[serverguy]

For those who don't already know, it is possible to flash many Linksys and other wireless routers with a different firware (operating system) and greatly increase there functionality, in essence turning them into a much more expensive business class router. Whats even better - its completely free.

Before I go any further, I will say that if you decide to flash your router with third party firmware, DD-WRT, Computer Juice (this website) or any of the owners / administrators are in no way responsible for any damage to the hardware, software or any personal injury caused. Only attempt this if you have confidence in your ability to do it properly.

-- You can try out a demo of DD-WRT here --

With that disclaimer out the way, I urge you to read on, because it really is not difficult, and the time spent flashing it is well worth the results.

The developers of DD-WRT (namely Brainslayer) has made a freely available firmware (open source) that will turn you wireless router into one of the most advanced consumer level router available.

However, there are a few catches. If you decide to flash your router, you will effectively end all warranty and support for it*. There is also a small possiblilty that you will 'freeze' or 'brick' your router, but as long as this guide is followed carefully, there should be no problems at all. I have flashed many routers and have never had a problem. If however you do have a problem, there are normally ways to fix it.

*It is sometimes possible to replace the original firmware on the device, but this cannot be done on all models. The risk is worth the benefit though, and I have only ever read of a few of these units failing under warranty.

1. First off, what is DD-WRT?

A wireless router can be likened to a very small computer. It even runs an operating system just like your normal computer, except it is optimized for routing and running on minimal processing requirements.

Due to the fact that Linksys released their source code a while back for the WRT54G series router, developers were able to create a firmware that can much improve and add many additional features to your router that are not available from Linksys and the original firmware. This means you can set up Quality of Service rules on your network, allowing you to prioritise multimedia over P2P traffic, for example. Or block certain websites or keywords. Or wireless bridge two different locations. Or boost the power of the wireless transmitter.

This is a full list of features available after you install DD-WRT:
Many of the features can be clicked on to reveal more info.

• 13 languages
• 802.1x Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)
• Access Restrictions
• Ad Hoc
• Afterburner
• Client Isolation Mode
• Client Mode (supports multiple connected clients)
• DHCP Forwarder (udhcp)
• DHCP Server (udhcp or Dnsmasq)
• DNS Forwarder (Dnsmasq)
• DMZ
• Dynamic DNS (DynDNS, easyDNS, FreeDNS, No-IP, TZO, ZoneEdit, custom, and others)
• Hotspot Portal (Sputnik Agent ,Chillispot)
• IPv6
• JFFS2 (JFFS2)
• MMC/SD Card Support (hardware modification required)
• NTP
• ntop Remote Statistic (ntop)
• OpenVPN Client & Server (only in -vpn build of the firmware)
• Port Triggering
• Port Forwarding
• PPTP VPN Server & Client
• QoS Bandwidth Management
• QoS L7 Packet Classifier (l7-filter)
• RFlow
• Routing (BIRD)
• Samba FS Automount
• Syslog
• Rx Antenna
• Tx Antenna
• Show Status of Wireless Clients and WDS with System Uptime/Processor Utilization
• Site Survey
• SNMP
• SSH server & client (dropbear)
• Startup, Firewall, and Shutdown scripts (startup script)
• Static DHCP
• Style (Changeable GUI; v.23)
• Supports New Devices (WRT54G V3, V3.1, V4, V5 and WRT54GS V2.1, V3, V4)
• Telnet server & client
• Transmit Power Adjustment (0-251mW, default is 28mW, 100mW is safe)
• UPnP
• VLAN
• WOL (Wake On Lan) (WOL)
• WDS Connection Watchdog
• WDS Repeater Mode
• Wireless MAC Address Cloning
• Wireless MAC Filter
• WMM (Wi-Fi MultiMedia)
• WPA over WDS
• WPA/TKIP with AES
• WPA2
• Xbox Kaid (Kai Engine)

As you can see, there are many new possibilities and features added.


2. What hardware is supported?

Many different wireless routers are now supported by DD-WRT, not just those produced by Linksys.

For a full list of supported hardware, click on this link:
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Supported_Devices

There are a lot of devices on the list, and it can be confusing understanding it and choosing which is the right firmware to flash.

For many of the devices there are notes at the end, these are well worth reading, along with any other links to instructions. If you are not sure at any time, you can ask here on in the DD-WRT forums.

Some hardware is however better than others, and my personal recomendation goes to the wireless routers from Linksys.

Note: Linksys have a number of different model names, like WRT54G, WRT54GL etc. They also split these models up into versions, eg v1.0, v1.1 etc. The version number is equally as important as the model because Linksys changed the innards of the routers considerably over the different versions.

If you're buying hardware specifically to put DD-WRT on, the best router to get is the:

• Linksys WRT54GL (any version)

The reason for this is that it was released by Linksys basically to satisfy the demands of the people who install third party firmware like DD-WRT. It is still produced today, and any version of it will be an excellent choice. This is the only model to get if you are buying new!

If you are buying secondhand, then these models would be my first choice, and are excellent because they have plenty of RAM and Flash Memory:

• Linksys WRT54GS v1.0, v1.1, v2.0, v2.1, v3.0

In fact, these models listed above are an even better choice than the WRT54GL, because they have twice the Flash Memory and RAM. However, unfortunately, the newer model WRT54GS is not a good candidate at all.

Note 2: If you want to be able to use the Mega version of DD-WRT (features explained here), mainly to get OpenVPN support, then the model you want to choose is the WRT54GS v1.0 - v3.0.

These models are also very good choices, and have plenty of RAM and Flash, and will support all features.

• Linksys WRT54G v1.0, v1.1, v2.0, v2.2, v3.0, v3.1, v4.0

These are all good choices, as they have 16MB RAM and 4MB of Flash Memory, so can support the full features of DD-WRT.

If you do not require all the features of DD-WRT, and can make do with the Micro or Mini version, then the following routers are also suitable candidates. These models may also be slightly more complicated to flash, but it is still very possible to do.
For the differences between the DD-WRT versions, click here.

These models would be suitable:

• Linksys WRT54G v4.0, v5.0, v5.1, v6.0, v7.2, v8.0, v8.1, v8.2
• Linksys WRT54GS v5.0, v6.0, v7.0, v7.2

Models that you absolutely do not want!

• Linksys WRT54G v7.0

Buying this router is a hopeless cause, as it has no DD-WRT support.

This is a quick roundup of the Linksys wireless routers, and is correct at the time of publishing (18/10/08). It only includes the WRT series, which I find very reliable and use whenever I install a wireless router for someone. Of course, other Linksys models are included, as well as other manufactures.

For more information on whether your router is supported, go to the supported hardware page:
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Supported_Devices


3. On with the flashing!

Now, I am not going to provide step by step instructions for the actual uploading of the firmware, because every router is different, and there are no generic instructions.

However, the excellent news is that almost every model in the Supported Hardware table has a link to specific flashing instructions. If you follow these step by step, and follow common sense then you should be 100% fine.

For a guide to flashing the Linksys WRT54G and similar units, click on this link:
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php...RT54G/GL/GS/GX

For a list of instructions for flashing all other supported routers, click here:
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Installation

Some general pointers:

• Make sure you always have the device connected directly to your computer via a wired connection, NEVER wireless. This is only for the installation period, of course afterwards you can use the wireless.
• Never try to rush the procedure. If the instructions say turn the device off for 5 minutes, leave it off for 5 minutes.
• It is normally required you perform a hard reset (press and hold reset button on back of device for 30 seconds) before you attempt any flashing.
• Make sure you read the full installation instructions and comments for your device before you start!

4. Finishing Off

By now, you should have your router with the newly installed firmware. Now you can start to play with all the new settings and features!

To get you started, here is the link to the DD-WRT Wiki, which contains loads of information about setting up the device:
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

You may also want to check out the forums:
http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/index.php

You will need to configure your router with the username and password your ISP gave you, like you set it up originally.

Of course, there are many more advanced things you can do, and the possibilities are endless. You could set the router up as just an access point, or use it to set up a Wireless Distribution System, or a Point to Point wireless bridge.


Good luck, and have fun with your new supercharged wireless router!