Routers asus rt n16. Setting up and connecting ASUS RT-N16. Checking Internet connection status

The number of computers and computerized equipment filling our homes is increasing. Therefore, organizing a home local network has not been an innovation for a long time; rather, it is simply a necessity.

As a rule, the provider provides one cable connection, less often a connection to a city wireless network. Naturally, it is possible to run a cable for each device in a house or apartment, but just imagine what it will look like.

An important factor is that most mobile computers, such as smartphones, netbooks, tablets, and Chromebooks cannot connect to the network using a cable at all. The only way out of all these situations is to purchase and configure a network router. The router will be able to connect absolutely any equipment via cable and wireless connections.

Router characteristics

There are many types of network routers. However, the not very expensive ASUS RT N16 model, which has excellent characteristics, is perfect for organizing a home network.

Among the main differences, it is worth highlighting the differences between similar and competitive models:

Simply put, the router implements all the necessary functions and supports all known connection and encryption protocols. Therefore, if you configure ASUS RT N16 correctly, it will provide continuous and high-quality connection to any provider.

Connection

Before you begin setting up the router, you need to ensure that at least one computer is connected to it via an internal local network. It is also advisable that the provider's cable is already connected, since this is the only way to check that the settings are correct. There is nothing complicated about connecting a router, and it is completely similar to other devices.

The connector for connecting the cable coming from the provider is most often labeled as WAN (wide-area network) or Internet and is marked in blue on some models. As for the ports for creating a home network, they are positioned as LAN (local) and can be yellow (usually there are four of them).

In order to start setting up, we connect the cable coming from the provider to the WAN port, and connect one of the home computers via a local network (to a LAN port) or via Wi-Fi (wireless). It is worth knowing that in unconfigured Asus routers, the wireless connection will be called “Default”. The connection password is indicated on the back of the ASUS RT N16, and may also be contained in the documentation or on the box.

Login via Web interface

Each network device has its own firmware, called firmware. It determines what the router configuration interface will look like, as well as the initial settings for the local network.

If ASUS RT N16 was purchased recently and its firmware is factory installed, then the device’s IP address will be 192.168.1.1, accordingly it will be assigned to your computer as a gateway for accessing the Internet and as a DNS server for receiving and decrypting domain names.

By typing the router address in any browser, you will need to enter authorization data to change the settings. This data can also be viewed on the back of the device or on the box.

Most often, verification data such as username (login) and password (password) are used to enter the settings for the first time:

login: admin;
password: admin.

Depending on the model, the password may sometimes be “1234” or an empty field (you just need to press “Enter”).

Setting up different connection types

After identification, a quick setup window will appear. To go to detailed and professional parameters, you need to click the “Advanced” button.

If all the settings for accessing the network are issued by the provider, then you don’t have to change anything. In this case, your router will receive the settings automatically (via DHCP). However, this type of connection is rarely used by providers.

Photo: dynamic IP is selected by default

Other connection types are in the WAN port settings. You can change the connection type from dynamic (where IP settings can change) to static (settings are specified manually, but no additional connections are required).

If an additional connection is required, then there are the following possible protocol options, the individual settings of which can be clarified with your provider:

To connect using the PPTP type, you need to provide the following information:

To connect using the L2TP type, you need to provide the following information:

corresponding password;
enter the dns of the provider, if the server name for the connection is specified and the dns is not issued automatically;
server name or IP address.

To connect using PPoE type, you need to provide the following information:

login (username) connection;
corresponding password;
enter the dns of the provider, if the server name is indicated;
if you need a static connection to a WAN port, set the ip, mask, gateway;
when authorizing on the server using the MAC address, enter the data;
set the name of the access concentrator (in the form of ip or server name);
the name of the service that receives authorization rights.

Depending on the provider, the connection can be made with general static or dynamic settings for each of these protocols. However, each of them is different from the other and requires slightly different data for authorization on the server, which provides further access to the Internet.

For example, if you configure the ASUS RT N16 router for Beeline, then an L2TP connection is used. You need to select the appropriate type for the WAN connection. After this, you will need to specify local settings (if necessary) for accessing the network, as well as identification settings on the server (login, password and server name or IP).

Photo: setting up the ASUS RT N16 router for Beeline

In the case when the provider provides a PPoE connection, most often the settings are issued by the DHCP server, but authorization on it is required. Therefore, you do not need to cancel automatic IP acquisition for the WAN port, but you must specify a username and password in order for the server to let you pass further (widely used in networks with free access to the local network, but time or resource restrictions to the global network).

Turning on and setting up Wi-Fi

Setting up and managing wireless communication with the router is in the corresponding tab.

To connect to Wi-Fi you need to do the following:

assign an SSID for the Wi-Fi network. This is done in order to recognize your network among hundreds of others if you live in an apartment building;
select the encryption type and user verification method;
assign a password (at least 8 characters);
if you need to change the channel width and number (it is recommended to change the number when the Wi-Fi network is very busy and the connection is interrupted);
If necessary, you can hide the SSID (network name), but this is not recommended as there may be problems with connecting some devices.

It is recommended to use the original name to avoid conflicts in the future. If you have routers named ASUS at home, at work, or in a cafe, you will always have to delete the connection and create it again, or delve into its settings to change the authorization data.

It is also better to set a password so that neighbors cannot use your Wi-Fi connection. It is important to set the best encryption settings and a complex password, since there are many hacking programs. Hacking your home network is fraught not only with the use of traffic by unauthorized persons, but also with the possibility of intercepting data and changing router settings.

If all home devices are equipped with modern wireless communication modules, you can specify that only N-format communications are used. There is no need for the router to fill up its memory with support for other connections if they are not needed.

Photo: Changing wireless settings

After making changes, it is important to remember to save the settings by clicking the “Apply” button.

Setting up IPTV on the ASUS RT N16 router

The IPTV function is becoming more and more popular every day. This option allows you to view television channels using a local or global network. In the first case, this service is provided by the provider, in the second - special Internet services.

To view you will need a special program or application for your mobile computer. Depending on the operating system you are using, the names and installation process may vary.

In order for ASUS RT N16 to properly transmit multi-stream video, which is used to implement the IPTV broadcast function, you must enable the following items in the routing settings:

use DHCP routes;
enable multicast routing.

Photo: adding permissions for multi-stream video transmission

You should be aware that using Multicast technology greatly clogs the network channel, so it is recommended to limit it to a third of the total connection speed. Otherwise, data transmission over the internal local and wireless networks may become unavailable.

Since the provider provides widescreen IPTV television, and the connection speed is 100 Mbit/sec, we select the average value - 36. You can experiment with the option, but be careful if connecting to the router is only possible via a wireless network.

Photo: limiting the traffic used by Multicast streams

Reset

If an error was made when entering the settings, and the question arose - how to reset the parameters, then you can always reset them using the appropriate router settings function.

To do this you need:

go to the “Administration” tab;
go to the settings control point;
click the “Restore” button.

If you changed the administrator password and then forgot it, and now you cannot access the settings, hold down the “Reset” button and hold it for 5 seconds, then reboot the device. After reboot, the settings will be reset.

Photo: resetting the router with a special button

Changing the factory password

In order to ensure security of access to the router settings, you need to change the password to a more complex one.

To do this you need:

open the “System” tab;
select “Administration”;
enter the authorization data that was used before, as well as the new login and password.

Video: Setting up a Wi-Fi router

Firmware update

If the device's factory firmware does not contain certain functions that you need to implement, you need to try installing another firmware. First of all, you can try the regular update and use the latest version for your device from the official website.

But if you want to do something that official firmware cannot provide, for example, organize a secure VPN tunnel inside your local network, or even give access from the world to use your PPTP connection (if you have an external IP), you will need firmware from a third-party developer.

For example, for the functions described above, you can use merlin or more modern official firmware. When choosing a download site, try to use official resources. Also, do not forget about the revision of your router when choosing firmware.

In order to update the firmware you need to:

go to the “Administration” item in the router settings;
select the “Firmware Update” tab;
indicate the location of the file with the previously downloaded new firmware and click the appropriate button.

The ASUS RT N16 router is perfect for organizing a home network or can be used in production with a small number of local connections. Thanks to its high functionality and many supported standards, it can be called the best in its price category.

Hello today, we will talk about setting up a powerful router from Asus, model rt n16. This model is one of the powerful models of the Asus family, which has three antennas for large Wi-Fi coverage. Asus rt n16 has the ability to connect USB devices, such as a removable drive, printer, 3g modems, etc. In this article we will try to consider the most popular aspects of setting up an Asus router. We will also learn how to change the firmware of this model, and find out where to download new firmware for asus rt n16 on the official website. Content

Video review

Connecting asus rt n16

For the initial setup of the bottom router, I recommend connecting it to a computer or laptop via wire, this will protect you from unnecessary problems. Also, if you make a mistake somewhere in the settings and cannot determine the location of the error, you can reset the router to factory settings. Connection:

We connect the power supply - insert it into the connector on the router and turn it on to the outlet with 220v
We take the short wire included in the kit (Patch cord). Connect one end to any of the LAN ports (highlighted in yellow on the router), and connect the other end of the wire to the computer’s network card.
Then we take the provider’s wire (the Internet wire going into the apartment from the corridor or street), and insert it into the WAN port (It is marked in blue on the router). Also, if your Internet is not wired, but for example via a 3g modem, then insert it into any of the USB ports.

Reset settings to default. Forgot my router password

In some cases, such as forgot the password for the router, or made a mistake in the settings somewhere. You will need to reset the settings on the router to default. In the asus rt n16 model this is implemented more simply than in some routers. To do this, you will need, in a key-connected (220V) router, to press the “Reset” button and hold it for 20-30 seconds. After this, wait until the router restarts and you can start reconfiguring.

Brief description of the flashing indicators on the front panel

PWR– This is the power light, if it is on, it means that the router is working, if it is not on, after turning on the router, it means that it is not working (In this case, check the power supply, if the power supply is working properly, then you need to take the router to service center) . If the light is blinking, then a system error has occurred (try turning off the power to the router and turning it back on, you can also try resetting the settings to standard.)
WLAN– The Wifi icon, when it blinks, everything is fine, the data is being transferred successfully. If it doesn’t blink, it’s just lit, there’s a system error, you should reboot the router (just turn it off and then on). When it doesn’t light up or blink, it means that WiFi is disabled, you need to turn it on (how to fix this is described below).
LAN (1-4)– When your Computer is connected to the router in one of the LAN ports, the corresponding indicator blinks.
WAN– This indicator lights up when the provider’s Internet cable is connected to the WAN port (which is blue) and data is successfully transmitted; if it doesn’t light up when the wire is plugged in, this means that the wire is damaged, or the provider has turned off the signal (stopped providing the service).

Login to the router configuration interface

To enter the configuration interface of the asus rt n16 router, open any browser (Opera, Mazila, Yandex browser, Google Chrome, etc.), in the address bar we type the router address 192.168.1.1. The authorization window will open, enter the Username –admin, password – admin. And click “Login”. During the initial setup of Asus routers. The Quick Settings window opens, this is not necessary. We will fix everything directly from the interface. So we abandon the quick setup, refresh the page again, or click on the button to go to the router interface. In different firmware it looks different, in mine it looks like a house. The router configuration interface will open:

Changing the default password

Many people who write about router settings advise changing the standard password. In my opinion, this is an extra hassle, with remembering the password, and if you forget it, all you have to do is erase all the settings and reconfigure the router. I believe that it is enough to set a password only for WiFi. But if for some reason people you don’t trust connect to your router, then you should change the password. To do this, you will need to go to the “Administration” section, and in the paragraphs

Username for the router
New Password
Re-enter your new password

Enter your values, just don't forget to write them down.

Internet setup rt n16, various connection types

Setting up Dynamic connection type Rostelecom Udmurtia, Volya, TDK-Ural, Kievstar, Triolan

Dynamic IP connection type is set by default in the router settings, so if your provider uses this particular type of connection, you don’t need to configure anything. The Internet should work immediately after connecting. But sometimes you need to check for this, go to the “Internet” menu section, in the Type-WAN-connection field, select “Automatic IP”. Then be sure to check “Yes” in the “Enable WAN” and “Enable NAT” fields. You can also “enable UPnP” and put a dot on “Yes” - we’ll fix this so that we don’t have problems with working with file hosting services. Some providers tie the receipt of IP to the computer's poppy address. In order not to suffer for a long time with the operator of the provider, change the poppy address in their database. You can simply change it to the one you need, just change it to the one you need. To do this, on the same tab there are “MAC address” fields. You need to indicate in it the MAC address of the computer on which the Internet was configured; if the router is configured on a computer that is connected to the Internet, you can click on the “Clone MAC” button. After all the settings, click on the “Apply” button.

Setting up the PPTP connection type – Aist Tolyatti, UfaNet (UfaNet), Ukraine Fregat

This type of connection is one of the most popular among providers. It uses a secure connection using a login and password, and also requires a connection using a VPN server. To configure, go to the “Internet” section and select “WAN connection type” from the “PPTP” drop-down menu. After this you need to fill out the main fields:

Username – Your login with the provider, written in the contract, or find out from your provider’s support.
Password – also specified in the contract or technical support.
VPN server – must also be specified in the contract. If there is no contract and you do not know your settings, then call the provider’s technical support.
Also, if your provider binds the connection to the computer’s MAC address, enter it in the special “MAC address” field. (Described in more detail in the Dynamic IP setting above)

The rest of the settings are unchanged. To save the settings, click “Apply”.

Setting up L2TP connection type for Beeline

This type of connection in configuration is no different from PPTP, but is an improved method of communication. Let's look at an example Setting up asus rt n16 Beeline:

Select “WAN connection type” - L2TP
Enter the Username - Beeline agreement number, the password is the same as when entering your personal account.
VPN server – tp.internet.beeline.ru.

Save the settings by clicking on the “Apply” button.

Setting up the PPPoE connection type – Rostelecom, Volya

This type of connection requires entering a login and password, but does not require entering the VPN server. Select PPPoE from the “WAN connection type” menu. Then we only need to enter the Username - login according to the contract, and the password - see also in the contract, if there is no contract, then call technical support. We leave the remaining settings unchanged. After that, click on the “Accept” button.

Setting up a 3g Internet connection - MTS, Megafon

This router has the ability to configure the Internet via a 3g modem. To set up this type of Internet connection:

Go to the “USB Application” section
Select the item “3G/4G”

In the window that opens, you need to fill in the data. We need to select a country (in order for the router to offer us a list of 3g/4g operators). Now in the “IPS” section we will select the operator of our 3g/4g modem. Then we will enter the data that is needed when connecting to this operator (for example: “Dial number”, “User name (Login)”, “Password”). Then click “Accept”. The figures below show an example of connecting to the Intertelecom operator in Ukraine.

Setting up a WiFi network on the asus rt n16 router, setting or changing the WiFi password

After we checked the Internet and made sure that everything was in order. You can start setting up Wi-Fi on the Asus RT N16, go to the “Wireless Network” tab. Here we need to fill in the required fields with data, SSID - network name, you can specify any word in Latin. To set or change the password on WiFi, you need to fill in the fields, “Authentication method” - be sure to set WPA2-Personal, “WPA Pre-Shared Key” - specify the password for your network, no less than 8 characters. Click the “Apply” button.

Asus rt n16 router address, changing the internal network address

Sometimes for the router to work correctly, it is necessary to change the internal network address (router address). The default address on all Asus routers is 192.168.1.1. But for example, if you are going to connect two Asus routers in succession, an address conflict will arise. To avoid this, you just need to change the internal address of the router. To do this, you only need to change one parameter. Go to the “Local Network” section and in the “IP address” field change it to, for example, 192.168.0.1. And click on the “Apply” button. Now you will be able to access the router settings at the address you specified.

Software update, firmware change for asus rt n16 router

I will try to explain in detail the process of updating the firmware on the asus rt n16 router. First, we need to download the firmware from the official website, here is the link https://www.asus.com/ru/Networking/RTN16/HelpDesk_Download/ If you go to the page in the “Drivers and Utilities” section, in the “OS” item, select our operating system After select the operating system, for example “Windows 7 32bit”, a list of files will appear, select “Software”. From the list that appears, select the latest firmware version. Download by clicking on the “Global” link. To a place convenient for you. Don't forget to unzip the archive. After downloading the firmware, we will move on to setting up the router. First, let's look at the instructions for the old firmware versions 1.x.x.x or 2.x.x.x (these are all versions with a blue-blue interface). To begin, let’s enter the interface in the address bar and type the router address 192.168.1.1 (or yours, I wrote the explanation above). Login and password admin/admin. Select “Advanced settings” -> “Administration” -> “Firmware update”. Here we click on the “Select file” button, find our downloaded unzipped file, select it and click “Open”. After that, click on the “Submit” button and wait a couple of minutes until the firmware is installed; you will need to re-login and reconfigure the router. Now let's look at how to update the latest firmware version 3.x.x.x. Let's start by entering the setup interface. To do this, enter 192.168.1.1 in the address bar of any browser. Password and login admin/admin. Now go to the “Administration” tab and select the “Firmware Update” tab. Click on the “Browse” button, look for our unzipped file, select it and click on the “Submit” button. After this, we wait a while until the firmware is completely installed. For clarity, I suggest watching the video.

Router characteristics

There are many types of network routers. However, the not very expensive ASUS RT N16 model, which has excellent characteristics, is perfect for organizing a home network.

Among the main differences, it is worth highlighting the differences between similar and competitive models:

Connection

Login via Web interface

Each network device has its own firmware, called firmware. It determines what the router configuration interface will look like, as well as the initial settings for the local network.

If ASUS RT N16 was purchased recently and its firmware is factory installed, then the device’s IP address will be 192.168.1.1, accordingly it will be assigned to your computer as a gateway for accessing the Internet and as a DNS server for receiving and decrypting domain names.

By typing the router address in any browser, you will need to enter authorization data to change the settings. This data can also be viewed on the back of the device or on the box.

Most often, verification data such as username (login) and password (password) are used to enter the settings for the first time:

login: admin;
password: admin.

Depending on the model, the password may sometimes be “1234” or an empty field (you just need to press “Enter”).

Setting up different connection types

After identification, a quick setup window will appear. To go to detailed and professional parameters, you need to click the “Advanced” button.

If an additional connection is required, then there are the following possible protocol options, the individual settings of which can be clarified with your provider:

To connect using the PPTP type, you need to provide the following information:

To connect using the L2TP type, you need to provide the following information:

corresponding password;
enter the dns of the provider, if the server name for the connection is specified and the dns is not issued automatically;
server name or IP address.

To connect using PPoE type, you need to provide the following information:

login (username) connection;
corresponding password;
enter the dns of the provider, if the server name is indicated;
if you need a static connection to a WAN port, set the ip, mask, gateway;
when authorizing on the server using the MAC address, enter the data;
set the name of the access concentrator (in the form of ip or server name);
the name of the service that receives authorization rights.

Turning on and setting up Wi-Fi

Setting up and managing wireless communication with the router is in the corresponding tab.

To connect to Wi-Fi you need to do the following:

assign an SSID for the Wi-Fi network. This is done in order to recognize your network among hundreds of others if you live in an apartment building;
select the encryption type and user verification method;
assign a password (at least 8 characters);
if you need to change the channel width and number (it is recommended to change the number when the Wi-Fi network is very busy and the connection is interrupted);
If necessary, you can hide the SSID (network name), but this is not recommended as there may be problems with connecting some devices.

After making changes, it is important to remember to save the settings by clicking the “Apply” button.

Setting up IPTV on the ASUS RT N16 router

To view you will need a special program or application for your mobile computer. Depending on the operating system you are using, the names and installation process may vary.

In order for ASUS RT N16 to properly transmit multi-stream video, which is used to implement the IPTV broadcast function, you must enable the following items in the routing settings:

use DHCP routes;
enable multicast routing.

Reset

If an error was made when entering the settings, and the question arose - how to reset the parameters, then you can always reset them using the appropriate router settings function.

To do this you need:

go to the “Administration” tab;
go to the settings control point;
click the “Restore” button.

Changing the factory password

In order to ensure security of access to the router settings, you need to change the password to a more complex one.

To do this you need:

open the “System” tab;
select “Administration”;
enter the authorization data that was used before, as well as the new login and password.

Video: Setting up a Wi-Fi router

Firmware update

But if you want to do something that official firmware cannot provide, for example, organize a secure VPN tunnel inside your local network, or even give access from the world to use your PPTP connection (if you have an external IP), you will need firmware from a third-party developer.

In order to update the firmware you need to:

go to the “Administration” item in the router settings;
select the “Firmware Update” tab;
indicate the location of the file with the previously downloaded new firmware and click the appropriate button.

We continue to review Ethernet routers that are relevant for the first half of 2010. Today in our laboratory we have the top model from ASUS - RT-N16. It is equipped with gigabit WAN and LAN ports, a built-in 802.11n wireless access point and two USB 2.0 ports for connecting external devices.

In addition to this, today this manufacturer also offers simpler devices. In general, the range includes more than a dozen models.

The ASUS brand today continues to be one of the most popular in our market and many new products, no matter what area they belong to - from laptops to video cards, arouse the interest of users. In most cases, the product turns out to be of really high quality both in design and technical characteristics. However, traditionally in our country you have to pay a significant amount for a brand. Let's see if the model in question justifies its cost of about $200.

Contents of delivery

The device comes in a familiar cardboard box. The design is quite colorful, but there are only a couple of phrases in Russian. If you speak English, you will be able to familiarize yourself with the appearance, functionality, specifications, use cases and proprietary technologies used by the manufacturer.

The kit includes a router, a switching power supply (12V 1.25A), a patch cord, three removable antennas, a warranty card and brief installation instructions. Apparently there should still be a CD, but previous reviewers apparently lost it.

So we used the manufacturer's website and downloaded a manual in Russian, new firmware and a set of utilities.

Appearance

In appearance, the leader of the current product line is practically no different from the 500 series, popular several years ago. In particular, the WL-500W is practically a twin brother when turned off.

The white matte body and silver insert along the contour still look good today. We also note the perforation on all sides - the powerful filling clearly requires good cooling, preferably passive. 21.5 × 16.1 × 4.2 centimeters is not such a large size for this class of devices. Separately, we note the elements provided by the design for vertical mounting on the wall. In our opinion, this is a mandatory option for home wireless routers.

On the front end there are all indicators - status, Wi-Fi, WAN, 4×LAN. They are exclusively blue in color and do not illuminate the apartment very much in the dark, although their work can be seen not only from the panel but also from the aforementioned perforation on the body.

All connectors are located at the rear: power supply input, one WAN and four LAN ports, three antenna connectors, two USB ports. There are also reset and WPS settings buttons. The location of the latter is somewhat controversial. Still, to conveniently connect new wireless devices to the network, it would be better to have it on the front side or at least on the side. But not between antennas, wires and USB cables.

Filling

The basis of the device in question is the Broadcom BCM4718 processor, which, according to the manufacturer’s specifications, operates at a frequency of 533 MHz. The figure is controversial, since through the console in the logs you can see 453 MHz. However, frequency is of course important, but still not the main parameter. The chip is covered with a small needle-shaped heatsink; during operation it heats up relatively little. But in any case, the ventilation grilles must be left open. The system uses a fairly large amount of RAM - 128 MB in two Samsung chips. The firmware is stored in a 32 MB flash chip.

The operation of the network ports is controlled by the Broadcom BCM53115SKFBG switch. Despite the specifications and even the corresponding item in the Web interface, the device cannot work with Jumbo Frames. Moreover, this also applies to the LAN segment, which is quite offensive.

The main part of the radio unit is integrated into the processor. 802.11n standard is supported. The operating frequency of this device is only 2.4 GHz. Judging by the circuit design, it uses a 3x2 format rather than a symmetrical 3x3.

In general, there are no comments about the workmanship. The progress in miniaturization is also surprising - the printed circuit board takes up about ¾ of the internal space.

We also note the console connector present on the board. He even had his contacts signed. Perhaps this is a feature of the test sample. But since the RT-N16 has “official” telnet access and a firmware recovery utility, you will rarely need to use it.

Settings and functionality

Before starting testing, we traditionally turned to the company’s website to update the router software and installed the latest version available at the time of testing from April of this year - 1.0.1.2.

At first glance, the device's interface is noticeably different from most similar models. The fact is that the first page that the user sees is a graphical map of the network, and all detailed settings are hidden in the menu. The model in question has a full Russian translation of the interface; in addition, interactive help on menu items is provided, also in Russian.

The map displays your current Internet connection, local clients, and USB devices. You can click on each of the icons presented, and then on the right side of the main window, selection points for some parameters corresponding to the selected element, which the manufacturer considered the most important, will appear. For example, the wireless network name and encryption key or safely disabling the drive.

On the left, in addition to the “Network Map” button, there are four more - “UPnP Media Server”, “AiDisk”, “EzQoS Bandwidth Management” and “Advanced Settings”. The first of these relates to the built-in media server, which uses USB drives to index video, music and photo files. Actually on this page you can only enable or disable the service. There are no specific settings for it. We will talk more about its capabilities later in the article.

“AiDisk” calls up a simple assistant for setting up sharing of USB drives. After answering a couple of questions, the user can provide access to their files via FTP. More detailed service settings are available on a separate page.

The EzQoS Bandwidth Management item provides quick access to different profiles of the bandwidth management system - games, Internet, FTP server, streaming video and audio. The idea is not bad in principle, but it is not at all clear how and what is optimized in these cases, which also complicates testing. As with other functions, there are separate pages with more complete settings, which we move on to.

As is already evident, access to them is provided precisely by the “Advanced settings” button. Below it we find more than three dozen pages collected in seven groups.

The first of them is devoted to setting up a wireless connection. In addition to the usual settings, such as network name, channel number and security parameters (including WPA and WPA2), you can select the operating mode (auto, b/g, n, g, b), set a “dual” channel for 802.11n, select the time wireless network operation, enable transmission acceleration and change some other parameters.

The wireless module supports WPS technology for quick and secure client configuration, WDS for organizing connections between multiple access points, working with an external RADIUS server and a client MAC address filter.

The parameters of the local network segment are standard - setting the address and mask, enabling UPnP, telnet access, managing the DHCP server (it is possible to reserve addresses and select DNS and WINS servers), working with the routing table. In the latter case, it is possible to obtain a list of routes via DHCP and/or set them manually. Multicast is also supported.

One of the most important technical characteristics of routers is support for various types of Internet connections. The model under consideration can work both with a fixed or dynamic IP address, and through PPPoE, PPTP and L2TP. You can configure most settings, including VPN client options and changing the MAC address. Support for working with IPTV is expressed in the ability to select a port or pair of ports for connecting set-top boxes.

The router supports DDNS for several popular services, as well as a proprietary similar service from ASUS.

To provide access to local resources via the Internet, you can use the usual technologies of port forwarding (the size of the table seems to be unlimited, external and internal ports can be different), triggers (when, when an outgoing packet is detected, the system automatically creates an incoming rule), as well as DMZ.

In the same group there is an item for setting up QoS. Unfortunately, the documentation does not contain detailed details about how this function works. So we will describe only what we managed to understand. The device allows you to set traffic priorities in the form of three options: high, normal and low. In this case, the rules indicate the source IP address and destination port number. That is, for example, you can specify that one of the clients has higher priority when downloading data from Web servers than the other. However, in our tests this behavior was not confirmed. Still, the traffic management function, sometimes found in home routers, is rarely, in our opinion, a really working and useful tool today.

The router has two USB ports that can be used to connect printers and storage devices. One way to share access to a printer is to configure the LPR protocol on the client. The only inconvenience, familiar from other network devices, in this case is the lack of two-way communication. However, everything changes if you use the bundled utility for setting up printers. It runs under various versions of Microsoft Windows and allows you to fully use not only USB printers, but also multifunctional devices, including determining the status of cartridges, scanning and accessing memory card readers. Of course, this is a very nice addition to the functions of the router in question.

Flash drives and hard drives can also be connected through hubs. Only in this case there may be problems with safe shutdown, which is only available for two ports directly. FAT, NTFS, EXT2 and EXT3 file systems are supported for mounting. Moreover, for NTFS both reading and writing are possible. It should also be noted that for EXT2 and EXT3 there may be conflicts with the rights previously specified in the file system, which will result in a lack of access to files and directories.

The power supply to the ports is quite “strong”. In particular, our old 2.5" hard drive, which on some PCs required a double connection, started working from one cable.

There are several options for accessing storage devices - a familiar network environment, an FTP server and a UPnP AV media server. For the first of them, you need to create at least one folder in the root directory on the drive, or the router itself will do this. After this, you need to create users with a username and password (admin and Family are preset) and give them the rights to access each folder. If you trust all devices and users of the local network segment, then password access can be canceled and then everyone will be granted full rights. Among other settings, we mention choosing the name and workgroup of the router, as well as disabling this service. Operating speeds are approximately 8 MB/s read and 4 MB/s write (measured with an NTFS hard drive). One would expect better performance from a device with gigabit network ports, but it’s worth remembering that this is still a router, not a NAS. So, taking into account the processor parameters and the cost of the RT-N16, these figures deserve, in our opinion, a good assessment. Formatting the hard drive into the EXT2 file system does not significantly affect the speed of network access.

The FTP server has a similar structure of parameters - we create users, distribute rights to folders. The “write only” permissions option looks unusual. We also mention the limitation on the maximum number of clients. As for Russian file names, unfortunately, there is nothing to please us with - you won’t be able to work with them via FTP. And even our usual solution in the form of forcing Unicode in the FileZilla program did not help here. By the way, this client itself did not work very correctly with the server - it required an exact indication of the destination directory, the program was not able to obtain a general list. The performance is similar to access via the SMB protocol.

Another option for accessing files is the UPnP AV media server, implemented based on the ushare program. It works exclusively with the Music, Photo and Video folders located in the shared directory share on the first connected drive (all these folders are created automatically by the router). There is no special item for starting file indexing. Apparently scheduled work is used. The system supports files in the following formats: jpg, gif, bmp, tiff, png, mp3, aac, m4a, wma, mpg, avi, mp4, mkv, ts, m4v, vob. We remind you that the player must also be able to read them. In addition, we encountered incomplete compatibility with NMT devices in particular - some video files were present in the list, but attempts to play them were not successful. The server allows the user to use the usual sorting by folders; for music, you can use the options album, author, genre. Russian tags are read correctly if written in Unicode. There are no problems with Cyrillic in file names.

So in the current implementation, the media server can only be used with certain types of content and with certain clients. And before purchasing, it is advisable to check in the forums about their compatibility.

The device also implements the function of an autonomous file download system via FTP, HTTP and BitTorrent protocols. To manage it, you need to install a special client on your PC, which we will describe later.

Like most modern top-end devices, the model in question is equipped with a built-in firewall. Rules are configured between the LAN and WAN segments. Each of them can include the address or subnet of the recipient and sender, port numbers, and protocol type. The user-defined list works as a "white" or "black" list. In addition, you can specify the days of the week and time of day when the function is active.

Additional system features include a MAC address filter and URL keyword blocking. This group also provides options for providing access to the router from the Internet, DoS blocking, and others.

The “Administration” group allows you to select the main operating mode of the device - router or access point. In the first case, you can disable NAT and implement a classic router. The remaining items here are common - changing the administrator password, setting the clock, updating the firmware, working with the configuration.

The last group consists of several pages with system logs. In addition to the usual general list of events, there are pages for the status of the DHCP server, wireless clients, port forwarding (useful if there are UPnP clients that forward them themselves) and a routing table. Note that you can only watch all this locally - no means of externally storing events are provided.

Bundled utilities

To perform certain actions with the router, the manufacturer suggests using a set of utilities. The first of them - Device Discovery - as the name suggests, will be useful if you suddenly lose your device on the network. It can determine the router's IP address and call the browser to configure it.

The second program, also with a self-explanatory name - Firmware Restoration - will be useful if the firmware update process fails and the router is no longer accessible through the standard Web interface.

But the third utility can do more than its name might suggest. In fact, WPS Wizard not only configures wireless connections, but is also able to help set up Internet access parameters. Its database contains a large number of domestic providers and to connect to them, you just need to specify a minimum set of data. For example, for Corbina - only a name and password, for Net-by-Net - a username, password and MAC address.

The last program, Download Manager, is used to manage the built-in offline file download system via HTTP, FTP, BitTorrent protocols. When we tried to use it with utility version 4.0.8.7, we were faced with the fact that “just enable” did not work, and the documentation did not have any information on this issue. So I had to use the great Google to find the recipe. As a result, it turned out that the boot system must be installed on a USB drive yourself. There was no unambiguous algorithm, so we will describe the option that worked for us. To begin with, the hard drive was connected to a Linux system. A single partition with the EXT2 file system was created on it. Next, the .apps.zip file taken from the PC with the program installed from the directory C:Program FilesASUSRT-N16 Wireless Router UtilitiesRT-N16 was transferred to this system and unpacked, also under Linux, to the root of our external drive. Also, full rights to the .apps folder were granted to all users.

After connecting the hard drive to the router and turning on the power, the Download Manager program was already able to connect to the client and even allowed me to download files. Note that the client for BitTorrent is rtorrent, and for the rest - snarf. This is all managed by the giftd utility. The maximum number of active tasks is six, you can distribute them after loading, the ports are unknown (most likely standard - 6880–6999), speeds and connections cannot be controlled. In general, only basic features are implemented.

Please note that the manufacturer promptly provided version 4.0.8.9 of the utility, which is currently under development. She was able to independently and correctly install the necessary programs on a connected drive in NTFS format. However, we found it less stable in operation.

Performance

Since we have been waiting for a year and a half for the district to switch to the “correct” Corbina fiber optic cable, we can only state operability and compatibility for this provider. There is no point in checking either speed or IPTV on this channel. They are simply missing.

On the second available provider, we decided to test the operation of the device with a high p2p load. We managed to reach 2000 connections in the utorrent program. The client simply did not want to increase it (of course, we did not do any special configuration, except for increasing the disk buffer). At the same time, hundreds of tasks were active, the client had no restrictions on the speed and number of connections, and the actual operating speed was almost the maximum available for the test channel, 8-9 MB/s. Of course, this is an excellent result, which shows the real difference between “simple” routers and “productive” ones. So if your interests include active work in p2p networks, then it is better to look for something of this class than to worry about setting up clients for the capabilities of budget models. Even if you don't need gigabit ports or fast wireless.

The second group of tests is, as usual, synthetics in the IxChariot program on the stand. Of the connection modes, we tested direct connection, PPTP and L2TP.

To be honest, we expected more from the top model. The direct connection speed of some recently reviewed devices reached up to 400 Mbit/s. A similar remark applies to PPTP/L2TP, where we also saw 100 Mbit/s, and in duplex mode.

Yes, of course, the numbers shown by the RT-N16 look noticeably sadder. However, is it worth being very sad? Unlimited tariff plans of more than 10 Mbit/s are relatively expensive even in the capital, and at these or lower speeds the model in question generally performs well. But for those who require the full 100 Mbit/s, the device may be suitable only if a VPN connection to the provider is not used. Well, as usual, don’t forget that the load created by synthetic tests is noticeably different from conventional applications.

The router can simultaneously work with the provider’s local network and provide Internet access. Testing this mode showed that in this scenario, overwhelming preference is given to local traffic - the speed ratio is about 10:1 in its favor.

The third part of the tests related to wireless connection. To do this, we used two client options - an Intel 5350 adapter and an ASUS WL-160N USB controller. They were located at a distance of four meters from the router within line of sight. The access point was configured for dual channel and WPA2-PSK mode. Several neighboring networks were on the air, but their signal levels were insignificant.

In our almost ideal conditions, the difference between the adapters is almost not noticeable. In particular, this means that the router actually uses only dual-channel MIMO mode, despite the three connected antennas. In general, performance at the level of 80 Mbit/s is typical for many 802.11n devices today, and this model is no exception. By the way, the option to increase the transfer speed allows you to increase the speed by another 10 Mbit/s, but it may not work in all configurations.

conclusions

The device left controversial impressions. Good design, high quality workmanship, powerful filling - we have seen all this in other models. As for the firmware capabilities, the basic functions are fully implemented and at the required level, including VPN connections to the Internet and work with IPTV. I was very pleased with the work as a print server, which allows me to fully use MFPs, which is very rare today.

At the same time, some of the other “additives” are implemented as if for show. For example, using USB drives. The option of familiar network access via SMB and FTP protocols is not bad, even taking into account the low performance. But the multimedia server and the offline file download system are practically not documented, and the number of options does not even reach the minimum interesting option.

On the other hand, perhaps we are spoiled by modern NAS, high-speed Internet channels and dozens of simultaneous tasks, which affects our assessment. Since the autonomous p2p client function itself is very rare among routers, it is difficult to give an unambiguous assessment of its implementation in the RT-N16. Of course, this is not a replacement for a client on a PC, but it is quite capable of downloading and distributing several medium-sized files on a not-so-fast channel.

So you need to be careful when choosing a device when choosing a device. On the other hand, for the considered model there are already several alternative firmwares, which implement more functions and more settings. And, judging by the forums, it is easy for them to work on this platform. Although, of course, we would not risk recommending their use to an untrained user. Not to mention potential warranty issues.

The RT-N16's performance is not bad. Formally, it lags behind other top-end devices, but this can only be noticeable on super-fast tariff plans. It behaves very well as a router under p2p loads. Let's remember that entry-level models are usually capable of providing about 200 connections, with the RT-N16 this figure can be ten times more.

The 802.11n wireless module provides speeds approximately four times faster than 802.11g devices. In terms of this parameter, the considered model is also doing quite well.

Perhaps we can say that we expected a little more from ASUS. Still, this name in the domestic market is associated with premium products. However, if we set aside our expectations from the brand and leave the essential technical features of the router, the device turned out to be quite good and we can recommend it to active users who require a reliable and efficient connection to their home network to the Internet. It may also be of interest to those who treat any electronic device as a computer and like to independently program it to perform a variety of tasks.

As for the cost, you still have to pay a little extra for the brand. The average retail price of the reviewed model in Moscow, current at the time you read this article, is: N/A().

So that bright day came when I finally had the opportunity to work on my Asus RT-N16 router. In fact, this is the same Asus WL-500gV2 (it differs only in the firmware), I would even say its older brother, so I think this post will be of interest to all owners of both routers.

To begin with, in fact, a little about the price of the issue and the technical component:

Equipment:

— The Asus RT-N16 access point itself: $200

— Removable hard drive, for example Transcend 500gb: $75

— Any 8 Gb flash drive: $15

— External IP address with open ports without restrictions: on average, the cost of a normal channel in Moscow and the region with a dedicated IP is $20/month.

Total: on average, one-time costs are $300 and monthly costs are $20.

FURTHER SETUP MAKES SENSE ONLY IF ALL OF THE ABOVE ELEMENTS ARE PRESENT (with the possible exception of a flash drive, since movies and programs can be downloaded and put on a hard drive).

The main resource on this topic is this one:

Before you start doing anything, you need to download from the site:

Your current factory firmware (it is listed on the first page when logging into the router). Next, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the recovery procedure; in the case of spruce, the point will go into the so-called emergency mode (this happened to me at a certain stage, but more on that later). So disaster recovery:

1 Download and unzip the firmware.

2 Install the Firmware Restoration utility from the included disk.

3 Configure your computer’s network settings (in TCP/IP properties):

manually use IP address 192.168.1.2 mask 255.255.255.0

4 Connect your computer with a cable to any of the LAN ports of the router.

5 Turn off the power on the router, press and hold the Restore button, turn on the power,

Hold the button for 10-15 seconds until the Power indicator starts flashing constantly.

6 Run the Firmware Restoration utility, specify the path to the firmware and upload it to the router.

7 The screen should display the process of downloading the firmware to the router.

8 After downloading the firmware and rebooting the router, enter the menu http://192.168.1.1

Here we see that my current (factory) firmware is 1.0.1.9 (I downloaded the same one from the site to be sure, which I did not regret later). But we won’t need all this; we will need alternative firmware.

1 Alternative firmware.

a) download the latest version of the firmware of Oleg’s followers (Oleg is probably some kind of mega-brain, since almost all alternative firmwares actually work from him) - “Enthusiasts” from here and unpack it into any folder (you can see the log of firmware changes ).

b) use the Restore button to reset the router to factory settings (hold for about 5 seconds, until the power indicator starts flashing - you can release the button)

c) from the installation disk that came with the router, install ASUS RT-N16 utility and run the utility called Firmware restoration

d) unplug the router's power supply wire, disconnect all wires (wan, usb, etc.) leave 1 patch cord (included with the router) plugged into 1 of the LAN connectors (Lan1-Lan4), from the other end into the computer from which we will stitch.

e) manually set the computer network connection settings IP 192.168.1.2, mask 255.255.255.0, gateway and dns 192.168.1.1 (in the screenshot below the gateway and dns are set incorrectly)

e) hold down the “restore” button on the router without releasing it

insert the power, continue to hold it for about 5 seconds, the power indicator will start blinking, which means that the router is in recovery mode (ready to receive the firmware), release the button on the router.

g) in the Firmware restoration utility, select the unpacked firmware (at the time of writing, the latest r1699 is RT-N16-1.9.2.7-rtn-r1699.trx)

h) disable the built-in Windows firewall, antiviruses and other blocking programs, and click on the “Download (U)” button in the utility - a search for the router will be performed, if everything is configured correctly, the software will be downloaded into the flash memory of the router, otherwise, if there is it says “No devices found in recovery mode” - there are several reasons:

— the IP address and/or mask is incorrectly set in the computer’s network settings;

— the firewall (antivirus) blocks connections from the firmware program;

— the router is not in recovery mode;

— there is no network connection (the cable is broken) with the router, check the cable.

If it writes the error “Unable to create socket”, it means you have installed (running) a program like tftpd, or another that occupies the required port, which is used to transfer the firmware to the router.

The process of flashing the firmware and automatically rebooting the router lasts about 3 minutes. After the router boots up (the power and wi-fi indicators are lit), press the “restore” button again and hold for at least 5 seconds (10 seconds is enough) -

the power indicator will start flashing, then when you release the button, the router will begin initializing nvram - it will write the factory default settings and reboot (no more than 1 minute), now try to go to the browser address http://192.168.1.1 - a login window should appear and password – enter the login and password admin to enter the web interface for managing the router

and move on to the next section, otherwise we start over.

2. installation of the script from valerakvb

2.1. preliminary configuration of the router for working with scripts and programs

After visiting the router page with firmware from enthusiasts

a) go to the IP Config section and configure your Internet connection

save (all settings in the router are saved in the same way and applied to this firmware) as follows - first click Apply, then the Finish button

then after clicking the Finish button the following dialog will appear:

You must click Save&Restart - after this the router will apply the settings (in different cases it may reboot to apply the settings) usually no more than 20 seconds

b) changing the user name (for running programs)

go to the System setup tab, select Change name in the submenu, in the right window in 2 lines enter the new name root

press save, then go to some point where there is a finish button, in order to save the new name and apply it, for example in System setup – Services

A window with the Save&Restart button will appear again - click and wait for the settings to be applied. If everything goes correctly, the browser, after loading the router, will again ask you to enter the username and password to enter the control panel of the router - enter root, password admin, if everything is correct, the Routea page will open again, otherwise enter the password and login admin, and do step b again.

After that, go again to the System setup tab, select Change name in the submenu and look - the new name should be displayed in the top line - root. The password is changed in the same way (save, then finish and Save&Restart in any menu item, otherwise it will not be saved) on the System tab setup – Change Password (don’t forget to change the password, otherwise they may log in with the standard password and play tricks with your router).

This concludes my story for today.

To be continued…