X-Files

[Tamadite]

This thread gathers all sort of inexplicable experiences users have found while dealing with Asus WL-500gP.

Most of the X-Files refer to unsolved experiences or solved experiences without knowing the exact root cause of the case.

Someone knows the truth because the truth is out there....

[Tamadite]

Firmware: Oleg
Release: 1.9.2.7-d-r381

SYMPTOMS
=========
The router restarts as soon as my Cisco VPN client tries to initiate the link.

RECORDS
========
i) One year ago I used almost daily Cisco VPN client without any problem.
ii) No traces of logged packets when initiating the link (the log is on an external drive). The restarting occurs immediately.

SOLUTION
=========
Set all settings to factory defaults -not flashfs, and reconfigure again.

POSSIBLE EXPLANATION
===================
I have upgraded the router in many occasions. I have always exported and imported the settings file into the new version. This practice is not recommended!

[Tamadite]

Firmware: Oleg 1.9.2.7-10

SYMPTOMS
=========
1) I can't resolve WAN names from hosts on LAN
2) I can resolve/ping WAN names from router
3) I can resolve the name of the router from host on LAN
4) I can ping WAN IP addresses from LAN and router
5) dnsmasq is active
6) port 53 is open/available
7) If I kill dnsmasq it take a couple of seconds (timeout) before I get DNS error. With dnsmasq active it takes no more than 1 second to give the same message (name could not be resolved)
8) no error/warning messages on syslog or dnsmasq.log
9) if I boot from router (not from external usb where I have the problem) everything works. iptables looks identical on both cases as well as dnsmasq.conf
10) hosts on LAN get proper DNS configuration as 192.168.1.1

SOLUTION
========
I found a "segmentation fault" message when running "ipkg list" or "ipkg install". I reinstalled ipkg (just ipkg, not the packages) and I got everything to work again.

[theMIROn]

The router restarts as soon as my Cisco VPN client tries to initiate the link.

do you have vpn server installed in the router?

i) One year ago I used almost daily Cisco VPN client without any problem.

there was no public 1.9.2.7-d firmware a yer ago, you were using Oleg's 1.9.2.7-9/10

Set all settings to factory defaults -not flashfs, and reconfigure again.

Right, you have to due flashing new firmware with some new nvram settings needs to be set to default. You could load config backup after that.

I have upgraded the router in many occasions. I have always exported and imported the settings file into the new version. This practice is not recommended!

Exporting/importing settings isn't enough to make new settings initialized, as it was mentioned above.

Firmware: Oleg 1.9.2.7-10
...
I found a "segmentation fault" message when running "ipkg list" or "ipkg install". I reinstalled ipkg (just ipkg, not the packages) and I got everything to work again.

1.9.2.7-d firmware is built with newer uclibc 0.9.29. That means you have to reinstall ipkg while migrating from 1.9.2.7-10, http://wl500g.googlecode.com/svn/ipkg/ repository will be used.

Case closed

[Tamadite]

Firmware: Oleg 1.9.2.7-10

SYMPTOMS
=========
Problems to get connected to the router via Wi-Fi or the connection was very unstable: drop pings and/or long response times.

RECORDS
========
By restarting the router or the Wi-Fi interface on the router I was able to connect and work without problems.
I programmed the ez button on the router because of the recurrence of the problem. I had to restart the interface no less than once a day.
The problem reappeared if I disconnected from Wi-Fi for a couple of hours.

SOLUTION
========
Change the Wi-Fi to another channel.

EXPLANATION
===========
By sniffing the Wi-Fi signal on my apartment I realized most of my neighbors were using channel 1 as I did. There was overlapping of the signal.

RECOMMENDATION
===============
Google or check wikipedia for channels to use.

[Tamadite]

do you have vpn server installed in the router?

Yes I have VPN server installed.

I boot from USB. I have not changed any configuration on the router, just the settings. In principle the new settings are the same as old settings by looking at the web interface.

old_settings + booting from USB = router restarts automatically
new_settings + booting from USB = connection from Cisco client to work

I saved old_settings. If I upload them it crashes again.

there was no public 1.9.2.7-d firmware a yer ago, you were using Oleg's 1.9.2.7-9/10

You are right, I mentioned the version I'm using today but I did not mention the one I used one year ago. Thanks for clarifying. I think it was Oleg 1.9.2.7-10.