Get Linux running on your Linksys Router
Description
Recently my router was giving me some problems, the worst type, dropped signal!
After hours of searching around in forums and such, I concluded that it must (hopefully) have something to do with Linksys's generally bad router software, you know, the page you goto to make all your settings and stuff... usually found at 192.168.1.1
Anyway, luckily for me, some crafty characters in interwebland already came up with a fix for this, DD-WRT. Basically Linux for you router, Yea! that's what I said... learn more here --> http://www.dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv3/
!! The following instructions are for LINKSYS WRT54G VERSION 8 routers only !!
!!!! MAKE SURE YOU ARE CONNECTED TO YOUR ROUTER VIA AN ETHERNET CORD FOR THIS PROCESS !!!!
Failure to follow these instructions correctly could possibly bring you the good fortune of owning a brand new, router shaped paperweight...
You've been warned, I am not responsible for your actions, etc etc....
Resolution
On to the good stuff...
It's all actually quite simple, and I've taken the liberty to get all you need and make it available for you right here... so, feel free to send me some beer money, or better yet, BEER! (keep in mind, I only drink quality micro and craft brews...)
Anyway, first things first, download the 3 files attached below.
they should be:
- vxworkskillerGv8-v3.bin
- dd-wrt.v24_micro_wrt54gv8.bin
- tftp
Now follow these steps
First flash vxworkskillerGv8-v3.bin from linksys webgui
You can do this by going to 192.168.1.1, click Administer, then goto Firmware Upgrade. Once there, point the form to vxworkskillerGv8-v3.bin and hit upgrade. When this is done a page that saying Rebooting.... will show (also with a Continue button) anyway, when you see this, WAIT ONE MINUTE, DO NOTHING! YES, for one whole minute, just in case...
Now unplug the power to the router, wait 30 seconds and plug it in again.
Now, open tftp, you'll see three fields, in the top one enter: 192.168.1.1
leave the password blank, and in the third, point it to dd-wrt.v24_micro_wrt54gv8.bin
Hit Go or Submit or whatever it is
Congratulations! You have just turned your 60$ linksys into a 600$ router
just goto 192.168.1.1 and behold the awesomeness of your new interface!
You can start things off by upping the Transmit Power to somewhere near 70mW. Default Xmit is set to 28, upping to 70 will increase your signal strength pretty nicely (as in you'll get full bars) any higher than that and you'll need to refer to the paperweight story above, or possibly find a fire extinguisher...
PLEASE NOTE : that your default username and password are : root, admin <--(user, password -- got it? )
also if you are having issues when trying to apply or save settings, clear your cache or better yet, use another browser...
and...
do it! the Agaric Way....
