OBiTALK Community

What is the Best Router to setup and use with OBi and GV?

Obi website has some recommended routers.if you are a little tech savvy then any router that can be flashed with a third party firmware(DDWRt,Tomato) is a nice router.
in this forum, have not seen people complain about a router flashed with tomato firmware.

i personally use linksys routers and wrt54gl,e2000,e3000 are good ones that work well with Obi

I like the Asus routers, most of them support 3rd party firmware replacements and they are almost impossible to brick since there is an 'emergency recovery" TFTP server in them that can be activated by pushing a button on the router. These routers can be a little more forgiving when modifying them. Like earthtoobi, I think the 3rd party firmware replacements that are available are much better at handling VoIP and other protocols/services.

Dave

What settings do I setup in the third party firmware?

I have DIR-651 WIRELESS N 300 GIGABIT ROUTER does the third party work with my router?

BLACKY,

DIR-651 does not seem supported by Tomato or DDWRT.

http://tomatousb.org/doc:build-types
http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/support/router-database

Which is an easier firmware to use?

Just my opinion, I use the Tomato firmware and highly recommend it. It is easier on the eyes and a lot of features. Read up on it.

http://tomatousb.org/
http://www.linksysinfo.org/index.php?threads/official-tomato-v1-28-released.32461/page-3#post-172648

I just bought Netgear WNR3500 L router which Tomato build should I put on it for the OBi?

Blacky,

I see that your router has USB ports. You should use a Tomato firmware that takes advantage of those ports.

Here is a Matrix you can look at in order to select a mod of the Tomato firmware you would like to use.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato_firmware

You may want a specific feature on that list. I use the Teaddy Bear mod with USB and VPN.
http://tomatousb.org/doc:build-types (Teddy Bear)

QB,

How do you choose the Teddy Firmware is at an option also when I download the Tomato Firmware I see .bin files for Linksys routers models I don't see a general .bin file for other routers?

Blacky,

Just as background info, there are different modified versions of the Tomato firmware. All of them based off the   http://www.polarcloud.com/  version.

If you choose to go with Teddy Bear mod of the Tomato firmware it can be downloaded from this site.
http://tomatousb.org/download

I found these instructions for your router model. Just use the version which suits you.
http://www.myopenrouter.com/article/14430/How-To-Install-Tomato-Firmware-on-NETGEAR-WNR3500L/

You can always reflash to another firmware. Just a warning that routers can be bricked when flashed (meaning they become a useless paper weight).

QB,

When I try to upload the .trx file it says it is not a recognized file? what do I do that is the firmware file name for tomato.trx all tomato firmware have a .trx extension and the instructions don't say anything else to do?

Also does Tomato support WiFi N in the screen shots I see B/G I don't see N?

Blacky,

Rename the extension to the form that your router is expecting. From the above mentioned reference site, in your case it seems to be .chk

http://www.myopenrouter.com/article/14430/How-To-Install-Tomato-Firmware-on-NETGEAR-WNR3500L/

Blacky,

I forgot to mention. If you succeed in flashing the router, leave it alone for about 5-7 minutes. It seems that the upgrade might still be working a few minutes after you flash.

Blacky,

Heads up. Read this. Others asking for a solution about file extension. You may need to to the following to install Tomato on your router:

http://www.myopenrouter.com/forum/thread/17828/How-to-install-Tomato-on-WNR3500L/

Lifted from web site:

In a nutshell:
You cannot flash Tomato right away (DO NOT use Tomato v1.25 no matter what you hear!!!).
1. Download two firmwares:
- the latest DD-WRT mini (I used svn13575): http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/support/other-downloads?path=others%2Feko%2FV24-K2.. ; make sure the file name contains "WNR3500L.chk".
- the latest Tomato 1.27 (I used tomato127-USB-9044MIPSR2-beta06u.04-Ext-TEST.rar): http://sourceforge.net/projects/tomatousb/files/ ; make sure the file name contains "MIPSR2".
"MIPSR2".
2. Flash the DD-WRT mini.
3. Wait, reboot.
4. Rename the Tomato .trx file to .bin and flash that using the DD-WRT firmware you just flashed.
5. Wait, reboot.
6. When up&running, go to this page: http://192.168.1.1/admin-config.asp and erase all NVRAM data.

I am using "v1.27.9044 MIPSR2-beta06u.04 ND USB Ext" at the moment; so far, so good.

@Backy so how is the Netgear WNR3500 L performing until now. I am looking to buy a new router and i see the Netgear WNR3500 L with tomato (teddybear) firmware installed for $59.99. I also would like to ask what do you guys prefer DD-WRT or tomato firmware.

~ V

Veronica,

I've tried both and settled on Tomato for various reasons. The interface is IMO much easier to work with. DD-WRT has alot of bloat (features) which you may never use.

@QB Zappy - What router do you have, i really want to purchase something i won't regreat of, as i'm not in the US i can't send it back if anything happens to it.

~ V

Veronica,

I use a few routers. My favorite is always anything from Asus as they are very difficult to brick when you are installing 3rd party firmware. My current main router is the Asus RT-N16. I believe that our esteemed RonR used the WNR3500. He mentioned that he was happy with it.

I have had the ASUS (RT-N16) Wireless-N 300 since January and I have not had any problems with it.  I have used it with the PAP2NA and the OBi202 without any hiccups.  I picked this one because it also works well with open firmware.  I have NOT liked any of the multifunction routers I owned.

I use it with Dyn-DNS so I can forward direct incoming SIP request.  Factory firmware has just about any feature you could want.  If it doesn't have the feature just add DDR-wrt or tomato and you are golden.

I second the Asus (RT-N66U) and the Netgear (WNDR3700 & the 3500L). The latter two easy to brick if you're not paying attention.

I have had great success with the Amped Wireless High Power Wireless-N  Model R10000. I also use an Amped Wireless High Power
repeater.

I use a Netgear WRN3500l with no vegetables  :D   Stock.

Thanks a bunch to all of you guys, im sold with the Asus RT-N16  ;D  ;)

@QB Zappy for how long do you have the ASUS router, i've been reading and some are complaining about the router being dead after a while, or parts broken. I am thinking on getting it from amazon.com as newegg.com is not that reliable for me as i've hear that they sell refurbished devices without mentioning they are.

I know sometimes its a hit or a miss with this kind of things i just want to hear about your point of view about all this.

~ V

Veronica,

I have 2 Asus RT-N16 units connecting my office to my house using VPN. I have been using and abusing them for the last two years without any issues. Note that this model does not have dual band wireless. The newer more expensive model has this feature. If you don't care for that then the Asus RT-N16 should do fine.

Any router should essentially work.  When I'm looking for a router today, I want one that has dual radios and can use them both at the same time.  One should be 2.4ghz and one should be 5ghz.  if possible (when i use DD-WRT it is) I limit the 2.4ghz antenna to 802.11G and 802.11N, and the 5ghz antenna has 802.11N.

Thus those devices that can connect to the 5GHZ network benefit from less noise (less 5GHZ capable wifi routers out there).

I use DD-WRT because it works on the routers I have and I use WDS mesh networking in my home across 3 routers.

I ordered the asus rt-n16 based on the discussion here since I do not have 5ghz devices for dual band anyway and am experiencing call quality issues. I just want to rule out my old router as a source of eth problem. Is there a good link for setting up tomato when I get this router? Thanks, im not too experienced with flashing to routers yet.

Installing on Asus Routers (RT-N16 and others)
http://tomatousb.org/tut:installing-on-asus-rt-n16

Tomato Firmware/Installation and Configuration
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Tomato_Firmware/Installation_and_Configuration

Note there are several Tomato firmware out there. Since that router has USD you probably want a version that supports it.

A discussion on various versions of the firmware:
http://www.xtremecoders.org/forums/f78/best-tomato-firmware-mod-829/

thanks so much for the links. Router should arrive soon. One question I have about the firmware...is the performance boost only good for a wireless obi to router connection or will the firmware also help if the obi is directly wired to the router. I am experiencing some choppy calls on my old modem so I am hoping this router will improve call quality.

rsnyc,

A wired connection is always better when available. Voip is well within wireless abilities to deliver. Let us know your results.

PS
brush up on the QOS settings. That's the first thing you will need to set up if you want to manage users internet activity over the lan. If your internet is only used for voip you may not need to set up QOS.

You might hear someone in the house complaining "ANYONE DOWNLOADING ANYTHING OFF BIT TORRENT, OR WATCHING YOU TUBE, TURN IT OFF, I'M ON THE PHONE!!!"

My 2 cents (unsolicited :) )

I have a Linksys E4200 v1 with Tomato Shibby and NEVER had any issues with VoIP suffering when I download anything...Strong QoS makes any router worth 10x its value when running Tomato, DD-WRT or similar.
While any router will do for Obi connectivity, being able to set QoS rules is a must. Most manufacturer firmwares suffer from poor QoS implementation, hence my recommendation for Open Source.

Some think Gargoyle (http://www.gargoyle-router.com/) has a good QOS implementation.  ;)

Quote from: QBZappy on December 21, 2012, 07:27:12 PM
rsnyc,

PS
brush up on the QOS settings. That's the first thing you will need to set up if you want to manage users internet activity over the lan. If your internet is only used for voip you may not need to set up QOS.

You might hear someone in the house complaining "ANYONE DOWNLOADING ANYTHING OFF BIT TORRENT, OR WATCHING YOU TUBE, TURN IT OFF, I'M ON THE PHONE!!!"

thanks. I got it setup and installed with tomato but I still get choppy calls. I am having a hard time figuring out how to prioritize with QoS settings or even figuring out how to put the obi at top of priority list. Do you have a screen shot of your setup or can you tell me what I should put for the obi to make it the highest match on QoS?

rsnyc,

Here is a discussion using QOS with Tomato firmware:
Tomato firmware setup on a router
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=1102.0

I have since changed my QOS approach. At the time of discussion I only wanted to open up voip since I don't usually download or have people view sites like Youtube. I have since setup something similar to this other site:
This gives good info on how to set up with screen shots:
How to: Manage Traffic Using Tomato and QoS
http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/3800416/How-to-Manage-Traffic-Using-Tomato-and-QoS.htm

Background info:
What is QoS?
http://vonage.nmhoy.net/qos.html

Easiest thing to try is to prioritize everything from the OBi using it's MAC address (all ports). Make this the first rule. I think the order in which the rules are set up is important.

Take it from there and experiment. Don't forget to do a speed test in order to determine what the 90% values you will be using.

If ever you want to download torrents you will notice that it will be extremely slow, You can remember to turn off the QOS at night while you down load. This will have the effect of opening up the router to whatever app is calling on its resources.