Linksys WRT54GL Open Source Software - Which is the best/most stable?

[Andaho]

I just bought a Linksys WRT54GL to replace a 7+ year old US Robotics cable router that gave up on e last week.

I used to assign static IP addresses through the router by their mac address... there doesn't seem to be a function for it on the firmware supplied... What firmware should I change it to to be able to set this up?

I also wanted to change the router IP address to something unusual like 192.168.111.222 so it would be more secure from idiots should any try to mess with my setup, but I found I was also unable to change it on the standard firmware, as it seems like it is a requirement to have LAN addresses following on from the router IP.

So what's the best firmware for this open source router? It has to be 100% stable please! And how hard is it to install?

-EDIT- additional question:

This is also the first time I've had UPnP on a router, how does that work? And is it a security hole that could be easially abused? - I clicked on one of my applications to use UPnP to configure the ports, and was suprised an how easially it worked, with just one click!

[Jay]

DD-WRT and tomato are the most commonly used I think.

Simply upnp allows programs to reqest a port to forward and receaive packets through the firewall. Its not the safest way to do things but its very easy to use. There are a few security holes in it but I don't think they are widely exploited

[Agent]

Tomato is the most stable in a lot of peoples opinions, and I tend to agree. It certainly is when dealing with multiple connections like torrents.

Last time I looked, DD had a few more features, but they were things that 99% of people would not bother with. I don't know what the current situation with their GPL licensing is either. Last time I looked they were being accused of violating the GPL by not providing the source without a fee (IIRC).

[Andaho]

I haven't come across tomato yet... as of course after doing a search on these forums first, and then posting these questions... I then started to search around google... I have seen the most recommended are DD-WRT and OpenWRT, so was looking at DD-WRT first... and at first glance I'm unable to find my model nubmer in the compatibility list???

[Jay]

Im 99% sure the WRT54G / GL will be fine. I'll double check for you.

Put WRT54GL DD-WRT into google and it seems like it will run it. Sorry I can't post links as my iPhone has no way to cut and paste.

[Agent]

I haven't come across tomato yet... as of course after doing a search on these forums first, and then posting these questions... I then started to search around google... I have seen the most recommended are DD-WRT and OpenWRT, so was looking at DD-WRT first... and at first glance I'm unable to find my model nubmer in the compatibility list???

As Jay says - the WRT54GL. Don't look at any other model, just get this one. It is *made* for Linux ability so you'll have no worries about version numbers.

I used OpenWRT for a while. It was pretty good, no complaints with it. I just "liked" tomato better, always found it very slick and fast.

In all honest you won't go wrong with any of them (just make sure you read up on flashing before hand, even though its easy). The only bad thing I would say about DD-WRT is that it was a bit bloated the last time I used it. It was always on the edge with memory / CPU, although in fairness it was under a lot of stress.

[Andaho]

Im 99% sure the WRT54G / GL will be fine. I'll double check for you.

Put WRT54GL DD-WRT into google and it seems like it will run it. Sorry I can't post links as my iPhone has no way to cut and paste.

Thanks for looking for me... On the compatibility list I didn't see at first they had 2 categories for Linksys routers, mine was listed in the "3.20 Linksys (all the rest that is not re-engineered til today)" category whatever that "re-engineered til today message" means!

Bit crap that the iphone can't copy and paste! even my crappy old SE P990i can copy and paste! I thought the iPhone was "the full internet experience" heheheh, I've never fancied an iphone myself anyway!

All these warnings I'm reading about are getting me scared Why couldn't this bloody router just come with the features I wanted already on it! I take it loading a 3rd party firmware will void my warranty? Maybe I should wait a while to burn it in first to make sure it doesn't do anything unusual!?

I still haven't looked up Tomato yet, is it a more user-friendly basic firmware that I assume will still have these very basic features I want?

This is the first Linksys router I've used; previously used us robotics, netgear, zyxel and BT, and they have all had DHCP static IP reservationsin the settings! Really suprised that the Linksys that everyone raves about is so basic!

[Agent]

For version numbers see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linksys_WRT54G_series , if needed.

[Jay]

I am sure it will work no problem.

[Andaho]

just read this; http://www.decimation.com/markw/2007...ner-is-tomato/

I'm immediatley stopping reading about DD-WRT and going to read up about tomato now

[Jay]

I use tomato on my 54G and its very good.

[Andaho]

Wow, well that was easier than I thought it would be

I'm really excited about this router now as soon as I got it I was dissapointed with it as it had no wall mounting holes, I was first looking at drilling a couple holes through the side of the legs. Then when I took off the rubber feet realised it was nice and easy to just put a screw through them onto thewall, and then push it back on to the feet mounted on the wall

Then I was dissapointed again with not finding the features I wanted on it... now that's fixed with probably the most advanced firmware I've ever seen before on a SOHO router

Now I love this WRT54GL

[Jay]

Fantastic to hear!!

ps

You have to admit, Hexus really is the muts nuts.

[Agent]

The WRT54 with one of the Linux based firmwares rivals some of the higher end business routers feature wise.

Make sure you set the button on the front of your unit to do something in the options - I have set mine to turn wireless on and off

[Andaho]

The WRT54 with one of the Linux based firmwares rivals some of the higher end business routers feature wise.

Make sure you set the button on the front of your unit to do something in the options - I have set mine to turn wireless on and off

Yeah, I've already found that feature the default in tomato is wireless on/off anyway and you can set it to do different things on how long it's pressed for! Not something I'll really use, but it's amazing! lol

I also noticed another cool feature how you can schedual it to do loads of things! like to reboot at whatever time on a day of the month, or a day of the week, or whatever, and the time on the router itself is internet time syncronised! I can't think that I'll ever need to use any schedualing, but it's cool anyway

[peterb]

Linksys seem to embrace the open source developers with a passion - look at the NSLU2 for example - and I suppose it makes good sense for them - the hardware is something that they can mass produce, while relying on developers to write really useful code - which saves them doing it! (Not that thir code isn't useful, but it must save on their development costs - and costs to the user) - so they shift more hardware.