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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)."

9 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 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.

    2. 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.
  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. 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.

  4. 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

  5. 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.

  6. 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.