Linksys Open Source WiFi Wireless-G Broadband Router, Speeds up to (AC1200) 1.2Gbps - WRT54GL

Great hack. Slight diversion but I just bought that router a few weeks ago, flashed it with Tomato Speedmod firmware [2], and love it. First router I've owned in years that is fast, has no lag, no drops, no hangups, and is completely trouble free. Plus, Linux (ssh, etc). I think that's due to the combination of stable, reliable hardware and continually evolving OSS firmware [1][2][3][4]

It also occurs to me the extent to which software can squeeze every ounce of power and performance out of even old hardware, but requires time to evolve and optimize (the last 20% of performance/reliability requires 80% of the work, but makes a big difference). Hence, this 2004 router is better than any other router I've owned since then. And I'm not alone in that assessment, as positive reviews are still rolling in weekly [5][6].

In Bill Gate's day, 640k was enough for any good programmer. Eg, systems were hardware bound. But now that appears reversed, and in many cases systems don't reach the hardware's limits simply because the software isn't given enough time to evolve and optimize. By the time the software gets to, say, 80% of the hardware capability, the model is discontinued for a shiny new one, but with software that's starting over again on a new platform.

Thankfully that's not always the case, as with this router, or all of Apple's products for instance.

1. Tomato: http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato

2. Tomato speedmod: http://touristinparadise.blogspot.com/2008/04/linksys-wrt54g...

3. OpenWRT: http://openwrt.org/

4. DD-WRT: http://www.dd-wrt.com/

5. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124...

6. http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-WRT54GL-Wireless-G-Broad...

<3 this. I've preaching this for the past year ever since I discovered the amazing combination of the 8yr-old Linksys WRT54GL [1][2] + Tomato SpeedMod firmware [3]. Amazing how that router still dominates the ratings of all routers, both in terms of numbers and average rating, and there are still more ratings trickling in almost daily.

Also, I don't know if SpeedMod has been merged back into mainline Tomato or not, but it's worked flawlessly on my WRT54GL for almost a year now.

I completely agree with Jeff's conclusion as well - commodity hardware + FOSS = potentially unbeatable. FOSS that has had a chance to literally evolve on the same platform for almost a decade, assuming it hasn't been abandoned, can really demonstrate the power of software evolution, for lack of better term.

1. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124...

2. http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-WRT54GL-Wireless-G-Broad...

3. http://touristinparadise.blogspot.com/2008/04/linksys-wrt54g...

>Oh and if your thinking I can install dd-wrt then check it out as currently they don't support the chipset inside the ea3500 and have no plans to either. Currently.

A better strategy is buying a router based on whether it is supported by FOSS firmware or not. Just eliminate any router that isn't, and pick from what's left.

Even if you end up with older hardware, you get the benefit of highly tuned software for it which can compensate for the hardware. I'm still mind-blown by how good my Linksys WRT54GL [1] is running Tomato Speedmod [2]. Best, most trouble-free router I've ever owned.

I get the strong impression that the corporate firmware is produced to be just good enough, whereas something like Speedmod has been continually tweaked, tuned, and improved over ~8 years. Like a late-cycle console game squeezing every ounce of performance out of older console hardware.

1.a. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linksys_WRT54G_series#WRT54GL

1.b. http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-WRT54GL-Wireless-G-Broad...

2. http://touristinparadise.blogspot.com/2008/04/linksys-wrt54g...