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Linksys Reviving The WRT54G Router In 802.11AC Form

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  • techzilla
    replied
    Forgetting the important part

    Originally posted by prodigy_ View Post
    Or just use an old PC. Pretty much anything - even from 10 years ago - still has a better CPU than your typical SOHO router. Though at least Linksys routers are better than most. I've seen some from Dlink and Belkin and I really can't describe those devices without using the word "scam".
    I've got a routerboard that has an approximately 650 Mhz MIPS, and 256MiB of Ram, definitely an old PC could do that performance no problem.... But a router isn't like a PC in power draw, AND it's not even close when comparing an old PC. The amount of draw to keep old processors, and their fans, running would eat away any saved money on hardware. An old PC, single socket dual/quad core could chew 100watts just moving packets half idle. Not to mention the power of any add-in NICs. Compared to my router's 3-4 Watts normal draw, that's HUGE. Considering they would both run OpenWRT, we're not even talking about any added benefits.


    Now on the flip-side, IF you spent approx 200 on a new low power Mini-ITX + CPU/RAM.... you'd be in semi-acceptable territory... but still at least 25 watts, maybe more depending, but acceptable nonetheless. It would still be 5-8 times the power draw,The only thing you get is not having to work on an embedded platform.

    Compared to a semi-inexpensive proper board ... which would be 150$ including case, i'd guess for wireless... Seems like being glued to x86 is a net disadvantage.
    Last edited by techzilla; 27 December 2014, 06:53 PM.

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  • prodigy_
    replied
    Originally posted by Dukenukemx View Post
    For $300 I'd build a computer and stick a bunch of network adapters in it.
    Or just use an old PC. Pretty much anything - even from 10 years ago - still has a better CPU than your typical SOHO router. Though at least Linksys routers are better than most. I've seen some from Dlink and Belkin and I really can't describe those devices without using the word "scam".

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  • GreatEmerald
    replied
    Originally posted by toyotabedzrock View Post
    Anyone have info on building a custom x86 based ap? With all the recent holes I just don't trust these off the self units anymore.
    Well, if anything, I have a nice inexpensive Atheros PCIe card in my computing/media/NAS server that I use as a wireless access point. It's working very nicely, all that was needed was to install hostapd and configure it (have network bridges set up and such). I'm using Gentoo (with systemd) on that machine.

    Originally posted by toyotabedzrock View Post
    The g/gs came before them and are very functional with dd/open wrt. I have one but recently it has been straining to provide the bandwidth I need and coverage. Mainly because I moved to an area where every channel is used by more than one person so even pumping up the output is not working.
    Hah, same problem here, and that's actually the reason why I bought that wireless card. Unfortunately I don't get to use it much, though, since the server is rather noisy and thus it's not very pleasant to have it on all the time (but that's just because it has totally overpowered CPU and GPU for the use case).

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  • toyotabedzrock
    replied
    Originally posted by gradinaruvasile View Post
    This should be about the WRT54GL? The WRT54GL is the router with Linux based firmware that can be easily used with DD/Open WRT (i use one right now with DD-WRT). Some of the G/GS variants arent that OSS friendly AFAIK.
    The g/gs came before them and are very functional with dd/open wrt. I have one but recently it has been straining to provide the bandwidth I need and coverage. Mainly because I moved to an area where every channel is used by more than one person so even pumping up the output is not working.

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  • toyotabedzrock
    replied
    Overpriced, did they forget the economy still sucks and the original was a cheap AP.

    Anyone have info on building a custom x86 based ap? With all the recent holes I just don't trust these off the self units anymore.

    Leave a comment:


  • zigfreed
    replied
    Originally posted by uid313 View Post
    Way too expensive.

    Also the old Linksys was owned by Cicso.
    Nowadays it is owned by Belkin which I trust much less.
    But that's the advantage of open source software: the amount of trust to still have a working system is much lower. Broadcom is the real question -- even their newer wl driver only works in special situations. I believe an embedded Intel 802.11ac system would be best (no first hand experience, just smallnetbuilder benchmarks). Qualcomm Atheros would be my second choice and Buffalo will probably do it and cheaper too.

    I have a WRT54GL and switched it to a WZR-HP-G300NH because of this issue -- I _really_ wanted fq_codel but it isn't on the older kernels. Note you can install a modern openWRT on the WRT54GL but the system memory can't handle it.

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  • philip550c
    replied
    Originally posted by Tgui View Post
    :d 1234
    What is that supposed to mean? Maybe I should reiterate, thats why I use dns and static ips.

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  • Tgui
    replied
    Originally posted by philip550c View Post
    thats why i use dns
    :d 1234

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  • philip550c
    replied
    Originally posted by GreatEmerald View Post
    now I'm running DD-WRT on it (and enjoying features like LAN computer names – much easier to type in "ssh user@dragon" than "ssh [email protected]" and hope the IP hasn't changed since last time).
    thats why I use dns

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  • GreatEmerald
    replied
    Many Phoronix readers likely recall the glory years of the open-source-friendly Linksys WRT54G
    Recall the glory years? *looks to the left* Yeah, my WRT54GL is running as fine as ever, thank you very much. That said, for the longest time I didn't know projects like DD-WRT existed. Then I found out they do, and now I'm running DD-WRT on it (and enjoying features like LAN computer names ? much easier to type in "ssh user@dragon" than "ssh [email protected]" and hope the IP hasn't changed since last time). And now that I do, I won't buy any routers without DD-WRT support.

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