Help w/ putting DD-WRT on Linksys WRT54G2

Hi folks,

I just got my Linksys WRT54G2 in the mail today and decided to put DD-WRT on it. Unfortunately (according to what I've read) this router can't be updated to DD-WRT via the GUI on Linksys' original firmware, but must be done via tftp. I found a step-by-step guide online written by a guy with the same router and the same OS as me (Vista). I have followed his guide exactly, but mine hangs on the tftp program. I'm going to link to his blog and you can see my comment on his blog, too. I am able to ping the router via a command prompt with "ping -t 192.168.1.1" but I can't access it from my web browser (page cannot be displayed) or upload anything to it from the tftp program. Please see his blog post for more details... it's a little more involved than putting DD-WRT on most routers (lucky me!!).

I've tried various things (such as the 30/30/30 reset) documented on the DD-WRT Wiki, but to no avail. I don't think the router is completely bricked (I read somewhere that perhaps the NVRAM is just corrupt-- whatever that means ) Any suggestions are kindly appreciated. Thanks.

Instructions I followed: http://techie-buzz.com/tutorials/flash-dd-wrt-router-firmware.html

 

Ok, it stop responding during the tftp of the firmware?
You followed the instructions you have a static ip, you can ping the router. Is there a light flashing? Besides the port flashing..
I believe you can tftp the original firmware from Linksys back and start over.

 

Hi foogoo,

I don't think it froze while transferring-- it seemed to have never made contact with the router. I used the tftp program shown in that tutorial and also tried DrayTek Router Tools' firmware upgrade utility as well as the command line tftp in Vista... they seem to have a problem communicating with the router. However, I could be overlooking something (I have never used tftp prior and don't really understand it that well). I haven't tried putting the original Linksys firmware back, but I suppose I could give it a shot.

As far as the lights on the router, the wireless signal light comes on as does the port light and the power light... if you couldn't see the computer and only observed the lights on the router, you'd probably think the router was working perfectly.
And indeed it seems to be, I just used inSSIDer (recommended to me on these forums yesterday-- seems like a nice program) and it discovered my wireless router that I'm using right now to get online as well as the router in question. It picks up the SSID default "linksys," the correct MAC address, and that it's G (my current network is B). So it seems all is not lost! However, despite inSSIDer finding the router and its SSID, neither of my 2 computers will recognize an SSID from it (aside from when I'm in inSSIDer, obviously). This is in addition to the fact that I can ping the router from the command prompt. I'll try uploading the Linksys firmware and see if it does anything.

Thanks for the help.

 

foogoo,

Bare with me, I know this is somewhat of a long post. I tried the Linksys firmware and that didn't work. I was reading through some DD-WRT forums and found where redhawk said that when pinging the router from the command prompt, if it said "TTL=64," then that meant Prep (the first of 3 .bin files you have to upload via tftp for my particular router) was working. Well, I didn't even pay attention to that until I read that, and lo and behold, mine said TTL=64! Prep had been on there the whole time. So I opened the tftp program and installed the second one (Killer) and it went up without a hitch, as did the actual DD-WRT firmware right after that.

However (I hate howevers ), I have 3 computers (2 Mac laptops and a laptop with Windows 7 RC) that can all connect to the router flawlessly and access the Internet. My fourth (and to me, the most important since it's my own) computer is a Vista Home Premium desktop with a Linksys WUSB54G wireless adapter. It doesn't want to get on the Internet. It connects to the network just fine, but I can't ping the router from the command prompt or access the router in a web browser. I have tried rebooting and reinstalling the wireless adapter to no avail. I know the wireless adapter works because I can connect to other networks and use the Internet (but not my own network, lol.

The only info I can give is that on the Windows 7 computer when I check the status of the connection it says (among other things):

IPv4 Connectivity: Internet
IPv6 Connectivity: No Internet

Everything matches up on the desktop that's having problems (as far as the wireless connection's status) except for those 2 parameters. On the troublesome desktop, it says:

IPv4 Connectivity: Local
IPv6 Connectivity: Local
It seems one problem is fixed, but now I have another!! Any ideas?

 

Ok, I've reinstalled the drivers for my wireless adapter and it shows that it's connected both to local and the Internet (the 2 computers with the blue shield icon). However, it won't go to any webpages OR even my router (192.168.1.1). When I followed the instructions here: http://www.pc-forums.org/forum/wired/cannot-communicate-with-primary-dns-server/

None of them made a difference except changing the DNS server as suggested. Then that allows me to do either the router's page or a webpage, but it stops working after about 30 seconds, though it still shows the PC as being connected to the Internet, as noted above. Rebooting the PC or router or cable modem hasn't helped and each time I switch from obtain DNS automatically to the settings in that link, it works for about 30 seconds, and then quits.

Note I am connected to the same router right now and it works fine.

 

On the one your having troubles with can you run ipconfig?
Whats the IP? a 169 or a 192?

 

Hi askantik,

use the pc's onboard nic and connect the ethernet cable from it into the router's port #1 instead of using the wireless connection.

Techsent