WRT3200ACM, unable to ping and GUI inaccessible

Post new topic   Reply to topic    DD-WRT Forum Index -> Marvell MVEBU based Hardware (WRT1900AC etc.)
Author Message
sonicfrog
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 07 Aug 2022
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2022 10:53    Post subject: WRT3200ACM, unable to ping and GUI inaccessible Reply with quote
Hello all,

I've had a WRT3200ACM for about 5 years now. I have used it for the most part, only in a hard wire situation. I've put DD-WRT on it right away as I have nice collection of 5 wrt-54 routers acting as access points through my house and they've worked for the last 10 years with DD-WRT without trouble.

This router is only acting as a DHCP forwarder and WAN is disabled, so it essentially is acting as a switch only, in hopes I could use it as an additional WIFI AP if the wireless was stable.

I've checked occasionally with this forum about progress on the WRT3200ACM, read all about the wireless problems with the now NXP ICs and driver updates.

It's been running build 44048 since it was available and never really had any reason to try out newer builds. But, out of curiosity, I thought I'd try 49626.

Well, I've no real news to report about WIFI since I'm having a problem that has been with this router since I put DD-WRT on it and never resolved for me.

The problem is that for whatever reason, the unit works wired, but I cannot ping it with the last known IP that I know it has. On top of that, it's unable to be accessed by web GUI, since it can't even be pinged. So, how is this even working as I'm writing this post and accessing the forum through this router?

So, any ideas why I can't access or ping this unit, even though it appears to somehow route traffic through it?

Thanks for any help,
Dan
Sponsor
Per Yngve Berg
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 13 Aug 2013
Posts: 6856
Location: Romerike, Norway

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2022 11:04    Post subject: Reply with quote
Build topic: https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=332671

One user have reported success with this build on this model.

Have you reset to factory and reconfigured from scratch after flashing the new build?

Also see: https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=332659
sonicfrog
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 07 Aug 2022
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 3:25    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hello,

Yes, with each firmware that I've loaded, I do a factory reset and manually reconfigure the settings.

And in this case, I've done it now 3 times today, all with the same result. The unit functions fine and seems to connect through it to/from internet for a few hours. And then for no obvious reason, access to the unit quits. But I'm unable to ping this box and with that, also cannot access the web GUI anymore.

There isn't too much that I change after a firmware update. I disable the WAN, switch to DHCP forwarder with the DHCP server address, assign the WRT3200 an IP address and prior to just now trying WIFI again, I would usually disable the three WIFI radios.

The result is that I'm able to use the unit as a "manageable switch" in room where there is a networked printer and 2 PCs. I would like to get WIFI working, but for now, was trying to work out why this issue keeps happening with such simple configuration.

Am about to load the Linksys factory firmware as I'm out of ideas as to why this unit still passes network traffic, but I can't administer it at all... not even a simple ping will return from it with its known IP address, even used Angry IP scanner and it comes back not seeing the box at all. But why does it still then switch traffic. I'm accessing this forum through this box. Whay gives, any ideas?
Per Yngve Berg
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 13 Aug 2013
Posts: 6856
Location: Romerike, Norway

PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 4:56    Post subject: Reply with quote
sonicfrog wrote:
switch to DHCP forwarder with the DHCP server address


I don't understand this. On what sub-net is the DHCP Server located?
Isn't there a DHCP server that see the broadcast from the clients that respond on the VLAN?

Normal is to have the DHCP setting set to off when the router is connected LAN to LAN.
kernel-panic69
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 08 May 2018
Posts: 14125
Location: Texas, USA

PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 7:35    Post subject: Reply with quote
Disabling the WAN doesn't necessitate enabling the DHCP forwarder. I don't understand why you're not just using an essentially default configuration connected to the upstream rotuer/modem. Anyhow, the IP address of the WRT3200 should be whatever you set it to as it likely can't be 192.168.1.1 (default). I would have to agree with PYB on not enabling anything for DHCP if you are not going to use the default gateway mode.
_________________
"Life is but a fleeting moment, a vapor that vanishes quickly; All is vanity"
Contribute To DD-WRT
Pogo - A minimal level of ability is expected and needed...
DD-WRT Releases 2023 (PolitePol)
DD-WRT Releases 2023 (RSS Everything)

----------------------
Linux User #377467 counter.li.org / linuxcounter.net
Per Yngve Berg
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 13 Aug 2013
Posts: 6856
Location: Romerike, Norway

PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2022 7:18    Post subject: Reply with quote
Does both wifi radios cash the router? Try to enable one of them at a time.

A aerial adapter is probably needed to find out what is going on.

The switch is a separate chip and will continue to work even after the router have crashed.
sonicfrog
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 07 Aug 2022
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 2022 5:40    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hello All,

so, as a follow up, I believe that I have figured out what the problem was, or at least found the setting that caused this issue. It was a mode setting on one of the other WRT54G routers in my system was set to "gateway" and not "router."

As I had written in the initial post, I have 5 other WRT54G routers running DD-WRT v24 from 2009. Yes, they're old, but they work, and are VERY reliable and do the simple job they're doing.

I have a Ubiquiti edge router as the main router in the system, running the DHCP, internet hits this first, then a switch, and a cabled run to each of those 5 WRT54Gs which are acting as an access points/wired switches throughout the house.

I bought a WRT3200ACM when they first came out in hopes it would be a nice upgrade to these WRT54Gs and the fact Linksys was pushing the idea of putting an open source firmware on them right from the start. Well, anyone who is here knows the subsequent story of this router and it's wireless chip situation. Sad that a nicely engineered piece of equipment had to suffer some bad circumstances to sort of get shelved.

Anyway, I put DD-WRT on it in 2017 or so, and found that it worked, but it just didn't have the 2.4GHz wifi distance range as the WRT54G routers, even with similar power settings. I'm talking range through windows and walls. So, it sits on my desk, acting only as a switch for these past 5 years. Every now and then, I put a new version of DD-WRT on it and see if anything has improved. Well, at some point, the unit would lose it's ability to be accessed, even just a simple ping wouldn't return from it. But, it still operated as a wired switch, so I just left it alone until the other day when I hard reset it, and tried the latest DD build. It would work for a while(15-20mins), and then the gui wouldn't be accessible and it would again couldn't be pinged. So, that's when I made the post here in hopes of finding some answer.

Turns out that one of the other WRT54Gs on the system had its operating mode set to gateway instead of router. And I believe this setting caused the WRT3200ACM to behave this way. The older WRT54Gs with the older DD-WRT builds never behaved like the 3200, so this little issue I never caught.

With the newer DD-WRT build, there must be some more strict adherence rules about this gateway/router mode and when its set to gateway, there must be some error thrown and it goes offline when it encounters another one on the system performing similarly.

Anyway, I guess if anyone has some similar behaviour on their system, just do a quick check and make sure that no other device is set to gateway mode except the main router connecting to the internet.

Thanks all for the help!
egc
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 18 Mar 2014
Posts: 12834
Location: Netherlands

PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 2022 6:29    Post subject: Reply with quote
Your problem could be due to wrong settings, not sure if the gateway mode/router mode has anything to do with that, if the WAN is disabled there is nothing to route.

The fact that you set the router to DHCP forwarder already is wrong (not related to your problem though)

To reiterate the steps for setting up a router as Wireless Access Point:

A secondary router connected wired LAN<>LAN on the same subnet as the primary router:
• WAN disabled
• DHCP server Disabled (=off and NOT set as Forwarder!)
• Local IP address in subnet of primary router but outside DHCP scope, make sure the used IP address is unique in your network you cannot have duplicates
• Gateway and Local DNS pointing to primary router
• DNSMasq enabled
• Router kept in the default Gateway mode (the wiki says Router mode but either it does not matter (this case) or break things)
• Connect LAN <> LAN (do not use the WAN port unless you really need that extra port, for most routers traffic still must use the CPU so performance is lacklustre )

About your bad wireless performance compared to the WRT54G that is unexpected are you sure your settings are optimal?

I do not have a Marvell router so you should ask others with the same router about the optimal settings

_________________
Routers:Netgear R7000, R6400v1, R6400v2, EA6900 (XvortexCFE), E2000, E1200v1, WRT54GS v1.
Install guide R6400v2, R6700v3,XR300:https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=316399
Install guide R7800/XR500: https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=320614
Forum Guide Lines (important read):https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=324087
Display posts from previous:    Page 1 of 1
Post new topic   Reply to topic    DD-WRT Forum Index -> Marvell MVEBU based Hardware (WRT1900AC etc.) All times are GMT

Navigation

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You cannot download files in this forum