OpenWRT

Sully

Folks im looking to flash a router with OpenWRT. Sadly, my current one is not supported (WRT54G v7) so looking at other routers which will handle it. Looking specifically for the WiFi software that comes bundeled.

Any suggestions on a decent enough router to get? I have a Linksys Wireless Repeater in addition to increase the signal in another building.

mocata

I have used a few of these with dd-wrt and tomato firmware to do a wireless link between buildings. ( 3 mile apart in one case)

http://www.trustedreviews.com/networking/review/2005/09/18/Buffalo-AirStation-G54-Wireless-Router/p1

KeRbDoG

I would second the use of the Tomato Firmware. Easy to setup, not bloatware like DDWRT and looks really nice too.

I've 4 units running this firmware, 2 of them linking two houses together over a good distance.

Sully

Not sure that Firmware offers what I am looking for. I was looking at OpenWRT and another one specifically because they had good WiFi Hot Spot options.

kerbdog: Not use a repeater? What router do you use anyway?

KeRbDoG

Sully wrote: »

Not sure that Firmware offers what I am looking for. I was looking at OpenWRT and another one specifically because they had good WiFi Hot Spot options.

kerbdog: Not use a repeater? What router do you use anyway?

Using Linksys WRT54GL units and one Asus WL-520GU

The ones linking houses together are running in Access Point + WDS mode.

Sully

I'm not sure older versions of Linksys are available anymore.. might try the Buffalo..

Knasher

I got a buffalo whr hp g54 off of ebay recently, can remember the price but it was pretty reasonable. Very reliable router aswell, but you do have to remember to turn down the transmit power when you fist get it because it has an amplifier built in.

Sully

Ya iv heard good things about Buffalo so may give that a go.

KeRbDoG

WRT54GL:
On Dabs - http://www.dabs.ie/products/linksys-by-cisco-wireless-access-point-router-3YRT.html?q=WRT54GL
eBay - http://shop.ebay.ie/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38&_nkw=WRT54GL+

Lots of them Linksys to be had

watty

Tomato and DD-wrt IMO are cut down copies of OpenWRT, it's the original and main development.

I have a linksys WRT54G3G (Maplin USB adapter works in PCMCIA slot) and PCengines Wrap2C board both with OpenWRT (White Russian with XWRT and Kamikaze with LuCi).

The Wrap board type solution is more expensive, but gives 2 x mini-PCI for WiFi, header with 2 x USB host (just add ordinary PC rear panel MoBo adaptor cable), 2 x ethernet (one for WAN, one for LAN) and CF slot for SW. I have a 1G CF card. It also has GPIO header and I2C header for easy adding of SD card or LCD panel. x86 compatible. The WRT54G3G is MIPS cpu. The Wrap boards are obsolete, there is a replacement PCengines board and also the Soekeris is similar.

The "off the shelf" routers quickly run out of RAM & Flash if you are doing more than the basic. If you are only doing the basic, there is little value in loading custom firmware.

I added internal NiMh batteries and serial port to the WRT54G3G and moved the aerial inside to make a portable WiFi hotspot.

Just make sure which ever Router you buy has enough memory for any specialist apps you are adding. I've also used Clarkconnect (CentOS linux) on a PIII with a 2nd Network card and this is easier to setup. I changed to the Wrap board as it's about 1/20th the power consumption.

Sully

Only getting back to this now. Basically I have the WRT54G v7 router. No firmware available on this to make it into a decent hotspot using stuff like OpenWRT or DD-WRT etc. So, I need to look at older WRT54G versions or into other routers.

Mind you, I wonder do any of the Wireless N routers support it. Its a wireless G network and it might be worth upgrading to N, then doing the HotSpot stuff.

watty

Use an Atom allinone Mobo with 2nd ethernet board

Or PC ENGINES ALIX (version with 2 x PCI slots for WiFi cards and two ethernet ports)

Tomato is very limited simplified fork and DD-WRT a commercial fork, both derived and behind OpenWRT.

I've been doing custom OpenWRT gear about 4 years. The biggest issue is you run out of space to add SW. I have a Linksys WRT54 and it is limited in functionality by RAM and Flash. (running White Russian)

I have a older PC Engines card (Wrap 2E ) replacing a PIII with ClarkConnect. It has 1G CF for program and oodles of RAM. Unlike the dedicated Routers it's x86. But the PC engines cards only take about 6W, like a Router rather than 200W of the old PIII or 20W of the Atom board. It's running Kamakaze OpenWRT with LuCi GUI and has been 100% good, more than I can say of any other router I ever ran (6 different Dlinks, sitecom, Linksys, dovado, Netgear, ClarkConnect and others). The Linksys WRT54G3G with WhiteRussian OpenWRt been solid for over a year or more but limited in what I can install by RAM/Flash

I've tested a couple of the PAYG hotspot packages (most off the shelf routers don't have the RAM/Flash space) . These things are normally running on Soekeris or PC Engines cards or else dedicated PCs/Laptops with 2nd ethernet port. Not retail Domestic Router HW.

Note that N is less range and few laptops come with it built in. an N Airpoint might spend a lot of time as 802.11g
With the 2 x miniPCI you can add a g and n and use N to bridge to a 2nd airpoint with N & G too. using 5.8G for the link
My Wrap 2E has a 802.11 a/b/g + turbo G and supports 108 Mbps to my laptop and 54mbps to Archos, 2x Nokia phones, 2 x Linux netbooks, 3x other 54Mbps 802.11g laptops.

The Internet here runs 8Mbps down/1Mbps up, An "N" router isn't going to make the web faster

The USB ports (On Atom/Sokeris/PCengines) under OpenWRT can be used for a Printer, USB HDD, USB Memory Stick, one Web Cam, most USB audio (mplayer!). Even the Maplin Dual USB card on the WRT54G3G PCMCIA slot gives the same, except you run out of package space.

Spear

Sully wrote: »

Only getting back to this now. Basically I have the WRT54G v7 router. No firmware available on this to make it into a decent hotspot using stuff like OpenWRT or DD-WRT etc. So, I need to look at older WRT54G versions or into other routers.

Mind you, I wonder do any of the Wireless N routers support it. Its a wireless G network and it might be worth upgrading to N, then doing the HotSpot stuff.

The WRT350N v2 just got supported. v2.1 still has a kink in the Wifi card driver.

https://forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php?id=12358&p=17

Sully

I am on two minds about OpenWRT and DD-WRT. The interface has me drawn slightly more one direction then the other.

Also, the cost of upgrading to Wireless N (new router, new usb etc). Is it worth it and so on. Still need a bit more research on that.

Either I move to N, or get an older G router that supports the firmware upgrades. I am a fan of Linksys, found their support excellent and products very good. So not sure if I would consider a move to the likes of Netgear or Buffalo etc.

watty

If you want managed HotSpot SW, the domestic routers aren't able (not enough RAM/Flash). I can advise you what to get. It's under €200.

DD-WRT while free, is the commercial less featured fork of OpenWRT used by some Router vendors. It's not as good or as flexible. There is a choice of 3 GUI on OpenWRT, but unless you are doing something odd you be fine with LuCi (the most recent GUI).

Unless everything is N or you have several air points AND more than 20Mbps Internet or a load of Server to WiFI, you don't need N. It can always be added later as ac card or USB dongle to a Board based router, or as a non-Router Airpoint on the ethernet LAN

Sully

Well there seems to be free firmware out there you can put onto various Linksys (and other) routers that allow for decent hotspots. My current router doesnt have the multiple SSID option (guest network/private network idea) but even at that I would prefer more flexibility. It also has to little RAM for flashing. Why pay €200sh if I can get it cheaper?

True, I dont probably need N. I prefer to be up to date on the latest technology though. To upgrade the router and USB dongles, would be expensive and probably not worth it considering I have the range covered nicely. At present the house is fairly well covered and the additional building is covered by a repeater.

watty

Yes, if the Router is OpenWRT /DD-WRT compatible.

But you run out of space to load all the packages you need in practice. The SAME software is loaded on small cheap single board computers (they have case etc too )

Sully

I need to look into the exact packages alright, I was looking more at CoovaAP but OpenWRT/DD-WRT may give me more options.

38141

What about a router that could also operate as a server (this would also the use of VPN software for remote, secure browsing? Is there anything around like that at the minute or that has been mentioned above that supports VPN?

watty

Anything running OpenWRT can do VPN server if the CPU is powerful enough for the encryption/decryption at the speed and has enough Flash & RAM for the packages.

You can run the WiFi & Managment bit of Coova on OpenWRT
There's about 20 pages of packages...

38141

watty wrote: »

Anything running OpenWRT can do VPN server if the CPU is powerful enough for the encryption/decryption at the speed and has enough Flash & RAM for the packages.

CPU - I presume that is the CPU of connecting pc/laptop?
Flash & RAM - are they in the router itself?

cheers

Sully

38141 wrote: »

CPU - I presume that is the CPU of connecting pc/laptop?
Flash & RAM - are they in the router itself?

cheers

He was reffering to the router itself, not the laptop/PC. Plenty of routers out there with little processing power or RAM to handle the flashing etc.

38141

Sully wrote: »

He was reffering to the router itself, not the laptop/PC. Plenty of routers out there with little processing power or RAM to handle the flashing etc.

And plenty o flashers about too who like to flash their knowledge of network hw!

Presumably he's talking about flash memory in this case

What is flashing as it's used here lads?