do you use a swap file? dlna lags with kong mod

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kcthomas
kcthomas's picture
do you use a swap file? dlna lags with kong mod

i am using the kong mod and everything has been stable for a while.  one of the reasons i bought this router however was to use it as a media server.  the server works but i cant get through a movie without it lagging.

 

just wondering if anyone has a dlna server running without lag over WLAN, and whether you are using a swap file or not.

Petikeje
Petikeje's picture
Hi!

Hi!
I try to turn on swap, but it seems to impossible to me... :-(
Can U set the swap? How?
THX:
P!

Striatum
Striatum's picture
It should be the same as

It should be the same as under Tomato:

format a swap partition on your hard disk (using Gparted if you're under Linux or Gparted Live CD), set its LABEL to SWAP for example (or note its UUID identification).

Edit /etc/fstab via Telnet/SSH adding:

LABEL=SWAP none swap sw 0 0 (you can use UUID=...... instead of LABEL).

Don't forget to do:
nvram setfile2nvram /etc/fstab
nvram commit
to save permanently to nvram, then reboot.

You should see that swap is enabled in your GUI or by typing 'free' command via Telnet.

You can do it with a swap file and not a partition but it's more complicated to set and less fast.

Petikeje
Petikeje's picture
Hi!

Hi!
I've tried. (you've posted to me the same 2 or 3 days ago). I have check it, but it seems not work.
I use dd wrt Kong. And in dd wrt /etc/fstab is read only.
I've tried load fstab into nvram from different dir but it doesn't recognize it. I was loking for the net, and found that dd wrt seems to "immune" to this trick.
Finally I installed everithing to my asus wl500gp. it seems the 32 MB is enough (minidlna, samba, transmission), but it almost use all off hw resources.
I'm still loking how can I switch on swap, but thanks a lot for help!
Best regards:
P!

kcthomas
kcthomas's picture
i was under the impression

i was under the impression you needed optware to do swap on dd-wrt. Maybe ill try to flash over to tomato and do what you suggested.

i was hoping to get confirmation that it would help dlna performance before i tried it :)

Striatum
Striatum's picture
I'm not sure swap helps for

I'm not sure swap helps for dlna as WNR3500L has a lot of RAM. For torrent it is mandatory to have swap.

The only major difference between DD-WRT Kong's mod and Tomato is that you have no guest SSID on Tomato, but other features are the same, and if you install Tomato Toastman's mod you'll have a very powerful bandwidth limitation tool.

kcthomas
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thanks striatum, maybe i will

thanks striatum, maybe i will look elsewhere for my problem first, ie file system types, wireless signal strength, etc..

Kong
Kong's picture
You don't need a swap file

You don't need a swap file for dlna. But you cannot use ntfs in case you try to stream hd movies. HD content also requires wireless N clients.

kcthomas
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Thanks kong, Ill try to

Thanks kong, Ill try to reformat into ext3

N3500L Newbie
N3500L Newbie's picture
Damn - I was hoping by now

Damn - I was hoping by now that the performance issues would have been fixed in dd-wrt with the tomato or kong mods. Am I right in thinking that you cannot use dd-wrt as the basis for a media server? That's a real shame - and I'm sure it can't really be the case......?

I tried the open firmware with an ext3 formatted hard drive, and SMB performance was so poor (1-2MBs) that I ended up reverting back to stock netgear as it gave the best performance.

It would be great if someone could cook/roll a new firmware rom for the WNR3500L, one that did away with the more esoteric functions in dd-wrt and optimised USB throughput/performance. I would love it if I could up the Tx power on my router (i.e. with dd-wrt), but not at the expense of media server performance.

Cheers, Jon

Kong
Kong's picture
With ext3 + samba transfers

With ext3 + samba transfers should be read 4,5mB/s write 6MB/s tested on a WNR3500L and ASUS RT-N16

kcthomas
kcthomas's picture
i reformated to ext3 and

i reformated to ext3 and tried again. i also switched my wireless security to AES from TKIP, and played around with TX power. still laggy.

i can wirelessly stream netflix and mlb.tv fine to my PS3, so i dont think its a wireless speed issue. im going to continue to investigate, i really want to get this to work well :(

kcthomas
kcthomas's picture
im starting to think maybe

im starting to think maybe its an issue with the PS3, and not the router.

MarcelE
MarcelE's picture
Not sure if HD streaming

Not sure if HD streaming wirelessly is ever going to work on the PS3 as the PS3 only has a 54Mb/wireless G connection.
I never had a smooth experience watching HD wireless so I now have a cable from my laptop, through the router to my PS3 and everything works fine now.

kcthomas
kcthomas's picture
im just trying to stream

im just trying to stream 700mb or 1.5gb divx files..youd think it could handle that.

Kong
Kong's picture
@kcthomas.

@kcthomas.

a 700MB file can work if the wireless connection is good, and if there is not a lot of other wireless interference around.
But larger files can cause trouble with a 54MBit connection.

700MB * 1024 / 560s(for 1 1/2h movie) = 1,2MB/s

A 54MBit connection gets you about 27MBit net rate roughly 3MB/s but that is only in perfect conditions, once you have interference or more than just one client it drops.

kcthomas
kcthomas's picture
no lag on a 1.4gb file

no lag on a 1.4gb file through the xbox and ethernet. must be a wireless and/or ps3 issue.

jondlou
jondlou's picture
I am using Kong's E3000

I am using Kong's E3000 version and I have 3-4 gb movies streaming very well to the PS3 (sometimes 0-1 slight glitch in an entire sitting, thank you Kong!)

Anyways, I have Optware and I have been meticulously checking my memory. I would recommend setting your memory using to that of a Linux server in Administration -> Commands -> Startup:

Code:

#####################################
# Swap Settings
#####################################

echo 25 >/proc/sys/vm/swappiness

On another note, make sure that your UPnP is enabled in the Web Interface.

For example, I am only using these for Optware services:

automount
reloc_syslog
transmission
fixtables
stophammer
asiablock

Make sure sharing programs like Samba and Transmission have low memory usage settings or less specific settings. Obviously Samba is available in the firmware. Mainly, I think it has to do with your hardwares memory level. I never even see my Swap used enough to check if I even have it configured correctly. I even have my 5ghz disabled while doing all of this as well. Here are some good places for settings on my router...

[Masterman's Dual Band Settings]
http://ftp.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=552893&sid=77a143aed47bfc65...

[Optware the Right Way]
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Optware,_the_Right_Way

[IPV6 Script]
http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=497074

DD-WRT isn't as user friendly, however, if you use less resources and find the right wireless settings for your router only, it can be very fun to toy with. I still prefer the DD-WRT community over any other firmware anyday, I don't dislike Tomato, it is just too user friendly ; )