Flashing a WRT54G router (with v7.00.1 firmware) with a linux firmware?

I have a WRT54G router with v7.00.1 firmware (serial number starting
CDFE1...) and I would like to flash it with one of the Linux firmware
distros (for better QoS, user restriction management, etc) but I read
on the Tomato site (http://www.polarcloud.com/
tomatofaq#how_do_i_find_my_linksys_wrt54) that my router doesn't seem
to be supported and similar on the Bitsum (http://www.bitsum.com/
openwiking/owbase/ow.asp?WRT54G5%5FCFE) site.

My question is: Is there a relatively full featured Linux firmware
"upgrade" that will work on my model of WRT54G router? Any help or
suggestions would really be appreciated!

Cheers

-Gaiko

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
> I have a WRT54G router with v7.00.1 firmware (serial number starting
> CDFE1...) and I would like to flash it with one of the Linux firmware
> distros (for better QoS, user restriction management, etc) but I read
> on the Tomato site (http://www.polarcloud.com/
> tomatofaq#how_do_i_find_my_linksys_wrt54) that my router doesn't seem
> to be supported and similar on the Bitsum (http://www.bitsum.com/
> openwiking/owbase/ow.asp?WRT54G5%5FCFE) site.
>
> My question is: Is there a relatively full featured Linux firmware
> "upgrade" that will work on my model of WRT54G router? Any help or
> suggestions would really be appreciated!
>
> Cheers
>
> -Gaiko

Unfortunately you bought the wrong router. Linksys used to make
WRT's that could be flashed with a different OS. When they decided
to make cheaper models with smaller amounts of ram that was their
downfall. Now Linksys makes two different models of WRT one is
called the WRT54G which you have and is not (as I know) upgradeable
and a WRT54GL, the L being the Linux model. Since the L model
has more ram and it costs a few bucks more that is the one flashers
tend to buy. It is the only one I sell to customers since I know the
limitations of the regular model. I don't know if ever the regular model
will be "upgradeable" since hackers can do wonders sometimes. I
sold all my wireless routers several months ago since I am waiting for
the 802.11n stuff to be ratified, more power longer distance.

later,
charles.....

Can someone give me a quick rundown why a router benefits from being
flashed by Linux?

I mean, a router should do wifi and routing, I cannot see what else it
could do?

I am sure that I am missing something, but I do not know what it is.

i

On 2007-09-24, Ignoramus3778 <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Can someone give me a quick rundown why a router benefits from being
> flashed by Linux?

I assume you mean flashed with one of the open-firmware
versions of Linux?

http://openwrt.org/

1) You get to pick what features you want and don't want.

2) The open-firmware projects have a lot of advanced features
that stock firmware doesn't (QoS, VPN support, bridging
modes, better DHCP/DNS integration, etc.)

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! I'm having a MID-WEEK
at CRISIS!
visi.com

On Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:57:02 -0000, Grant Edwards <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> On 2007-09-24, Ignoramus3778 <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Can someone give me a quick rundown why a router benefits from being
>> flashed by Linux?
>
> I assume you mean flashed with one of the open-firmware
> versions of Linux?
>
> http://openwrt.org/
>
> 1) You get to pick what features you want and don't want.
>
> 2) The open-firmware projects have a lot of advanced features
> that stock firmware doesn't (QoS, VPN support, bridging
> modes, better DHCP/DNS integration, etc.)
>

Very nice. I just surplused my old WRT54G router (right now on
eBay). This was done due to upgrade of my home Linux network to
Gigabit Ethernet.

I will keep an eye when there is news on my D-Link DIR-655 802.11n
gigabit router.

I use a basement linux server to provide firewall services to my home
network (to private computers witj 10.0.0.* addresses). I have a
feeling that it is a lot easier to do all that stuff (like VPN) using
a regular Linux box, though I may be mistaken.

The one feature that I would definitely like is enable better NATting,
specifically by exporting ssh port and connecting it to my laptop.

But I can live even without it, by using port redirection (redirecting
port back to the laptop) through the basement server.

Very interesting. I appreciate the info.


i

Ignoramus3778 wrote:
> Can someone give me a quick rundown why a router benefits from being
> flashed by Linux?
>
> I mean, a router should do wifi and routing, I cannot see what else it
> could do?

One of mine does:

take pictures at intervals as I travel via gphoto2
act as a GPS server for my handheld
download digital cameras
automagically link up with my home routers and dump pics and route into
to home server
Oh, and yeah, act as a route.

Another one does:

act as a firewall, nat, and such (pretty normal there, except that it
also acts as a bridge to the above router, and automagically connects
once the van is in range)

Yet another one:

runs a secure connection to a public demo
isolates my test lan from the corporate lan
acts as DHCP server

In other words, it's a regular linux box with all the capabilities,
limited only by size of flash (4 - 8 MB) and RAM (8 - 32 MB).

--Yan

On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:43:11 -0700, CptDondo <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> act as a GPS server for my handheld

How does it act as a GPS server? Does it have a built in GPS receiver?

My own feeling about all this is that a regular Linux box can do those
routing things with more convenience.

I have a network at home with NATs, private subnets, etc, all
controlled by a regular Linux computer acting as a firewall.

i

CptDondo wrote:
> Ignoramus3778 wrote:
>> Can someone give me a quick rundown why a router benefits from being
>> flashed by Linux?
>>
>> I mean, a router should do wifi and routing, I cannot see what else it
>> could do?
>
> One of mine does:
>
> take pictures at intervals as I travel via gphoto2
> act as a GPS server for my handheld
> download digital cameras
> automagically link up with my home routers and dump pics and route into
> to home server
> Oh, and yeah, act as a route.
>
> Another one does:
>
> act as a firewall, nat, and such (pretty normal there, except that it
> also acts as a bridge to the above router, and automagically connects
> once the van is in range)
>
> Yet another one:
>
> runs a secure connection to a public demo
> isolates my test lan from the corporate lan
> acts as DHCP server
>
> In other words, it's a regular linux box with all the capabilities,
> limited only by size of flash (4 - 8 MB) and RAM (8 - 32 MB).
>

Also VPN, wifi signal strength and segmentation to name other uses.

Ignoramus30458 wrote:
> On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:43:11 -0700, CptDondo <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> act as a GPS server for my handheld
>
> How does it act as a GPS server? Does it have a built in GPS receiver?
>

I'm interested in the function as well.

> My own feeling about all this is that a regular Linux box can do those
> routing things with more convenience.

The convenience factor for me was *not* tying up another pc and spending
the time for a linux install/config.

The DD-WRT flash and config took all of about 15 minutes total.

>
> I have a network at home with NATs, private subnets, etc, all
> controlled by a regular Linux computer acting as a firewall.
>

Still a very good way of doing it.

Ignoramus30458 wrote:
> On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:43:11 -0700, CptDondo <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> act as a GPS server for my handheld
>
> How does it act as a GPS server? Does it have a built in GPS receiver?

It's got a $30 USB GPS puck.

> My own feeling about all this is that a regular Linux box can do those
> routing things with more convenience.

It *is* a regular linux box. There is no way a "regular" computer would
work in a van; the energy use alone would kill the batteries.

>
> I have a network at home with NATs, private subnets, etc, all
> controlled by a regular Linux computer acting as a firewall.

A MIPS-based router only uses about 120 ma @ 12vdc IIRC, has no fans and
no moving parts. With the OS on flash, you don't have to worry about
power conditioning. You can set it up and forget it. One of mine is in
an attic, in heat and cold.

Your regular computer probably uses about 75 watts, has fans and a hard
drive that can fail, and needs to be in a conditioned environment with a
UPS. And your regular computer still needs a switch to operate, or must
have additional hardware to act as a switch on its own.

These little units have a built-in 6 port switch with vlan capability.

--Yan