With open source firmware an ordinary Wi-Fi router can get a new brain. You can create a wireless distribution system (WDS) or a mesh network, run a VPN or VoIP server, manage a hotspot RADIUS server, manage bandwidth use per protocol, control traffic shaping and other features.
DD-WRT (wiki and Wikipedia) is among the most popular, but a variety of free, open source solutions are available. Cheap, $40 to $60 access points, like the Linksys WRT 54GL and Netgear’s WGR614L, are made to be “flashed” with these solutions.
As Tim Higgins of Small Net Builder explains, third-party firmware, like DD-WRT, gives you the ability to add features usually available only in enterprise devices, like VLANs, virtual/multiple SSIDs, VPN server, bridging and Quality-of-Service (QoS) capabilities.
WiFi Planet put together a full compendium of their DD-WRT tutorials. It’s one the most comprehensive.
- DD-WRT Tutorial 1: Static DHCP
- DD-WRT Tutorial 2: Extend Range with WDS
- DD-WRT Tutorial 3: Building a Wireless Bridge
- DD-WRT Tutorial 4: Defining Priorities with QoS
- DD-WRT Tutorial 5: Wireless Repeater
- Create Your Own Hotspot (Using DD-WRT)
- The Open Source WRT54G Story
- Beyond the WRT54G: DD-WRT for Many Flavors of Hardware
- Implementing Inexpensive Multiple SSID Networks: Part II
- Implementing Inexpensive Multiple SSID Networks: Part II
- Linux Wi-Fi: Supercharge a Buffalo
- Linux Wi-Fi: Supercharge a Buffalo (Part 2)
- How to Choose the Best WRT54G Router for You
- Bricked! Or, How to Resurrect a Dead Linksys WRT54G
- Public Wi-Fi: Share, but Wisely
- Protect Yourself from Online Fraud
- Wi-Fi Planet Guide to WPA
- Measure Network Performance: iperf and ntop
- Hotrod Your Linksys WAP with Linux
Small Net Builder has a well-written selection of Wireless How Tos, including How To Build an Open Source Wi-Fi HotSpot with DD-WRT, Tutorials, FAQs, Security How Tos, Wireless Basics and other features.
The latest NETGEAR open source wireless router is the WGR614L ($60). It’s the open wireless router platform of choice for free WiFi organizations like Portland’s Personal Telco Project. It features a 240 MHz MIPS32 CPU core with 16 KB of instruction cache, 16 KB of data cache, 1 KB of pre-fetch cache, and incorporates 4 MB of flash memory and 16 MB of RAM. The WGR614L can support many popular third party firmware applications, including DD-WRT, Tomato, and Sveasoft.
B.A.T.M.A.N. (better approach to mobile ad-hoc networking), is a new routing protocol for multi-hop ad-hoc mesh networks developed by Open-Mesh. ROBIN (ROuting Batman Inside) is an Open Source mesh network project, that runs on Meraki, Open-Mesh or La Fonera hardware using the BATMAN routing algorithm. ROBIN spreads a wired internet connection such as a DSL/WiMAX throughout an apartment complex, neighborhood, village or school, and works on a variety of commonly available, low-cost hardware.
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