DD-WRT is an open-source firmware upgrade for wireless routers that can improve the performance and security of your home WiFi network. Click here to go directly to our step-by-step instructions. While the specifics of your DD-WRT installation will vary slightly from one router model to another, the general ideas are the same across the board and the process should be very similar. DD-WRT cannot be installed on every router, but the list of routers it is compatible with is more extensive than any other third-party firmware.
DD-WRT improves the functionality of almost any router and gives you a much greater level of control over how the hardware operates, especially when it comes to VPN features and repeater settings. Before diving in, there are a few things to know.
Aside from this, we suggest downloading the manual and firmware for your router before getting started in case something goes wrong. DD-WRT firmware is designed to replace the stock firmware that comes installed on your router out of the box. It improves VPN support over almost any out-of-the-box firmware and removes a number of old vulnerabilities that many routers still have, such as WPS network security. It also adds a huge amount of general networking options and tools that stock firmware almost never has.
DD-WRT offers so many options, in fact, that it can actually be a bit overwhelming for some people. As we mentioned, DD-WRT can be difficult to use and is largely geared toward knowledgeable power-users, but there are plenty of advantages that make the extra effort worth it. If you want to set up a VPN on your router , then a firmware upgrade is pretty much a necessity in many cases also check out our guide to the best VPN for routers.
However, DD-WRT is a powerful tool for those who have the know-how to use it or the patience to learn. I found HotSpot system to be the easiest to setup and use. The service allows you to charge customers for WiFi in which case the company takes a small percentage of the payment.
You can also provide users with free WiFi connection and have a splash screen which asks them to follow you on your social networks, you have to pay a small monthly price for this. Wifidog and Chilispot are both open source, which means that if you wish, you can set up the server for this yourself, meaning you don't even need an internet connection. Wifidog is the most complicated, and the least talked about option, so I'd recommend avoiding it and choosing Chilispot instead.
Firstly, you can use services such as Wi-Fiplanet and EngageHotspot to have a web-based splash page and system. These work similar to HotSpot system, but they are less commercial and hence it will take a bit more work to get it set up nicely, and to your needs.
It also means that these services are a lot cheaper than HotSpot System. You can learn more about setting up, by watching this YouTube video.
Secondly, you can set up Chilispot with your own Debian server, thereby keeping everything within your control as well. This setup does require a lot of technical experience, and goes outside the scope of this guide as well. If you want, you can also limit access to your network by device. All modern devices have something called a MAC Media Access Control address, which is like a house address and is unique to each device.
Once you know a device's MAC address, you can restrict its access to your network. First, you need to find the MAC address of the device you wish to allow or block. Now that you have determined the MAC address of a device, you can block it or allow it. For example, I'm going to block the Android device shown in the previous image. As stated at the start of this guide, one of the biggest advantages of DD-WRT is the additional settings and setups they allow you to do.
While I have explained most options previously, this section is dedicated to some more unique setups. As our branding might have given it away already, we love VPNs. However, I will not be covering this. Before starting, you will, of course, need a VPN account. I must mention, that an OpenVPN router can be set up in some ways, so consult your VPN provider before starting as their instructions might vary, and it that case you should follow those.
If running a VPN client on your router is one of your primary concerns, then I'd recommend getting something more powerful as the best VPN router will need a lot of processing power. If you'd like to, it's possible to set up your router as a Dual Gateway. This uses policy-based routing, and it allows some of your devices to use the VPN connection, while others use your normal connection.
This can be really useful if you want to unblock Hulu , changing Netflix region or watching BBC iPlayer outside the UK on your media device as these are now blocking VPNs and want to access local services at the same time.
We do, however, recommend that you connect to a VPN as often as possible to ensure your connection is encrypted. Despite the fact that it doesn't work with Netflix that well anymore, there is still plenty of restricted websites it allows you to access. I recommend Blockless as it has a great price, and provides a well-rounded overall service.
Unfortunately, at the moment, I'm not aware of any free Smart DNS services that are legitimate and will not sell your data.
There are, however, some free VPN services that have good privacy policies and will keep your data secure. If you're a fan of torrenting, then you can install a torrent client called Transmission on your router. This means that you can download torrents without having to leave your computer switched on and, of course, allows you to have a better seeding ratio as well. I must mention that here at ProPrivacy we do not condone the use of torrenting for illegal purposes.
However, there are plenty of legitimate reasons to use torrent clients. To be able to get Transmission up and running, you will need to have carried out a few of the previous steps, but don't worry I have referenced these accordingly.
Now that you have transmission up and running you will also need to be able to access it quickly, to make the process simple. For information about staying secure when torrenting, see our best VPN for torrent sites guide.
DLNA, or the Digital Living Network Alliance as it's called, is a digital standard that makes it easier to stream media content across devices on a network.
The standard has many advocates, but there are many people that do not find it useful. The reason is, that with modern technology it can be easy to access the NAS drive on your router and stream the content easily. Click through to the relevant links below for more a guide on how to setup DLNA with your device. Unfortunately, one of the downsides of DD-WRT over traditional router firmware, is the lack of a dedicated cloud storage system. As well as a set of unified apps and easy set-up, both Linksys and AsusWRT firmware provide this capability.
While, yes it's possible to use an FTP system and set up a bunch of code, this just isn't the real deal. If you would like, you're also able to set up a DD-WRT Webserver, which allows you to host a web page, share files with colleagues, and carry out a number of other website-related activities. I will show you the basics of getting set up with Pydio, however, you may wish to check their administration guides to see what else you can use it for.
You now have an accessible webserver, which multiple people can access. If you would like it to be available from anywhere around the world, you will need to have WAN enabled in the Webserver setup.
If you have your router connected to a modem, you will also need to set up port forwarding for port 81, to your DD-WRT router. You can then find your IP by visiting our what is my IP page. Your computer and other devices on your network are identified on the internet by what is called an IP Internet Protocol address. Your ISP provides this to you automatically so most of the time you don't have to worry about it. The frequency varies by provider, but unless you have a static IP, it will change at some point in time.
When your IP does change, you won't notice any difference because it doesn't have a significant effect on the inner workings of your system. However, when you're trying to access your router from an external location then you will always need to know your IP, or you won't be able to connect to it.
A DDNS system will give you a web address such as thisismyrouter. If you have already purchased or planning to a domain from NameCheap, then you'll be able to set up DDNS using their system.
We already recommend using adblockers on your computer and installing some plugins on your browser Chrome, Firefox , however, sometimes it might be more practical to run an adblocking service on your router.
Unfortunately, plugins and such can be a problem on mobile devices, especially on iOS. This gives another good reason to run an Adblocker on your router directly, all devices connected to it will have advertisements blocked on it. I am going to give you the quick and easy way of setting up Privoxy the built-in DD-WRT Adblocker and if you'd like more help you can leave a comment or visit the Privoxy websites for more details.
If you have a monthly download, or upload limit assigned to you by your ISP, or would just like to know how much internet you are using, then you can analyze your data statistics using DD-WRT.
Using the Status bar, you're also able to analyze a number of other factors, and find out if there are any other problems with your network as well, or improvements that could be made.
If you wish to have more in-depth network monitoring, and also see a break down of data usage by software, then I'd recommend downloading Glasswire, which will do just that and more. WPS refers to a system which allows you to easily connect a device to your router.
You might have seen it before that when you are connecting to a wireless network, it permits the option for a quick connection by pressing the WPS button on the router. Unfortunately, generally speaking these systems are horrible for the security of your router. However, there are some commercial builds, such as on Buffalo routers, where the option for it does exist. If you do get one of these, I'd recommend disabling it instantaneously.
I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed reading my guide and have found something useful to implement and help you create the best WiFi router possible. If you've never played around with DD-WRT before it's a great way to spend a few hours and improve your home with.
If you have found. If you have found this guide helpful, I'd appreciate a share on your favorite social network. And if you're having problems, feel free to leave a comment, and I'll try and help as much as possible. Looking for something? Written by Peter Selmeczy. Unfortunately not. You can easily split your traffic between networks, dedicate it to specific software, devices, and more. Universal Plug and Play UPnP - a protocol that easily allows the sharing of devices within a network for quick and easy sharing of files, media, printers, etc.
Network printers — As with hard drives, you can attach printers to your DD-WRT router which then can be accessed from across the network.
Wireless bridging — turns the router into a wireless repeater to extend the range of your WiFi signal. Advanced performance graphs — DD-WRT provides advanced network tracking and display for better troubleshooting and analysis. Adjust antenna power — one of the many ways you can increase your wireless range. Roku Sticks and AppleTV. The first hurdle is choosing your router. DD-WRT vs. OpenWRT vs. Tomato DD-WRT isn't the only open-source router firmware on the market, and technically it isn't the best in all aspects.
Do a reset. Press the reset button for 30 seconds you'll probably need a pen for this. Without letting it go, disconnect the power for 30 seconds. Plug the power back in, and keep pressing the button for a further 30 seconds. This helps erase the memory of the router for a clean install. Connect your router to your computer with an Ethernet cable. Open your browser and type For the 'New Firmware File', choose the file you have downloaded at the start.
Click Upload and wait for your router to reboot itself. You'll be able to tell, as the lights start flashing on the front, and you'll be able to access it using the router IP address mentioned above. Do another reset. Now go to The DD-WRT default login details tend to match that of the router, but not only should you, but you will need to change this.
Changing the Basic Settings Now that you've installed the firmware, the primary task will be to change all the core and important settings, including the wireless access point configuration. As detailed in the previous instructions, you'll be prompted to change your DD-WRT username and password immediately.
I recommend you write this down somewhere, such as in a password manager , so you don't get locked out by accident. If you have more than one wireless network which you will with the AC56U then give them different names so you can easily differentiate between them. Apply Settings once done. Under the Wireless Security tab, apply a password for both networks. In Setup , I'd also recommend setting up the optional 'Router Name' and 'Hostname', but this is not essential.
You should now have a functional router that you can use just like any other router on the market. Before we start the router configuration and adding bells and whistles, I'd recommend having a look around in the menus and getting a feel for the firmware.
Backing up and Restoring your DD-WRT Playing around with your router, improving the settings and enhancing its capabilities is always a lot of fun. Increasing your Wireless Range There are some principal methods for increasing your wireless range and transfer speeds. Locating your Router The ideal way of getting optimum coverage in your home or office is by locating your router in the epicenter of the action. Use an Empty Channel While wireless frequencies are referred to as 2.
Download a Wifi Analyzer app for your device. Unfortunately, as of yet there are no good options for iOS. Use the app or software to scan your neighborhood. I found that the 5GHz channels were nearly unused, so I had my choice of options.
Although pretty simple to do, setting up your router with DD-WRT and initiating all of the processes that you want to use can take some time. DD-WRT is an open source firmware designed to increase the functionality of your router so that you can configure it to do much more than just manage internet connections. While there are alternative providers out there, including Tomato , OpenWRT , and Gargoyle , DD-WRT has a decent range of compatible devices, and is fairly user-friendly, making it the best choice for most home and small business users.
While some manufacturers offer routers with DD-WRT already installed , downloading the firmware onto a standard router carries the potential risk of bricking it, but is fairly unlikely if you follow the instructions properly. Follow this guide. While this can of course also be achieved by using an online backup service, managing your files with NAS can feel much more secure than handing them over to an external company. Setting up remote access requires you to manually enable FTP file transfer protocol on your router or NAS device — a means of transferring files over the internet that can be applied to personal devices.
You can do that by following our guide below:. Rsync is a file synchronization tool used to backup and sync files — typically between a local server and a remote backup server.
Should you want to make an extra copy of your files online, many online backup providers such as Acronis , SOS , and IDrive will backup data from your NAS device if you first map it as a drive.
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