My Digital Life

DD-WRT OS for Linksys Routers is an Excellent Upgrade (update 2)

Back in 2007 I upgraded my network with 2 Linksys WRT54G-TMO routers I had received free (with a rebate) for signing up for T-Mobile HotSpot @ Home service (seems to be dying a slow death with no devices on the horizon). I have the Linksys routers set up as bridges (upstairs and downstairs) wired to a D-Link DFL-210 router which connects directly to the Verizon FIOS Optical Network Terminal.

One of the remaining low signal spots in my home has been the porch. The signal strength on the porch fluctuates between 10% and 20% with fairly frequent disconnects. I had tried to solve the problem by adding another Linksys WRT54G, and using it as a wireless bridge but the solution never worked consistently so I sold it. This summer I decided to try again, this time with a Linksys WRE54G range expander from eBay. I had not been able to get it to work reliably and narrowed the issue down to a routing problem; the internet traffic was not being funneled to the D-Link router (I could ping all my other devices on my network). I tried entering a static route in the Linksys router to no avail.

I had previously researched the DD-WRT router OS and was impressed with all the available functionality, but at the time the upgrade process was fairly laborious and in some cases required a hardware modification. When I Googled DD-WRT this time, I found some enterprising individual (Thanks Luniz2k1) had come up with a way to flash (no hardware mod required) the WRT54G-TMO router using a two step process. It was also clear that many individuals had posted having success with the WRE54G and DD-WRT. I decided to take the plunge and try it. The upgrade was simple; the key is setting up the two static addresses in TCP/IP settings (192.168.0.1 Linksys default and 192.168.1.1 DD-WRT default), since the only acknowledgement you receive that the upgrade is complete is from a successful ping command.

I don't know why I waited so long, the DD-WRT OS is full featured and makes the Linksys OS look like child's play. I was able to get the WRE54G range expander to work with DD-WRT by adding a static route from the Linksys router (DD-WRT) to my internal subnet using the static LAN interface address. A static route is not required, however route propagation seems slow (it takes about a minute several minutes) or maybe it is just the way Vista handles the gateway route, but this only happens when the WRE54G is on and part of the network. I need to investigate more.

The week of June 18th in My Digital Life

Last week I finally upgraded my D-Link DFL-210 router's firmware to version 2.11.02. Unfortunately the backup of my configuration did not import correctly which meant I had to reconfigure the router from scratch which took a little while. I have most of the configuration back up but I need to get VPN running this week.

Slingmedia's Slingplayer mobile beta for Windows Mobile 6 is progressing very nicely and hopefully will be out soon.

Since I was having some memory problems with my T-Mobile Wing and Spb Mobile Shell, I have removed it and reconfigured my today screen and will post it tomorrow. Responses to my post on the Spb club forum validates the issues I was having. It looks like Spb will be releasing a new version shortly which I will try this week for a possible update to my review here. Hopefully the new version will solve my issues. T-Mobile or HTC needs to fix the camera application, unless I do a soft boot most of the time I get the out of memory message, even when nothing is running. I run other large applications which work fine, I will probably call and complain.

This week:

• I finally have some time to complete my review of Blueant's Supertooth in car Bluetooth system this week.
• Post my Today screen updates
• Update my DFL-210 configuration

Verizon FIOS - My installation

Last week I finally got Verizon's FIOS installed, it took 3 weeks...I was originally was told that I could not get FIOS until the end June, however in late April when I was reviewing my land line phone bill on-line, I saw a link displaying that FIOS was available at my address. I ordered the installation on-line and scheduled it for May 3rd. On May 2nd I got a call from Verizon that there was a technical issue and rescheduled for May 4th. May 4th came around and no one showed or called. I called Verizon, explained the situation and found someone who was very helpful. She analyzed the order and found that it had an issue which caused it not to be dispatched. The problem was that the cut over dates for the land line and connection for the Internet were different. The order system does not automatically dispatch when you have different service due date on one order. She elevated the issue to the order department for resolution. May 7th went by without a call, so I followed up on Tuesday. At this point I voiced my displeasure in the process, and the gentleman researched the issued and overrode the system to force the installation for the morning of May 15th. This time the process worked as planned,  I was called the night before to confirm and the technician called me before arriving.

The technician arrived and could not find the fiber router listed on the order. Routers support 25 to 50 homes, they seem to be on the ground next to poles. I told him there was one at each end of the street and based on the routers street address listed on the order I pointed him in the right direction. The next step was to run the fiber cable from a connection point on the router to my house. The fiber cables come in pre-defined lengths and cannot be altered by the technician. They are built by Corning Glass. He decided to use a 350' cable. The longest part of the installation was the stringing of the cable down and across the street to my house.

The next step was to install the Tellabs 1600 Optical Network Terminal (ONT). I wanted it placed in my garage but at the technician's insistence we decided outside was better for two reasons. First, the fiber connector on the end of the cable is quite large, it would require a large hole through my brick and block wall. Second, if there was an issue with the ONT Verizon could not service it from outside and I would have to be home. The ONT requires a power source so we decided to place the power supply and backup battery next to an outlet in the garage. The ONT enclosure measures 13" x 13", so it is not too obvious. Since the technicians have to use fixed length fiber cable the ONT has a slack storage compartment to hold the excess, very nice design feature.

The fiber connection inside the ONT. The bottom black connector is the large fixed end of the Corning Glass cable coming from the street.

The ONT provides both cable and RJ45 LAN outputs. Verizon provides an Actiontec MI424WR 4 port wireless router which accepts cable or RJ45 LAN inputs. Since my plan was to use my D-Link DFL-210 router I wanted to use the ONT LAN output. Because most homes already have cable, Verizon prefers this method, however we agreed that a LAN drop was better in my situation and I offered to run the drop. One note, since I have Directv and the ONT's cable output is not compatible with the satellite dish cable signal, this gave me another reason not to use cable.

The user interface side of the ONT. From left to right, the RJ45 LAN connection, the 2 land line phone (POTS) connection, and the cable hookup.

Verizon strongly suggest that you use their router with stickers that warn about network degradation if you don't.  I really don't think there is anything the Actiontec router has that my DFL-210 can't do. In order for the DFL-210 to acquire an address from the network, all I had to do is clone the MAC address from the Actiontec router. I compared the speeds with and without the Actiontec, they were the same.

It took 6 hours to complete the install, the major portion of time going to running the fiber drop to my house and resolving a cut over issue from copper to fiber on my land line at the central office.

So far I am very happy, the download speeds average 5.1Mbps are equivalent to Comcast while the uploads of 1.8Mbps are 6 times faster and at $39.99 a month cheaper than the $57.99 Comcast was trying to charge me.

US DaylightSavings Time

As a result of the Daylight Savings Time (DST) change, I ended with 3 minor issues:

• I received a message yesterday on my Directv Tivo telling me that I should force a call to receive the updated software for DST (version 3.5b-01-1-011). I did and of course lost network connectivity to my Tivo, since they wipe out hacks on every upgrade. This means pulling out the drive, but I need to replace it (see my post) anyway so no big deal.
• My T-Mobile MDA needed a reboot to show the right time. I also had one appointment that off by one hour today. I will have to monitor the times of my appointments this week.
• I forgot to update my DFL-210 router, so its off by one hour. The configuration allows you to set the DST start and end dates.

The Windows XP and Vista clocks adjusted correctly. The atomic clock adjusted as expected without any updates required...

Slingbox Pro

As I mentioned yesterday I received a Slingbox Pro for Christmas. The Slingbox is essentially a "black box" (it's really red) which allows you to stream video content from a cable, Standard (SD), or High Definition (HD) source to a PC, MAC or Windows Mobile device. The Slingbox Pro is the latest iteration of the Slingbox which now comes in three flavors; the Slingbox Tuner, the Slingbox AV and the Slingbox Pro. The Slingbox Pro integrates the features of the Slingbox Tuner and AV with support for up to four inputs types. I selected the Slingbox Pro since it has a component HD input for my pending HDTV upgrade project.

The Slingbox is one of the those great ideas like the DVR that is hard to explain to a non technology oriented individual, like why Finally, the DVR is getting some traction, hopefully the Slingbox will not go the way of the Turtle Beach Audiotron. The Audiotron released in 2001 was a Windows CE 3.x based streaming HiFi quality audio streamer which allowed for the playing of .wma music files from a PC and Internet radio stations through one's stereo system. You could select content via the front panel, a PC or PocketPC web browser. It was an extremely well built device, fairly easy to configure, won many awards and was ahead of its time. Unfortunately Turtle Beach never sold enough devices to continue development and the iPod came along. Just think if they had integrated a portable player with the Audiotron...

Let's hope the Slingbox fate is different, it is also a very well engineered product and setup was pretty much a breeze.

1. You plug in the video devices you want to stream, currently I attached my Tivo's SD composit video and audio out.
2. You plug in the Infrared extender so you can remote control you device.
3. You plug in an LAN cable, WIFI or PowerLine adapter. I used a LAN cable connection to a hub.
4. You plug in the AC adapter.
5. The unit is now ready to be configured. The configuration is performed by installing the Slingplayer you download from http:www.slingmedia.com/support (the installation CD will point you to this site). The installation will find the Slingbox and walk you through the simple configuration process and update the firmware if necessary. The configuration process allows you to select and test different remote controls, by manufacturer, to ensure it sends the right commands to the DVR, cable box, or remotely controllable device. The only advanced configuration feature involves accessing the Slingbox from the Internet. This requires port forwarding (port 5001) to be enabled on your router and the setting of a static IP address. It looks like the configuration wizard can automatically configure most routers but my D-Link DFL210 was not one of them. Since I had previously enabled port forwarding for another device which I documented here, I simply created two new rules for the Slingbox and port 5001. On the Internet you have two options to locate your Slingbox, the first is to use Slingmedia's locator service (this is the default) and the other is to enter your router's external IP address or DNS domain name. Using your IP or domain name probably provides slightly faster connection times. Since my Internet provider Comcast uses dynamic IP addresses, I use a DNS domain name registered with dynamic DNS services from dyndns.com.

Once you have completed the configuration, a profile is created. Every subsequent installation of Slingplayer displays the list of Slingboxes on your network by profile name. You select the Slingbox you want to connect to and like magic you are connected. If you have password enabled the Slingbox (you should), you must enter the password to connect. You can set an option the remember the password for every connection. I downloaded the 30 day trial version of the Windows Mobile 5.0 for Pocket PC Slingplayer for my T-Mobile MDA. I used the ActiveSync setup and the installation process was painless (I installed Slingplayer on my storage card). The quality of the video on my network (WIFI) goes from excellent using my Media Center PC to very good on my Lenovo X41 tablet to good on my T-Mobile MDA. The Slingplayer has options you can tweak for network and video performance but I found the default settings to work fine. I have not tested from an Internet connected PC yet, I am curious to see the video quality with Comcast's limited upload speed of 384Kbps, I have tested my T-Mobile MDA on the Edge network and it works fine, it is a little jerky but definitely viewable (dslreports speed of 90Kbps), however not perfect. I really like the landscape viewing mode. I will probably end up purchasing the Windows Mobile Slingplayer.

The only issue I have found so far is a pause that occurs every time I send a remote control command. I will keep this post updated with my findings, but so far this is a great device and I can now watch my DVR live TV and recorded content anywhere in my home and while traveling. Pretty cool...

DFL-210 - Syslog event logging

Since I run my Media Center PC 24x7, I decided it would be a good idea to capture log messages from the DFL-210 firewall, my 2 Linksys access points and the SunRocket Innomedia VOIP gateway. I found the Kiwi Syslog Daemon to fit my needs since it worked with all my devices and they provide a freeware version. The Kiwi Syslog Daemon can be run as a service so you do not need to be logged on. You should also download the Kiwi Log Viewer to view the entire log file, the Syslog Daemon will only display the last 100 entries or so.

The key differences that I can between the paid and the freeware version is the ability to filter , better reports and DNS resolution of logged IP addresses. You can request a 30 day trial of the paid version. I may try it once I know my way around the software.

The DFL-210 is configured by adding a Log and Event Receiver under System.

• add a Syslog receiver
• Name = choose a name
• IP address = the IP address of the computer the Kiwi Syslog Daemon is running on
• Facility = a descriptor that will show up in your logs to identify the sender (I used local0)
• Port = 514 (standard syslog receiver port)
• In the Kiwi Syslog Daemon setup enable Inputs/UDP and if you have Linksys equipment enable Inputs/SNMP.
• On Windows XP control panel/firewall/Exceptions Add Port Name=Syslog Port=514

When you set up new items or rules on the DFL-210 you can manually set the logging options.

Next I need to look at filtering and reporting to see if the paid version might be useful for my use.

DFL-210 - Port Forwarding

In order to enable port forwarding you need to create two rules on the DFL-210. The first rule is for service to Static Address Translation (SAT) and the second rule is for Network Address Translation (NAT) to Static Address Translation.

The first rule is created using the following steps:

• Under Rules/IP Rules/wan_to_lan add a new rule
• Under the general tabName = enter desired nameAction = SAT
• Service = Select the desired service
• Schedule = Select the desired schedule or None
• Source interface = any
• Source Network = all-nets (you specify a specific inbound address or range)
• Destination Interface = core
• Destination Network = wan_ip3. Under SAT tab
• Under the SAT tab
• check destination IP address
• New IP Address = the address you want to forward to
• New Port = the port you want to forward to
• Create the rule by clicking OK.

The second rule is created using the following steps:

• Under Rules/IP Rules/wan_to_lan add a new rule
• Under the general tabName = enter desired nameAction = Allow
• Service = Select the desired service
• Schedule = Select the desired schedule or None
• Source interface = any
• Source Network = all-nets (you specify a specific inbound address or range)
• Destination Interface = core
• Destination Network = wan_ip

Create the rule by clicking OK.

Activate the configuration by using the Configuration/Save and Activate menu item.

DFL-210 - Bandwidth management and traffic shaping with pipes

One of the key reasons I purchased the D-Link DFL-210 SOHO router/firewall was the ability to control the bandwidth allocated between my SunRocket VOIP service and the rest of my network devices. The DFL-210 is a commercial grade router and provides great flexibility, however it is much more complicated to configure than consumer grade routers. I have setup a D-LINK DFL-210 category to capture all my posts related to the operation and configuration of the router.

The theory behind the router and firewall is the state full inspection of inbound and outbound data packets separately. To that end, the firewall requires inbound and outbound rule to enable bi-directional traffic.

I placed my SunRocket InnoMedia MTA-6328-2Re VOIP gateway behind the DFL-210 to provide it more protection and provide my network with capabilities like VPN. However the problem with this configuration is the inability of the VOIP gateway to control the amount of bandwidth it needs to provide high quality voice connections. It is essentially competing with every other device on my network for the available bandwidth and the result can be choppy voice conversations. To remedy the situation the DFL-210 needs to prioritize data packets coming out of and going into the VOIP gateway. D-Link's bandwidth management involves the definition of traffic shaping pipes. These pipes can allocate pre-defined bandwidth segments to specific Internet services and ports.

Here are the steps I followed:

1. Configure a static address on the InnoMedia MTA-6328-2Re
2. On the DFL-210

1. Backup your configuration (just in case)
2. Define an IP4 host/network under InterfaceAddresses Objects with the static address you used in the InnoMedia MTA-6328-2Re
3. Define a TCP/UDP service under services objects called SIP with a destination port of 5060. This is the standard VOIP control connection (caller id, etc).
4. Define a TCP/UDP service under services objects called RTP with a destination port range of 16384-16403. This is the range used by SunRocket for the audio G.711 connection.
5. Define a service group under services objects, include SIP and RTP.
6. Define an inbound pipe under traffic shaping with the highest precedence set to 120. This is the maximum you will ever need for a G.711 voice connection, 90 might be enough, but I wanted to error on the safe side.
7. Define an outbound pipe under traffic shaping with the highest precedence set to 120.
8. Define a pipe rule under traffic shaping. Select the service group you defined in 5. The source interface is lan, the source network is the object you defined in 2. The destination interface is any, the destination network is all-nets.
9. In the traffic shaping tab select the outbound pipe defined in 7 for the forward chain and the inbound pipe defined in 6 for the return chain. Set the precedence to highest. This provides bi-directional communication.
10. Save and Activate the configuration.

So far I am very pleased with the SunRocket service. The majority of my calls have been as good as my land line. This configuration should bring the number of quality calls close to a 100%. The only factor out of my control is Comcast (which has been very good lately) and the Internet...

DFL-210 - Quick Config

The D-Link DFL-210 is not a plug and play router. The router is not setup for DHCP, you must first assign a static IP address of 192.168.1.2 and a gateway of 192.168.1.1 on your PC's wired Ethernet adapter. To access the administration UI you connect via IE to 192.168.1.1. You should then check that you are running the latest firmware.

As of 9/8/06 version 2.05 was the newest available. You can download the latest from D-Link and use the tools/upgrade menu item. This is a straight forward process.

The default configuration comes with basic firewall rules that block all inbound traffic and allow outbound traffic via the 4 lan ports. The DMZ port is blocked. There are two elements to configure; the WAN interface, and DHCP.

The WAN interface under Interfaces/Ethernet/wan needed to be setup as a DHCP client for my Comcast connection by checking the Enable DHCP Client box. For every configuration change you then need to use the Configuration/Save and Activate menu item. I also found that the router should be up running before the Motorola cable modem is activated for the connection/address acquisition process to work.

If you have static DNS entries setup on your PC's Ethernet you should be able to access the Internet at this point. If you want to use DHCP to assign IP addresses and DNS entries on your network you need to setup a DHCP server. A default object called lannet is already setup for a pool of addresses (192.168.1.0 - 192.168.1.24) that you can use for DHCP. This object is also used in the lan to wan rule, with this rule the firewall only allows outbound traffic within this IP address range. I create a new object called DHCP_Pool since I have devices on my network with fixed IP addresses. Unfortunately the DHCP server does not have the ability to assign IP address based on MAC address, this is a major omission given that most sub $50 routers have this feature. I have an email out on the subject to D-Link support but no response yet.

The first configuration screen for DHCP.

The DHCP options tabs provides fields for specifying domain name, DNS and WINS entries. Since the router does not understand DNS, you must use an external DNS server (unless you run your own) such as the one gathered by the DHCP client on the wan interface. There are two default object, wan_dns1 and wan_dns2, that can be used to pass the external DNS servers to your clients.

This should get basic firewalled connectivity up and running. Next up; bandwidth management with pipes and pipe rules..

VOIP and the D-Link DFL-210 router

After 3 weeks of waiting, I received my D-Link DFL-210 SOHO router from costcentral.com. I paid $298 + shipping which I consider high for a home office router, however the list of features was impressive and I wanted bandwidth management to place my Innomedia VOIP router behind it. My two initial impressions are: WOW and this is not a consumer grade device.

First WOW: I never knew I could get this kind of speed out my Comcast broadband connection. I connected my IBM X41 tablet directly into the DFL-210 which is connected to my Motorola cable modem. Here are some results:

speakeasy.net's test 15340Kbps down and 349Kbps up.

dslreports.com test 13769Kpbs down and 349 up.

visualware.com VOIP test 16016Kbps down and 360Kbps up. It showed QOS test of 25% which is not good for VOIP, I am not sure this value is accurate since I am not having any problems with my SunRocket VOIP connection.

Second, this is clearly not a consumer grade device. It did not come with a configuration wizard. You must have some knowledge of firewalls and routers to be able to configure it. After a bit of initial struggle, upgrading the firmware and resetting to the factory defaults I was able to get a basic configuration with DHCP implemented. I will discuss this configuration tomorrow. There is a lot more I need to learn to fully utilize the DFL-210's capabilities...