TomatoUSB

Well I'm a novice in these matters, but I've finally managed to install Toastman firmware on my Neatgear WNR3500L. I've hooked it up with a 1TB harddrive and can access it from OS X. It is incorrectly named "unknown" in network, but I can see all the files and also read them. However, I cannot write to the drive at all. I'm asked to enter name and password, but get permission denied in return.

What am I doing wrong?

A little update - tried in Windows 7 as well, and no, same problem there. I can't write to the drive!

The name "Unknown" could be coming from what you have entered under "Basic -> Identification". As for writing to the drive, what do you have selected under "USB and NAS -> File Sharing"?

Yeah I noticed that I could change the name from "unknown", so now I named the Router-, Domain-, and Hostname "tomato". But the problem persists..

Under File Sharing I have the following settings:
Enable File Sharing - Yes, No auth.
Workgroup Name - Wes
Client Codepage - 850 Western Europe
Auto Share - Read/Write
Master Browser and WiNS Server - checked
jffs Read/write
root$ - Read only (hidden)

Having more problems… I keep dropping DHCP, and now the wireless connection is given a completely random IP instead of one of the ones the router should give. I.e. instead of 192.168.2.146 it's given 172.169….

I'm sick and tired of this shit. Wasted 8 hours in the last days trying to fix this crap. I'm assigning a static IP to the computer's MAC but still it gets a random IP…

viktor -
i have the same router and it works fine.
without knowing the details or which build and your configuration, i would suggest the following:
1. clear nvram and start from scratch setup again
2. make sure your (cable modem - i assume) is not also using address 192.168.1.1. this is a frequent source of dhcp problems.
3. check your firmware version. post the details here if yo want more help.

Hi and thanks ghoffman.

I have tried many times now. And I got it working last night, for a full 10 hours or something, when the problems suddenly showed up again.

I have cleared the nvram regularly when trying to get it work.
I have DHCP straight from the wall, so no problems there.
I have tried a few firmwares:
-tomato-K26USB-1.28.7496.1MIPSR2-Toastman-RT-Ext.trx
-tomato-K26USB-1.28.7496.1MIPSR2-Toastman-RT-Std.trx and
tomato-K26USB-1.28.0497.1MIPSR2-Toastman-RT-N-Ext.trx.

I know the last one is for a different version of the router, but I took a chance and even tried that. No luck, though.

To my stupidity, I tried again in good faith. I was running dd-wrt which was working fine, but the reason I'm trying to install tomatoUSB is to be able to easily access my files - not through SSH or FTP as seems to be the only way with dd-wrt..?

I did a clean upgrade, this time with tomato-K26USB-1.28.0499MIPSR2Toastman-RT-N-Ext.trx, and thereafter did a 30-30-30 reset. Even when I'm connecting the router with wire to my computer, it keeps dropping the IP. Upon renewing the DHCP-allotment it takes less than 10 seconds before the IP is dropped and no connection remains..

Help!

What do you mean you have "DHCP straight from the wall"? How exactly are you trying to use the router?

If you have the 3500Lv1 then you should not be using the RT-N builds, you should be using the RT builds. Try a newer build too - the 7496 builds are 3 months old (which doesn't sound like much, but Toastman puts out pretty regular builds). I'm using 7498.1 on my RT-N16 and am on 40+ days uptime. I wouldn't try 7499 yet, I've read there are a few bugs still being worked out.

Re - "I'm sick and tired of this shit. Wasted 8 hours in the last days trying to fix this crap. I'm assigning a static IP to the computer's MAC but still it gets a random IP…"

Perhaps you need to think about your attitude?