Configuring Linksys WAG54-G for a server

Since I needed
- WiFi
- to get rid of my old 10/100 switch
- some more advanced keep alive ADSL functions,

I replaced my still excellent Zyxel 640 with a new Linksys WAG54-G adsk router. All reviews and tests seemed to be enthusiastic about this little device, and since I have my own web server running I thought I'd better get something as reliable as the Zyxel was.

Now, here's the problem.

On my 10.10.1.10 PC is the server, and several ports are open, clearly.

In the WAG54-G, under Games & Applications, I set up 11 entries in the Single Port Forwarding. External port and internal port were set to equal, since I simply wanted to redirect requests to the proper server (10.10.1.10) and all went well for a week. Then nothing. FTP would work, ping/traceroute as well, but web and ssl would not. I knew for sure that the server itself was working properly, since from the LAN I could access all services.

So, I disbled all single port forwarding and reproduced the same configuration in the Port Range Forwarding menu.
Now it is working again. But I don't know how long it will last, and, mostly, I don't know why the problem occurred in the first place (i.e., why is single port forwarding not working any longer).
Manual doesn't help.

Does anybody use the WAG54-G ? Anyone has an idea?
I've been having a server at home via dsl for 5 years now, with almost zero down time, with my Zyxel. I'll go back to Zyxel in a snap of fingers if I find out I am simply being victim of a firmware "bug" here... Oh, and yes, I updated the firmware to the latest version.

I know this isn't the help you're looking for - but I was having all sorts of intermitent problems with my Netgear router over the last year. Just weird stuff where something would work, then wouldn't. Print servers, wireless, etc. All buggy. But it was so rare that I never really bothered to track down the problem.

Long story short, I found that Netgear had a firmware update and that fixed everything. Even though the "bug fixes" didn't sound like the problems I was having, I think that the onboard memory was getting goofed up at some point. I know that you checked for a newer version, but if it's a newer product, you may be forced to wait for a new version. It seems the norm now for companies to release buggy products and fix them in firmware releases. My Lite-on Dual Layer DVD burner is a good example. Junk out of the box with certain disks but one firmware update later and it's flawless.

Might try using Linksys's online tech support and ask them. I had an issue with my WCG200 where they only advertised 2 macs on the box but I was detecting a 3rd one that was only a couple numbers off and they did alot of digging and determined it was a 3rd mac for that device. They may have had other people complain about your problem and be able to help fix or at least let you know whats wrong. or a fix is being worked on.

Is that the Linksys router which can be flashed with a third party firmware?
Might be worth a try.

Phoenix42, now that you say that, I believe so! I remember reading about those way before I decided to purchase mine, so maybe I should look into that! Do you happen to have any reference?

Thank you all for your help. I'll also try to get in touch with Linksys. WAG54G happen to be already an old model, since v.2.0 (different hardware, so no firmware update possible) has just been released to support ADSL v 2/2+. Since I don't need it I decided to go with the current, more stable version, and avoid just-released products and their firmware bugs. Ironic, isn't it...

He's probably thinking of Sveasoft, but it seems like it doesn't support your router. It supports WRT54G(S), WAP54G and WRE54G.

Stig

Ok, so, on www.linksysinfo.org there's a lot of very useful information.

Problems I had are known, and there is some newer firmware on Linksys FTP site (and not on the web) that I downloaded and hopefully will fix the problem. It worked with many users, but not all.

So, now, part of the port forwarding function is not working with current official firmware, nor it is the wireless connectivity, which is quite instable.
Frankly, I think this is quite unacceptable. I hate to be a "complainer", and I am ready to accept that marginal, minor features are not working, but I can't think they put on the market a device that would not perform correctly two basic, essential functions such as port forwarding and wireless stability. The fact that I still don't know whether this new release is completely fixing the problem makes this whole thing even more irritating.
And they have a great reputation and they carry the Cisco bran on their cases. Well, was I naive to rely on tech reviews and articles...

Stig, thanks for the link. It is in fact mentioned on the above website, and I also have a WRT54 which is working great, so that will be useful all the same

This may sound stupid but in the linksys single port forwarding menu you need to enter the beginning and end of the port range you want to forward. xxx to xxx if it is a single port you would put the same number in both. Also you need to check the enable box.

See the attached image as an example

The ones with a built in ADSL modem don't run Linux.

John, what is in you picture is in fact the "range port forwarding" and not the "single port forwarding". This "single pf" seems to be a new feature. It is in my WAG, but it is not in my WRT (much more stable, I have to say). In the Single PF, you can forward single "eternal" ports to (different, but not necessarily) "internal" ports.

For example, if the WAG receives a request on port 80 it can forward it to port 8080 on any internal server. Of course, you may specify the same "external" and "internal" port (80->80). Port ranges are not supported.

The point is that this feature is malfunctioning, and will stop forwariding at some point, apparently in a random fashion.

I am now using the Range Port Frowarding and all seems to be going well. So far.

Yup Stig that was the company / person I was thinking of, though it doesn't cover Taym router
I spent a bit of time last night looking over their product - almost makes me want to head out and buy a new router just to have a new gadget to play with

Well, if I were you I'd consider Zyxel's, too. They're stable and feature rich.