Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 17:21 Post subject: WL-500gP strange issues, stable build?, obsolete wiki info!
Hi, its my first post and yes I have 3 "noob" questions, but I would really appreciated some clarification from more experienced locals here.
My current state:
Im trying to make some use of an old Asus WL-500g Premium (Broadcom BCM4318), this old champ is running many years (probably since late 2008) on DD-WRT v24-sp1 07/27/08 std (SVN revision 10011).
Last 5 years was this router used mainly as extention for wifi for garden. Now I need to use it as main router for a while, so I need to add there few static IPs and portforwarding, but it doesnt work. I know it used to work without problems until cca 2010? From 2010 have wl500gP from time to time some problems with Portforwarding and general lan status data...
More detailed explanation of wl500gP present problems
Code:
A) general lan status data - are available only few minutes after reboot, than all the data disapear and are unavailable till next reboot
B) Port Forward list shows nothing and Add button doesnt work till restart. After restart is list of portforwarded apps still empty, but by pressing Add button I can make one by one all rows visible in the list, until I reach empty row where I can finaly add new app. (Port Range Forward seems to work ok)
C) Static Leases for DHCP Server seems to not work at all. I know there were some static IPs from before but now there is not single one and I cant add new... when try to fill up some new static ip (Mac/name/IP) after pressing Save button or Apply Settings button newly added static ip disapear.
D) Im think that there will be more problems but these are the ones I know of.
At the begining everything seemed to work ok so Im not shure if this is a FW problem or HW related problem (especialy when I take in consider that 3 AC adapters already died powering this router).
And now my questions:
Q1: Can I safely perform 30/30/30 without flashing/upgrading fw? Just to clear Nvram storage, than reboot and use current FW further on without problems (will be current obsolete FW able to rebuild all data it needs)? I belive that it should be ok but well I prefer to ask (better safe than sorry). (First year or two I exeprienced none of mentioned problems (and I didnt changed the fw) so I thought that these problems may be because of some odd data occured in Nvram or somewhere else.)
DON'T USE THE ROUTER DATABASE! The router database has recommended some less stable builds, including 13064 (10/10/09) build or 14896. I suggest using the builds that are recommended here, rather than the ones in the router database. SP1 is full of bugs, and while 13064 is not nearly as bad, some are reporting connection issues fairly regularly. Sometimes the router database also has had the wrong build type. The router database is being worked on improve the recommendations but it still contains errors and bad builds. Do not skip over reading the install wiki for your router just because you got the files from the router database. You need to KNOW what to do with those files. The wiki usually has the right builds for particular routers. READ THE WIKI!
Ok so I should find out recommended build for my model at the wiki... http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Hardware-specific#Asus BUT there is no info for my model wl500gP !!! except for one in german language (http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Asus_WL-500g_Premium_de) which I sadly dont understand much, but if Im not mistaken there is an obsolete information that current actual version for wl500gP is dd-wrt.v23 SP2 which is lower than my actual DD-WRT v24-sp1 (SVN revision 10011) or the v24 PreSP2 Beta Build 14896 that router database recomends but Peacock Thread refers to it as to less stable build.
So my question is which one is lesser evil, which one do you recommeds?
Q3: Maybe I do missunderstand the whole concept and I can use any FW up to 8MB which is for Broadcom e.g. Brainslayer 14929 FWs http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=74646 (for example dd-wrt.v24_std_special_generic.bin or dd-wrt.v24_mega_special_generic.bin), which is recommended by Peacock Thread? But how can I recognise what fw is safe for wl500gP, is the size of flash (8MB) and platform (Broadcom) enough for upgrade purposes from obsolete dd-wrt? Im rly sorry if I asking on something obvious?
Please read the forum announcements, as most if not all of your questions are answered in greater detail there.
However:
1. Yes. But you will probable have to do a power cycle for the reset to work on that asus router.
2. Recommended build do not need to be trailed builds. See notes 3 AND 4 for guidance on how to pick a build.
3. . Yes, it is based on flash size AND proper kernel. (k24, or k26 or k3) Are you sure that you have 8mb of flash, rather than 8mb of ram? Check the supported devices wiki to be sure. I would use 12548 on that router, but 14929 should work all right as well. _________________ SIG:
I'm trying to teach you to fish, not give you a fish. If you just want a fish, wait for a fisherman who hands them out. I'm more of a fishing instructor.
LOM: "If you show that you have not bothered to read the forum announcements or to follow the advices in them then the level of help available for you will drop substantially, also known as Murrkf's law.."
3. . Yes, it is based on flash size AND proper kernel. (k24, or k26 or k3) Are you sure that you have 8mb of flash, rather than 8mb of ram? Check the supported devices wiki to be sure.
I would use 12548 on that router, but 14929 should work all right as well.
Im reading thru the forum whole day so Im in the point now where Im not certainly shure about anything but I doublechecked supported devices wiki http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Supported_Devices#Asus and it says that WL-500gP have RAM [MB] = 32 and Flash [MB] = 8 so lets say that I belive that I have 8mb of flash in my router.
Quote:
I would use 12548 on that router, but 14929 should work all right as well.
True wl500gP is only b/g and Peacock Thread also says:
Basicly it means that wiki is obsolete for WL-500gP and the current recommended build should be probably from 12548 family: ftp://ftp.dd-wrt.com/others/eko/V24_TNG/svn12548/
since wl500gP runs on Broadcom BCM4704 @264 it should be some NEWD bios
So important factors are:
- right platform (Broadcom) & Frequency [MHz]
- right flash size ( for wl500gP its 8 )
- right Kernel... and than it "should be" safe
About Kernel
wl500gP is not on K26 Build Supported Router List nor unsupported list http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=63757&start=0 (altho wl500gP V2 is on unsupported list) and from what I find out from Peacock Thread is that it depends with what FW was device initialy flashed (I dont remember that but it was certainly 2008 or before)... so right now I only can guess that wl500gP runs on k24 (I assume its safe guess, since wl500gP V2 is on unsupported list, but still just a guess)
Q4:
Is there any way how can I find out for sure that kernel is right now k24 and not k26?
Q5:
I also would like to ask on subjective opinions on mega VS standard builds. Since I know I dont need some extra functionality of mega builds and I dont planing to "play" with them, is it wiser just to stick with standard builds that are smaller with less functions? I guess that it will be better for router (lesser demand on ram, etc.) or it doesnt matter?
PS:
Yes I know I should read announcements and I did prior to posting previous post. I also read that recommended build do not need to be trailed build for upgrades. And I read how to pick a build, but well I still thought that I missing smthing (I sometimes do overcomplicate things), but I thought that first 2 questions would be still relevant in case that I would be mistaken in third one, so I asked anyway just to be shure. In any case I really thank You Murrkf for Your prompt answer, it may not seems that, but it was huge help for me.
Thank you sir.
I suggest that you should try a 12548 NEWD K24 (Not K26) MINI generic build to start. Follow the peacock note 1 in flashing.
SP1 was only available in k24, so you can't need k26.
It appears that you do have 8 mb of flash, according to what you found. _________________ SIG:
I'm trying to teach you to fish, not give you a fish. If you just want a fish, wait for a fisherman who hands them out. I'm more of a fishing instructor.
LOM: "If you show that you have not bothered to read the forum announcements or to follow the advices in them then the level of help available for you will drop substantially, also known as Murrkf's law.."
now when You mention it... at first I wanted to choose the 14929 over 12548 because I saw some 14929 builds with written "generic" in the name of build and 12548 doesnt use "generic" word in names... but if its says just dd-wrt.v24-12548_NEWD_mini.bin without specific device id what else can it be, right - I was thinking about 14929 only because I felt more safe when I saw it written, heh, silly I know. Thank you again, your help is much appreciated.
I somehow can NOT perform first hard reset (reset BEFORE flashing)
- PC freshly rebooted
- firewall/antivir turned off
- network settings in pc:
IP:192.168.1.8
mask: 255.255.255.0
gateway: 192.168.1.1
- wifi on pc turned off
- router connected only to PC via Lan1
- hard reset 30/30/30 done
result:
- can not connect to router via 192.168.1.1
- ping to 192.168.1.1 works without problem
- telnet or ssh to 192.168.1.1 does not work
- Yes I have held the button for a full 90 seconds without releasing it
- I have tried all 4 lan ports with same result (aswell as wan port - no ping there, but that should be ok)
- after 30-30 in the beginning of third 30 my computer connects to router almost immediately in first few seconds
- realy wierd is that even when I try connect PC to router after hard reset without static network settings (with DHCP settings on PC), after releasing the reset button, PC will recieve an IP and I can ping to router (but nothing else)?!?
- I tried it on 2 computers so far (both are old junk running on winXP), same results
- I also tried 35-35-35 and 25-25-25 because I thought that maybe internal clock counts time differently (because of possible Clock Timing Bug - see http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=37824&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&sid=3446a6c9e045431d4332bb57f2237bbf)
As noted in the peacock announcement, Asus routers often require a power cycle after 30 30 30 _________________ SIG:
I'm trying to teach you to fish, not give you a fish. If you just want a fish, wait for a fisherman who hands them out. I'm more of a fishing instructor.
LOM: "If you show that you have not bothered to read the forum announcements or to follow the advices in them then the level of help available for you will drop substantially, also known as Murrkf's law.."
Yeah I know, I did that too... I just forgot to mnetion it.
after Hard reset I pull out power cord for 30 sec... result router came back to normal state (didnt promt me with pw change).
But maybe I was suppose to do the 30-30-30 and than do immediatly power cycle (I always tried to connect to 192.168.1.1 before power cycle). Ill try that at Friday/Saturday when Ill get back home... again thanks for your help.
