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Ask Slashdot: Best Flash-Friendly Router To Replace Aging WRT54GS?

Posted by timothy on from the when-you-want-to-control-the-vertical-and-horizontal dept.

New submitter Juggler00 writes "I have been running DD-WRT (v24-sp2) on my Linksys WRT54GS for a couple of years now. I'm now finding that the box cannot keep up with the requests/requirements I have for it--it simply does not have the MIPS/horsepower. I am turning to the collective wisdom of the Slashdot community for 2 things: what alternative firmware should I be using (DD-WRT, Tomato, OpenWRT, or something else?) and based on the answer to this question, what is the suggested router to purchase to flash? My software requirements include DynDNS client, DHCP server providing option 66, static IP assignment based on MAC, port forwarding, and basic QoS (bittorrent lowest priority). For hardware, I'm looking for GigE ports and 802.11N (5.8GHz not a requirement)."

26 of 334 comments (clear)

  1. How many threads like this? by GameboyRMH · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is at least the second, if not the third Ask Slashdot on this subject in the last few months.

    I'll make the same recommendation as before: Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH.

    --
    "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    1. Re:How many threads like this? by GameboyRMH · · Score: 4, Informative

      Also, on firmware: OpenWRT if you want to do something really fancy or unusual, DD-WRT if you just want a feature/reliability improvement.

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    2. Re:How many threads like this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      I'll make the same recommendation as before: Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH.

      I would no longer make that recommendation. Buffalo has silently started shipping WZR-HP-G300NH2 (version 2) models in the old WZR-HP-G300NH boxes. The G300NH2 models have a different Atheros wireless chip which does not work fine under DD-WRT, and hence with its own custom Buffalo firmware. The end result is constant wireless drop outs (BSSID is broadcasting, client shows as connected, but packets go into la-la land). I have tried two different G300NH2 routers and both have the same issue. Buffalo forum is filled with posts about this issue, and what makes it worse, is that Buffalo U.S.A Tech support has no knowledge of this router (version 2) existing, and say that product is only supported in ASIA. DD-WRT firmwares also can't be flashed into this router as it will brick them.

      Disclaimer: I too have a WRT54G(L) router that needs replacement and have already began researching. Going to try Cisco Small Business WRVS4400N-RF due to the number of features it seems to have.

    3. Re:How many threads like this? by GameboyRMH · · Score: 4, Informative

      The N variant has swappable antennas (which the NH doesn't) but no gigabit LAN (which the NH does).

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    4. Re:How many threads like this? by drainbramage · · Score: 5, Informative

      Well, I wasn't buffaloed.
      Forgot about that.
      Nice breakdown here: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/13120

      --
      No brain, no pain.
    5. Re:How many threads like this? by VGPowerlord · · Score: 4, Informative

      I'm glad I bought mine a year ago, then... even if it did take me some time to figure out why my wireless network would randomly shut off.

      Apparently the router will shut off its wireless antennas if it determines another router on a different network is broadcasting on the same channel... and the neighbors were *just* close enough and conditions would be *just* right for that to happen every few days.

      --
      GLaDOS for President 2016! "Well here we are again. It's always such a pleasure." -- GLaDOS, 2011
    6. Re:How many threads like this? by skids · · Score: 3, Informative

      Seconded. Bought one for home. Liked it so much, I had work buy one for a terminal server (via USB hub/dongles.) Running OpenWRT. DHCP, iptables, tc, iproute2, ipset, freeradius, strongswan, perl, all available as precompiled packages. Minus getting oriented on the hardware and with a bit of the config file layout, was easy to configure to do everything my old laptop-based router did, while drawing 1/5th the power and making no noise whatsoever.

      --
      Someone had to do it.
    7. Re:How many threads like this? by Xyverz · · Score: 3, Informative

      I have the WRVS4400N-RF ... and my experience is very very mixed with this device. I have to reboot it at least once a month, and configuring it via the web interface isn't as easy as using Cisco IOS' CLI. It also only does 2.4ghz N, so if you want the 5ghz speeds, you'll need either a seperate AP or router running in AP mode. (I actually have a WRT610N in AP mode for my 5ghz needs.)

      Just my 2c worth.

  2. Deja Vu by dmesg0 · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://ask.slashdot.org/story/11/09/19/0315258/ask-slashdot-good-gigabit-80211n-home-router

  3. Buffalo by zbobet2012 · · Score: 4, Informative

    The buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH meets all of these requirements and ships with DD-WRT. However, as the last, very recent thread mentioned DD-WRT is not well maintained anymore. Your best bets are either TomatoUSB or straightforward OpenWRT. I prefer openwrt because it allows simple configuration of hardware taged vlans.

  4. Netgear WNDR-3700 by Microlith · · Score: 5, Informative

    Or its newer variants. Loaded with OpenWRT, there's nothing you can't do with them. Newer variants have even more flash and RAM.

    1. Re:Netgear WNDR-3700 by manaway · · Score: 3, Informative

      Or its newer variants. Loaded with OpenWRT, there's nothing you can't do with them. Newer variants have even more flash and RAM.

      Except (some of?) the newer variants, particularly the Netgear WNDR-3700 version 3 with the Broadcom chipset, do not run OpenWRT. Yet.

  5. Look at TomatoUSB by PhrostyMcByte · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've been a long-time DD-WRT user, but its development seemed to stagnate. I recently put TomatoUSB on my Linksys WRT160N v1, and it is working wonderfully. The interface is much nicer, and exposes more QoS and bandwidth management features which I've found useful. Check out the TomatoUSB website for a list of routers it supports.

    1. Re:Look at TomatoUSB by Elbart · · Score: 3, Informative

      tomatousb.org isn't the only place, where progress is being made. http://www.linksysinfo.org/ is another one.

  6. ASUS RT-16N / DD-WRT by jipis · · Score: 5, Informative

    I recently put an RT-16N in service in my office running DD-WRT. As the the Internet sez, the stock firmwire is crap, but this thing flies while running DD-WRT.

    1. Re:ASUS RT-16N / DD-WRT by blackC0pter · · Score: 5, Informative

      3rd for this router. I'm using this as a router + qos + asterisk box for the in-laws. I set them up to have all IP phones connecting to this router and then the router registering with vitelity for phone service. Great setup and saves them a lot of money compared to the bells. The router has 128MB of ram and 32MB of flash so it is one of the most powerful and has the most space for adding stuff than most other routers. I also setup a vpn connection to my house and some custom routing so I can directly access their internal subnet from my computers and diagnose if necessary.

      Router is flashed with tomato and then loaded with Optware in order to install asterisk and other addons. Here are some steps to get this done. One side item, the guide for optware has you install it on an external USB drive. But I installed it directly on the /jffs partition so you don't need to add a usb drive. The router has plenty of space to add data to it so I just used this. Also, if you want to do any custom linux commands in tomato, the root os doesn't preserve state after reboot. So be sure to put all the commands you want run in the web gui under administration->scripts. Custom routing commands will need to go there since tomato is limited in the custom routing you can do with the gui (no interface routing? bah)
      --Install tomato: http://tomatousb.org/tut:installing-on-asus-rt-n16
      --Install optware: http://tomatousb.org/tut:optware-installation

  7. Asus makes a good one. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Personally I have become a fan of the Asus RT-N16. VERY fast, TONS of RAM, USB ports for expansion, runs TomatoUSB and DD-WRT. These have been dead on reliable so far (I have one personally, and we use 4 for remote offices at work). The only negative I can say is that the LED's are extremely bright. You won't need a night-light in your living room with one of these, that's for sure.

  8. Linksys E3000 by chis101 · · Score: 3, Informative

    I've been very happy with TomatoUSB on the E3000. Only $60 refurb, or $70 new from NewEgg ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124419 ). Simultaneous 2.4/5GHZ g/n, USB port for NAS/Printer, 64MB RAM, gigabit switch. Only has 8MB flash though, if you were planning on storing lots of programs on it (you would want to put those on a USB flash drive anyway, so I don't think internal flash really matters)

  9. This subject has been beaten to death by funkboy · · Score: 4, Informative

    1: go read smallnetbuilder and decide for yourself.

    2: Mikrotik probably has something you'd be happy with for not a lot of money.

  10. netgear n600 (wndr3800) by Oo.et.oO · · Score: 4, Informative

    is still top of the charts in most regards at smallnetbuilder at reasonable price point and open-firmware compatible

    n750 is a bit faster but way more $$. now someone find me one with good external antenna connectors!

    1. Re:netgear n600 (wndr3800) by loxosceles · · Score: 4, Informative

      wndr3700 or 3800.

      They are atheros based, so there's the issue of occasional wireless drop-outs that may be fixed in openwrt snapshots (check svn changelog for late November '11), but that's a lot better than the wndr4500 and other broadcom SOC devices that are proprietary and difficult to reverse engineer.

      Also, the wndr3700 is hard to brick, and easy to tftp to. There are similar atheros-based devices like the buffalo wzr-hp-g300nh (2.4GHz-only) and ag300nh (2.4 + 5 GHz), but they're harder to flash and maybe have quality control problems on transmit power (some people complain).

    2. Re:netgear n600 (wndr3800) by loxosceles · · Score: 5, Informative

      Oops, the dual band buffalo is wzr-hp-ag300h, not -nh.

      Atheros:
      Netgear wndr3700v1: 8MB flash, 64MB ram
      Netgear wndr3700v2: 16MB flash, 64MB ram
      Netgear wndr3800: 16MB flash, 128MB ram
      Buffalo wzr-hp-g300nh: 32MB flash, 64MB ram (more chance of a lemon than the netgear wndr series)
      Buffalo wzr-hp-ag300h: 32MB flash, 128MB ram

      Broadcom
      Netgear wndr4000: 8MB flash 64MB ram (BCM4718 ?)
      Netgear wndr4500: 128MB flash 128MB ram (BCM4706 ?)
      Linksys/Cisco e3000: 8MB flash 64MB ram (BCM4718 ?)
      Linksys/Cisco e4200: 16MB flash 64MB ram (BCM4718 ?)

      The ciscos from what I've read are very picky about nvram size.

  11. Tp-link Wr1043nd by s4nt · · Score: 4, Informative

    Meets all requirements from the OP.
    runs openwrt and dd-wrt
    4x gigE
    wireless N (no 5GHZ tough)
    USB port
    CPU Atheros AR9132@400MHz
    RAM 32MB
    FLASH 8MB

    http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?model=TL-WR1043ND

    http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/tp-link/tl-wr1043nd

  12. Apple Airport Extreme by Wingsy · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've used several routers in the recent past, and every single one of them would bog down to around 100-300kbps when I had a couple hundred peers connected in a torrent. Then I got an Apple Airport Extreme and now I get my full bandwidth of 15mbps with the same load. That sold me.

    --
    If I didn't have absolutely NOTHING to do, I wouldn't be here.
  13. Re:Jedi? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Natalie..
    oh wait, this thread isnt natalie vs keira vs scarlett,
    it was about hackable routers...
    doh!

  14. Routerboard by weegiekev · · Score: 3, Informative

    I've used Mikrotik Routerboards for years and have been very happy with them. They're very flexible, relatively cheap, and I've not had any issues with reliability. I don't think they run anything like DD-WRT, but their supplied OS is very powerful. Has ssh login for admin and a Cisco IOS like interface.

    The following RB435G should fit your needs:

    3 x GigE ports
    3 x miniPCI slots for wireless (R52nM for 802.11n)
    DynDNS Updates: [Yes]
    DHCP Sever with Option 66: [Yes]
    Static IP based on MAC: [Yes]
    Port forwarding: [Yes]
    QoS support: [Yes]