Linksys WRT54G series

Linksys WRT54G (and variants WRT54GS, WRT54GL, and WRTSL54GS) is a Wi-Fi capable residential gateway from Linksys. The device is capable of sharing Internet connections among several computers via 802.3 Ethernet and 802.11b/g wireless data links.

The WRT54G is notable for being the first consumer-level network device that had its firmware source code released to satisfy the obligations of the GNU GPL. This allows programmers to modify the firmware to change or add functionality to the device. Several third-party firmware projects provide the public with enhanced firmware for the WRT54G. "See Third party firmware projects."

WRT54G

The original WRT54G was first released in December 2002. It comes with a 4+1 port network switch (the Internet/WAN port is also in the same internal network switch, but on a different VLAN). The devices have two removable antennas connected through Reverse Polarity TNC connectors. The WRT54GC router is an exception and has an internal antenna with optional external antenna. As a cost-cutting measure, the design of the latest version of the WRT54G no longer has detachable antennas or TNC connectors. Instead, version 8 routers simply route thin wires into antenna 'shells' eliminating the connector. As a result, Linksys HGA7T and similar external antennas are no longer compatible with this model.

Hardware and revisions

WRTSL54GS

WRTSL54GS is similar to the WRT54GS while adding additional firmware features and a USB 2.0 port (referred to as StorageLink) which can be used for a USB hard disk or flash drive. [cite web | url=http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1137028967848&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper | title=WRTSL54GS, Wireless-G Media Storage Link Router with SpeedBooster | publisher=Linksys | accessdate=2007-04-27]

Unlike other models, the WRTSL54GS only has one antenna.

WRT54GX2

WRT54GX2 has 2 antennas, and was advertised to have 6 times the speed and 2 times the range over standard 802.11g routers. Chipset Realtek

WRT54GX4

WRT54GX4 has 3 moveable antennas, and is advertised to have 10 times the speed and 3 times the range over standard 802.11g routers.WRT54GX4-EU: chipset Realtek RTL8651B, radio chipset Airgo AGN303BB, flash S29GL064M90TFIR4

WRT51AB

WRT series with 802.11a support. (First Generation)

WRT54G2

The original WRT54G was first released in 2003. It comes with a 4+1 port network switch

WRT54G2 is the next Generation of the wrt54g FCC ID: Q87-wrt54g2v1

Third-party firmware projects

Although listed here under Linksys, many of these will run on other brands of Linux-based devices, such as the Buffalo network-attached storage series. The extent of support for (and testing on) particular hardware varies from project to project.

*Major Projects
**DD-WRT Paid and free versions available. Includes lots of different features. [citeweb|title=DD-WRT project site|url=http://www.dd-wrt.com/|publisher=www.dd-wrt.com|accessdate=2008-02-22] (Linux/GPL)
**OpenWrt A very customizable firmware written from scratch with a JFFS2 file system for package management aimed mostly toward advanced users. [citeweb|title=OpenWrt - Wireless Freedom|url=http://openwrt.org/|publisher=openwrt.org|accessdate=2008-02-22] (Linux/GPL)
**X-Wrt Extension of OpenWrt for the end-user with a web-management console with more than 40 control and status pages for a router. [citeweb|title=OpenWrt for end users|url=http://code.google.com/p/x-wrt/|publisher=x-wrt.org|accessdate=2008-08-18] (Linux/GPL)
**Sveasoft Paid and free versions available. Latest versions available via subscription. [citeweb|title=Sveasoft|url=http://www.sveasoft.com/|publisher=sveasoft.com|accessdate=2008-02-22]
**Tomato - HyperWRT-based firmware aimed to be easy, stable and fast. Features advanced QoS and a number of web innovations such as Ajax and SVG graphs. The is available at Wikibooks. (Linux/GPL)
**FreeWRT - Experimental firmware based on OpenWrt.

*Minor projects
**BatBox - RAM based distribution for experimenting, does not change firmware
**Bluebox - Automatic open Internet scanning and bridging software that runs on WRT54G with OpenWRT.
**Chillispot - Captive portal software that runs on WRT54G and other platforms, available under GPL
**Coova - OpenWrt based but with focus on Wireless Hotspot functionality.
**Earthlink's IPv6 Firmware - IPv6 feature added to original Linksys firmware (beta-test version)
**EzPlanet - Enhanced firmware based on DD-WRT v24 and including Layer 2 Load Balancer
**AutoAP - AutoAP is an add on to DD-WRT that allows routers to continuously scan for and connect to open (and predefined WEP) wireless networks.
**FON - Chillispot-based worldwide Hotspot network. After unsuccessfully attempting to develop a version that supports 2 SSIDs (one private, one public), FON abandoned the WRT54G series, and now distributes a router called La Fonera, which does support 2 SSIDs.
**Freifunk - German software supports wireless mesh networks with OLSR, based on OpenWrt
**Meraki - Mesh Networking Wifi AP developed thru Roofnet project, based on OpenWrt.
**OpennetFirmware - Firmware based on OpenWrt and parts of Freifunk.
**PacketProtector - OpenWrt-based security distribution that includes IDS, IPS, VPN, and web antivirus capabilities
**TinyPEAP - Secure wireless authentication feature added to Linksys firmware
**WiFi-Box - No documentation available as of January 2006. [citeweb|title=WIFI-BOX - WRT54G(s) GPL Firmware|url=http://sourceforge.net/projects/wifi-box/|publisher=sourceforge.net|accessdate=2008-02-22]
**Neighbornode
**Tarifa - Based on stock WRT54GL firmware. [citeweb|title=The WRT54GL enhanced firmware.|url=http://tarifa.sourceforge.net/|publisher=sourceforge.net|accessdate=2008-02-22]
**UseMyNet - Captive Portal and Hotspot software that runs on OpenWrt
**WiFiDog Captive Portal - WiFi Dog by Ile Sans Fil, a Captive Portal software that runs on the OpenWrt platform
**WifiTastic - Hotspot solution for home or small business use. Features credit card billing. Runs on the OpenWrt platform. [citeweb|title=Welcome to WifiTastic|url=http://www.wifitastic.com/|publisher=wifitastic.com|accessdate=2008-02-22]
**Wirds.net A project which uses freifunk firmware with chillispot captive portal and worldspot.net authentication.

*Deprecated projects (no longer maintained)
**EWRT - Enhanced WRT, with integrated captive portal based on NoCatSplash
**HyperWRT - Original power boost firmware project by Avenger 2.0 to stay close to official WRT54G and WRT54GS firmware but add features such as transmit power, port triggers, scripts, telnet, etc.
***HyperWRT +tofu - Based on stock WRT54GS firmware, HyperWRT and some additions.
***Rupan HyperWRT - Based on stock WRT54G firmware and HyperWRT.
**HyperWRT Thibor Firmware based on stock WRT54GS firmware, HyperWRT (closed) +tofu and other additions. [citeweb|title=Hacking Your Linux-Based Wireless Router|url=http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1934579,00.asp|publisher=extremetech.com|accessdate=2008-02-22]

Hardware versions affect firmware compatibility

As of January 2006, most third-party firmware is no longer compatible with version 5 of both the WRT54G and the WRT54GS. The amount of flash memory in the version 5 devices has been reduced to 2 MB, too small for current Linux-based third-party firmware. (See table above for information on identifying the version based on the serial number printed on the bottom of the unit, and on the outside of the shrink-wrapped retail box.)

Some users have succeeded in flashing and running a stripped down but fully functional version of DD-WRT called 'micro' on a version 5 WRT54G. [cite web | url=http://forum.bsr-clan.de/ftopic5643-60.html | title=V5 possibilities | publisher=Berliner Quakeforen | date=2006-03-31 | accessdate=2007-04-27] [cite web | url=http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Flash_your_WRT54G_or_WRT54GS_v5_series_%28v5%2C_v5.1%2C_v6%29 | title=Flash your WRT54G or WRT54GS v5 series (v5, v5.1, v6) | publisher=DD-WRT | date=2006-04-04 | accessdate=2007-04-27] An easier method not requiring any disassembly of the device has since been devised for flashing v5-v8 to DD-WRT. [cite web | url=http://www.bitsum.com/openwiking/owbase/ow.asp?WRT54G5%5FCFE | title=WRT54G5 CFE | publisher=Bitsum Technologies | date=2007-02-13 | accessdate=2007-04-27] [cite web | url=http://www.dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv2/downloads/release%20candidates/DD-WRT%20v24%20RC5/GENERIC%20BROADCOM%20(Linksys,%20Asus%20etc.)/WRT54Gv8,%20WRT54GSv7/flashing.txt | title=How To Flash the WRT54G v8 / WRT54GS v7 | publisher=dd-wrt.com | date=2007-09-13 | accessdate=2007-10-24]

To support third-party firmware, Linksys has re-released the WRT54G v4, under the new model name WRT54GL (the 'L' in this name allegedly stands for 'Linux').

CPU

According to OpenWrt, [citeweb|title=OpenWrt - TableOfHardware|url=http://wiki.openwrt.org/TableOfHardware?action=show|publisher=openwrt.org|accessdate=2008-02-22] the Linksys WRT54G series use several different processors, all of them 32-bit MIPS architecture processors manufactured by Broadcom.

Performance

The WRT54G CPU can be overclocked using a third-party firmware, such as DD-WRT. Overheating may accompany overclocking since the CPU does not have a heatsink. The router temperature can be lowered by adding a fan to the WRT54G casing which can be powered externally or wired into the router's main power. [citeweb|title=Linksys WRT54G Cooling Hack|url=http://www.daleholley.com/linksys/linksys.htm|publisher=daleholley.com|accessdate=2008-02-22] Attaching a small heatsink, such as a video card memory heatsink, to the router's CPU will also help dissipate the heat. The CPU can be identified from its Broadcom label.

Some performance issues have been encountered with the Linksys firmware which may cause sluggish or total network failure. This is usually caused by a large number of connections clogging the router. [citeweb|title=Router Slowdown - DD-WRT Wiki|url=http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Router_Slowdown|publisher=dd-wrt.com|accessdate=2008-02-22] Installing a third party firmware and increasing the maximum ports setting to allow more connections is the usual solution (in DD-WRT found under Administration->Management->Maximum Ports).

ee also

* Linksys Routers:
** WRT150N/WRT300N
** WRTP54G

* Hardware Links:
** Asus Routers
** Buffalo AirStation
** USB modem

References

External links

* [http://www.linksys.com Linksys Website]
* [http://www.takeitapart.net/photos/linksys_wrt54g WRT54G Disassembly Photos]