Dd-wrt

[ft3ssgeek]

Hi guys,
Has anyone here tried using the DD-WRT software on any of their wireless routers? It looks very interesting and I am really intruiged by the idea.
For those who don't know, DD-WRT is a firmware update based on Linux and available for free under the GPL that you can use to replace the firmware on supported wireless routers. Supposedly it offers some great enhancements over the standard firmware offered by the vendors.
I was just wondering if anyone had used it and what they thought about it. I've been considering buying a test router to try it out, but I don't want to waste my money if people have tried it and think it's worthless.

[TheNNS]

I've heard good things about it, how you can turn a $60 router into a $600 router. I'd try it out, expect I don't have money right now.

[mmonaco27]

I used it for a couple of years, but after realizing that I don't really want to use any of the extended features (and to see if I could fix a cable connection that drops periodically) I switched backed to the original Linksys firmware.

There's really no reason not to try it unless you're afraid of flashing your router. It definitely enhances the web interface of the router, adding a few new pages with some increased functionality, but if you have a simple Windows workgroup behind a cable/dsl connection don't expect it to be turned into a high-speed fiber connection.

Some of its features include the ability to create a wireless hotspot (a public branch of your wireless network) in addition to your private wireless network. Users can log in with specified credentials on the fly.
You can restart the router from the web interface.
A lot more Administration and Status pages with much higher control and access to system variables.
Unlimited length of lists such as port forwarding.

DD-WRT seems to be the most popular, but just so you know, there are also a handful of other 3rd party firmwares for the Linksys routers.

[Fest3er]

Hi guys,
Has anyone here tried using the DD-WRT software on any of their wireless routers? It looks very interesting and I am really intruiged by the idea.
For those who don't know, DD-WRT is a firmware update based on Linux and available for free under the GPL that you can use to replace the firmware on supported wireless routers. Supposedly it offers some great enhancements over the standard firmware offered by the vendors.
I was just wondering if anyone had used it and what they thought about it. I've been considering buying a test router to try it out, but I don't want to waste my money if people have tried it and think it's worthless.

See my post in this other thread.

I've been using it for a couple years now: two routers at church (one a regular bridge and one a wireless client bridge) and here at home.

If you are reasonably careful and triple-check yourself before flashing the firmware, you won't hurt anything. And you'll never go back to the OEM firmware.

While you may never use all of the features, there are enough there to make it worthwhile:

• DHCP serving static MAC-based addresses
• PPTP client and server
• RF power control
• several router/bridge/etc. modes
• wireless hotspot services
• more...

A fair number of routers (brands and models) are supported. The PPTP client doesn't work for me right now, but other say they have no trouble with it.

Give it a go. And keep using it if you like it.

N

[witchdoctor]

Highly recommended.

I'm running their "beta" firmware at home right now with no glitches. I have confidently setup DD-WRT for clients, knowing it'll be at least as stable as the stuff it replaced. In one instance, the DD-WRT firmware was more stable than the stock firmware on a Buffalo WHR-G54S. I'm not surprised-- DD-WRT is a mature, earnest development effort that has been going on for several years now.

It won't turn your Linksys into a SonicWALL-- there's no comparison there-- but it transforms a Best Buy cheapie into a powerful, fairly easy to administer routing box.

[DimaYasny]

used it to convert a linksys router into an access point compatible with radius auth on a checkpoint firewall

[TheNNS]

ok, so I've successfuly flashed the firmware with DD-WRT. Now I need to setup the router to be a client to the other router and it is, but I still can't connect to the other network.

[Fest3er]

1. Does it actually connect wirelessly to the other A.P. router?

2. Have you set up the client router as a bridge?

If it connects to the A.P. router, then you have a wireless connection. The other thing I can think of right now is the client router needs to be a bridge. That is, it needs to bridge its wired connections to the A.P. router, rather than functioning as a router. (It's a little difficult to put into words.) A router routes packets between different LANs (LANs with different 'network' addresses. A bridge will, in essence, connect two LANs that have the same network address.

Router:
192.168.20.0/24 -- router -- 192.168.1.0/24

Bridge:
192.168.20.0/24 -- bridge -- 192.168.20.0/24

In a way, a network switch is a bridge; all ports have the same network address, but each port is, effectively, its own LAN. Contrast a switch with a hub, where all traffic goes to all ports.

Setting up your Linksys as a bridge should work. I don't remember if it is necessary to disable NAT as well. And I don't remember if it is necessary to create virtual LANs that encompass the 4 'user' ports and the wireless side. And I don't remember if I did anything with the uplink (WAN) port.

In theory, it should be possible to configure all 5 wired ports as a single virtual LAN (or as an effective switch).

Keep poking it in the eye with a sharp stick. Either you'll figure out how to configure it, or it'll decide that cooperation hurts less. :) :)

N