Dd-wrt

I'm am not, by any means, a router or wireless expert. I am in the market for a good wireless router but am not sure if I should go for a wireless-G or wireless-N. If I do for a wireless-N, it will probably be the D-Link DIR-655. If I decide to go for wireless-G, I want to use DD-WRT firmware to booth the performance of the router. Questions:

1. Should I go for G or N? I am using the router for wireless internet for school and general surfing purposes, and my house isn't very big.

2. Anyone willing to explain how (in as much detail as possible) to incorporate DD-WRT firmware into the use of the router? Step by step if possible?


Thanks in advance!

 

Well first of all, does you laptop support N? If not, then you may want to factor that in part of your decision. Depending on the laptop you can sometimes change the wifi module out, or add an expresscard/pcmcia wireless N card, but with the latter you're gonna have part of the card hanging out the side.

Here is the wiki for the dd-wrt installation.

You may also want to consider Tomato. I used dd-wrt for about a year and had more than a few issues with it. After I switched to Tomato its been smooth sailing ever since. The web interface is designed using Ajax, so its somewhat easier to use, lighter on resources and does'nt require a full reboot when making most changes. The QOS module seems to be much more robust than the dd-wrt offering as well.

 

Which one is easier to install?

 

Both are equally easy to install. You just run a firmware upgrade from the web interface.

 

Sorry, what is the web interface? How do you run a firmware upgrade?

 

Check out the installation wiki I linked you to earlier. It pretty much explains everything and walks you through installation.

HOWEVER, if you're not 100% sure of what you're doing, you may wanna hold off on doing the upgrade and possibly let someone with more experience handle it, or just leave the current firmware as is. More than a few have bricked their routers attempting the upgrade. What, specifically, makes you want to upgrade?

 

I just want the internet to work as fast as possible once I purchase the router. I apologize, I am getting ahead of myself a bit. I have yet to pruchase my laptop because Sony Vaio Z-Series has yet to be released in Canada. Thus, I'm not even sure if I'll need to upgrade. I just want to make sure my laptop will have internet fast enough for surfing and general torrent downloads.

 

Updating the router firmware isnt going to make the internet any faster per se. Upgraded firmware is mainly used to allow you more control over your connection. ie Quality Of Service, additional VLANS, etc. There are a few settings that offer a bit of improvement such as changing the TCP timeout, which helps slowdowns when utilizing P2P applications such as bittorrent, but those are generally protocol specific and as a whole dont really improve internet performance.

You'll most likely be just fine with factory firmware.

 

Thanks Dook!

Right now, I'm deciding between the Linksys WRT160N and the D-Link DIR-655. Which one do you think will be easier to install? I've heard good things about the D-Link but installation is apparently more cumbersome than necessary.

 

To be honest, I have always favored Linksys and Cisco products over others. That being said, I have the DIR-655 at the office and cannot say enough good things about it. Dlink really hit the nail on the head with this one. It's getting rave reviews all over the internet too. If I were just starting, I would definitely give the 655 more than a passing glance.

 

A lot of people on the internet say you don't need to use the CD included to install the router. What is the easier way to install it? I am referring to the DIR-655.

 

Plug everything in, open a web browser and type in the routers ip address, which is usually 192.168.1.1. They come pre-configured from the factory to work in basic scenarios. You will want to do the above once you verified you have a connection to setup your wireless security. Other than that, there's not really much to "set up"

 

Where in the web browser do I enter the router's IP address? And what are u referring to when you say "You will want to do the above once you verified you have a connection to setup your wireless security"?

Also, what is the best way to secure my wireless internet?

 

Can someone please explain to me what DD WRT is supposed to do? Does it work for all routers?

Does it void the warranty that came with your router from the manufacturer? And how effective is it? Price?

 

dd-wrt is a replacement linux firmware that only works on linux based routers, you must check to see if your specific router is supported. It adds a lot of more features than the factory firmware. It also increase the number of symatanious connections over most firmwares. It also gives you control of the output power of the radio (wireless). You can also use it so setup a hotspot if needed. Over all is is more stable than most factory firmware, this is the main reason people upgrade to it. And yes it can void a warranty, besides bricking one if the upgraded does not work.