FreeAgent Theater and GoFlexTV

[capatty]

After a bit of research, it seems that the WRT310n has the same issue with some DD-WRT builds: http://downloads.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=65108&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&sid=63fa86...

You may want to try finding a Tomato USB build for your routers here - http://tomatousb.org/ . Make sure you find the proper build for your router and follow the instructions so that you don't brick it. Tomato is based on the Linux 2.6 kernel, and has better support for newer routers. The web interface is pretty vanilla compared ot DD-WRT, but it supports the same features such as wireless bridge mode.

[mifronte]

Thanks capatty for the DD-WRT link.  I did further reading on the DD-WRT forum and still no definite conclusion.

I am starting to research Tomato USB like you recommended.  It may be worth a try to get this problem resolved.  The user that was having problems with DD-WRT switched to Tomato USB.

[bodhi78]

@mifronte,

Hope you got your problem figured out! if not, with FW 2.20 you can telnet into the box and look at the log. I could not remember exactly (it's been a while), but I think it's in /var/log/messages, or perhaps in other directories under /var/log.

Have you tried to reflash back to 2.20 from 2.30?

[mifronte]

I have not tried reflashing back to 2.20 yet.

I have been trying to do more testing on my routers by updating to the latest DD-WRT firmware. I then tried switching from WDS to Client Bridge.  The problem still persisted with no positive results.

I just flashed my routers to Tomato USB last night as capatty suggested.  I have the two routers in wireless ethernet bridge (a better terminology than DD-WRT's client bridge).  It is still too early to draw any conclusions, but so far things may be looking good.

I will have to do more testings and switch to WDS from wireless ethernet bridge.

Thanks capatty for finding that DD-WRT link and for suggesting Tomato USB.  I kind of prefer Tomato USB over DD-WRT for my WRT610n and WRT320n routers.  For some reason, configuration of the routers are more logical and there is no indication of bloatware.

I will provide more updates soon...

[mifronte · Accepted solution]

Just another update...

After one day running Tomato USB on both routers, I did not experience any problems of no networking coming out of stand-by mode.  So I decided to switch the connection between the two routers from wireless ethernet bridge (WEB) to wireless distribution system (WDS).  The E3000 (WRT610n converted) switched over fine.  The E2000 (WRT320n converted) would freeze and become unresponsive.  After 5 attempts I gave up on WDS and switched back to WEB.

On switching back, I realized that I have been using my 3 ft. ethernet cable (used for configuring routers) and not the 1 ft. that is normally used to connect the FAT+ to the WRT320n router.  So I decided to use the 1 ft. cable and sure enough the problem reoccurred!  Now I am wondering if the cable has been the cause of the problem all this time   I am pretty sure that at the very onset when I first encountered the problem (1 year ago) that I was using a very long cable to connect the FAT+ to my WRT610n.  Then I purchased the WRT320n to eliminate the cable running across the room for the wife acceptance factor (WAF).  So the problem may also be with the DD-WRT firmware.

So there you have it!  The problem may have been just a bad cable (too short?) or a combination of an unstable DD-WRT firmware and a bad cable.  The only way to find out for sure is to reflash the DD-WRT firmware on the routers and use the 3 ft. cable, a task I am not going to undertake anytime soon.

I am now running Tomato USB and the FAT+ is using the 3 ft. cable.  Things have been running smoothly for 24 hrs and I hope the problem does not resurface.  The only positive note is that I had always wanted to try the Tomato firmware and this issue with the FAT+ has gotten me to try it.  I may end up not reverting back to DD-WRT unless I really want to be running WDS.

[capatty]

Glad to hear things are working. I'd suggest you stick with a wireless bridge configuration rather than WDS (repeater) mode. WDS can cut throughput by up to half because the unit is acting both as an access point and a client for the network, and that can have a considerable impact on network streaming.