Linksys WRT54G3G Router [used with 3G|HSDPA & HSUPA PCMCIA data cards]

From vaguely personal experience, yes it does.

You need the adapter and you need to flash the router to the latest firmware available on the Vodacom website.
 
Hi there

I need to set up one of our client sites with one of these routers - but the router is on site in the Cape, and I have no access to it.

Is there a walkthrough somewhere which I can send to the technician on site to set it up so that we will be able to VPN in from our offices to the site?

Thanks in advance
 
Option GT 3.6 Max and WRT54G3G-UK working

I took the plunge and bought a WRT54G3G-UK unit and it turns out that when using the latest UK firmware the Option GT 3.6 Max card is picked up and a connection is made!

From the status page:
Card Model : GlobeTrotter HSDPA Modem
Card Revision : 1.3
Card Firmware : 1.12.1Hd (Date: Feb 22 2007, Time: 09:17:10)

Firmware Version : v2.10.17, Jul. 30, 2007
 
*bump*

Anybody able to get a PPTP VPN connection to the router working? According to the manual, it offers PPTP VPN passthrough, but I can't see where you put in the target PC (which'll be handling the PPTP VPN connection requests)...

Regards

Libs
 
Check under applications there is a port forwarding section (if that is what you are after)
 
Is the target box behind the router running a MS VPN server? Have you been provisioned for the unrestricted APN (to allow inbound connections)?
 
The_Librarian said:
It's a WindozeXP box :o

Can arrange for unrestricted APN, that should be no problem. :)

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Ok so you will have to get onto unrestricted APN before you will be able to make this work.

I just had a look at my router and under Security | VPN all the pass through options are ticked by default. My suspicion is that this is for outbound only (i.e. client connecting to office from behind the router). It's probably still worthwhile testing it at least. My guess is that under Applications & Gaming | Port Range Forward you need to forward port 1723 TCP to your VPN box. Now the problem is that the rest of the VPN traffic is generally GRE protocol, so hopefully that is where the VPN pass through will kick in and let the rest of the traffic pass in.

If you can't get that working you can always get OpenVPN (works on Windows and Linux) going which is just a single UDP port. We use it at a number of client sites and it works very well.
 
While it's still fresh in my head: Stay away from the Vodafone 2.11.05 firmware. While it was running on my router I had frequent disconnects with my E630. Back on 2.10.17 everything is smooth.
 
morkhans said:
Ok so you will have to get onto unrestricted APN before you will be able to make this work.

I just had a look at my router and under Security | VPN all the pass through options are ticked by default. My suspicion is that this is for outbound only (i.e. client connecting to office from behind the router). It's probably still worthwhile testing it at least. My guess is that under Applications & Gaming | Port Range Forward you need to forward port 1723 TCP to your VPN box. Now the problem is that the rest of the VPN traffic is generally GRE protocol, so hopefully that is where the VPN pass through will kick in and let the rest of the traffic pass in.

If you can't get that working you can always get OpenVPN (works on Windows and Linux) going which is just a single UDP port. We use it at a number of client sites and it works very well.
Click to expand...

Ja, figured that out - GRE protocol on port 47 is the tricky part.

With Smoothwall you had to put this code at the end of /etc/rc.d/rc.firewall.up

Code: 
vpnserver="172.16.0.2"
/sbin/iptables -N pptp
/sbin/iptables -A pptp -p tcp --destination-port 1723 --dst $vpnserver -j ACCEPT
/sbin/iptables -A pptp -p 47 --dst $vpnserver -j ACCEPT
/sbin/iptables -I FORWARD -j pptp
/sbin/iptables -t nat -N pptp
/sbin/iptables -t nat -A pptp -i $RED_DEV -p tcp --dport 1723 -j DNAT --to $vpnserver:1723
/sbin/iptables -t nat -A pptp -i $RED_DEV -p 47 -j DNAT --to $vpnserver
/sbin/iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -j pptp

Will try PPTP VPN first (as this is a no-brainer) and typed up a small guide detailing the steps they should take to get it to work.

OpenVPN will be a bit more difficult - that will be for last.
 
The_Librarian said:
Ja, figured that out - GRE protocol on port 47 is the tricky part.

With Smoothwall you had to put this code at the end of /etc/rc.d/rc.firewall.up

Code: 
vpnserver="172.16.0.2"
/sbin/iptables -N pptp
/sbin/iptables -A pptp [B]-p tcp[/B] --destination-port 1723 --dst $vpnserver -j ACCEPT
/sbin/iptables -A pptp [B]-p 47[/B] --dst $vpnserver -j ACCEPT
/sbin/iptables -I FORWARD -j pptp
/sbin/iptables -t nat -N pptp
/sbin/iptables -t nat -A pptp -i $RED_DEV -p tcp --dport 1723 -j DNAT --to $vpnserver:1723
/sbin/iptables -t nat -A pptp -i $RED_DEV -p 47 -j DNAT --to $vpnserver
/sbin/iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -j pptp

Will try PPTP VPN first (as this is a no-brainer) and typed up a small guide detailing the steps they should take to get it to work.

OpenVPN will be a bit more difficult - that will be for last.
Click to expand...

That's protocol 47 not port 47. Look at the example you provided -p tcp and -p 47 (tcp and 47 are both protocols).
 
Has anybody heard of a USB to PCMCIA slot converter. So that you can use a 3G usb modem with a PCMCIA slot.
 
Fix For Slow Upload Speeds on Linksys WRT54G3G 3G Routers

Hi all,

I have seen on a few of the Linksys routers that on some datacards, the upload speeds are very very slow, usually between 60kbps and 90kpbs.

But it looks like there's a possible fix for this slow upload problem:-

Firstly log on to the router’s setup page, then select 'Applications & Gaming' from the router admin page and then select 'QoS'. At the top of the page next to 'Upstream Bandwidth' select 'Enable' and then from the drop down menu 'Manual' and then set the speed to 1500kbps or whatever you prefer. Click on Save Settings at the bottom of the page and reboot the router.

Test using http://speed.vodacom.co.za/ and the UL speeds should be significantly better.

I have tested this with my router with two different datacards and it works. Before the change, I was getting around 80kbps to 130kbps upload speeds. And after I performed the change I was getting between 320kbps and 360kbps upload speeds.

Much better!! I hope it helps other people out there...
 
Linksys router: Not reliable

Thanx for the info.

We have had numberous problems with the Linksys. We use them in corporate solutions & when the network disconnects them (after 24hrs of no activity & power regulation from the base-station), we struggle to get them to connect again.

Also, they dont support HSUPA, HSDPA: we have hence changed to a USB based 3G router & tested it to be more reliable.

U cannot do IPsec tunnels with this router or VPN server.

Another issue is the Huawei E630 has firmware version 11.107.01.00.00 which is not a compatible version for the Linksys router (WRT54G3G v1).
Firmware version 2.10.17 on the router is compatible with 11.106.01.01.47(B305) which makes the card GPRS / EDGE / 3G and HSDPA (3.6Mbps DL / 384kbps UL) ready. U need an unlock code for the card to downgrade the firmware to 11.106.01.01.47(B305) which is a documented version compatible with the router.

We now use the Draytek 2820n USB router with DSL/leased line primary & 3G USB as backup (or primary).
 
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