Linksys WRT300N v1 and dd-WRT v24 firmware
Posted by Jason on June 4, 2008
This isn’t really directly related to Ubuntu, but I tried to install the latest dd-WRT firmware (v24) on my Linksys WRT300N (v1) router last week.
Even though the WRT300Nv1 is listed among the supported hardware, it is too buggy for real use in my experience.
Installing the firmware worked fine, but the first major problem was that changing the visual theme means your password no longer works! So, I had to reset the router, and then make sure I had ssh access to the router – after than anytime I changed the theme, I would have to ssh back into the router, clear the password, log back in with the default information, and then re-set the login to what I wanted. Not good.
Second, many of the widgets didn’t work. For example, I wanted to try to set up QoS priorities by MAC addresses. I set my MAC to a preferred state, which dropped the connection speed to the downstairs computer to about 17kb/s. This was fine, but even after I stopped using the internet, the downstairs machine would never exceed that same 17 kb/s.
So, I wanted to delete that MAC entry, but there’s no way to delete it. There is a checkbox to delete, but it doesn’t do anything. Not good.
Similarly, I wanted to set up some port forwarding. So I enter the port info, the destination IP, and click. A new line appears in the port forwarding that is absolutely blank. Repeating the process gains the same thing – a new line appears, but all the information is blank. Not good.
So, I gave up on it today. Avoid the dd-WRT firmware if you have the same model I do. Fortunately, installing the Linksys firmware back onto the router worked perfectly.
I’m still on the lookout for some alternative firmware – I don’t think OpenWRT supports my model yet.
Peter said
My experience in upgrading my own WRT300N V1 router (just today) has produced, at least up to this point, very encouraging results. My needs are simpler than yours, however.
All I wanted was, essentially, a single WiFi LAN adapter that I could plug three PCs into such that they would all see my other router, the one connected to the cable modem and the Internet. With DD-WRT configured for client mode, that’s exactly what I got. My WRT300N is now a WiFi LAN adapter. It’s working beautifully, at least in initial testing. Certainly, if something comes up, I’ll get back to you.
Two Web pages were critical in my success:
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Linksys_WRT300N#General_Information
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Client_Mode_Wireless
The first one pointed me to the specific binary, on the DD-WRT website, in a WRT300N folder, necessary for my router (there’s a bunch of other binaries in that WRT300N folder which would seem to have nothing to do with my specific model!).
The second explains, quite well, how to set up my router for client mode.
This all went off without a hitch… so far anyway!
Peter said
Note that WRT300N is “client router”.
Now many days into this. Am doing port forwarding for Windows Remote Desktop, Wake On Lan for one of the PCs wired into the client router. Three PCs are wired into the client router and see each other as well as the Internet. All working great. Only issue that cropped up was that the client router kept dropping the connection to the “Web” router. “WDS/Connection WatchDog” has remedied that one.
QoS isn’t one that I’ve needed but there is a bit of overlap in what I’ve done versus what you tried.
Is there a chance that you used the wrong binary (or that I have an updated one)? Would suggest that you try again.
ushimitsudoki said
I’m sure it’s possible I made a mistake – I’ll check and see if there is a newer version out and I might give it another go!
Thanks for the update!
Anas said
i have linksys wrt300n v200.17, i did not found dd-wrt for it so any body have the dd-wrt for linksys wrt300m ver. 200.17 or any body have ver. 1.0 or 1.1 for my wrt300n so i can upload it then i can upload dd-wrt for it.
Thanks.
points2 shop said
points2 shop…
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