Padavan's Custom Firmware

[irvsp]

Lost Media Server yesterday on .027 firmware

I opened Issue 676: Lost Media Server .027 full version today on the Padavan site (https://code.google.com/p/rt-n56u/issues/detail?id=676&sort=-id).

Yesterday it was working and I was viewing files on my iPad. Connection was lost. I can NOT see the Media Server now on my PC or with 2 iPad apps? I rebooted the router, no help. This morning I powered it off and on, no help. I re-flashed it with both .027 full versions, no help?

Is there a router problem or any ideas what I can try? FTP to the USB drive works fine?

I've tried putting the USB drive in the 2nd USB port, it is NOT recognized, only on the first...

Is the router bad or do I have another problem?

 

[irvsp]

I opened Issue 676: Lost Media Server .027 full version today on the Padavan site (https://code.google.com/p/rt-n56u/issues/detail?id=676&sort=-id).

Yesterday it was working and I was viewing files on my iPad. Connection was lost. I can NOT see the Media Server now on my PC or with 2 iPad apps? I rebooted the router, no help. This morning I powered it off and on, no help. I re-flashed it with both .027 full versions, no help?

Is there a router problem or any ideas what I can try? FTP to the USB drive works fine?

I've tried putting the USB drive in the 2nd USB port, it is NOT recognized, only on the first...

Is the router bad or do I have another problem?

Well I decide to put on the latest ASUS flash from their site. Lo and behold the Media Server is working fine?

Don't understand why switching between 2 Padavan .027 flashes wouldn't 'reset' something if need be? Wonder if there was a USB DRIVE problem it couldn't handle? I did try deleting the .DMS file and other .TXT files with the server off and that didn't fix it? Changing the Flash to ASUS did? It uses different formats or methods to enable the server I guess?

 

[wanttotree]

new beta

released a few mins ago!
3.0.3.3-038
http://adf.ly/He0rB

 

[kenguru2005]

released a few mins ago!
3.0.3.3-038
http://adf.ly/He0rB

Still wifi hick-ups with this one and my macbook air, so ipv6 issues seem to persist. I switched back / crossover to original Asus Firmware 3.0.0.4.206 (the only build of those newer firmware generation, that does work well with macbook air 2012).

 

[snash22]

released a few mins ago!
3.0.3.3-038
http://adf.ly/He0rB

This is the first firmware I have seen which has boosted the USB speeds.

Wired it went up from 15MB/s to 25MB/s!
Wireless it went from 5MB/s to 6MB/s.

I am discussing the USB speeds in this thread:
Best Firmware for USB Speed

Can the Padavan developers determine why there would be a difference (wired/wireless) in USB speeds when the wireless connection is high quality?

 

[RMerlin]

Can the Padavan developers determine why there would be a difference (wired/wireless) in USB speeds when the wireless connection is high quality?

My guess is, since the weak CPU, less CPU cycles wasted on network traffic means more CPU cycles available for USB transfers and Samba.

 

[snash22]

My guess is, since the weak CPU, less CPU cycles wasted on network traffic means more CPU cycles available for USB transfers and Samba.

I'm watching the CPU Load and I see that for the wired, the CPU Load occasionally hits 99%.

For wireless it peaks occasionally around 80%.

While there is probably more to it, this test doesn't show the CPU as the bottleneck.

The free memory varies around 54MB out of 123MB with both tests.

FWIW - I'm using the micro-build,

 

[RMerlin]

I'm watching the CPU Load and I see that for the wired, the CPU Load occasionally hits 99%.

For wireless it peaks occasionally around 80%.

While there is probably more to it, this test doesn't show the CPU as the bottleneck.

The free memory varies around 54MB out of 123MB with both tests.

FWIW - I'm using the micro-build,

The changelog talks about USB transfer. Samba alone will easily push a CPU to 100% on these routers.

 

[LookInToMyEyees]

Hey folks,

I was wondering if anyone could help me understand the Hardware offload NAT/Routing IPv4: I am not sure what this really is and would like to understand it better. Also should I use the offload TCP/UDP for lan or just TCP? Thank you very much to who ever explains it for me.

 

[eddiec]

http client for optware or entware?

Hi, I'm running Padavan's 3.0.3.3-038 firmware and it's working well. I'm able to use Transmission's web interface and it works fine. I'm wondering if there is also an http client similar to Download Master for optware or entware? I sometimes like to download large files from http links. Thank you.

 

[Shikami]

I was wondering if anyone could help me understand the Hardware offload NAT/Routing IPv4: I am not sure what this really is and would like to understand it better. Also should I use the offload TCP/UDP for lan or just TCP? Thank you very much to who ever explains it for me.

There is another integrated processor within the RT3662 that can handle NAT rather than the host processor. It also can offload other packet processing from the network stack, that again, the host CPU would have to handle. This is what makes the 56U a capable router. Many routers now contain some kind of offloading ability to some extent.

Previously, there was a bug in which a particular UDP packet can cause problem with the router when it was offloaded. However, they fixed it and allowed the option to chose to offload UDP. I do it and it is fine, like I play Battlefield 3 fine. I also would offload wireless. Although, it is not fully offloading it can take some of the processing instead.

If the hardware NAT was not selected the host processor would have to handle every function of packet processing and then also NAT. You get a capable gigabit router down to around 200Mbp/s to 300Mbps router-that is the difference.

 

[Shikami]

Has anyone noticed, with the recent firmware, that the wireless multicast rates are gone? Or is this just a me thing?

 

[ceeKayy]

Has anyone noticed, with the recent firmware, that the wireless multicast rates are gone? Or is this just a me thing?

It's still in the firmware build, just better synced up...the way to set manual rates is to navigate to WIRELESS>PROFESSIONAL and toggle IGMP SNOOPING to "OFF" and it will unlock the Multicast Rate section.

 

[LookInToMyEyees]

There is another integrated processor within the RT3662 that can handle NAT rather than the host processor. It also can offload other packet processing from the network stack, that again, the host CPU would have to handle. This is what makes the 56U a capable router. Many routers now contain some kind of offloading ability to some extent.

Previously, there was a bug in which a particular UDP packet can cause problem with the router when it was offloaded. However, they fixed it and allowed the option to chose to offload UDP. I do it and it is fine, like I play Battlefield 3 fine. I also would offload wireless. Although, it is not fully offloading it can take some of the processing instead.

If the hardware NAT was not selected the host processor would have to handle every function of packet processing and then also NAT. You get a capable gigabit router down to around 200Mbp/s to 300Mbps router-that is the difference.

Still a little confused but thanks I now understand it better than before.

--
Chris

 

[Shikami]

.40 has been released and it is a worthy version as well. These past two have been excellent fixes and additions.

http://code.google.com/p/rt-n56u/downloads/list

It's still in the firmware build, just better synced up...the way to set manual rates is to navigate to WIRELESS>PROFESSIONAL and toggle IGMP SNOOPING to "OFF" and it will unlock the Multicast Rate section.

Ah, ha! Thank you. Perhaps, I need to have a talk with them. We should be able to control the multicast rate to control lowest rate of connection and distance. I wonder what they set it at if IGMP snooping is enabled?

Still a little confused but thanks I now understand it better than before.

Think of it this way. Everything has to be processed. The processors that are in the routers (and in other devices with similar based technologies) are not that fast nor capable. Now, a general rule of thumb for network processing is for 1bit/1second you will need 1Hz. With Gb networking you can see that it can take a lot of processing power. With offloading, the burden of the network stack does not all directly go to the CPU, or a least a good amount of, or a particular percentage does.

Now, with this HW_NAT ability, in particular, it can offload some of the networking stack and also offload the processing of NAT. Which allows the CPU to handle other tasks, or just to at least not to become overwhelmed as a router without this integration. It also makes this router, in particular, capable of high throughput.

This is similar to the Voodoo processor of the 3D days. Until this came out all 3D processing happen via the CPU. Now we have many arrays of FPU's that are excellent at handling that computation that far exceed any CPU ability.

 

[Guz]

3.0.3.3.038 ate my USB drive (NTFS format)

I had some large files to copy and didn't want to do via the network. I unmounted the drive via the web interface (yes I made sure it said it was safe), and took it to my laptop where it said it was now a RAW drive.

I ran Spinrite on the drive to make sure it wasn't completely shot, 24 hours later that and it didn't find any errors.

I'm now running a data recovery program to copy off the contents to another drive. 24 hours into it, and it's almost half way done.

I bounced up to the repository to see if anyone else had reported any issues, and I found that 3.0.3.3.040 had been posted less than 5 min prior. So the router is now updated to. Hopefully I won't run into this issue again.

 

[Shikami]

3.0.3.3.038 ate my USB drive (NTFS format)

I thought you were using EXT? Have you tried EXT4, or only have used EXT3? Did you notice a difference with EXT4 ,if you did, in performance?

 

[Guz]

I've got a small thumb drive as ext3 that holds the minidlna cache/database. But my big drive is, and always has been NTFS.

I keep my big drive as NTFS as I'm a Windows person. I take the drive off the router when I'm doing large file copies. So formatting the drive as ext2/3/4 isn't practical for me. I've tried various drivers/methods to be able to mount ext formatted drives in Windows, they are generally a royal pain in the a$$ (and I'm being kind).

I still don't know why or how the router horked my drive. But I'm on 34 hours in the recovery process. I did break down and bought another drive tonight so I can have a backup when I get done. I still have to figure out a methodology on how I'm going to do the backup and swapping the drives around.

 

[LookInToMyEyees]

Think of it this way. Everything has to be processed. The processors that are in the routers (and in other devices with similar based technologies) are not that fast nor capable. Now, a general rule of thumb for network processing is for 1bit/1second you will need 1Hz. With Gb networking you can see that it can take a lot of processing power. With offloading, the burden of the network stack does not all directly go to the CPU, or a least a good amount of, or a particular percentage does.

Now, with this HW_NAT ability, in particular, it can offload some of the networking stack and also offload the processing of NAT. Which allows the CPU to handle other tasks, or just to at least not to become overwhelmed as a router without this integration. It also makes this router, in particular, capable of high throughput.

This is similar to the Voodoo processor of the 3D days. Until this came out all 3D processing happen via the CPU. Now we have many arrays of FPU's that are excellent at handling that computation that far exceed any CPU ability.

You made it so crystal clear, thank you very much. I understand it. So one more question for you is, if you oflfoad it wouldn't that mean that the CPU that you are offloading it to must be fast? Also Wouldn't offloading it burden the other CPU? Currently I am offloading both TCP and UDP is that to much to offload or what? Thanks for everything once again. I am a gamer so I am trying to find the best offloading settings

--
Chris

 

[Shikami]

So one more question for you is, if you oflfoad it wouldn't that mean that the CPU that you are offloading it to must be fast?

In this case offloading basically will mean that you have a technology/technologies that is/are faster at processing than what would normally be handling the processing of the data. It does not have to be "fast." Define fast anyways. Do you mean instructions-per-clock, clock speed, etc? It has to be better that is all; and usually always is.

For example, many things are being added to x86-64 processors to handle things in hardware, rather than take extra clocks to resolve the code/execution. Like how x64 processors handle x86 emulation in hardware when in long mode than like how the Itanium did its emulation of x86. This is what made x64 popular. Even the upcoming Haswell/4th Gen Core processor will have added instruction that will help it handle Internet protocol/Big Endian better (http://www.realworldtech.com/haswell-cpu/).

Also Wouldn't offloading it burden the other CPU?

Everything has a bottleneck, so technically speaking yes. But I would rather say that the bottleneck(s) would not be experienced easily, or even possibly ever with most users.

Currently I am offloading both TCP and UDP is that to much to offload or what?

No, offload all that you can. That is what it is there for. I play BF3 a lot, and many other games too, and I offload everything but IPv6 without a problem. I still use IPv4 with my ISP, that is why.