Do routers just die sometimes?

disneyjoe7

Funny you should talk about DD-WRT router and VPN, I use one just for that propose. I haven't had any issues with it, and did it to help my VOIP phone line. The question I have in mine was how does this router handle WiFi if ports are assigned as VPN?

Syndil

I had a Linksys WRT54GL with DD-WRT on it running OpenVPN. Bandwidth was limited to about 300kbps over a single connection. Try a second connection and it would just grind to a halt.

disneyjoe7 wrote: »

The question I have in mine was how does this router handle WiFi if ports are assigned as VPN?

Umm not really sure what you are asking. Connections made via the WAN over VPN appear as local clients on the LAN. That's what VPN does...

disneyjoe7

I use the DD-WRT as a gateway router. Where its ports feed other network routers and or switches. If this DD-WRT is also the access wireless router how does this handled? Or is it not?

Sherardp

Well I just ordered that Linksys E4200v2 and have it on the way. I ordered it last week so I'll do some testing and see how I like it. I could always send it back and try the wired type router and see how it performs. Right now I have 1gb fiber installed and it's pretty awesome. So I'll need something that can support the bandwidth.

Syndil

disneyjoe7 wrote: »

I use the DD-WRT as a gateway router. Where its ports feed other network routers and or switches. If this DD-WRT is also the access wireless router how does this handled? Or is it not?

Still not sure if I understand what you are asking, but I'll take a stab at it. Any switches downstream of the DD-WRT gateway will be on the same LAN as the wireless and VPN clients of the DD-WRT. Any routers downstream of the DD-WRT will be on a separate LAN. A router downstream of the DD-WRT gateway will see that gateway as its WAN connection. However the two networks should still be able to talk to each other if NAT is enabled.

Sherardp wrote: »

Well I just ordered that Linksys E4200v2 and have it on the way.

Wow, $200 and still only a 1-year warranty. That's one really expensive consumer router. Hope you don't get burned! For a bit more you could have gotten a Netgear SRXN3205 with a lifetime warranty.

Sherardp

Syndil wrote: »

Wow, $200 and still only a 1-year warranty. That's one really expensive consumer router. Hope you don't get burned! For a bit more you could have gotten a Netgear SRXN3205 with a lifetime warranty.

The reviews were very good on both the E4200 and version 2 so I decided to give it a go. If it is subpar then I will simply return it and try something else like the new Asus.

EndersShadow

Funny I just noticed this thread today. My dads 6 year old router just up and died last night. Took me all of 10 mins to diagnose it and about 15 mins to install one of my extra routers lol.

First time I have ever personally seen a router just up and die.

Glad the OP has a new router on the way to get up and running.

disneyjoe7

Ok I try too explain my setup, but understand it works and I been known to make things more complicated.


DSL line 6meg service feeds a modem / router / wireless thing. I don't use the wireless of this router and it's set to 1.1 port 1 feeds the gateway router dd-wrt set to 0.1. The dd-wrt router does the wireless output with the following ports.

Port 1 feeds Netgear 1 gig Router / wireless thingy, I don't use the wireless of this router and it's set to 2.1. This router has a switch and it feeds all jacks in the house.

Port 2 feeds the VOIP

Port 3 feeds a printer networked 0.150

Port 4 feeds a dmz zone for a possible computer.

The QOS is controlling the ports of the gateway router, but I use this router as my wireless access point. Most traffic in my system is video service to and from the 1 gig router. All in or out network traffic is controlled by the gateway router. What wireless access point controlled by what QOS port? Not that I have a problem with how this is setup, but more of a question I have.

Note I can see all routers in the network, expect the 2.1 router since it's above me of the 0.1 gateway router.

disneyjoe7

Here's a link on QOS and dd-wrt

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Quality_of_Service

Serendipity

disneyjoe7,

What you are describing in your setup is a great way to separate your computers from the rest of the network if you are a landlord and want to provide Free WiFi to your tenants. A Guest Network on an access point on one of the downstream routers (you mentioned that you can't see the 2.1 router because it's above your 0.1 router) can be set up and they are separated from your network.

That way, none of your tenants can see the computers in your network, and all their traffic goes through the dedicated access point with the Guest Network set up.

I assume that this is not what you are doing? Not sure why you need multiple routers daisy-chained unless you want to separate the network like what I described above...

Syndil

That is indeed needlessly complex, and I still do not know what exactly it is you are asking. Originally you were asking about VPN, now it looks like you are asking about QOS. Did you mean QOS from the start?

disneyjoe7

Yes QOS and not VPN

Serendipity

Wouldn't it be easier to just use one main router and turn off the DHCP in your Netgear making it function as a switch? You do know that you can configure a router to be used as just a switch or access point, right? It seems very complex to be running NAT on several routers and separating the networks (1.1, 0.1, 2.1) unless you have a reason to do so. I would just turn off all the "router" features in the other routers being used as switches or access points. That way, it would simplify things in the network. Just my opinion.

disneyjoe7

I'm booked out of ports on the main router and switch. Before I would have problems with phone line working on main router so I moved down to dsl router, but couldn't do QOS on it. So the dd-wrt became the gateway router with QOS. Issues with phone is gone, so all is good, and keeping it this way until I change my mind again.


Steve

Syndil

I think I understand what you are asking now, but still not entirely certain. I'll take another stab at it.

The DD-WRT's QOS does not prioritize traffic based on which hardware jack the traffic is coming from, which is what I think you are thinking. It can prioritize network traffic by giving certain devices priority via their address (IP address or MAC address) or it can prioritize network traffic by determining the type of traffic is being transmitted (VOIP, HTTP, etc.), but the router does not care what physical jack on the back of the router the traffic is going through, nor does it care if it is wireless traffic. That information is irrelevant to QOS on the DD-WRT.

disneyjoe7

Syndil wrote: »

The DD-WRT's QOS does not prioritize traffic based on which hardware jack the traffic is coming from

Huh?


A picture is worth a 1000 words.

So if this router is also the wireless access point is this also QOS and how if based on ports?

Syndil

Wow, did not know that setting was in there. I stand corrected. First QoS device I've seen with that option. Apparently it's only available using very old routers that have the ADM6996L chipset, according to DD-WRT's Wiki.

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Quality_of_Service

NOTE: Ethernet Port Priority only works on old models with ADMtek switch chips. That is, the Linksys WRT54G v1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 2.1 and the WRT54GS v1.0. It appears that this Ethernet Port Priority option has been removed for many models that do not support it, but many Broadcom G spec models that do not support it still display it.

What model router do you have DD-WRT on? It may be that it is not even being utilized, if it has a Broadcom chipset in it.

disneyjoe7

I have to check, but think it's 8.x

disneyjoe7

Still need to find model but thinking again it's 8.1 and has Broadcom BCM5352 chip rev 0 cpu.

Willow

My last router would drop signals all the time. Laptop didnt work well and batteries drained on berrys and itouch. Now I'm renting one for 5$ mth. So yes they seem to just stop working one day