Asus RT-N66u with TomatoUSB firmware

[darksamus]

Newbie question:

Typically, NVRAM is linked directly to firmware versions and clearing it usually means wiping the current specific settings for that firmware. When I've done this in the past for other electronics, it usually means restoring your settings manually or restoring them from a backup config, which sometimes is also not recommended b/c of changes in the firmware.

In the case of the RT-66u, when you clear the NVRAM, what exactly are you clearing and is there anything you need to restore? For instance setting up a bunch of fixed IPs or tweaks to the power etc..?

Thanks

It clears the configs and you have to reconfigure them. Restoring configs from another version can cause problems.

 

[TonyH]

Newbie question:

Typically, NVRAM is linked directly to firmware versions and clearing it usually means wiping the current specific settings for that firmware. When I've done this in the past for other electronics, it usually means restoring your settings manually or restoring them from a backup config, which sometimes is also not recommended b/c of changes in the firmware.

In the case of the RT-66u, when you clear the NVRAM, what exactly are you clearing and is there anything you need to restore? For instance setting up a bunch of fixed IPs or tweaks to the power etc..?

Thanks

Hi,
It's like a scratch pad. So when one does something with f/w(up/down grade, changing to another build, etc.) better start with clean slate before and after. Also note theoretically NVRAM has life span meaning you can't write/read it forever. But I never experienced this kind of memory wearing
out in real life. But I saw USB flash drive going bad from wearing out. When
it was acting up I had to put the stick in the freezer and managed to dump
the contents B4 it became unreliable. If you hook up a Jtag on a router, you can rebuild the whole thing with right CFE, Kernel, f/w. To a degree you can do a lot using serial console as well. I have an old WRT54GSV3 I play with
thru serial console and/or Jtag. Right now I am looking for reliable USB interface for Jtag.

 

[gattaca]

It clears the configs and you have to reconfigure them. Restoring configs from another version can cause problems.

Ah, hence my questions. Let's be clear. So if I use Toastman's or any other Tomato, spend a few hours setting up my 40+ fixed IP addresses for all my devices, give them human readable names etc.. and make other tweaks such at only certain MACs can use wireless.. and then I upgrade to a new Toastman's Tomato build he releases, all that setup goes POOF and I have to set it up all again? And I should not backup the config and restore it b/c there could be NVRAM changes..

Now I have FW indigestion! Maybe I should flash my unit back to Asus 102 and its warts for now as my biggest one being the 40+ devices, names, fixed IP GUI issue.

Advice from others in this situation or how you handle this please?

?? Thanks ??

 

[WilliamY]

Just reflashed Shibby Tomato v85 AIO, It works great. I'm able to connect my HP Laser print to one of its USB port, and make it works with my Laptop. However, I connect one WD External HDD into another USB port, but I don't see how to make it accessible from my Laptop (Win 7). Obviously, I'm missing some thing, but I don't know, Can anyone help?

Thanks,

William

 

[BailA]

Just reflashed Shibby Tomato v85 AIO, It works great. I'm able to connect my HP Laser print to one of its USB port, and make it works with my Laptop. However, I connect one WD External HDD into another USB port, but I don't see how to make it accessible from my Laptop (Win 7). Obviously, I'm missing some thing, but I don't know, Can anyone help?

Thanks,

William

Share with Samba

 

[darksamus]

Just reflashed Shibby Tomato v85 AIO, It works great. I'm able to connect my HP Laser print to one of its USB port, and make it works with my Laptop. However, I connect one WD External HDD into another USB port, but I don't see how to make it accessible from my Laptop (Win 7). Obviously, I'm missing some thing, but I don't know, Can anyone help?

Thanks,

William

You're not having any wifi issue with 085V? I had problems with the speed so I rollback to 083V.

 

[WilliamY]

You're not having any wifi issue with 085V? I had problems with the speed so I rollback to 083V.

I haven't test the wireless yet, Whats your problem btw?

 

[WilliamY]

Share with Samba

Yes. I did exactly the same as yours, except the Workgroup name is WORKGROUP, same as my Win7, but I don't see the HDD, where shall I suppose see this external drive?

Thanks,

William

 

[WilliamY]

For wireless, I noticed that on the Overview page, my 5ghz rate drop from initial 450mbps to 65mbps for no reason, the Channel is set to 56-5.280Ghz, Channel width is 40Mhz, and Tx Power was set to 70mW.

Any reason why the rate drop from initial 450mbps to 50-70mbps?

 

[RogerSC]

Not sure why your speed dropped, but try to use the highest numbered channels available on 5GHz., like 161.

What may have happened is that while it connects at 450Mb/s, when you actually start transferring data, it goes down to the actual speed.

 

[WilliamY]

Not sure why your speed dropped, but try to use the highest numbered channels available on 5GHz., like 161.

What may have happened is that while it connects at 450Mb/s, when you actually start transferring data, it goes down to the actual speed.

Tried 161 but same. I think you are right, it could be going down to the actual speed. But, why it dropped to the LAN speed? its really the wifi thing, shouldn't be related to LAN speed?

BTW, my QoS is enabled, but it shouldn't affect th wireless rate, right?

Thanks.

 

[darksamus]

For wireless, I noticed that on the Overview page, my 5ghz rate drop from initial 450mbps to 65mbps for no reason, the Channel is set to 56-5.280Ghz, Channel width is 40Mhz, and Tx Power was set to 70mW.

Any reason why the rate drop from initial 450mbps to 50-70mbps?

Mine does it. I think it is normal. It only shows what is TXing when a client is connected. If plug a 300mbps adapter to a client and start streaming, the router will show a transmit of between 240mbps - 300mbps.

 

[WilliamY]

Mine does it. I think it is normal. It only shows what is TXing when a client is connected. If plug a 300mbps adapter to a client and start streaming, the router will show a transmit of between 240mbps - 300mbps.

Ah, that makes sense. It really depends on the client adapter.

Thanks.

 

[TonyH]

Mine does it. I think it is normal. It only shows what is TXing when a client is connected. If plug a 300mbps adapter to a client and start streaming, the router will show a transmit of between 240mbps - 300mbps.

Mine is set at channel 40 with 40MHz B/W. Streaming movie real time it maintains 210 - 270mbps with signal level of ~50dbm steady. I wish they published tuned frequency of antenna sticks. It should work best at that frequency. Maybe they design them for middle of the band spectrum? If I move the laptop to loft where the router is located, it shows solid 300MHz with signal
level of ~19dbm. Just about same with 2.4GHz radio as well. I think it does not matter once signal level stays over certain point. (Quieting point?)

 

[WilliamY]

Mine is set at channel 40 with 40MHz B/W. Streaming movie real time it maintains 210 - 270mbps with signal level of ~50dbm steady. I wish they published tuned frequency of antenna sticks. It should work best at that frequency. Maybe they design them for middle of the band spectrum? If I move the laptop to loft where the router is located, it shows solid 300MHz with signal
level of ~19dbm. Just about same with 2.4GHz radio as well. I think it does not matter once signal level stays over certain point. (Quieting point?)

I guess my iPad2 doesn't have such higher speed. BTW, Whats 'B/W' stand for?

Thanks

 

[darksamus]

I guess my iPad2 doesn't have such higher speed. BTW, Whats 'B/W' stand for?

Thanks

Are you refering to bwlimit under 'device list'? It sets the bandwidth limit from/to the client.

 

[WilliamY]

Are you refering to bwlimit under 'device list'? It sets the bandwidth limit from/to the client.

TonyH mentioned on hist post 'Mine is set at channel 40 with 40MHz B/W', so I'm just wondering that what B/W is

William

 

[RogerSC]

Could be "by the way"?

 

[ArCan]

Mine does it. I think it is normal. It only shows what is TXing when a client is connected. If plug a 300mbps adapter to a client and start streaming, the router will show a transmit of between 240mbps - 300mbps.

I think you are absolutly right.
And even more, the figures shown on Overview page in Rate line 216, 243 or 300 and so on
don't show real speed of WiFi connection!
inSSIDer program show even 450 ! And doesn't matter how many show Tomato GUI.
Much important REAL speed of connecton.
In my opinion only Bandwidth page in GUI can show the quality of my WiFi and real speed.
For me it's ~10 MB/s or 80 Mbps and never see more in Bandwidth graphics (even with distance around 1 foot)
when I do downloads from NAS via routers to several PC's and laptops via WiFi :-(
But I always see 300Mbps (or 37.5 Mb/s (!!!)) in Tomato GUI on Overview page when WiFi in use.

 

[RogerSC]

TonyH mentioned on hist post 'Mine is set at channel 40 with 40MHz B/W', so I'm just wondering that what B/W is

William

Or maybe "bandwidth"?