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faq [2021/09/22 05:31] – [How do I choose which Firmware Build I should use (build naming scheme)?] hogwild | faq [2023/07/27 03:35] – [Device Support] -add that Asus TUF AX3000 will be first .ax supported router hogwild | ||
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====== Frequently Asked Questions ====== | ====== Frequently Asked Questions ====== | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Starting out ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | //Q: I'm new to FreshTomato. Where should I start?// | ||
+ | |||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | |||
+ | * You're in the right place. | ||
+ | * Go the [[hardware_compatibility|Hardware compatibility]] page and verify check whether your device is supported by FreshTomato. Read the HW revision column and the notes column. | ||
+ | * Overall, the installation process is relatively safe. Depending on your hardware, there are recovery procedures to try if things don't go as planned. However, please know that you are fully responsible for any risks involved in upgrading your device to FreshTomato. | ||
+ | * You need to have an Ethernet connection between your client device and a LAN port on the router. | ||
+ | * Read and follow the [[firmware_basics_procedures|Installing FreshTomato]] section. This will guide you through all the steps needed to install FreshTomato. | ||
+ | * There is a lot of information on this wiki. Not all of it is where you might expect to find it. Take a good look around. | ||
+ | |||
===== Device Support ===== | ===== Device Support ===== | ||
- | Q: Does FreshTomato support only old devices or also more recent | + | //Q: Does FreshTomato support only old devices or newer ones too?// |
+ | |||
+ | \\ A: FreshTomato supports a variety of devices. See the [[hardware_compatibility|Hardware compatibility]] page for more details. Keep a close eye on CPU speed, Ethernet port speed and WiFi speed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Until recently, it was not possible to create new releases that support 802.11ax or newer WiFi standards. However, Broadcom recently released some details about their wireless drivers. As a result, FreshTomato developers are currently writing code to support the Asus TUF AX3000. Traditionally, | ||
- | FreshTomato supports both old devices and modern ones. See the [[: | ||
===== Default Login Credentials / IP Address ===== | ===== Default Login Credentials / IP Address ===== | ||
- | \\ Q: What is FreshTomato' | + | \\ // Q: What is FreshTomato' |
- | | + | \\ |
- | * Netmask 255.255.255.0 | + | |
+ | | ||
+ | * Netmask: **255.255.255.0** | ||
\\ | \\ | ||
- | Q: What are FreshTomato' | + | //Q: What are FreshTomato' |
- | * Username: root | + | \\ |
- | * Password: admin | + | |
- | ===== How do I choose which Firmware Build I should use (build naming scheme)? ===== | + | * Username: **root** |
+ | * Password: **admin** | ||
- | Q: What do those cryptic filenames mean? How do I choose the right build for my router? | ||
- | A: The naming scheme | + | ===== How Do I Choose a Build? (build |
- | * FreshTomato | + | //Q: What do those cryptic filenames mean? How do I choose |
- | * Hardware model - Specifies the router or access point model number. | + | |
- | * ARM - The build is intended for devices with the ARM CPU architecture. | + | |
- | * Wireless Driver (optional) NG - Indicates whether the New Generation Broadcom\\ binary wireless driver is in the build. Broadcom never released the driver\\ source code, so developers rely on binary drivers. Builds for newer hardware \\ required the newer wireless driver and a newer software development kit (SDK). \\ These were called " | + | |
- | * Release name (e.g. 2021.3) | + | |
- | * Edition | + | |
- | * NVRAM size (32K / 64K / 128K) - This is optional, for models which have multiple \\ hardware revisions and each revision may include more or less NVRAM. | + | |
- | * NOSMP (optional) | + | |
- | * Custom (optional). | + | |
- | For example, we can interpret that for the ARM build with filename: | + | \\ A: The naming scheme for ARM-based models (//with some exceptions// |
+ | |||
+ | | **Build Name Term** | ||
+ | | FreshTomato | The Tomato mod name. This is always FreshTomato, | ||
+ | | Hardware model | Specifies the router or access point model number. | | ||
+ | | ARM/MIPS | Specifies the build is intended for devices with ARM or MIPS CPU architecture. | | ||
+ | | Wireless Driver (optional) | NG - Indicates whether the New Generation Broadcom binary wireless driver is in the build. \\ Broadcom never released the driver source code, so developers rely on binary drivers. \\ Builds for newer hardware required the newer wireless driver and a newer software development\\ kit (SDK). | ||
+ | | Release name | e.g. 2021.3 | ||
+ | | Build Type | e.g. (Mini / AIO / VPN) - indicates the features included in the build. See [[: | ||
+ | | NVRAM size | (32K / 64K / 128K) - Optional. For models with multiple hardware revisions \\ where each revision may include more or less NVRAM. | | ||
+ | | NOSMP | (Optional) | ||
+ | | Custom | ||
+ | | | Reserved for future use | | ||
+ | | | Reserved for future use | | ||
+ | |||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | |||
+ | For example, we can know the following features from the ARM build with filename: | ||
'' | '' | ||
- | has the following firmware | + | * Fork name: FreshTomato. \\ |
+ | * Hardware Model: For the Asus RT-AC3200 router. \\ | ||
+ | * ARM: (for models with an ARM architecture). \\ | ||
+ | * Release name: 2021.3 | ||
+ | * Build features: | ||
+ | * NVRAM size: 128K (this is optional but indicates the NVRAM size of the routers, 128K in this case). \\ | ||
+ | * no_media_server: | ||
- | Mod (fork) name: FreshTomato\\ Hardware Model: built for the Asus RT-AC3200 router.\\ ARM: (for models with an ARM CPU architecture) \\ Release name: 2021.3 | ||
- | MD5SUM files are available in each website folder containing firmware builds. It is strongly recommended that you run a hash program against the .zip file of the build you downloaded. Then, you should | + | ==== Which Build Folders |
+ | For more help choosing a build, see the [[: | ||
- | ===== Make Settings Temporary ===== | + | When browsing through firmware folders on the website, a subfolder named " |
- | Q: How can I make temporary changes to FreshTomato' | + | The other subfolders such as K26RT-AC and K26RT-N contain dedicated builds, meant for specific router models. Unless you're experienced, |
+ | |||
+ | If you have a Netgear R-series router with Netgear firmware installed, you must first flash with one of the " | ||
+ | |||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ==== How Can I Check the Integrity of my Downloaded Build File? ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | MD5SUM files are available in each website folder containing firmware. It's strongly recommended that you run a hash program against the .zip file of the build you downloaded. Then, compare the value in that program with the hash value listed for that build in the MD5SUM file. If the two don't match, your download is corrupt, and you shouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ===== How Can I Experiment with Temporary Settings? ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | //Q: How can I make temporary changes to FreshTomato' | ||
+ | |||
+ | \\ A: In the [[: | ||
+ | |||
+ | Another option while debugging is to make a backup configuration and then make your changes, if you decide you messed things up, just restore the backed-up configuration. NOTE that configuration backup files do not work across different releases of FreshTomato. | ||
- | A: In the Administration/ | ||
===== Device Name Defaults ===== | ===== Device Name Defaults ===== | ||
- | Q: What are the common device names used to represent router interfaces/ | + | //Q: What are some common device names used to represent router interfaces/ |
+ | |||
+ | \\ This can become a complex topic rather quickly. In general, there will be physical interfaces, such as " | ||
+ | |||
+ | * ethX: is a physical interface. It can be used to represent Ethernet of WiFi interfaces. | ||
+ | * wlX: identifies a physical wireless interface. It is often associated with an eth reference. | ||
+ | * brX: is a logical interface. It bridges together two physical interfaces. | ||
+ | * vlanX: identifies a VLAN (a logical separation). | ||
+ | * tunXX: is an OpenVPN interface. (for example, tun13 = client3, tun21 = server1) | ||
+ | * tinc: is a logical tunnel interface used by tinc VPN technology. | ||
+ | * wg0: is an interface used by Wireguard. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Some structures, like additional SSIDs (Virtual Wireless) will create sub-interfaces. For this reason, it's common to see interfaces with periods in them. For example, wl0.2 would represent the second alias of the first WiFi radio. | ||
- | * vlan0: Wired (Ethernet) LAN ports | ||
- | * eth1: Wireless LAN | ||
- | * br0: Internal LAN bridge (configurable) for wired LAN and Wireless LAN | ||
- | * eth0: internal interface between CPU and the 6-port switch | ||
===== Log Location Default ===== | ===== Log Location Default ===== | ||
- | Q: Where is FreshTomato System log file located? How are logs stored? | + | // Q: Where is FreshTomato System log file located? How are logs stored?// |
+ | |||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
- | | + | If you happen to have specified a different path/ |
- | * Unless | + | If you enabled **Log To Remote System** your logs are obviously retained on the remote server as well. |
+ | )) | ||
===== BusyBox ===== | ===== BusyBox ===== | ||
- | Q: What is BusyBox? | + | //Q: What is BusyBox?// |
- | A: Busybox provides the command-line Linux commands used in FreshTomato. | + | \\ |
- | BusyBox combines tiny versions of many common | + | A: BusyBox provides the Linux commands used in FreshTomato. |
+ | |||
+ | (See [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | BusyBox combines tiny versions of many common UNIX/Linux utilities into a single small executable. It provides | ||
Read more at: [[https:// | Read more at: [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== The Web Interface (GUI) is Slow or not Responding ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | //Q: The GUI is slow. Is this normal?// | ||
+ | |||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | |||
+ | No. FreshTomato was specifically built for speed and simplicity. There are some very rare cases where the GUI might become slow/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | - First, try to clear the browser cache either manually via the browser setting or reloading the page using CTRL-F5 on the keyboard. | ||
+ | - Try a different browser. | ||
+ | - Rarely, you might have multiple copies of FreshTomato' | ||
+ | |||
+ | If the GUI is completely unresponsive, | ||
+ | |||
+ | - CPU utilization. You can check this by running the " | ||
+ | - The presence of content in the "/ | ||
+ | - The httpd daemon is running. Check this by typing "ps | grep [h]ttpd" | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Netgear R-series Routers ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | //Q: What are the " | ||
+ | |||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you have the Original Netgear firmware installed, **you must** use an initial build to install FreshTomato the first time. The initial zip files contain firmware with a " | ||
+ | |||
+ | After you've installed an initial build, you can upgrade to any appropriate FreshTomato version you wish. Regular build zip files contain firmware files with a .trx extension. For details on how to flash Netgear routers, see the [[firmware_basics_procedures|Installing FreshTomato]] HOWTO. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ===== How do I Get a 3G/4G/5G USB modem to work? ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Support for modem dongles in FreshTomato is a somewhat complex topic. However, here is some information to help you get your USB modem running. | ||
+ | |||
+ | FreshTomato has functions to automate the process of installing/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | First, check the [[dongle_compatibility|3G/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Next, in FreshTomato' | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you don't know the make/model of your modem, connect it to your router and ensure USB Support and 3G/4G USB mode support are enabled. Then log on to FreshTomato and use the lsusb command to check to if its output lists your modem' | ||
+ | |||
+ | You should NOT enable a PIN on your modem' | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Modem Modes ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Many USB modems have two modes of operation: | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Modem (only) mode | ||
+ | * Storage emulation mode | ||
+ | |||
+ | In modem mode, the device operates normally, and allows the host device to communicate with most modem functions. | ||
+ | |||
+ | In storage emulation mode, the modem emulates a storage device, like a CDROM or USB flash drive. This makes it easier to install drivers on PC operating systems, since drivers are right on the device. | ||
+ | |||
+ | However, FreshTomato already include USB modem drivers in the form of kernel modules. The modem, though, won't accept communication commands in storage mode. It must be switched to modem mode to accept commands. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Being in storage mode complicates things for earlier forks of Tomato. The modem would appear/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Instead, FreshTomato includes switch4g [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | FreshTomato also uses the usb_modeswitch module for some functions. USB_modeswitch takes the important parameters from a configuration file and does all the initialization and other steps to set up communications. | ||
+ | |||
+ | For more advanced users, you can get detailed information about usb_modeswitch here: [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Huawei modems (and HiLink mode) ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Some Huawei modems have two modes of operation: HiLink mode and Stick mode. Confusingly, | ||
+ | |||
+ | HiLink mode has the following characteristics: | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Includes storage emulation, (described above). | ||
+ | * The modem will self-mount as a storage device with drivers on the device itself. | ||
+ | * Presents the modem to the host as a network device with a web interface. | ||
+ | * Makes the modem act as a router | ||
+ | * Directs traffic through NAT | ||
+ | * Provides no IP pass through support (for the IP address assigned by the carrier to pass through to the attached device. | ||
+ | * Does not support port forwarding. | ||
+ | * Because of this, HiLink mode won't work with remote access applications, | ||
+ | * This includes applications like RDP, VNC, and Web servers. | ||
+ | * To use HiLink mode, your application must use only outbound-initiated connections (such as web browsing or email). | ||
+ | * Alternatively, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Stick Mode presents the USB dongle to the host as a regular modem. When in stick mode, the host device to which the modem is connected (usually a PC) has to deal with all of the networking setup (PPP session, routing, and so on). | ||
+ | |||
+ | The term "Stick mode" could be confusing, since many refer to a flash drive as a "USB stick" | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Modem Install Process (TBD) ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Assuming there is no pin enabled, FreshTomato sets the // | ||
+ | |||
+ | '' | ||
+ | nvram set modem_pin= "" | ||
+ | |||
+ | nvram commit'' | ||
+ | |||
+ | If the card does have a PIN set, the variable must be set in nvram: | ||
+ | |||
+ | '' | ||