Linksys login. Setting up a wireless network. The set consists of
Until recently, even in cities with millions of residents, not everyone had a computer in their home, much less routers. Now every apartment has not only a PC, but also tablets, phones and laptops. Therefore, Internet coverage is mandatory. Sometimes people buy internet-enabled smart TVs. The article will describe some Linksys routers that are in demand among domestic buyers.
Cisco Linksys E4200
As a rule, wireless routers look primitive and unattractive. This has nothing to do with the model described. The device looks strict and nice. The decision to abandon antennas also contributes to this style. On the Linksys case, which is painted, you can see the company logo. By the way, it performs not only a decorative function, but also a functional one. The logo is an indicator. If the router is just loading, it blinks, if it is working, it lights up continuously.
On the back of the case you can also see the power and firmware reset buttons. Built-in WAN, LAN and USB. They are also available in other Linksys routers. There is also a power connector.
There is nothing underneath the router except legs and special compartments for cooling. The device has no shortcomings in its ergonomics, except for one point: it cannot be hung on the wall.
Router operation
This router can be called almost problem-free, as it has excellent performance with excellent characteristics. Of course, some options and functions could be implemented better, but overall the owners are happy with everything. Its average cost is $220, and it justifies its price 100%. Setting up a Linksys router takes place in a matter of minutes - it will take no more than 10 minutes.
All the positive aspects of the device are already clear, but what are the negative ones? The device is not worth buying if there may be a need for connection hard drives and for wall installation.
Linksys WRT1200AC
This router was designed to be used in a visible place. If we compare it with other models from the manufacturer, indeed, this one looks the most striking and original. The case is made in two colors: black and blue. It will fit into any interior with ease.
The modem is not equipped with reliable and modern device cooling technology. This is why it heats up quite quickly and is sensitive. The situation is saved by the legs, which lift the device above the surface, allowing air to circulate and the device to cool. At the same time, a large amount of dust accumulates, which you will constantly have to deal with. Also, thanks to the legs, the device can be mounted on the wall. They also allow you to install one router on another. As a rule, this is required when working in large offices. But a related model, the Linksys WRT54GL router, does not charm buyers with such characteristics.
The router is delivered in a high-quality box, which emphasizes the price category of the device. It contains the characteristics and advantages of the modem, which will allow the future owner to understand all the benefits of the acquisition. In addition to the router and power supply, in the box you can find a pair of antennas, an Internet cable (it is black), instructions for use and a disk with software. Materials used for finishing WiFi router Linksys make a lasting impression on any buyer. The plastic is very ordinary, but it looks impressive. In addition, there are few options on the market that can surprise with the combination of black and blue. The assembly is of excellent quality.
We must not forget that there are indicators. They are LED type. They look great, they don’t illuminate the room in the dark, but in bright daylight they are quite noticeable. If you wish, you can turn them off.
Router operation
This router differs in its operation, as well as appearance. Other Linksys routers in the cheaper category cannot boast of this. It has built-in antennas that provide excellent coverage for an entire medium-sized apartment. The presence of obstacles in the form of thick walls does not in any way affect the signal distribution and its quality. The router performs well at high ambient temperatures. Doesn't slow down or reboot on its own. The only downside is that there may be problems with the factory firmware; you need to update it after purchase.
Linksys EA6400
This router comes in a regular cardboard box. It contains the device itself, a power cable, an Internet cable (blue), documentation and a disk with special software.
This model can be called one of the most accurate from the entire line of the manufacturer. The device does not work with antennas and is almost completely devoid of indicators. The body has a flattened shape, which allows it to be installed even in a narrow place.
The model is made of matte plastic. On the top surface you can see a gray insert; there is one indicator (the only one) on it, by which you can understand whether the device is active or not. The sides and bottom of the body are painted dark gray. There is a ventilation hole on the lid. Due to the fact that it protrudes above the sidewalls, when positioned horizontally, dust will practically not accumulate. Below you can find a sticker from the manufacturer, as well as mounts that allow you to install the device on the wall.
All ports and connectors can be found on the back. There are also WPS, reset and power buttons. The following connectors are available: WAN, LAN, USB.
Router operation
The last router in the review has a strict design; it fully complies with all statements from the manufacturers. The work is stable. Even though the model appeared on the market a little later (two years after the official release), it still remains relevant and in demand, like all Linksys routers described.
The router model WRT54GL from Linksys is, in fact, “another” from a whole army of branded devices that implement the three-in-one principle - Internet connection, four-port wired switch, 802.11g wireless access point. An interesting feature can be considered open software(the inscription on the box reports this):
The WRT54GL router itself consists of a Broadcom 5352 chipset, 4 Megabytes of flash memory (and 16 MB of RAM). Based on this, we can immediately say which “alternative” firmware can be used (in particular, “dd wrt”).
Let's make sure of this right away. Go to dd-wrt.com/site/support/router-database and type WRT54GL in the line. As you can see, the firmware database offers several versions:
But the universal one (not “mega”, just “standard”) is v24 preSP2 Build 13064 (it’s also recommended here).
The kit includes everything necessary (for operation in all modes). Take a look at the wall with connectors:
The “free-standing” Ethernet connector is the “WAN” port that you plug your ISP cable into. Also here is the “Reset” button and power. The antennas here are removable. And here USB port(for example, to connect a drive) - you won’t find it.
Connection
Install the CD into the computer drive under Windows control. You just need to follow the "instructions"..
Don’t be surprised that the installation wizard (without asking or warning) first of all changes the settings of your computer’s network interface (to receive an IP automatically).
The steps of the installation wizard, at the same time, are provided with detailed tips in the form of pictures, which should not cause difficulties even for a person who does not speak English perfectly... We recommend moving on to configuring the equipment directly from the web interface (which is in the router). Let's consider its capabilities in more detail.
By default, the web interface of the WRT54GL router has an IP address of 192.168.1.1, which must be accessed with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. You can set the network card of your PC to the IP address of the same subnet as the router; By connecting to one of the Ethernet ports (except WAN), you can access the web interface from the browser. The password here is admin, and the username does not need to be specified.
Here, first of all, as you can see, we decided to check the version of the firmware already installed at the factory. This is the “Status” tab.
The initial linksys wrt54gl boils down to setting up a connection with your ISP. This is done on the first tab “Setup”.
In the “Basic Setup” tab, select the type of connection to the Internet provider, indicating the corresponding parameters. We chose DHCP, but in general there are 6 connection options available.
Note: the network provider usually provides the Internet using one of two protocols - either PPPoE (point-to-point) or DHCP (network with dynamic acquisition IP addresses). You can find out the information from your provider's support service.
On the same tab, the “Network Setup” block configures something completely different (local wired network, but here we have as many as 4 hardware ports!).
In this section, the address of the web interface changes, the built-in DHCP server is also turned on, and you can configure DHCP parameters (for wired local network).
But, regarding the connection with your provider, let’s add one more thing. Go to the “MAC Address Clone” tab:
Here you can “spoof” the router’s physical address (that is, the MAC address) on the WAN port. For example, on the same one as in the PC network card.
When moving to another tab, click “Save Settings” to save the new values.
Note: Lack of WAN connectivity can often be caused by only one thing - namely, the “wrong” MAC address. The physical address of the router (MAC address of the WAN port), of course, is different from the address of the computer interface (which was used before connecting the router). Two different solutions are possible: “substituting” the address in the router (how to do this is discussed above), and you can also “agree” with the provider (letting him know that the MAC address has changed).
MAC address – changed
You can see the value of the router’s MAC address on the “Status” tab.
The “Router” tab will show the MAC address related specifically to the “WAN” port.
Setting up a router as a “wi-fi network access point”
In a wireless network (that is, wi-fi), there are two types of devices: station (client “station”), Access point (“Access point”, base).
In the web interface, the “Wireless” tab is responsible for setting up a wireless local network.
On the “Basic Wireless Settings” tab, set the required network name (second field, SSID). You can “hide” it if desired (by setting SSID Broadcast to “Disable”). Actually, there’s nothing else to change here (except perhaps switch “Wireless Network Mode” from “Mixed” to “b” if all devices on your network operate in this standard). “Wireless Security” tab – contains encryption parameters (disabled by default).
Disabling the “SSID Broadcast” service entails the need to specify the network name when setting up another device (manually). But this will increase the security of your network.
A few words about the choice of frequency response. In the Wi-Fi 802.11 2.4 GHz range, 13 channels (bands) are defined. Among these 13, only 3 can operate simultaneously (which do not overlap in the frequency band). In this connection, three different wireless networks can operate without interfering with each other (if they are in the same territory). For example, the following channels will be non-overlapping: 1, 6, 12. If there are no wireless networks nearby, we leave it “by default” (the first).
So, let’s list it again: wired connection to the provider (WAN port), wired local network - this is the “Setup” tab, wireless network (its access point) - “Wireless setup”. For most users, to get started, listed functions- enough. After entering new values, do not forget to “save” them (using the “Save Settings” button).
The router kit includes a power supply (12 Volts, 1 Ampere, transformer). Also – a LAN cable (to connect to your computer and initial setup). The only thing is that the wall mount is, unfortunately, completely absent (but there is compatibility with other devices from the same company):
If the provider works “via VPN”
Often, the reason it is impossible to use router-class devices when creating a connection with a provider is their use of the VPN protocol. For this router , fortunately, there is no such restriction.
In the web interface, go to the “Security” tab. There are two bookmarks here, only the second one is needed (with the name “VPN”).
If you turn on all the options in “Enable” (and then apply “Save Settings”), the router will work with the VPN protocol (tunnel), passing it “through itself”. In this case, the router will not be either a client device or a “VPN” server (and the “client” of the VPN tunnel should be local computer, connected to the router).
The connection “via VPN” should work after applying the necessary settings.
Additionally
In the administrative section of the web interface (Administration), additional management options are available. The “Management” tab, for example, will allow you to change the login and password for the web interface.
Two other important tabs here: “Factory Defaults” (a quick “reset” of all device settings to “factory” settings), as well as “Firmware Upgrade” (this is a firmware update using the web interface).
In conclusion, we present here several important tests (more precisely, router testing results):
In a completely “wired” mode, with a packet size of 8Kb, we get an average transmission speed of Tx = 44.6 Mbit/s, Rx = 36.7 Mbit/s. 16 KB package - speeds are 48.9 and 39.4 Mbit/s, respectively. As the package increases to 32 KB, the values are slightly lower. Conclusion: a good router (however, not the fastest).
Speed wireless connection(according to the Wi-Fi - LAN scheme), we tested in the presence of two more “networks” nearby (the closest in frequency occupied the 6th channel), “ours” worked on the 1st channel (mode “g only” was selected ).
The average transfer speed (in both directions) was more than 22 Mbit/s (packet size - 16Kb). The performance of the wireless part of the device (when compared with other “routers” of the 802.11g standard) is not so bad, which allows us to recommend the model from Linksys to everyone who wants to do without wires when accessing the Internet. Whether or not to buy this router is the choice of the user, that is, yours.
We'll tell you in more detail how the firmware appeared (at the beginning of the review, we said that the software of this router is open source). Actually, all “open source” router firmware (the “open wrt” family) have such an “option” as remote control router (via telnet and SSH). In this model, this is completely absent. How could this happen?
It’s just that when creating this firmware (any firmware that was written into the router “from the factory”), they actually used “open” source code. Having modified it, the company offers its products to the end user. According to the GPL license, such code remains open. And this is true (for example, you can always download the source code for this firmware at: ftp://ftp.linksys.com/opensourcecode/wrt54gl/). True, this makes sense if you are a qualified C++ coder and are going to add something specific to the firmware functionality...
The source code published several years before the appearance of this model (for the Linksys WRT54G router, which is the “big brother” of the one discussed), gave rise to the “free” firmware project “OpenWRT”. The project with this name now includes hundreds of items of equipment supported by this open source software. We wanted to talk about another alternative firmware (not related to OpenWRT) - this is software from the company “DD-WRT” (which is also 100% free for distribution and use).
Software "DD-WRT"
As you know, our hardware (that is, the router) contains 4 MB of flash memory. And if 16 megabytes of its RAM is more than enough to operate the “full” version of the “DD-WRT” software (based on Linux), then the 4 times smaller volume of the “permanent storage device” introduces limitations.
Go to official page support:
We are immediately told that we need to “sew” “MICRO or MINI build” if the procedure is performed from the Linksys web interface. Then, from “micro” and “mini”, you can flash “standard”, as well as “standard with VOIP” or VPN (which allows you to configure a VPN client and even a server on the router). There is also “mega” DD-WRT firmware, but it has nothing to do with this router model.
That is, you can install (maximum) “standard” firmware equipped with one of additional options. What is better than nothing... Alternative firmware is recommended for enthusiasts, but what it is needed for (for what purposes) is up to you to decide. Let's say that even the “standard” version has such options as “remote control” (including SSH service), mandatory adjustment of the transmitter power (as well as switching to “pure” Rx/Tx), multilingual interface... Of course, the presence of USB or SD -cards, would add more more features(print server, FTP). However, our hardware does not have this. Read more about the “features” of the firmware here (http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/DD-WRT/Features).
Algorithm for flashing to standard dd-wrt
- Perform a “hardware” reset (for 30 seconds - press the button without releasing - pull out the power, wait 30 seconds).
- Download MINI build firmware (generic 12548): ftp://ftp.dd-wrt.com/others/eko/V24_TNG/svn12548/dd-wrt.v24-12548_NEWD_mini.bin.
- Turn off the firewall and antivirus, go to the web interface of the router.
- From the “factory” web interface, you flash in Mini (dd-wrt):
- “Browse” -> find the file on your computer –> “Upgrade”. Don't close your browser until you're done!
- After about 3 minutes, the “WLAN” light should light up - try logging into the new interface at 192.168.1.1. It opened, which means everything went well.
- You must select one of the final dd-wrt firmware versions (STANDARD, VOIP, or VPN). Where to download them - see the beginning of the review.
- Perform a “hardware” reset.
- In the dd-wrt interface, update:
- Wait for the process to complete again. The web interface at 192.168.1.1 will become available in 3 minutes.
- Turn off the power, wait 10 seconds, turn on.
- Perform a “hardware” reset.
You can see such instructions (in English) here (http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Linksys_WRT54GL).
After a reboot, the device is completely ready for use (and already with new firmware). DD-WRT is based on Linux and has a wide range of functions for the user. Although, you shouldn’t expect any “improvement” in hardware characteristics.
Demo version for study GUI– http://www.informatione.gmxhome.de/DDWRT/Standard/V23final/index.html. On the “Setup” tab, the WAN connection is configured. On the “Wireless” tab – wireless network (don’t forget to click “Advanced Settings”, the power adjustment is “TX Power”).
Note: the first time you log into the web interface, you will be asked to enter your username and password. The default login is always root (and the password is the same).
If you have regular “standard” firmware, the linksys wrt family router can still be configured for a VPN network (as a “client”).
When setting (when changing values on the tab), first click “Save”, then “Apply Settings”.
Just in case, to clarify (since many people set the “wrong” type of connection to the server), the “VPN client” is configured in 2 steps: first, set the type of connection used by your provider (for example, DHCP or PPPoE) on the first tab. The necessary parameters are configured.
Then, on the “Services” -> “VPN” tab, configure the VPN network parameters.
Such as the address of the VPN key server (usually the name begins with “vpn.”), the word “nodeflate” must be copied without errors (well, the user name of the VPN client, and password).
If the settings are made correctly, and the provider sees the correct MAC address (you can change it on the “Setup” -> “MAC Address Clone” tab), you will receive a connection to the provider via VPN.
Sometimes, due to a mismatch between the provider’s settings and the parameters in the dd-wrt firmware, for the VPN session to work correctly, you need to “edit” the configuration file. In general, you can make some changes to this file (and run any commands after loading) in the router (see the “Administration” -> “Commands” tab). For example, with the command: sleep 50; cd /tmp/pptpd_client/; cp options.vpn bak; cat bak|sed /mppe/d > options.vpn;rm bak – we will remove the line responsible for “mmpe” from the config file. Sleep is necessary because the config file does not appear immediately. After entering the command in the command field, click “Save Startup”. Any command is written in parentheses (), and at the end of the line you put an ampersent.
Video on installing the firmware:
Setting up the IP-TV service (for DD-VRT firmware)
At the end of the review alternative firmware, we will consider exactly this issue. Many people write in reviews that “IP-TV does not work” for them, or “interferes with simultaneous work on the Internet.” DD-WRT firmware is equipped special options(for correct configuration of this type of service).
Go to the web interface. To configure a router with DD-WRT firmware to watch TV on a computer, you need to enable Multicast traffic transit (in the built-in firewall).
On the “Security” -> “Firewall” tab, the settings should be as in the figure. Now, “Filter Multicast” – the checkbox must be unchecked (the rest should be left).
The two lower blocks (in this window) are best left in “Disable”. If you have a stable Internet connection, IPTV should work (after clicking “Save”, “Apply Settings”).
We immediately warn you that watching “full screen” video with a router only works reliably “via cable” (it’s easier to immediately forget about TV via wi-fi...). All complaints (about the impossibility of simultaneous operation of TV and global network) – just refer to the “wireless” channel.
With this, we will complete the review of the functions of the router with DD-WRT firmware.
Tomato
Creating alternative firmware for routers is becoming more and more popular. Previously, most versions of such software were created by enthusiasts, moreover, it all started with Linksys WRT (the previous model).
Now the situation has changed. There are also completely “paid” firmware, however, new “branches” of freely distributed ones are appearing. Among them, we can note the Tomato firmware (http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato).
This software is, of course, also based on Linux. The router version “WRT54GL v1.x” is one of the supported ones. The richly designed web interface is not the only advantage of this firmware. Tomato offers functionality for managing traffic, access rights, and also a function for limiting the number of downloads (relevant for file-sharing networks). The main difference is that the “ quick setup"(on the front panel) – can be “assigned” to launch a function (turn on a mode). Transmitter power adjustment is present (as in DD-WRT).
In this picture, we see the screen of a bandwith monitor. That is, any connection to the network and all traffic is “logged” (remembered), and the result can then be viewed (in graphical form).
At the same time, the developers warn that you use the firmware “at your own peril and risk.” The Tomato-1-28 firmware is suitable for downloading. The Tomato project is, in fact, based on firmware that once belonged to Linksys.
Therefore, to update (“basic” to “tomato”), something special is not required. The new Firmware is loaded in “normal mode” after selecting the “Firmware Upgrade” tab in the web interface. Restart (using the reset button, after 30 seconds) - and the new interface is available at 192.168.1.1 (with the password/login admin/admin).
Rollback to factory firmware
In the final chapter, we must definitely consider this issue. In addition, the solution to this problem (that is, loading the factory firmware into the router) is not so difficult.
We are looking for your firmware on the Cisco resource.
The “Downloads” tab will allow you to download the firmware image (after selecting the desired model number). Bin file - you will save, for example, in a directory (folder)
You need to “flash” this file into the router. We do the following manipulations:
- Turn off the power.
- Press reset and hold.
- Without releasing reset, turn on the power cord. And reset – hold for another 10 seconds.
- Release the reset button.
The computer must be connected to the router via a LAN cable. Open in this computer " Command line» Windows. We write:
WithdC:\
tftp -i 192.168.1.1 put [filename].bin
Instead of [filename] - maybe FW_WRT54GL_4.30.14.6_ETSI_EN_20100714_code (this is at the time of writing).
After each command – “Enter”.
Of course, the computer's network card must have a static IP (for example, 192.168.1.5) with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0.
We are waiting for the process to complete (when the “Power” light stops blinking). The firmware will be “uploaded” all this time. Then - wait another 30 seconds, click reset... And - you can go to the web interface at 192.168.1.1 (to the “factory” interface).
Miracle, isn't it?
We hope the information provided here will be useful.
In this article we will look at the installation and detailed setup Linksys WRT54gL router for working with the provider in VPN (PPTP) mode, as well as in DHCP client mode. We will configure Linksys WRT54gL using the example of the network of the provider BIG Telecom-Khimki (himki.net), but this instruction may well be used by analogy in the case of other providers. Choice Wi-Fi router It was no coincidence that I wrote this guide - the Linksys WRT54gL belongs to the middle price category, but has earned considerable popularity, including thanks to the developers of alternative firmware. Thanks to projects such as DD-WRT or Open WRT, the hero of our article today has become a home router for many Linux lovers. Due to the limited functionality of the official firmware for our WRT54gL, in this guide we will consider setting up this router with DD-WRT firmware. This is mainly due to the fact that in official firmware there is no full support for working as a PPTP client (routing to local resources does not work when the PPTP session is active). For setup we will use WRT54gL with a hardware revision (v 1.1). Also note that these instructions are applicable to configuring most routers with DD-WRT firmware, and not just the Linksys WRT54gL model.
So, let's assume that you wanted to buy a Linksys Wi-Fi router, it was removed from its box and now lies in front of you unpacked. Take a closer look - on the front panel of the router you can find a number of indicators that during operation signal typical network events, and on the rear panel you will find 4 LAN ports (interfaces) and 1 WAN port for connecting a cable from the provider. This means that you can connect up to four computers directly to the Linksys WRT54gL via cable. At the same time, do not forget about the ability to connect several more devices to your home network via a wireless Wi-Fi connection; for this, the router has 2 antennas wireless communication with support for the 802.11g standard.
Connecting a computer to a Linksys WRT54gL router
Before setting up the Linksys WRT54gL, you need to connect it to your computer. To do this, you plug the router's power adapter into an electrical outlet, connect the provider's cable to the router's WAN interface, and connect one of the LAN ports directly to the computer's network card using the blue patch cord included in the kit. Then you need to change the TCP/IP settings network card to automatically receive values (DHCP client) from the Linksys router via the LAN interface. You can do this as follows:
Connecting a router in Windows XP: Start - Control Panel - Network Connections - Local Area Connection - Properties - Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) - then see Fig. 1
Connecting a router in Windows 7 (seven): Start - type View network - select at the top in the search results - View network connections- Local network connection - Properties - Internet Protocol version 4 - further see fig. 2
By default, WRT54gL outputs IP address values from the range 192.168.1.0/24, so after some time your home personal computer should itself receive the required address like: 192.168.1.33 or 192.168.1.34. You can track the receipt of an IP address from the router by opening the Local Area Connections status (see Fig. 3)
The inscription assigned to DHCP indicates that the Linksys WRT54gL router successfully issued an internal IP address via the LAN interface. If this does not happen, then problems with the operation of the DHCP client on your computer are possible. Most often this can be caused by the operation of firewalls (firewalls), but there are other reasons... In this case, we can advise you to enter the necessary IP addresses into the computer settings manually. To do this, it will be enough to specify the following IP parameters on your computer:
- IP - 192.168.1.101
- Subnet mask - 255.255.255.0
- Default gateway - 192.168.1.1
- DNS – 192.168.1.1
Setting up a Linksys WRT54gL router with DD-WRT firmware
We will configure the Linksys WRT54gL through a web interface, which allows us to fine-tune all the main parameters of our WiFi router. To enter the Linksys WRT54gL web interface, you need to use any computer browser (Opera, Internet Explorer, Mozilla) go to the address: http://192.168.1.1 (the Linksys WRT54GL router has this address by default). You will see the authorization page on your computer screen (see Fig. 4)
To log into the WRT54gL web interface, you will need to enter your Username and Password, and then click on Submit. Default Username is admin, Password is admin. After successful authorization, you will see the following dialog box (see Fig. 5):
You are taken to the web interface of the WRT54gL router, where the device immediately prompts you to configure your Internet connection. We will not set up a connection using the native firmware due to its insufficient functionality, so we will go straight to the firmware update menu for our router.
Firmware update for Linksys WRT54GL router
As noted above, we will specifically replace the firmware (internal software) of our WRT54GL with a version from the DD-WRT project. To do this, we first need to download this very firmware into our computer from which Linksys is configured. You can download the firmware to your computer in advance or use another computer for this. You can download the latest firmware version for Linksys WRT54gL on the official website of the DD-WRT project.
As can be seen from Fig. 6, for our Linksys WRT54gL v1.1 router, the corresponding firmware is available on the official website of the DD-WRT project.
Click on your router model and then select which firmware version we should download. We will focus on the mini_generic version, which is usually uploaded to a flash router via the web interface without any problems, and has all the necessary functionality for our tasks. (see Fig. 7)
Therefore, we download the firmware to our computer to further actions. We download, of course, from a computer other than the one you are on. this moment you are setting up a router, but from some other one that currently has access to the Internet.
You can update the Linksys WRT54GL firmware through the web interface in Administration – Firmware upgrade (see Fig. 8)
To update the firmware, click on the Browse... button and go to the file with the firmware in Explorer (it has the extension .bin), mark it and click on the Upgrade button.
After which the router will display the following warning on your screen (see Fig. 9):
In it, your router reports the installation new version firmware (DD-WRT) and asks to leave it alone for a while.
Attention!!! During the next 4 minutes, do not under any circumstances turn off the power to the router or interrupt the flashing process with any other actions!
After uploading the firmware to the flash router, a message will appear on the screen (see Fig. 10)
In this message, WRT54gL reports the successful installation of the new firmware. After uploading the new firmware, we recommend doing full reset router parameters! This can be done by pressing the Reset button, which is recessed into back panel housings. If, after resetting the settings and rebooting, the router safely allows you to access its web interface, then you can accept our congratulations, the software update procedure was successful! If your WRT54gL does not respond, then most likely you will have to contact a service center.
It's time to make sure that the firmware you uploaded has taken its rightful place in the router. To do this, just log into your Linksys router via the web interface; the changes will be visible to the naked eye (see Fig. 11)
The WRT54GL firmware update is complete. But on behalf of TRADE Telecom we still recommend periodically checking for new firmware versions on the DD-WRT project website. Sometimes (not often, but it happens) current versions firmware, vulnerabilities are found that create security threats, which are eliminated by the developer in new firmware versions. In some cases, updating the firmware increases the speed of certain network protocols (for example, PPTP or L2TP). True, it is worth noting that there are firmware updates that bring more problems than benefits, but in this case nothing prevents you from rolling back to previous version firmware.
Setting up Internet access on the WRT54gL router with DD-WRT firmware
It's time to start setting up an Internet connection in the Linksys WRT54gL router with DD-WRT firmware. In this guide, we will look at setting up two protocols popular with Russian providers - DHCP and PPTP VPN. Various segments of the BIG Telecom provider’s network operate using these protocols. If you have your own provider, we recommend that you first check with technical support information about the type of connection used! It’s not at all a fact that everything will turn out exactly like this for you...
First, let's configure the Linksys WRT54gL in DHCP mode
You can start setting up a connection with your Internet provider in the Setup section (see Fig. 11). After this, your router will ask you to log in (enter your username and password). Please note that after changing the firmware to DDWRT (DD-WRT), the default username of the Linksys WRT54GL router changes, but the password remains the same! To log in to a router with DD-WRT firmware, use the username - root and password - admin (see Fig. 12)
When setting up a router with DD-VTR in DHCP mode ( automatic receipt IP addresses from the provider) you should not have any special difficulties. Setting up a connection in DHCP mode begins in section Setup – Basic Setup (see Fig. 13)
To do this, in the Wan Connection Type field, in the Connection Type item, you must select the connection type Automatic configuration - DHCP.
The STP option in the case of domestic providers should be switched to the Disable position.
In the Network Setup field when configuring the router in DHCP mode, you can change the range of IP addresses in the internal subnet. This can be useful if your ISP's LAN address range matches the internal range of your home network.
Then you can, if necessary, change the MAC address (physical address of the equipment) of your router to special menu Setup – MAC Address Clone (see Fig. 14)
This can be very useful when the provider has implemented the binding of the MAC address to the IP address of clients on the network. Since every network device has its own unique MAC address, this option allows you to avoid calls to the provider in case of equipment change. To replace the MAC address, you need to move the MAC Clone option to the Enable position. By default, the “native” MAC address of your router will appear in the Clone WAN MAC field. The “native” MAC address can also be found on the sticker located on the bottom of the router (six pairs of numbers and letters). You can set a MAC address in the router that is identical to the MAC address of your computer on which you were working before installing WRT54gL. Below in the menu there is a Get Current PC MAC Address button, with which the router itself will pick up the value of the MAC address of the network card of the computer from which you are configuring the router. This will save you from having to find out and enter the MAC address of your computer manually. In addition, using the Clone WAN MAC option, you can specify any MAC address value for your Linksys router (from the allowed values). If you want to use a router with a non-native MAC address, then use one of the proposed options. If you want to register the router’s native MAC address, you will have to call your provider and tell him the true value of the physical address.
After which all you have to do is click on the Save button to save the settings, and then on the Apply Settings button to apply them...
You can check the functionality of the settings made in the status menu: item Status - WAN (see Fig. 15)
Here in the Configuration Type field you can see information that the router successfully connected via the WAN interface to the provider’s DHCP server and received an IP address from it. In fact, you can already work on the Internet from a computer that is connected to the LAN interface of the router. But only if you have paid Internet access :)
Now let's configure the Linksys WRT54gL router in PPTP VPN connection mode
Configuring a router with DD WRT firmware in PPTP VPN mode requires much more manipulation than configuration in DHCP mode. And it begins with the already familiar step Setup – Basic Setup (see Fig. 16)
To do this, in the Wan Connection Type field, in the Connection Type item, you must select the Static IP connection type (this is it, not PPTP, since we will configure the VPN client in another place a little later).
In the WAN IP Address field, you will need to indicate the IP address that the provider issues to you under the contract (see your contract or contact technical support).
In the Subnet Mask field, you should indicate the value of the subnet mask that is used by the provider (see your contract).
In the Gateway field you must indicate the address of the main gateway in the provider’s network (see your contract)
In the Static DNS 1 field, you must specify the address of your preferred domain name server (see your agreement with your provider).
In the Static DNS 2 field, you should specify the address of an alternative domain name server (see your agreement with your provider).
To save the settings, all you have to do is click the Save button.
The entered parameters will be sufficient to connect to the provider in Static IP mode, and we will configure the VPN connection of our Linksys WRT54GL with the ISP server in the Services – VPN menu (see Figure 17)
The PPTP Client Options option must be set to Enable to enable the VPN client in the router.
In the Server IP or DNS Name field, you must indicate the address of your provider's VPN server (see your contract). This value can be entered either as a domain name or as an IP address. It will also be useful to add the --nobuffer switch to the tail of the server address to reduce the load on the processor of your Linksys WRT54GL. The result should be something like: vpn.bigtelecom.ru --nobuffer
This measure will on average increase the speed of the WRT54gL router when working with a VPN connection from 250 KB/s to 1 MB/s.
The MPPE Encryption option determines the presence of encryption in the VPN tunnel to the provider's server. None of the providers we know of use encryption when VPN connection, so for most users it will be enough to specify here: nodeflate
In the User Name field, you must specify the login to connect to the provider’s VPN server (its value can be found in your agreement with the provider, and in the case of the BIG Telecom-Khimki provider, the login coincides with the agreement number).
In the Password field, you should specify the password for connecting to the provider’s VPN server (see your contract; in the case of BIG Telecom, the password is the same as the password for logging into your personal account on the statistics server).
The configuration of the PPTP VPN client in the Linksys WRT54GL is completed by clicking the Save button.
Then, if necessary, you can manipulate the MAC address of your WRT54gL; see Fig. for more details. 14 and in the comments to it.
Setting up routing in Linksys WRT54GL with DDWRT firmware
The next step when setting up a Linksys WRt54gL router in PPTP VPN mode is setting up routing. This procedure is necessary for simultaneous access to local resources of the provider’s network with an established VPN connection. Actually, if you are not very interested in local resources, then you can skip this stage of setting up the router. For those who plan to use local services such as FTP or DC++ in the future, they will have to configure routing. In a router with DD-WRT firmware, this can be done in the Setup – Advanced Routing item (see Fig. 18)
This menu is a table for entering static routes. You can find out about static routes (so-called routes) that are needed in your specific case from the technical support of your provider. To create a routing rule, you need to select a line (ordinal number) for the rule in the Select set number field.
In the Route Name field, specify the name of the rule being created. You can specify any value here.
You must specify the priority in the Metric field of this rule compared to the others (the default value in most cases can be set to 1).
In the Destination LAN NET field you should specify the destination IP address of this static route, in the Subnet Mask field you should specify the subnet mask for a specific route, and in the Gateway field you should specify the address of your local gateway (the latter can be found in your contract with your provider).
In the Interface field, when creating a local route in WRT54GL with DDWRT firmware, select the WAN option.
After entering the required data, click on the Save button to save this route in your Linksys router.
In a similar way, you can create routes for other addresses that you want to add to the local zone (see Fig. 19)
This is how you, one by one, enter information into your router for each static route that should be activated according to the recommendations of your Internet provider.
If you click on the Show Routing Table button, your WRT54GL will show the current routing table settings, where you can see all active routes.
After creating all the necessary rules, setting up routing in Linksys WRT54GL can be considered complete. Click on Apply Settings to apply the router settings. Please note that a router with DD-WRT firmware does not pick up the VPN session immediately, but in some cases within a minute after it reboots!
Setting up a VPN connection between the router and the provider ends at this stage. You can check its success using the ping command on your computer or using the tracert command. To do this, press the key combination
Setting up IPTV and multicast in a router using DDWRT firmware
IPTV is a popular Lately service digital television provided directly by the Internet provider. There are 2 options for using the IPTV service through a router with DD-WRT firmware: using a TV set-top box (set-top-box or STB) and directly on the computer via special program(VLC, IPTV Player, PC player, etc.). Below we will look IPTV setup for all two cases, but you first need to make sure that your provider provides digital television (IPTV) services to its subscribers.
First, let's configure the Linksys WRT54gL router to connect an IPTV set-top box directly to one of the router's LAN ports. Through the WRT54gL console, you can make one of its LAN ports work in switching mode with the WAN, which ensures end-to-end passage of Multicast traffic through the router without loading CPU devices. As a result, when an IPTV set-top box is connected directly to one of the router’s LAN ports, the IPTV set-top box receives an IP address not from the router, but from the provider’s server.
You can configure the Linksys router ports through a telnet session. To do this on Windows systems, do the following: press the key combination
So, type in the console: telnet 192.168.1.1
When prompted by the router, enter the username (login) and password (password) (see Fig. 21)
nvram set vlan0ports="1 2 3 5*"
nvram set vlan1ports="0 4 5"
As a result, on Linksys WRT54GL v 1.1, the LAN4 port will be in the same VLAN (Vlan) with the WAN. Then all you have to do is connect the IPTV set-top box to the LAN4 port of the Linksys router, and everything should work :)
Now let's configure the Linksys WRT54gL router with DD-WRT firmware to watch IPTV on a computer
To do this, you need to enable the transit of Multicast traffic through the firewall of our router. But we want to warn you that watching IPTV through this router will only be possible via cable; via Wi-Fi, the picture will slow down, crumble and twitch....
So, open the firewall settings of our router in Security – Firewall (see Fig. 22)
In the Filter Multicast option, uncheck the box so that the router’s firewall does not cut off IPTV traffic. Then click on Save to save the router settings. As a result of all these IPTV manipulations on a router with DD-WRT firmware, digital television should work in specialized software on the computer (VLC, IPTV Player, PC player, etc.).
At this point, setting up the Linksys WRT54gL router for working with IPTV can be considered complete.
Setting up a Wi-Fi connection in Linksys WRT54GL with DD-WRT firmware
Linksys WRT54GL wireless router supports the standard wireless WiFi(Wi-Fi) communications - IEE 802.11g, which guarantees the ability to work with most wireless equipment existing today. Setting up a WiFi network in a router with DDWRT firmware is carried out in the section Wireless - Basic Settings (see Fig. 23)
In this settings menu wireless connection Our router contains the following important points:
Wireless Mode – operating mode of the wireless interface of our router (we leave it in AP mode – access point).
Wireless Network Mode - determines support various standards Wi-Fi connection. If you have wireless wifi network is not planned to use devices of the outdated 802.11b standard, we recommend leaving the 802.11g option.
Wireless Network Name (SSID) – the name of the future WiFi network at home or in the office. Here you can enter your own value that you personally like. Under this name you will see wireless network in your Wi-Fi clients.
Wireless Channel – select a channel for wireless Wi-Fi communication. We do not recommend dealing with channel number 6, since most Wi-Fi equipment operates on this channel by default. Ideally, we recommend choosing channel 1 or channel 12 to minimize the likelihood of interference with neighboring wireless networks.
The Wireless SSID Broadcast item activates the broadcast of the network identifier, which allows you to “see” the wireless network on client devices running Windows system. Disabling the SSID allows you to hide your Wi-Fi network from inexperienced users like your neighbors. True, in this case you will have to connect to the wireless network on your Windows computer at least once before you hide it through the router menu. In this case, Windows will automatically create a profile for the wireless network and will connect to it in the future, even if the network later lost its SSID broadcast. You can, of course, manually create a profile for connecting to a network without an SSID using operating system, but this is a topic for another conversation...
Then click on the Save button to save the settings.
The Security Mode field controls the choice of encryption type on your wireless network. Taking into account the vulnerability of the WEP protocol, we recommend using exclusively WPA/WPA2 encryption in your Wi-Fi network. Therefore, we opt for the WPA2 Personal option. But you should keep in mind that not all Wi-Fi equipment can work with this type of encryption, so if there are problems connecting wireless clients to the router, you can “degrade” the encryption settings to the WPA Personal level.
In the WPA Algorithms field, we assign an encryption algorithm for the wireless network: AES is a much more secure option than TKIP, but not all wireless clients are able to work with it without problems. The TKIP+AES option is more universal in terms of compatibility with client equipment, so for greater peace of mind you can leave it.
In the WPA Shared Key field, you must specify the encryption key (password) of your wireless network. It must be at least 8 characters long. On behalf of TRADE Telecom, we recommend using uppercase/lowercase letters, numbers and special characters in your password. This minimizes the possibility of guessing the password to your wireless network. In general, a reasonable length of a WPA password for a home wireless network is 8-12 characters.
Key Renewal Interval (in seconds) – key update interval. You can leave the default value.
After filling out the options in this menu, you should click on the Save button to save the wireless network encryption settings on your router.
The TX Power option controls the emission power of the Linksys WRT54GL router's wireless signal. The default value is 71 mW, sanitary standards allow the radiation power in residential premises to be no more than 100 mW, and the maximum Linksys WRT54GL with DD-WRT firmware allows you to set the value to 250 mW. Raising the radiation power to 100-150 mW can be useful in rooms with thick walls or when you need to cover several floors of a building with wireless communications. It’s just that next to the router, after this, the flowers begin to fade and surrounding objects begin to ignite spontaneously (just kidding).
In addition, in this menu, the Radio Sheduling item (activated in the Enable position) allows you to set a schedule for the operation of the radio module in your wireless router. Using the time scale, you can select those hours when you do not need to use the router’s Wi-Fi network (they are indicated in red). This option allows you to turn off the radio part, for example, at night, which can be useful when the router is located in the bedroom or living room.
After activating the necessary options, all that remains is to click on the Save button to save changes to the configuration of the Linksys router with DD-WRT firmware.
On this WiFi setup Linksys WRT54gL with DDWRT firmware can be considered complete. Turn on your laptop or PC and try to connect the computer to your wireless WiFi network using the previously assigned Wi-Fi password. Using your network, you can now, if desired, organize wireless surveillance of your apartment using IP cameras. If you are interested in how much video surveillance costs, then you can contact our specialists for this information. Video surveillance of the office area with Linksys WRT54gL is more than possible.
Setting up port forwarding (port forwarding) in a router with DD-WRT firmware
Port Forwarding in the Linksys WRT54gL router is necessary if you plan to use programs and devices on your home network that require unsolicited access to them from the provider’s local network or the external Internet. For example, port forwarding in the router must be performed in case of access from the Internet to a web camera at your home or when using file-sharing services such as torrent or DC++. The principle of port forwarding is as follows: You independently tell your router what type of unsolicited traffic from outside the router should be redirected through NAT to a specific IP address on your home network.
Let's look at setting up port forwarding in Linksys WRt54gL using Utorrent and DC as an example
You can configure port forwarding in WRT54GL in section Nat / QoS – Port Forwarding (see Fig. 26)
In this menu, you can create port forwarding rules for a specific type of traffic.
As an example, let's set up port forwarding in a Linksys WRt54gL router with DD-WRT firmware for the DC++ file sharing program (see Fig. 27)
In the DC++ connection settings, you will need to activate the Firewall connection mode with manual port forwarding. In the case of file sharing within the provider’s local network, in the External / WAN IP field, you should enter the intranet IP address that is issued to you by the provider under the contract. If you intend to work with the DC++ client on the external Internet, then in the External / WAN IP field you will need to enter your dedicated IP address (for more than detailed information contact your provider).
In the Ports: TCP and UDP field, you need to enter the values of the ports on which you plan further operation of the DC client. We recommend that you choose port values that are easy to remember and that are not occupied by the system.
Then we will return to the port forwarding settings menu of our Linksys WRT54gL router (see Fig. 26), where we will begin to fill in the necessary values for the first rule in the Forwards field.
Here in the Application field we indicate the name of our first port forwarding rule. We advise you to create names according to the purpose of the rule, so that in the future it will be easier to “refresh your memories”.
In the Port from field, you should specify the value of the port from which the router should forward traffic to the internal home network behind the Linksys router. This port must match the port in your DC client (see Figure 27).
In the Protocol field, we will indicate the protocols through which the router will need to forward traffic. The DC++ program uses TCP and UDP data packets for its work (see Fig. 27), so we select the Both option, which includes both TCP and UDP packets.
In the IP Address field, you must specify the value of the internal IP address of the computer on your local network to which the router needs to redirect this traffic. You can find out the internal IP address in the local network connection state (see Fig. 3). Its value must exactly match the IP address value in your router's forwarding rule!
Then in the Port to field we indicate the value of the port to which we need to redirect external traffic from DC++ to the internal subnet behind the router (this value must match the corresponding port in the DC client).
Check the Enable box to activate this rule.
After that, all you have to do is click the Save button to save the forwarding rule in the WRT54GL settings.
Now let's look at creating a port forwarding rule for Utorrent in the Linksys WRT54gL router with DDWRT firmware (see Fig. 28)
In the field for entering the value of the port of incoming connections in the torrent client, we will indicate the port that we would like to redirect in our Linksys WRT54gL router.
We will then return to the router's port forwarding configuration menu, after which we will create an incoming connection forwarding rule for Utorrent. To add a new rule, you need to click on the Add button and fill in the line under the existing rule. When creating a forwarding rule, take into account that the computer with the torrent client on the home network has an internal IP address: 192.168.1.33. We will redirect traffic to port 22222, which is what we indicate in the redirection rule we create. (see Fig. 26). In this simple way you can configure Port Forwarding in Linksys WRt54gL with DD-WRT firmware.
We also note that for Utorrent to work correctly, you will need to connect to a dedicated (external) IP address service from your provider; setting up port forwarding alone will not be enough! Otherwise, the output will be a third of the power, and the torrent client will report that the port is closed. In addition, you can read our tips for setting up Utorrent for optimal operation through a router.
If your Linksys router is configured to operate as a PPTP client, then another difficulty arises when forwarding ports from the external Internet. Due to the peculiarities of selecting an interface for a PPTP session, you need to forward ports from the console (see Fig. 29).
So, for example, in order to forward TCP port 22222 from the Internet to the internal subnet of the router on IP: 192.168.1.33, you will need to enter the following in the Command Shell field:
iptables -t nat -I PREROUTING -p tcp --dport 22222 -j DNAT --to 192.168.1.33:22222
iptables -I FORWARD -p tcp -d 192.168.1.33 --dport 22222 -j ACCEPT
Then all that remains is to click on the Save Startup button.
That, perhaps, is all that concerns the configuration of Linksys WRT54gL, which may be required during home use of this router. If you have completed the entire manual for setting up a router with DD-WRT to the very end, then you can accept our congratulations!
If you liked our instructions for setting up a router with DD-WRT firmware, then the best gratitude would be if you post a link to this material on your blog or on the forum of a local provider. This will improve the position of this page in search results after the link is taken into account search engine Yandex or Google.
In addition, on our website you can read other detailed articles on setting up access points and WiFi routers yourself:
- Network and multimedia capabilities of alternative firmware for Asus routers from Padavan (with built-in DLNA and Transmission)
- Connecting a YOTA modem to a Mikrotik router
- Self-configuration of the Wi-Fi router DLink DIR-300 NRU offers to buy an active network hardware
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Cisco Linksys E1200 is one of the popular router models that combines reasonable price and functionality. Let's look at connecting and setting up this router, as well as the main points that the user should pay attention to.
Router configuration and appearance
The router is distinguished by its simple and stylish design. The black glossy surface and slim body ensure its visual appeal and allow it to fit seamlessly into any interior. Despite the fact that this model is considered budget, it uses all modern wireless Internet technologies. However, it lacks Gigabit Ethernet and USB ports for connecting additional devices.
The set consists of:
Note! The ventilation grilles of the Cisco Linksys E1200 are located on the sides, so when placing it you need to make sure that they do not overlap with other household items.
Connection and preparation for work
Unpack the router and start connecting it:
With this the connection is complete, let’s move on to setting up the network card:
Login to settings
Let's start setting up the Cisco Linksys E120 router.
To get to the configuration menu you need to:
- open the browser on your PC and address bar enter "192.168.1.1", then press “Enter”;
- In the authorization window, enter your login and password (“admin” and “password”).
Attention! The required login details (if different from those listed above) can usually be found at back cover device or user manual.
Internet setup
Once we are in the main menu, we can start connecting to the network.
This can be done automatically:
Some providers use MAC address binding.
To set up such a connection you need:
- go to the section " Settings" and find the option " MAC address cloning»;
- click " Turn on"and confirm cloning the MAC address of your computer;
- save the changes.
The MAC address can also be copied manually.
You can find it out from your provider’s technical support or view it as follows:
If the provider uses a dynamic IP (one that changes every time you enter the network), then the connection will be slightly different:
- in the router settings go to the “Internet” tab;
- in the “Is connection required...” column, mark “No”;
- we confirm our consent to receive data for DNS and IP addresses automatically;
- if binding to a MAC address is active, set it up (how to do this was described above);
- save the settings.
Also, the process will have several separate nuances if the “PPPoE” connection type is used:
Wireless network
Let's move on to setting up the wireless network:
Note! When choosing a name for a network, there is one detail to consider: some devices, such as tablets or smartphones, do not always correctly display networks whose names begin with a capital letter. This is why it is best to start a name with a capital letter.
IPTV
Connecting the IPTV function is quite simple:
- in the router menu, find the “Advanced” tab and select “Internet port settings”;
- here you need to specify the port to which the STB set-top box will be connected;
- We confirm the changes.
Video: Setting up a PPPoE connection
Resetting the router
If the router has already been used, it is recommended to restore it before further work. standard settings.
For this:
In some cases, if you cannot reset the settings this way, you need to do it a little differently:
- completely turn off the router and restart it;
- When starting, press the reset button and wait about half a minute for the device to boot;
- if everything is done correctly, the indicators on the front panel will blink and the router will reboot again;
- upon restart, the device will request a standard login and password (“admin” and “password”, they can also be found on the back cover of the device and in the instructions).
Attention! When restoring factory settings, you need to remember one important detail - after the reset and reboot, all external devices will be able to connect to your router, even those that do not belong to you (for example, neighbors). To avoid this situation, you need to change your login information. How to do this will be described in the next paragraph.
Changing the login password
To change the password we need:
Important! After changing the data, the system will ask you to re-enter the new password to continue working.
Updating the firmware
Updating the router firmware is not difficult at home.
You can do this as follows:
If you can’t access the web interface, you need to restore the device’s default settings. How to do this was described above.
Overall connection and Cisco setup Linksys E1200 is almost no different from other router models. For those users who have already encountered a similar process, they will be simple and understandable. They will not create great difficulties for beginners either. Just follow the instructions above or ask questions in the comments.
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