OpenWRT on the Vodafone / Huawei HG556a

jt72

Your original screenshots indicated you put this load on - or one that's similar:
hg556a_backport_12.09-luci.zip

And not the one you just pointed me to and I wasted time on. Thanks!

Which image are you currently trying to get running - send me a new screenshot please.

Stiofain2006

Put wrong link in previous post. It is the one with Luci on it

https://files.myopera.com/danitool/linux/hg556a/hg556a_ath_backport_10.03.1-luci.zip

I think I'm going to go back to factory settings tomorrow. It's definitely something to do with not being able to connect to the hg556a over wifi (regardless if the hg556a is hooked up to the lan)

jt72

I put up a tutorial here, from original firmware but would be pretty much the same as from factory settings.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=87541650#post87541650

You can reset to factory from the web interface at System -> Backup/Flash Firmware and choose Perform Reset.

Stiofain2006

Great tutorial. I know more than just me will benefit from that - thanks! I'm very close now - I can smell it

I think the missing ingredient from before was that I failed to set a default gateway to the ip of the main router. I followed your instructions on the tutorial. I now have one SSID working throughout the house. When I connect to it I get DHCP from the main router and I am getting an ip addy in the 10.0.0XX range. All good but no internet.

I think it might have something to do with the channel overlapping. I saw you made reference to that in the tutorial.

Two questions:
1) I have set the channel set to "auto" on the main router. I have not made any changes to the hg556a in relation to channel. Do I need to do something to either router with respect to channel?

2) I followed your tutorial and I set the DNS on the hg556a to 8.8.8.8. I already have a unblock.us DNS set up on the main router. Seems like a bad idea to have a different dns on both? Should I mirror the same dns on the hg556a or just leave it blank

Thanks again

jt72

When you say you have no internet, that's completely strange. Do ipconfig /all and post all the text from the Interface you're using.

Setting the default gateway on the HG556 only lets that device get to the internet. So, if you want to add a package or if it needs to sync it's time it can access the internet. The same goes for the DNS settings. When the HG556 needs to use DNS, it'll use whatever you set up. If it's not doing media presentation and needing the unblock.us stuff it doesn't matter.

If your wifi channels are the same as your other router, or the same as your closest neighbour, they might be interfering. You can use channel selection to move into cleaner channels. I don't know how well the auto settings work. You'll have to figure out what's best for you.

Stiofain2006

Some success at last. I went back and started from scratch - reset all the settings etc. See ipconfig /all reuslts attached

I say part success as its only working inside the house. I am still getting the 169 ip addy when I plug it in the garage. I know the homelpugs work out there as I have been using them for ages there. I'll try to tinker with homeplugs and see if I can finally get it to work out there (I 'll bring the laptop out and make sure I am getting a good ip when the homeplug is plugged directly into it).

Thanks for everything JT- you have helped me improve my networking knowledge for sure. I was in my in laws earlier and I tried the same set up their and it worked first time (they did not have OPenWrt on their router but I set static ip and changed the gateway and set the same ssid and password on the 2nd router). They are delighted as they don't have to swtich between routers when going from the living room into the kitchen anymore.

Stephen