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Tomato - Router Suggestion?

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Jul 30, 2001
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Kingston

Tomato - Router Suggestion?

I was trying to install Tomato on my Linksys Router, however although I have the right model, it's not the right version.
I had been running DD-WRT on it, however I can now run MLPP ( I have 2 lines, 2 modems and MLPPP on my account ).

I've seen available either:
ASUS RT-N16 4 Port Gigabit Wireless N Router with 2X USB 2.0 Ports ( Tomato USB available for this ) - $95
Linksys WRT54GL 4 Port Wireless G Broadband Router Linux Version 54MBPS 802.11G ( Regular Tomato for this ) $59

The "extra" features that come with the ASUS aren't important to me right now as I already have a Gigabit Switch, I run a media server and my laptop is Wireless-G.

My main concern is over-all performance. Which is better?

Any suggestions/recommendations would be great!

Thanks
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Feb 11, 2005
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BC
spinbot wrote: My main concern is over-all performance. Which is better?

The ASUS has 128MB of RAM, 32MB of flash, and a CPU clocked at 480MHz.
The WRT54GL has 16MB of RAM, 4MB of flash, and a CPU clocked at 200Mhz.

If you want performance, I think the numbers speak for themselves.

(source: http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Supported_Devices )
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Kingston
Thanks for posting the comparison/info

Just to be clear, I cannot use DD-WRT as it will not support MLPPP ( if it did, I could use my existing Linksys Router ).

What I need is Tomato ( http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato )

Based on the bare specs, the ASUS does look better, however where I am uncertain still is "in use", which is better.

If the Linksys isn't prone to drops or any other common problems, then aside from it's limited RAM/Flash/CPU speed, would the main sacrifice just be its inability to potentially support future version of tomato that require greater storage?

I'm not a gamer, however I do torrent, so its really the torrent performance and the wireless reliability that would be the key things I am concerned about.
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Apr 5, 2007
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Toronto
The version of Tomato that is supported by the Asus RT-N16 does not support MLPPP. DD-WRT does support MLPPP on some builds but not the builds that the Asus unit requires. The Asus unit is a solid unit and unless you really require MLPPP, it would be a better purchase for the price difference.
spinbot wrote: Thanks for posting the comparison/info

Just to be clear, I cannot use DD-WRT as it will not support MLPPP ( if it did, I could use my existing Linksys Router ).

What I need is Tomato ( http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato )

Based on the bare specs, the ASUS does look better, however where I am uncertain still is "in use", which is better.

If the Linksys isn't prone to drops or any other common problems, then aside from it's limited RAM/Flash/CPU speed, would the main sacrifice just be its inability to potentially support future version of tomato that require greater storage?

I'm not a gamer, however I do torrent, so its really the torrent performance and the wireless reliability that would be the key things I am concerned about.
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Jul 30, 2001
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Kingston
I have DD-WRT v24-sp2 (08/12/10) micro running on a WRT-54GS v7.2 router presently.

Although it has a check box for "Multi Link", from what I was reading, it does not work. I cannot even connect to one of my DSL modems when it is active.

MLPPP is a must as I have everything for it ( excluding the right router ).

I have:
2 - Speedtouch 516 DSL modems
2 - DSL Services ( one on my voice line and one dryloop )
- MLPPP configured with my ISP

I can connect with my MLPPP userid and password only if I leave the MLPPP check box un-checked.

Plan B:
I also picked up one of the cheap TRENDnet TEW-652BRP routers a few month back (really cheap).

I located this firmware: Open Wrt/MLPPP ( http://www.fw5.net/status.php ) that does list the cheap TRENDnet router in compatible hardware (although it doesn't look like they ever tested it). I cannot locate the specific bin file for the router. I located one file over at OpenWRT ( openwrt-ar71xx-tew-652brp-squashfs-factory.bin ) and I hoping to find the matching one at OpenWRT/MLPPP but no such luck.
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Jul 30, 2001
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Kingston
I guess an alternate question to what I posed in this thread title would be:

Does anyone know of a firmware that supports MLPPP for either of these routers:
Linksys WRT-54GS v7.2
OR
TRENDnet TEW-652BRP H/W: V2.1R

Thanks :)
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Kingston
1337rice wrote: quoted from the original Tomato firmware website:

"This will not work on Linksys WRT54G/GS v5 or newer WRT54G/GS routers."

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Tomato_Fir ... _revisions
Ya, I discovered this the first day I was trying to get it installed on the Linksys Router. Tomato/MLPPP isn't the only option out there, thus my reason for this post. Trying to see if anyone has experience with an alternate firmware with either router that I own. :)

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