Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 2:34 Post subject: Updating Firmware on WRT54Gv2
I'm still using my 54Gv2 as a wired router running DD-WRT version [v24-sp2 (11/02/09) mini - build 13064M VINT Eko]. Looking to flash to something newer to get OpenVPN support. The router database (https://dd-wrt.com/support/router-database/?model=WRT54G_v2.0) lists DD-WRT v3 build 40559 as the latest supported beta version but then links to various flavors of v2.4 for download. Just looking for a tip to get me pointed in the right direction for the appropriate file.
Also... can I flash directly to the new firmware from the web interface is there something else I need to do?
*** EDIT: Please standby while I read the peacock thread! ***
Ok... I've read the peacock and still need some help. Here are specific questions.
1. The peacock recommended builds are 10 years old. That's not a problem in itself...I just want to make sure they are still valid and will have OpenVPN included.
2. The OpenVPN thread mentions that 8 mb of flash is required for OpenVPN "except for Broadcom routers." Will my 4 mb antique even run OpenVPN?
But indeed no OpenVPN on 4 MB flash routers for recent builds (it oes not fit anymore) however there are older builds which have OpenVPN in it, those are marked with openvpn.
But as @arssant already stated not much use for it on these old routers maybe they will get you 2-3 Mb/s bandwith if those old builds will connect at all (probably on OpenVPN 2.3 while we are now switching to 2.5)
But if you want to try look around builds 35000.
I have WRT54GLv1.1 running with OpenVPN with dd-wrt.v24_vpn_generic.bin with v3.0-r36410 vpn (07/28/18 ). So far I have not been able to determine speed disadvantages, probably because only home automation is accessed.
I wanted to flash newer builds. But from about r43904 OpenVPN doesn't work anymore. This is the same with r44700, r44715, r47171, r49049, r50500. ps shows /tmp/openvpnserver --config /tmp/openvpn/openvpn.conf --daemon, but it is no longer listening on port 1194, tested with netstat -nutl. The log check on Status -> OpenVPN often crashes.
Is it "only" because these are old routers or is there another solvable reason for this?
There have been so many changes to OpenVPN since 36xxx that you should probably look over the documentation in Advanced Networking:
OpenVPN guides and documentation _________________ "The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep." - Robert Frost
"I am one of the noticeable ones - notice me" - Dale Frances McKenzie Bozzio
Joined: 18 Mar 2014 Posts: 12922 Location: Netherlands
Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2022 8:45 Post subject:
nbits wrote:
I have WRT54GLv1.1 running with OpenVPN with dd-wrt.v24_vpn_generic.bin with v3.0-r36410 vpn (07/28/18 ). So far I have not been able to determine speed disadvantages, probably because only home automation is accessed.
I wanted to flash newer builds. But from about r43904 OpenVPN doesn't work anymore. This is the same with r44700, r44715, r47171, r49049, r50500. ps shows /tmp/openvpnserver --config /tmp/openvpn/openvpn.conf --daemon, but it is no longer listening on port 1194, tested with netstat -nutl. The log check on Status -> OpenVPN often crashes.
Is it "only" because these are old routers or is there another solvable reason for this?
Sorry for my late reaction, have been doing other things.
Indeed many things have changed in the OpenVPN department and the builds for these ancient Broadcom routers have not kept up with all the OpenVPN changes part because the routers are not much used and when used almost nobody uses it for OpenVPN any more.
Bottom line it is safe to assume OpenVPN on these routers is broken for now.
I have WRT54GLv1.1 running with OpenVPN with dd-wrt.v24_vpn_generic.bin with v3.0-r36410 vpn (07/28/18 ). So far I have not been able to determine speed disadvantages, probably because only home automation is accessed.
I wanted to flash newer builds. But from about r43904 OpenVPN doesn't work anymore. This is the same with r44700, r44715, r47171, r49049, r50500. ps shows /tmp/openvpnserver --config /tmp/openvpn/openvpn.conf --daemon, but it is no longer listening on port 1194, tested with netstat -nutl. The log check on Status -> OpenVPN often crashes.
Is it "only" because these are old routers or is there another solvable reason for this?
It's not just the WRT54GL with this issue it's any of these older routers with small amounts of ram in them and it's also other services besides openvpn.
Indeed openvpn has had a long history of instability on even newer builds. I'm running VoIP over 47608 on a pair of Netgear R6300v2s with 800Mhz CPU's and it's stable but I had a hell of a time figuring out a stable config and finding a stable build where the phones don't just start deregistering. Currently it is using 80MB of ram for all the processes in the router including OpenVPN, this is a 256MB ram router.
You can buy used Netgear R7000's for $25USD off Ebay right now so if you really want to setup a rock solid OpenVPN on an embedded router, buy one of those and mess around with it. You will have plenty of CPU power, remember OpenVPN is not implemented in the kernel it's in userspace so there's significant overhead with context switching going on. You don't notice this with a PC of course since PC cpu's are scads more powerful but it's an issue on these routers.
For commercial work where they require OpenVPN for client VPN's I generally abandon gear like this and use an old desktop PC with 2 NIC cards in it running some flavor of a free firewall like Untangle or pfsense. It's just not worth the support calls otherwise. I only use routers like these for lan2lan gateway VPN's where the VPN is up 24x7.