ADSL router with BitTorrent

Masterdog · 2 May 2011 at 16:58

Looks like my existing router is on its way out, so I'm looking at a new one. I'm interested in one that has a BitTorrent client built in. I was very taken by the Asus RT-N16 until I realised it didn't have a modem (d'oh).
The Belkin Play Max fits the bill but my current router is a Belkin and I'm not overly enamoured with it, especially the menus. I've looked getting one supported by the DD-WRT firmware, but if this 'simple' guide is anything to go by, I don't think my computer knowledge is up to it

Cheers,

MD

Azuse05 · 2 May 2011 at 17:27

N16 with tomato is really the way to go. Transmission will happily eat up 48-50MB of ram which doesn't leave much on the 64MB routers. It has 128Mb and it's as brick proof as the old 54GLs, but it's only got 1 radio (which is dual band). Tomato USB is the daddy but optware isn't installed by default, although it's not that complex.
There are builds with transmission built in (Tomato RAF) they're all based off the usb version. Plenty info here.

If you knowledge isn't up to that, I don't understand why you'd want dd-wrt. It's ui is slower, it's qos so inferior to tomatos it's practically no existent which is something to seriously consider if you can to run torrents off them 24/7 and pretty much every feature in dd-wrt is now in tomato, or can be done copy/pasting some scripts.

If you want custom firmware accept you will need a separate modem.

Masterdog · 2 May 2011 at 19:23

I'm just surprised that Belkin are the only company that produce a modem/router with BT support - would have expected some other company to do it first.
I am tempted by the N16, and the guide you've linked to does seem to simplify things. I'd probably use my existing router as modem only, which I assume would disable all the firewall and port forwarding gubbins. My only question is that the N16 doesn't seem to support PPPoA, which is what my connection is. I assume that somehow this isn't an issue, as presumably every DSL connection in the UK uses PPPoA.

Azuse05 · 2 May 2011 at 20:03

Modem handles PPPoA, which every phone line is unless you're on cable. Making a router perform as a fully bridged modem is usually strait forward although some can be tricky (dg843gt easily the best). Still, regardless of the router custom firmware really only supports cable routers so you'd have to deal with the hurdle no matter what you chose in the end.

Oh and several router have torrenting built in. Asus has a p2p client built into the stock firmware of the N16 for example, it's just that the better qos of tomato etc. means most people never see it

. I'm sure there's a netgear out there with the same functionality. it's just that the better qos etc. means most people never see it