To make my home wi-fi enabled, I decided to buy a Wireless Router. Loads of such routers are available these days and after doing a bit of research online I decided to go for the Linksys WRT54G router.
WRT54G routers allow you to install certain open-source (linux) firmware. If you are the kind who likes to play around with hardware, then this is the one for you. It allows you to do all sorts of things like increase the range (using the Xmit power), port-forwarding etc. etc. For details please goto http://www.dd-wrt.com/.
A friend of mine suggested to go for WRT54G Version-5 or 6 since he already had one and it was working fine with Linux firmware. So... I went to Nehru Place (supposedly THE place to buy computer hardware in New Delhi) and asked for Linksys WRT54G router. Surprisingly the version information wasn't mentioned on the router's box.. I tried a few more shops.... but again, no version information. Hoping that the router will work with linux firmware I decided to purchase the router for Rs. 2150/-. Once I got home and opened the box 'version 7' was mentioned at the back of the router. After a bit of googling it was clear that this version of WRT54G CANNOT be upgraded to Linux firmware. Even if I try to install the firmware, the router will get 'bricked' (basically of no use and will have to be thrown).
If you are planning to buy the WRT54G router and install Linux firmware on it, please ensure that it's NOT 'version 7'. All versions (v5,6,8) can be upgraded to Linux firmware but not v7. The serial number of all WRT54G v7 routers starts with 'CDFE'. The serial number is mentioned on the router's box (wish I knew this early on).
Luckily I found someone who already had a 2 year old v5 WRT54G and was happy to exchange his router with my new v7 router :)
I have now successfully upgraded the v5 router to Linux firmware(dd-wrt) and its working fine.
3 comments:
Thanks Vivek....good piece of info. I am also looking to install wireless router at my Faridabad home for the first time :-)
brillant piece of information, I had come to know about your web-page from my friend hardkik, chennai,i have read atleast 9 posts of yours by now, and let me tell you, your webpage gives the best and the most interesting information. This is just the kind of information that i had been looking for, i'm already your rss reader now and i would regularly watch out for the new posts, once again hats off to you! Thanx a million once again, Router in india
thanks for the great article wireless routers in India
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