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**mirdragon** · (This post was last modified: 27-06-2015 02:24 PM by mirdragon.)

I reinstalled smoothwall a while back and so far happy with the improvements from previous versions and is a lot more stable than my Archer C7

I currently have a few mods installed on it that gives me various monitors and information and tbh is fairly easy to configure and get working.

I've just installed a mod to give me the stats for the HG612

**mirdragon** · 29-06-2015, 06:31 PM

Decided to upgrade the HG612 to the version suitable for G.INP, which meant a reset of the modem, but here is the latest graphs showing the performance over past day

**mirdragon** · 11-07-2015, 06:56 PM

well @AlexAtkin this mod is working perfectly on smoothwall - currently very pleased with it

alexatkin · (This post was last modified: 18-07-2015 07:20 AM by alexatkin.)

Well pfSense is anything but easy, but it does seem to be stable.

I'm looking at it as a learning experience as I'm totally unfamiliar with FreeBSD.

**mirdragon** · 18-07-2015, 12:37 PM

pfsense was dropping connection on a regular basis so reason I never keep it going and agree not as easy to setup as a standard router or smoothwall. The plugins are all available through the interface to install, plus it works with built-in wifi adaptors and also usb 3.0 works on it

smoothwall on the other hand is quite easy to configure, once you have the correct plugins from the community forums. It does not like usb 3 and does not work with built-in wifi adaptors

alexatkin · (This post was last modified: 19-07-2015 03:48 AM by alexatkin.)

Yeah, I never did figure out how to make WiFi work on pfSense but I don't need it to (have OpenWRT on the Archer C7 doing main WiFi duty) so just removed the adapter to save power.

**mirdragon** · (This post was last modified: 19-07-2015 01:48 PM by mirdragon.)

I've put my Archer C7 into storage and instead just use the TP-Links TL-WR710 units as access points, which are more than ample for mobile phones and tablets

I also like the fact I can see the stats for my HG612 through smoothwall using a plugin instead of having to run the windows app

alexatkin · (This post was last modified: 19-07-2015 07:06 PM by alexatkin.)

I had a TL-WR710 and found its very lacking in signal. Far too much 2.4Ghz pollution around here to rely on that frequency anyway. I DEFINITELY get better speeds on 5Ghz than 2.4Ghz.

While my Note 4 connecting at dual-stream AC doesn't seem to make any real-world difference compared to single-stream 40Mhz 5Ghz N, its a huge difference compared to 2.4Ghz.

I guess you haven't tried streaming PC games to your phone yet. It occasionally hitches on 5Ghz but otherwise can handle a smooth 1080p 60fps, not a chance on 2.4Ghz.

**mirdragon** · 19-07-2015, 11:03 PM

no matter what i have - the neighbours BT units pump out to much signal - I can even see their wireless hp printer Sad

I have 4 access points setup, the reason being is that the size of the house and the structure requires it (have iron girder across length of one wall as a support that I know of)

The TL-WR710 also have the ability of a 2nd lan port which can be used to connect a wired device

my only issue with smoothwall at the moment is getting the firewall rules correct

the defaults all work fine, but if i want to block individual computers at certain times i have to put those rules first in the list when usually you have global deny first, then global accept, then individual computer settings, then urls, then any other rule

If I setup a rule to deny a computer access to internet at preset time, it won't if this is after the general default rules, but if put before the default rules it works.

alexatkin · (This post was last modified: 20-07-2015 06:21 PM by alexatkin.)

I'm sure I don't need to tell you that signal is irrelevant unless your neighbours are actually actively using their WiFi at the time?

As for the TL-WR710, you are using them in WiFi repeater mode? I thought you would know better than that as it halves your WiFi speed.

As they are only 1x1 units to start with (my big complaint when I got mine as it was advertised as 150Mbit which usually means 2x2 but in fact they were basing it on 40Mhz channel width which is unusable in busy areas) that is half what most WiFi routers are capable of to start with.

Its 1/3 of what the Archer C7 can do as a WiFi repeater on 2.4Ghz, 1/6 of what it would be doing as a pure WiFi AP on 2.4Ghz and at least 1/12 of what it would do as an AP on 5Ghz. Although it sounds like with your walls it probably only works in the same room as the Archer C7.