Upgrade the Linksys WRT54G with open source firmware
posted November 10th 2005 3:05PM
The Linksys WRT54G is a fairly typical WiFi router, able to connect your home network and work seamlessly with a broadband connection. But what makes the $60 router unique is the fact that its firmware is based on Linux. A couple of years ago, Linksys — under pressure from the open source community — released the firmware under the GPL, and since then, developers have taken it apart and put it back together again, adding new features, including the ability to run the WRT54G as a VPN or VoIP server, a RADIUS server, or even as a full-fledged (albeit very low-end) computer. WiFi Planet has a good rundown of the options available to WRT54G hackers, along with lots of warranty-voiding tips; the site estimates that by upgrading the firmware, you can turn the WRT54G into the equivalent of a $600 workhorse. Of course, all of this raises the question of what's really in all of those $600 routers powered by proprietary firmware. The answer, we assume, is pretty much the same guts as a $60 unit, and $540 of trademarked, patented, intellectual property. Thank goodness for open source!
Caution! Cisco, owner of Linksys, has put an end to this wonderful effort with the v5 version of the WRT. They have replaced the firmware and the Linux underpinnings to make it impossible to install OpenWRT. See www.openwrt.org for efforts to work with other hardware.
For those concerned about the v5 hardware of the WRT54G running VxWorks and not linux, the new SKU WRT54GL maintains the same hardware as the v4 WRT54G at the same price point while continuing linux support. Essentially its a re-branding of the WRT54G v4.
But Why?
i thought they liked to sell routers?
i bought my wrt54g ONLY for linux..
it was running DD-WRT withing 30 mins of opening the box!
why do they care what it is running?
/Kyndal
The additional functionality afforded by the current WRT54G also enables features of Xlink - an online gaming service for xbox, gamecube and PSPs.
http://www.teamxlink.co.uk/ for more info.
wow, Michael... are you proud of yourself?
"The answer, we assume, is pretty much the same guts as a $60 unit, and $540 of trademarked, patented, intellectual property. Thank goodness for open source!"
Ya IP ain't worth nothing. Engineers and code writers should be working for free. While we are at it why not free cars and tiny American flags for everyone. Always twirling, twirling towards freedom
I believe the big issue with them going to V5 is that the WRT54G and WRT54GS are essentially the same hardware as of v4 of the 54G and v4 of the 54GS. Of course that meant the custom firmware guys could simply enable the "speedbooster" technology (similar to tube technology, get the scientists working on that immediately). So through this Linksys is protecting their low-end to high-end markups. I would guess that the wrt54gl will end up being the same price point as the wrt54gs.
Well, you'd probably like to see this:
http://www.fon.es/en/
They use a Linksys WRT54G to create a WiFi Network.
Regards,
D.
Sadly, I bought a V3.3 WRT54G the just the other day and promptly "bricked" it trying to upgrade using Sveasoft Alchemy 1.0. I took it back THE NEXT DAY and can you believe that every place in town (CompUSA, OfficeMac, BestBuy, & Circuit City) didn't have anything but V5.0's in stock.
I'm very glad to know that the WRT54GL will be made available, though. Looks like it'll be about the same MSPR as the WRT54G is as well, but might not have all the rebates made available.
GL wrote:
"Ya IP ain't worth nothing. Engineers and code writers should be working for free. While we are at it why not free cars and tiny American flags for everyone. Always twirling, twirling towards freedom"
You clearly do not understand the benefits of open source software. Actually, you clearly don't understand anything about open source software, since you're comparing it with "free cars and tiny American flags for everyone". Intellectual property should be protected, NOT imposed upon and abused.
Thomas Jeffeson wrote, "He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. That ideas should freely spread from one to another over the globe, for the moral and mutual instruction of man, and improvement of his condition, seems to have been peculiarly and benevolently designed by nature, when she made them, like fire, expansible over all space, without lessening their density in any point, and like the air in which we breathe, move, and have our physical being, incapable of confinement or exclusive appropriation. Inventions then cannot, in nature, be a subject of property. Society may give an exclusive right to the profits arising from them, as an encouragement to men to pursue ideas which may produce utility, but this may or may not be done, according to the will and convenience of the society, without claim or complaint from any body."
So you see, GL, knowledge (and software IS, indeed, knowledge... as is any idea) should be available openly to anybody. That is precisely why the USPTO (US Patent and Trademark Office) was created, so that inventor could publish their ideas without getting ripped off. But nowadays, the patenting and copyright system is being abused and the open source community is all about protecting copyright, while letting other people know how this or that software works.
Remember, the term "free" is not used in terms of price, but in terms of the freedom to do with the product whatever you need to do to fit your needs. Therefore, your sarcastic comparison between open source and "free cars" is not only childish, but misinformed as well. I respectfully suggest you use the internet (an open source tool, btw) to immerse yourself in the all the information on open source out there and come up with an educated, and informed, opinion.
Because if you're gonna be so wrong, you might as well show good reason to be wrong. ;)
Is there an open-source solution to ocean dumpage as well?
This would have been use full about 2 days ago. i had a bear of a time trying to get mine flashed. BTW V.5 IS NOT FLASHABLE. At least not with the modified bios. I had to take mine back to get a v.4.
Ah crap, I probably bought a v5 the other day from Circuit Shiatty at least I can still take it back.
i got the wrt54g-bp (with speedbooster) from sams club, it's version 1.0 of the hardware :D
http://www.linksysinfo.org/ is another good place to go for more information, specifically the following forum posting:
http://www.linksysinfo.org/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewforum&f=6
I have a v2 wrt54g and all i can say is that it disconnects all my computers at least one time per day even with the latest firmware. I hate it.
/me slaps head at the Engadget stupitidy.
You think the only difference between a lovely Cisco router and their cheaper WRT54G is IP rights? I guess you've never used either before! Cisco routers can be described as mission critical - that is they'll survive nuclear blasts, dumb ass' and Hack-a-gay lowercase spelling disaster readership; the WRT54G won't survive any of that.
A Linksys router running linux may provide some fun tricks (and has done for a couple of years now - great work Engadget.....) but it will never beat a commercial wireless router/access point for features, usuability or performance.
I'd rather spend the $540 getting a decent wireless solution.
Heh. This comes right at a time when I'm trying to decide getting the WRT54G or the WRT54GS (*maybe* the one with SRX). Thanks for making the decision harder, Engadget! =)
I don't wanna brick it though...
the problem is the lazy programmers on cheaper hardware. and bad packethandling is horrible. thats why it disconnects. thats why a 600$ is better. i will probably say its more reliable on the hardware size. but, a dlink pos hardware can handle 30 clients fine, if it had better firmware it wouldn't crap out.
Look, the V5 thing is pretty obvious. Remember who bought Linksys? Cisco. Cisco makes a mint selling $2k wireless stations to universities. Suddenly, MIT students are running $75 boxes for roofnet [http://pdos.csail.mit.edu/roofnet/]. In that general veign, do you think it would have been wise for Cisco to keep selling 35 units that can potentially do more than their $2k boxes? Yes, they dont mind, most people who buy hackable wireless routers probably never would get the fancy hardware, but by changing the boards every now and then and playing switcheroo games like this, they make it abundantly clear that the whole open firmware scheme is a hackers game. V5 bios just shakes things up, keeps the situation under control. Mitigates cost against articles like this, makes people go out and buy $150 routers with builtin VPN &c.
Also, its not just that the firmware is magically closed in this release. Its a whole new hardware platform. Its got 1/4 the RAM, and 1/2 the flash. New CPU. It probably costs them 1/2 as much to produce, and they still get to sell it under the infamous wrt54g moniker while slow to catch up people (like, evidently, engadget?? *scratch*) continue spreading the word of mouth that this is the router to get. Free margins.
Openwrt has a wonderful table of hardware [http://wiki.openwrt.org/TableOfHardware] for all you enterprising hackers.
Unique? The FRITZ!Box is also Linux-based. See here:
http://www.wehavemorefun.de/fritzbox/Main_Page
I love my WRT54G. :)
So I'm trying to decide which one to go for the WRT54G or the WRT54GS (obviously not v.5 from what i've just read) But if i get my hands on a v1 - v4 WRT54G can i make it as fast as the GS ?(which firmware) will that enable the G to work with 108M cards or won't the GS even work at those speeds...
Also I use alot of P2P most routers crap out after a while these apparently do not????
Purely looking at these for the 3rd party firmware possibilties...
But Netgear Rangemax also looks pretty cool or is that crap?
Hope to get some answers...thanks