My Tech Adventures

If you are not comfortable using the commandline to tweak your router's settings, then, this very nice find at: http://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php?topic=11293.0  can help you, once you launch it via the commandline :) This is applicable to PTCL/Tenda W150D/Micronet SP3367NL Router! Download: http://www.upload.ee/files/2487813/DslDiag.zip.html http://sdrv.ms/18CsBk7 ( Please read the entire post carefully before attempting any changes) To run it as described in the first link: " To use it: 1. Open the CMD prompt and "cd" to the extracted folder containing the Broadcom app.   2. If you are using a NETGEAR router, visit this address in your web browser, otherwise, disregard this step. 3. Type "bcmdsldiagsl -s ROUTERIP  " Startup Screen ... note the scrolling stats ... browsing may not be possible while program is running To view more screenshots, please continue reading

DSL Let's take a look at SNR Margin Tweaks: The command to be used is > xdslctl configure --snr {value}  N Change in target noise margin (dB) 200 + 6dB 150 + 3dB 100 + 0dB 50 - 3dB 25 - 4.5db 1 - 5.5dB 65500 - 9 dB 65450 - 12 dB where {value} can be as shown in the table above taken from http://www.kitz.co.uk/routers/dg834GT_targetsnr.htm such that if more stable connection is desired, 150 or 200 should be used and if faster connection/sync is required at cost of stability, 50 or 25 could be used! Note that for PTCL, there is no max speed package as of today, ...

With Telnet access, more options become available that are not accessible via the web interface! Since the router uses the Broadcom chipset, we can apply almost all the same tweaks as documented for other Broadcom based routers: Here is the list of commands (Password is the one set by you): BCM96328 Broadband Router Login: admin Password: > ? ? help logout exit quit reboot adsl xdslctl xtm brctl cat loglevel logdest virtualserver ddns syslog echo ifconfig ping ps pwd sntp sysinfo tftp wlctl arp defaultgateway dhcpserver dns lan lanhosts passwd ppp restoredefault route save swversion cfgupdate swupdate exitOnIdle wan There is also Shell access: > sh BusyBox v1.00 (2012.05.30-12:11+0000) Built-in shell (msh) Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands. With regards to dsl modem, the commands "adsl" and "xd...

It's been a while since I updated this blog, but, I am planning to write down all the tech adventures I had during this time starting with routers! First up is the Tenda W150D mentioned previously, currently using firmware of Micronet (Taiwan) SP3367NL: Note: Despite the version string (1.0.0.7 vs 1.0.1) the newer firmware US_SP3367NL_V1.0.0.7_en_NUT.bin released in 2012 can be found at http://sdrv.ms/17IgVyp  though you might want to save your previous configuration before upgrading to restore later on new firmware as there can be problems enabling the wireless network in the v1.0.0.7 (it's just a configuration issue that may not occur but it's better to be prepared) (My upgrade path: PTCL's firmware->Tenda's Firmware->Micronet's Firmware) - The interface seems to be the same as the previous firmware, but, again it performs better than the version pre-installed by PTCL (ISP) Download SNR Margin is better than before ... though on fiber...

From the hardware point of view, the PTCL/Tenda W150D is not much different from other BCM6328 based routers but the difference surely lies in the software/firmware ... so let's take a look at the gui side of things ... From the start it was apparent that the firmware for PTCL was not 'special/locked' one and just used image replacement replacing Tenda's images/logos with those for PTCL ... anyways it also didn't seem to work well, felt kind of like a beta version of the firmware ... couldn't hold onto some settings ... my long line and difficult stats didn't help either (awaiting conversion from copper to fiber) ... so in desperation I looked at firmware updates for the router on Tenda's website knowing full well that a corrupted/interrupted/slightly-changed firmware update would brick the router with no obvious way to recover as serial & jTAG pinouts are not known (there are some test points ... but lack of interest) and no full flash backup c...

Finally I received a wireless router from PTCL with my "new" connection few days ago after a long wait! As expected it turned out to be a PTCL branded router supplied by another company in this case Tenda ( www.tenda.cn ) with model W150D ... a 150Mbps wireless n (half) xDSL router ... looks nice with a big 5dBi  fixed antenna ... lets take an inside look: 4 x Phillips-head screws  Plastic locks and tabs  Notice the Heatsink ... just as well as it runs very hot  Antenna is soldered onto the pcb and there is one pad free for mounting another antenna ... hmmmmm  the wireless "chip"  No need to remove heatsink to id the processor ... this router is based on the BCM6328 Some more test points ... but more later ... let's take a look at the software side ... (in part 2)

Told you! Opera is the fastest browser for me and I also like it for its UI and nice set of features. Here is the screenshot of the results with the v11.10 I just installed: Opera 11.10 Benchmark Results So, give it a try and don't forget the Opera Mini browser for mobile platforms as well! If you want to see which browser is the best for your system, check out the Peacekeeper Browser Benchmark !