Linksys WRT54G and Tomato Firmware are your friends!

In all honesty, we hit the home network pretty hard here at Casa de' G-98. At any given time, there are 6 computers, an ethernet surveillance camera system, a couple Snap Servers, a Vonage phone modem, an MP3 media server, and so forth connected together. That whole hydra-headed mess feeds through a Linksys WRT54G router, then on to a D-Link DI-102 packet optimizer before making a left turn at the cable modem to the Intarwebz.

I could be on the workstation in the garage making a new vinyl sign for a customer, listening to MP3s stored on the Snap Servers, while Mrs. G-98 is browsing the Web and on the phone with her mom, and the two WarCrack addicts are hot and heavy in another quest for Gawd knows what.

I used to experience lock-ups of the network after about 5 days of "average" use in my house. This stemmed back to a glitch in the factory Linksys WRT-54G v5.0 firmware - it tracks connections for 5 days, but doesn't flush them when the cache fills up. Once that cache fills, it locks up, and you need to reboot the thing. An earlier fix required me to add a digital audio timer to the power side of the router, forcing a reboot at 5:00 AM every morning. That worked fine, but really didn't address the problem, although it somewhat tidied up my basement communications rack system:



Doing some homework, I learned about the big aftermarket for earlier versions of the Linksys WRT54G made prior to v5.0. It appears they had more internal memory, and ran a version of Linux as their firmware of choice. Being a dabbler in all things Linux, this got my attention! The two top contenders in the line-up were DD-WRT and Tomato, neither of which would work on my original WRT54G v5.0 router - so I had to find either one of the older, large-memory versions, or one of the WRT54GS versions Linksys marketed for aftermarket firmware.

Fast-forward a few weeks, and I'm the proud owner of a very early model WRT54G v1.0, distinguishable by the lack of Cisco labeling, as well as the 20 or so diagnostic LEDs on the front panel not found on later versions. I immediately set about to modify the thing, because I wanted it to last for a very long time in its new role. Hey, it's not like the warranty would be voided, so off came the external cover. A tiny 5-volt fan went inside the case, as did about a half-dozen finned heat sinks on the bigger chips, all to cool the little router and increase longevity for the long term.

Installing DD-WRT was quite straightforward, but you could tell that the feature-rich firmware really bogged down the WRT54G v1.0, it just plain crawled. I'd been warned that the WRT54G v1.0 had a slower Broadcom CPU, 125Mhz vs. the later 200Mhz processors, but that 75Mhz difference really didn't explain the slowdown I was experiencing. I debated tweaking the myriad user-configurable options, or installing either the Mini or Micro variety of DD-WRT, but had also been wanting to try Tomato, so I moved on to the latter.

Wow! Tomato's installation was downright easy, and once the router rebooted itself, things fell into place nicely. As a matter of fact, the router has been running Tomato ever since, with nary a hiccup. That 75Mhz drop in CPU speed? You'll never know it's there, the router's throughput and efficiency with the lean Tomato code is just that quick. I let it run without any adjustments whatsoever for a week, just to see if I could get by the dreaded 5-day hurdle. No problems, so I started entering port forwarding addresses for Vonage, WarCrack, Ventrilo, you name it, all by the IP addresses of those machines needing the port adjustments. Then I prioritized traffic based on those ports, such that our phone calls would take the top of the bandwidth heap, then down from there. The results were impressive, and with the packet streamlining of the D-Link DI-102 in conjunction with the Tomato QOS functions, my Vonage voice conversations have been crystal-clear.

There's also a full Wireless-G suite, with a particularly neat feature - you can adjust the transmitter's output wattage to boost your signal strength over distance. Bear in mind, you don't get something for nothing, and I purposely put additional cooling measures inside my WRT54G's chassis to dissipate the heat generated by the increased transmitter output. I had to look pretty silly walking through the snow in my backyard with laptop turned on, checking out the range of my Wireless-G signal, but darned if it doesn't work as advertised! I had considered getting an older WSB24 outboard signal booster to better feed my Dell Inspiron notebook while on the back deck, but the power adjustment in Tomato quite honestly matches the gain offered by the former device without need to further complicate things.

That just scratches the surface, and the firmware includes some very comprehensive logging abilities, complete with a real-time scrolling bandwidth meter, a 24-hour chart, and logs that go from daily, to weekly, to monthly (Image courtesy of the author's website):


That's pretty doggone nice, and Jon (the author) has been very busy with improvements and upgrades, several having been released since January of this year alone! What I had considered a cheap and perhaps disposable piece of networking gear is now nearly indispensable, performing functions well outside the $35.00 I paid for it. I upgraded the communications rack to better support the upgraded router, as well as adding another 5-port switch for later expansion of the network.



Yeah, I know it ain't terribly professional, but it does what my MCSE-addled brain set it up to do, and the time-switched outlet of the clock has been set to "always on" with no need to reboot the router so far, having gone just over 30 days of glitch-free operation. Jon, I doubt you need more endorsements, but you're getting one from me, and I heartily recommend that owners of these little blue Linksys boxes head to your website to get their own version of your Tomato firmware:

http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato

It's back!

Ok, maybe it doesn't say "Winchester" on the barrel or buttplate, but then again, "Winchester" firearms haven't really been owned by a member of the Winchester family for eons, have they?

However, O.F. Mossberg and Sons has given John Moses Browning credit where due, and re-introduced the venerable Winchester Model 94 lever rifle, calling it their Model 464. See the strong family resemblance?



Now, they've changed a couple things, most visibly by adding a tang safety (ala' the last run of Winchester 94s, still better than that crossbolt abortion), a round bolt vs. the previous square model, and a rear receiver bridge over the bolt for scope mounting. The tang safety will absolutely booger up any attempt at mounting a rear tang sight, so if I get one I'll have to remedy that. Otherwise, it's a pretty good-looking replica, and if it goes across the counter for 300 clams, I'll be happy to put one or two under my Christmas tree this year.

It makes one wonder what those who bought the remains of Winchester's firearms side will do for an encore...

Please Protect Us From Ourselves!

For the uninformed, on 6 February, (earlier this month), 2,000+ motorists stranded themselves on the Interstate between Janesville and Madison, WI. This occured during the worst snowstorm of 2008, and I'll say it again - they stranded themselves. Many sat there for 9-12 hours, until National Guard, DNR Game Wardens, and State Patrol crews started rescue operations.



The local news rags now echo the wailing and gnashing of teeth from those who wish to blame everybody but themselves for their predicament. I find the unmitigated gall of the whiners totally unbelievable, especially since local news television and radio broadcasts forecast the storm well in advance, and repeatedly warned folks to stay off the roads. One mental midget was clearly upset that he had his 2 month-old baby in the car with him for the duration. Hello, McFly? Reckless child endangerment charges come to mind...




We received 13.5 inches of snow at Casa de' G-98 that day. Granted, I'm somewhat jaded, being a graduate of the USAF Arctic Survival School (aka, Cool School), among several others. I called in to work and stayed home - my momma didn't raise an idiot. However, it doesn't take a survivalist education to become aware of what one can and cannot do in adverse conditions. If the roads look like this, and the authorities tell you to stay off of them, they're not doing it to hear themselves speak:









I see today that the governor has issued an apology, but it's not the right apology. Here's how it should've read:


Citizens of Wisconsin,


Please allow me the opportunity to apologize for the unfortunate situation which occurred on Wednesday, February 6, 2008.


I’m sorry that the people involved in the traffic situation are idiots.



I’m sorry that they didn’t have the common sense to stay off the roads.



I’m sorry that they didn’t think to equip their cars for winter driving.



I’m sorry that they are a poor reflection upon the people of the great State of Wisconsin.



I’m sorry that they expect someone to jump in and save them after they make poor decisions.



In general, I’m sorry that people continue to remain helpless and unable to take care of themselves.



Sincerely,


Governor Jim Doyle

A Gem of an Article from the Wayback Machine

I make no bones about the fact that I shoot black powder cartridge rifle rounds, and a goodly amount of black powder gets converted into smoke and noise thanks to the hobby. Much is said about the characteristics of current Holy Black compared to what our forefathers used, and I've been buying higher-grade Goex Cartridge to improve the quality of both my creations and their subsequent results. Some recommend I make my own, but that pushes my safety envelope a bit much. I can easily drive to my supplier and pick up several pounds for about $11.00/pound, so I'm in no big rush to come up with an alternate source.

However, I've been keeping a little shard of days gone by, namely, the June 6th, 1896 edition of Harper's Round Table, for some time now.

Why?

Because it has a darned interesting article in it, describing the gunpowder works at the DuPont factory near Wilmington, Delaware.

It's time to share this piece of history, if not for the technical information, then for the journalistic style of the period. So I scanned the whole article, and created an Adobe .pdf file for y'all.

Hell, even the watercolors are neat.







And yes, they used willow as the wood of choice for their charcoal, grown on the DuPont estate.

Read about it here:

http://mauser98.com/dupontgunpowder1896.pdf

Which explains what went inside my other piece of history, still quite full:

Winter decided to visit, and never left...

Here it is, 17 Feb 08, and it was a mix of freezing rain, sleet, and snow that shut down the city buses, the malls, and pretty much all commerce. We broke the all-time snowfall record during the last storm, so the novelty has pretty much worn out by the time this stuff started falling this morning.

Bernie wanted to go out and play, so I humored him.



Since I had the camera out and about, here's one of my maple trees covered in ice:





Note the robin's nest:



Otherwise, not a very productive day. Maybe the roads will be better tomorrow - I noticed that the snowplows are finally making their way around town.

The new album's out...

Using the rules posted here:

http://www.squeakywheelseeksgrease.com/blog/2008/01/12/meme/

I've created a new band, album title, and album cover.

Behold, Buffalo National River's debut album, New York Traffic Lights:




Mosrite guitar solo on Track #2 by your's truly.

What's a FUDD?

A Truism by any other name still rings crystal clear. This one, in particular, shines brightly as it illuminates the creature known as The FUDD. Jim Zumbo figured out really quickly how it pertained to him, and got himself a big serving of humble pie for his troubles. Fellow FUDD David Petzal has yet to be visited by the clue bird, and spouts his particular brand of ignorance to this day, even dodging his own documented history regarding his 1994 endorsement of the original Assault Weapons Ban. One can hope that will be remedied soon, and I have no problems reminding him and his ilk of the color of their stripes in the meantime.

Now, what's the heck's a FUDD?

A FUDD is somebody who has no problem giving you a ration of crap for the inline-ignition muzzleloader that you bought for deer season, while extolling the virtues of his own "primitive" flintlock or caplock. Of course, the primitive concept only goes so far, because chances are he's driving to the deer woods from home vs. riding a horse or walking there on foot. Not only that, but he's probably using Pyrodex vs. real Holy Black. The only thing primitive about these guys and their beloved smokepoles is their Triassic attitudes towards other sportsmen and gun owners in general. You want "primitive", Hero? Jump out of a tree onto the back of the deer, stabbing it with a sharp pointy stick. Then I'll give you props for primitive. Otherwise, STFU.

By way of further explanation, I give you this:

"FUDDs come in many [other] forms, as well. The original idea was indeed from the character of Elmer Fudd, with his cartoon hunting guns.

There's FUDDs who will declare that anything beyond their chosen year is okay to be banned. This varies from the 19th century to the 1960's...that anything beyond blackpowder isn't needed up to anything beyond their 1960's Marlin isn't needed. Whatever they think won't affect them.

There's FUDDs who think all semiauto rifles are killing machines and ought to be banned. They tend to shut up when you ask them if that includes the Garand, which is indeed semiauto and far more "lethal" than 5.56 AR! Surviving a COM hit with a 5.56x45 is possible. Surviving a COM hit with a 30-06 would be incredibly lucky.

There's FUDDS who want anything scary-looking banned...forgetting that their scoped hunting rifle is a SNIPER RIFLE on the nooz.

There are FUDDs who want all military calibers banned, even. As long as it doesn't affect their old thutty-thutty.

And, of course, there's FUDDS who even look down on other guns of their chosen sort. You see, you're supposed to show up at the clay range with a $25,000 engraved shotgun signed by Pietro Beretta himself. If you arrive with your plastic-stocked 870 with a rail on it, well, you must be up to No Good, and that sort ought to be banned, too.

The one constant is that they're all more damaging to gun rights than the antis are. Because they're willing to pretend to be gun-rights sorts, and then they throw everyone under the bus."

There you have it.