an un-whitelisted site.
    -the site is automatically added to a "request" list, optionally with a comment from the user
    -admin is presented with the request list in a web interface and approves the ones he wants to

    --
    I'm not a lawyer, but I play one on the Internet. Blog
  52. Re:DD-WRT works, but Linksys WRT54GS chokes 21 Mbp by pev · · Score: 2

    I would be interested to know what routers are capable of such speeds and are compatible with the likes of OpenWRT.

    Well, this might get you started :
            http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/lanwan/router-charts/view

  53. Re:Screw dd-wrt by queBurro · · Score: 1

    think they've got mini-builds as well, tomato definitely has

    --
    sag
  54. Re:DD-WRT works, but Linksys WRT54GS chokes 21 Mbp by Rynor · · Score: 1

    The Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH works for me, with openwrt firmware that is. The default firmware is some kind of modified dd-wrt which has an awful "buffalo" interface and kept dropping packets. I tried dd-wrt as well but that gave the same problem with the choked bandwidth (in contrast with the buffalo firmware), the openwrt firmware is pretty easy to set up on this router and works perfectly for me, allowing the full use of my 120 mbit connection.

  55. Re:People still use dd-wrt? by cptdondo · · Score: 2
  56. Re:Screw dd-wrt by X0563511 · · Score: 1

    If they do, they are in some dev's personal space or something. The only things in the official mirror are too large.

    --
    For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
  57. Re:Screw dd-wrt by queBurro · · Score: 1

    I was thinking of the usb variation, haven't checked original for a while: lite is 4MB? http://tomatousb.org/doc:build-types

    --
    sag
  58. Speed by Bengie · · Score: 1

    My biggest issue is trying to find a router can that run DD-WRT/Tomato/etc, is trying to find a router that can handle 400mpbs+ of WAN LAN Performance.

    Are there any high performance routers that support open source?

    1. Re:Speed by 4pins · · Score: 1

      My biggest issue is trying to find a router can that run DD-WRT/Tomato/etc, is trying to find a router that can handle 400mpbs+ of WAN LAN Performance.

      Are there any high performance routers that support open source?

      I certainly do not know of a commercial one, however you can build one.

      http://www.pfsense.org/

      --
      I will not mourn that which I never had to lose. - Unknown
  59. Re:Which one is the best and stable for WRT54GL v1 by Shivani1141 · · Score: 1

    I've been using Tomato on my WRTGL v1.1 For at least two years now, and It was very much install, configure, forget. QoS works great, and it manages my 40mbps connection with some trouble. (notably, It piles up if you saturate the link at 40mbps for a few days requiring a 30-30-30 reset) Even so, it's infinitely better than the stock firmware.

  60. but does it? by hesaigo999ca · · Score: 1

    But does it allow say a wifi router to go from being a wifi g and b to to a wifi n as well?
    If it does, then I would pay for that for sure, instead of buying new stuff, just reuse the old one with the firmware update and voila no more junk in the garbage dumps that could be recycled, so to speak.

    1. Re:but does it? by Shivani1141 · · Score: 1

      Different Radios, Sadly.

  61. Re:IPv6 on *WRT by Just+Some+Guy · · Score: 1

    I'm not sure what you mean, but I've been tunneling IPv6 with OpenWRT for quite a few years now.

    --
    Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
  62. Re:Screw dd-wrt by X0563511 · · Score: 1

    Too big, it's gotta be a hair below 2mb to fit on these things :(

    --
    For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
  63. Re:Which one is the best and stable for WRT54GL v1 by antdude · · Score: 1

    Ah. Did you ever had that problem with the stock firmware?

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  64. Re:DD-WRT works, but Linksys WRT54GS chokes 21 Mbp by Rich0 · · Score: 1

    Yup, I have FIOS and ended up switching to the Verizon-provided router for this reason. The biggest issue with it is the NAT table is limited, but I think I've mostly worked through that.

    You can potentially put the router into more of a bridging mode and use your own router (which obviously has to be decent), but that is pretty tricky due to how the whole setup (internet+cable) works.

  65. Re:DD-WRT works, but Linksys WRT54GS chokes 21 Mbp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Cisco has the 800 series routers which are not to be confused with their Cisco/Linksys line. They come with full IOS capability and have enterprise grade features and functionality. Meant for test labs or small enterprise use.

    Also, the Apple Airport Extreme is a very capable router, both in terms of dual channel N wireless and high end processor speed, etc.

    Neither are compatible with open source firmware, but they are both sub $300 routers which will handle enterprise level bandwidth.

  66. Re:Truly free ad hoc wifi mesh internet. by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1

    I can't think of anything you could do "without consent" but check these out:

    http://netsukuku.freaknet.org/
    http://hsmm-mesh.org/

    --
    "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
  67. Re:worth the hassle? by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1

    Put it on a UPS while flashing so it won't get bricked. Unless you upload the wrong firmware there's nothing else to worry about.

    --
    "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
  68. Re:DD-WRT works, but Linksys WRT54GS chokes 21 Mbp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Very few consumer routers can handle 100 Mbps throughput across the NAT (well, technically PAT) layer. They simply don't have the CPU power, bus speed, and memory required. I would be interested to know what routers are capable of such speeds and are compatible with the likes of OpenWRT.

    That same question was asked recently:
    http://ask.slashdot.org/story/11/09/19/0315258/ask-slashdot-good-gigabit-80211n-home-router

  69. DD-WRT by hackus · · Score: 1

    I have used DD-WRT, but from what I can tell, the firmware is built from Open-WRT. The problem I had with DD-WRT is that it is mostly proprietary. Also, the build trees they use from OpenWRT were usually bad so you had crappy wireless drivers most of the time for lots of different chipsets. Perhaps with the exception of the truly ancient BCM chipsets in their WRT54GL implementations of DD-WRT. Those ran pretty well.

    But, if you truly want a decent piece of software for doing wireless, I would suggest you check out OpenWRT. Secondly, get a AR7161/AR9283 based wireless hardware model. I would suggest the Buffalo wireless units. They work pretty well. These devices made by Atheros are all very open source friendly so you get a piece of hardware the developers don't have to fight with the manufacturer about intellectual property crapola.
    (Which, in my view is what intellectual property is nothing but people who want to own everything and have other sociaopathic and psychopathic tendencies.)

    The OpenWRT build system is pretty good too. You can concentrate on the software instead of fighting the build system.

    But I stopped using DD-WRT a long time ago. It just isn't a good solution for wireless N and the authors do not appear to be very Linuxl aware. (Although, they are very good at writing javascript to create a nice interface in the browser and just copying whatever build tree from OpenWRT that is the flavor of the day.)

    -Hack

    --
    Got Geometrodynamics? Awe, too hard to figure out? Too bad.
  70. Re:People still use dd-wrt? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

    Thanks. But my model# is WHR-HP-GN . The page to which you linked has openwrt firmware versions for:
    Model Version Status Target(s) Platform CPU Speed (MHz) Flash (MB) RAM (MB) Wireless NIC Wireless Standard Wired Ports VLAN Config USB

    WHR-G125 - 8.09 brcm-2.4 brcm47xx Broadcom 5354 240 4 16 BCM4318 (integrated) 11b/g 5 Yes No
    WZR-HP-AG300H 1 trunk ar71xx Atheros AR7161 680 32 128 Atheros (integrated) AR9220+AR9223 11a/b/g/n 5 gigE Yes 1x 2.0
    WZR-HP-G300NH v1 10.03 ar71xx Atheros AR9132 400 32 64 AR9103 11b/g/n 5 gigE Yes Yes
    WZR-HP-G301NH v1 trunk ar71xx Atheros AR9132 400 32 64 AR9103 11b/g/n 5 gigE Yes Yes

    Wikipedia says that model's specs are:

    Model Hardware rev 1st seen on Market FCC ID Platform & Frequency [MHz] RAM [MB] Flash Memory [MB] Wireless NIC WLAN standard [802.11] mini PCI Serial port JTAG port Ethernet port count PoE Voltage Input [V/A]

    WHR-HP-GN - ? FDI-09101567-0 Atheros 7240 @ 400 MHz 32 MB 4 MB Broadcom b/g/n - ? ? 4 LAN/1 WAN - 5V/2.3A

    I can't tell which, if any, of the openwrt firmware versions is compatible with my Buffalo router.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

  71. Re:DD-WRT works, but Linksys WRT54GS chokes 21 Mbp by radish · · Score: 1

    I don't know about 100mbps but I have a Linksys WRT160N running dd-wrt and it happily saturates my 50/50mbps FIOS line. Cost something like $30 as a refurb.

    --

    ---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"

  72. Re:Wrong and wronger by Pete+Venkman · · Score: 1

    Every sentence I wrote was a complete sentence. Maybe the second was a "comma splice", but I wouldn't call it not a sentence. Go fuck yourself.

  73. Re:Truly free ad hoc wifi mesh internet. by crhylove · · Score: 1

    How in the hell did my original post get moderated Troll?!?! I am really curious and really want to do it. As far as cracking WEP, that's a no brainer. Done it already. Once you can crack the WEP and get a hold of the router config internals, uploading your own firmware also becomes trivial.

    I like both those links immensely. Thanks!

    --
    I hold very few opinions. I hold information based on observation and fact. If you wish to disagree, please use facts.
  74. Re:DD-WRT works, but Linksys WRT54GS chokes 21 Mbp by _Shorty-dammit · · Score: 1

    I was only dealing with wired connections, but no.

  75. Re:DD-WRT works, but Linksys WRT54GS chokes 21 Mbp by _Shorty-dammit · · Score: 1

    Wasn't dealing with wireless. The wired connections were being choked down to ~20 Mbps. The annoying thing is, the firmware the ISP provides on the Cisco DPC 3825 (or the device itself?) makes it so wireless connections cannot see any of the wired connections. So things like controlling an iTunes box via my iPhone and the wireless connection were impossible, because the devices couldn't see each other. This was the only reason I tried to keep my Linksys box connected as before. But now I've worked around that by connecting the Linksys to the Cisco via one of the regular connections, and ignoring the WAN connector on the Linksys, and now Linksys wireless clients can see the wired clients just fine, heh. Stupid ISP. "But can your wireless clients connect to the internet? They can? OK, that's all we care about. Any other issues I can help you with?" heh.

  76. Re:DD-WRT works, but Linksys WRT54GS chokes 21 Mbp by _Shorty-dammit · · Score: 1

    Yeah, this doesn't surprise me. It is pretty old consumer gear now.

  77. Re:DD-WRT works, but Linksys WRT54GS chokes 21 Mbp by _Shorty-dammit · · Score: 1

    Thanks for that link!

  78. Re:Screw dd-wrt by swalve · · Score: 1

    Considering that it barely gets warm with no fans on the processor, I'm betting it is pretty low. The TDP of that p3 chip is 19.1w, and that's if it is running at full blast. The wrt54g is actually warmer to the touch, just sitting there.

  79. Re:Which one is the best and stable for WRT54GL v1 by Shivani1141 · · Score: 1

    the same problem, yes, which leads me to believe it's a hardware fault, which is Why I still applaud the tomato firmware, as it provides me with more features.

  80. Re:People still use dd-wrt? by RoFLKOPTr · · Score: 1

    Fuck dd-wrt. Hasn't everyone switched over to openwrt or tomato these days?

    I'm a Toamto-holic. dd-wrt just would not work properly on my Cisco/LinksysWRT160N V3 despite careful configuration changes etc. In frustration I installed Tomato and it worked first try right out of the gate. I had also used it on an older Linksys router and it never gave me any grief. Its features cover off my needs and it's been completely hassle free. Just my own experience.

    Just an FYI: Newer routers typically need the NEWD2 wireless drivers which old DD-WRT doesn't have. The DD-WRT homepage hasn't been really updated in I don't even know how long and doesn't make any mention of such things. I wrote most of the WRT160Nv3 section of Linksys WRT150N & WRT160N - DD-WRT Wiki after I got mine working and I've never had a problem with it like I had with old WRT54G's. I've never used Tomato and didn't know it was even compatible with the later Linksys models, but if you ever want to give DD-WRT another shot that guide will get you through it.

    I've never had a problem using the latest release from ftp://dd-wrt.com/others/eko/V24-K26/. The current latest isn't actually a global release. Go to 17084 and download the one labelled WRT160Nv3.