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Plusnet TG582n router & USB HDD NTFS support?

grudkin
Grafter
Posts: 169
Registered: ‎30-03-2009

Plusnet TG582n router & USB HDD NTFS support?

Could a plusnet staff member please confirm if the firmware for the TG582n router will be upgraded to add support for hard disk's formated in NTFS in the future?
35 REPLIES 35
jojopillo
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 9,786
Registered: ‎16-06-2010

Re: Plusnet TG582n router & USB HDD NTFS support?

Hi grudkin,
I'll have a word with one of our products team in the morning and see what I can find out.
Jojo Smiley
mattturner
Grafter
Posts: 246
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎25-06-2009

Re: Plusnet TG582n router & USB HDD NTFS support?

Hi Grudkin,
I'm afraid that this feature will not be added.
Thanks,
Matt
grudkin
Grafter
Posts: 169
Registered: ‎30-03-2009

Re: Plusnet TG582n router & USB HDD NTFS support?

Quote from: Matt
I'm afraid that this feature will not be added.

Ok, thanks for your reply Matt although I do feel disappointed by the contents of your reply!  Cry
Could you tell me why the decision has been made to leave out support for the NTFS file system?  Huh
orbrey
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 10,540
Registered: ‎18-07-2007

Re: Plusnet TG582n router & USB HDD NTFS support?

Hi grudkin,
I suspect it's down to how complicated NTFS is, and given that the firmware can only be a certain size they have to limit what goes in there in order to make sure they have all the essentials. I believe Matt's going to ask Technicolor for the specifics when he gets chance to talk to them.
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Plusnet TG582n router & USB HDD NTFS support?

The other problem might be that Microsoft change the NTFS specification with every new release of Windows, therefore whatever version of NTFS was implemented would cause potential compatibility problems with customers equipment that wasn't on exactly the same NTFS revision, especially if there was a mixture of new and old computers sharing the drive on the network.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTFS
mattturner
Grafter
Posts: 246
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎25-06-2009

Re: Plusnet TG582n router & USB HDD NTFS support?

Hi Grudkin,
This is something that could be enabled in the firmware however it is a candidate for removal to make space for IPv6 software, it is also subject to a license cost on a per unit basis - which soon adds up!
I'm afraid you'll have to use a FAT32 filesystem.
Matt
grudkin
Grafter
Posts: 169
Registered: ‎30-03-2009

Re: Plusnet TG582n router & USB HDD NTFS support?

Quote from: Matt
I suspect it's down to how complicated NTFS is, and given that the firmware can only be a certain size they have to limit what goes in there in order to make sure they have all the essentials. I believe Matt's going to ask Technicolor for the specifics when he gets chance to talk to them.
Thanks for your reply.
Quote from: Matt
This is something that could be enabled in the firmware however it is a candidate for removal to make space for IPv6 software, it is also subject to a license cost on a per unit basis - which soon adds up!
I'm afraid you'll have to use a FAT32 filesystem.
Thanks for your reply too!
I do however have another question,
Why has the Wi-Fi been hamstrung to 20Mhz channel width giving 150Mbps when this router is capable of up to 300Mbps using 40Mhz channel width?
mattturner
Grafter
Posts: 246
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎25-06-2009

Re: Plusnet TG582n router & USB HDD NTFS support?

Quote from: grudkin
Why has the Wi-Fi been hamstrung to 20Mhz channel width giving 150Mbps when this router is capable of up to 300Mbps using 40Mhz channel width?

This is a very interesting question that I've answered before but I can't find the post...
To achieve lab speeds of 300 Mbit/s for the Phy layer on a 2x2 802.11n device, the channel width needs to be increased from the recommended 20MHz in the 2.4GHz frequency band to 40MHz.
40Mhz is only accepted by the official Wifi Alliance standards in the 5GHz frequency band.
20MHz is recommended in the 2.4GHz band as it allows for 3 non overlapping channels, when the channel width is doubled to 40 Mhz this reduces to 2 and causes significant reduction in speed in busy legacy Wifi environments. The reduction in speed is down to legacy devices not recognizing 40MHz traffic and assuming that it is noise so not giving the other networks any air time.
With testing we've done, there is a speed improvement when increasing the channel width when there are no other networks visible, but if there is another network around then using a 40Mhz channel width will result in a lower speed than if a 20Mhz channel width was used.
grudkin
Grafter
Posts: 169
Registered: ‎30-03-2009

Re: Plusnet TG582n router & USB HDD NTFS support?

Quote from: Matt
With testing we've done, there is a speed improvement when increasing the channel width when there are no other networks visible, but if there is another network around then using a 40Mhz channel width will result in a lower speed than if a 20Mhz channel width was used.
Thanks for your reply Matt!
Wouldn't it be better policy though to give the end user the option to enable 40Mhz channel width if their environment allows for this rather than forcing the end user to use 20Mhz only?
Not only that but where are the options to add other SSID's after all the TG582n is capable of handling up to 4 SSID's?
It seems to me that plusnet are using nanny state techniques with the routers that they are providing to their customers and making sure that the more advanced users cant tweak the more advanced features to their individual environment!  Angry
Not all of your users are novices you know! Roll_eyes
MisterW
Superuser
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Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Plusnet TG582n router & USB HDD NTFS support?

@grudkin,
You might find this http://npr.me.uk/telnet.html Telnet guide to the TG587n useful, I suspect its probably similar to the TG582n.
At the bottom it has some links to details on various settings ( including multiple SSID's ).

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

mattturner
Grafter
Posts: 246
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎25-06-2009

Re: Plusnet TG582n router & USB HDD NTFS support?

Quote from: grudkin
Wouldn't it be better policy though to give the end user the option to enable 40Mhz channel width if their environment allows for this rather than forcing the end user to use 20Mhz only?

Yes, there is a firmware update coming that will add auto sensing of other WAN devices and the channel width will change to 40Mhz if there are no visible networks. There are some bonus (!) features too, there will be information on the noise in each wireless channel (noise from wifi and non-wifi devices) and the router will be able to automatically select the channel based on the wireless environment, also enabled is device by device access restriction based on time of day. The new firmware also supports IPv6... I can send you a link if you'd like to try it out?
Quote from: grudkin
Not only that but where are the options to add other SSID's after all the TG582n is capable of handling up to 4 SSID's?

More SSID's can be added via the telnet command line - an instruction manual is available here: http://www.technicolorbroadbandpartner.com/getfile.php?id=6064
with some additional pointers available here: http://npr.me.uk/telnet.html
The manual is slightly out of date but everything should work.
Quote from: grudkin
It seems to me that plusnet are using nanny state techniques with the routers that they are providing to their customers and making sure that the more advanced users cant tweak the more advanced features to their individual environment!   Angry
Not all of your users are novices you know! Roll_eyes

Anything that you cannot be changed through the HTTP interface can be changed through the Telnet interface, we don't disable any commands or prevent another firmware from being loaded to the device.
grudkin
Grafter
Posts: 169
Registered: ‎30-03-2009

Re: Plusnet TG582n router & USB HDD NTFS support?

Quote from: Matt
Yes, there is a firmware update coming that will add auto sensing of other WAN devices and the channel width will change to 40Mhz if there are no visible networks. There are some bonus (!) features too, there will be information on the noise in each wireless channel (noise from wifi and non-wifi devices) and the router will be able to automatically select the channel based on the wireless environment, also enabled is device by device access restriction based on time of day. The new firmware also supports IPv6... I can send you a link if you'd like to try it out?

Yes please! that would be great!  Smiley
mattturner
Grafter
Posts: 246
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎25-06-2009

Re: Plusnet TG582n router & USB HDD NTFS support?

Hi,
These are the links.
The first is to the demo firmware - note that this is ready for release, but does not have Plusnet's configuration on - it is default Technicolor UK. The admin username is Administrator, there is no password. I'm not 100% sure how the USB port is configured, it may not even be enabled, we've barely tested this firmware ourselves!
http://www.mattturner.plus.com/PN TG582n R10.2.0.B DEMO.bin
This link will allow you to downgrade the firmware if you have problems.
http://www.mattturner.plus.com/PN TG582n R844J.bin
A guide to firmware updates is here:
http://community.plus.net/library/hardware/how-to-upgradedowngrade-the-firmware-on-the-thomson-585v7...
You'll find a few extra menu options but mostly things are available via the Telnet interface, have an explore and let me know how you get on (IPv6 won't work on the WAN as we've not enabled it our side yet).
Matt
grudkin
Grafter
Posts: 169
Registered: ‎30-03-2009

Re: Plusnet TG582n router & USB HDD NTFS support?

Thanks Matt!
Will go and have a play and let you know how I get on! Wink