### Index ### !!! Vitals * '''Manufacturer :''' Asus * '''Model :''' WL500G * '''Type :''' Access Point / Router * '''External Antenna Jack :''' 1x RP-SMA * '''USB Ports :''' 1x v1.1 on wl500g * '''Parallel port :''' 1x on wl500g * '''Wlan Chipset :''' Broadcom (mini pci) * '''Power :''' 5v * '''Transmit Specs :''' ** 19mW default ** 84mW max * '''Recieve Sensitivity :''' ** -84dB @ 11Mbps * '''Available New :''' Yes * '''Average Price :''' $200 ish or better * '''Vitals last updated :''' 17/07/05 !! Official Details From the Manufacturers (http://au.asus.com/products2.aspx?l1=12&l2=43 blurb)... The Most Smart WLAN Router in the world ASUS proudly announce the smartest WLAN Router in the world, WL-500g. It provides fast 54 Mbps date rate and all WLAN Router function, including DHCP server, IP sharing, Firewall, VPN pass through, esc. To ensure WLAN security, it also provides strong WPA and unique WLAN firewall, to protect the data from WLAN. The Asus WL500G Broadband Router is really FIVE devices in one box. # First, there's the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect Wireless-G or Wireless-B devices to the network. # There's also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices. Connect four PCs directly, or daisy-chain out to more hubs and switches to create as big a network as you need. # The Router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection, files, and other resources such as printers and hard disk storage space. # It also has ability to be a print server or control device via the printer port # Finally, USB Storage support for USB key's / Harddisks OR a USB Webcam, the storage support is even included on OpenWrt with webcam support on the horizon. !! Pictures (http://wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=8 Lots of internal WL500G Pics) !! ASUS Firmware (http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us Select your Model) !! Alternate Linux Based Firmware (http://openwrt.org/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=9538#p9538 OPENWRT Support for wl500g) For WL500G - OpenWRT provides an flexible, re-writable Linux distribution for the WL500G, this one includes madwifi to support the altheros a/b/g mini-pci chipsets and others. !! Support Forum (http://wl500g.info/ WL500 Forum) !! Misc Notes & Links (http://mobil.kunstlabor.at/openwrt/wl500gd/ wl500 Setup / Testing) !! Serial port There seems to be standard dual Uart's for possible dual serial support on this board. Here is a tutorial on how to add dual serial ports to this device: (http://wl500g.info/archive/index.php/t-587.html Serial Port Tutorial) This describes how to build an expansion board to add UARTs and a MAX232 chip to the WL500g. I assume that UARTs are specified because that particular hardware revision of the WL500g does not have UARTs on board. Can we get confirmation on which wl500g/gx's have UARTs on them? If all this gets too hard, you could always plug in a USB-Serial adapter and compile in support for that instead. :) (http://wl500g.info/archive/index.php/t-608.html USB-Serial Tutorial) !! Discussion 17/7/05 Peter [melb_ap] : Standard openwrt for the broadcom chipset will run on this device, but there are also versions specifically compiled to take advantage of the mini-pci slot thats standard in the wl500g unit. I've done some testing and found that the altheros a/b/g cards do work , but watch the revisions - (http://www.madwifi.org/ refer for supported cards) This is a great little unit, for not much more than a [WRT54G] you get the big plus of being able to change the mini-pci radio for one with a high receive sensitivity or 802.11a support. You can also even add a memory key or hard disk storage, use the usb or printer port for control or content purposes, and do the normal routing / web functions. I've been evaluating this unit and it could be another option for the node in a box project where the uplink is a bit more difficult or requires 802.11a 19/7/05 DanFlett : I've recently bought 2 of these for myself. I'm using one as my Internet router using modified firmware from (http://wl500g.info/ wl500g.info). I'm using their firmware version 1.7.5.9-5 which has the BPALogin software compiled in to allow use on Telstra Bigpond Cable. It seems to work fine for me. It doesn't show me what IP address I've received from Bigpond via DHCP in the web interface - but you can telnet in and do an 'ifconfig'. I intend to install OpenWRT on the other one and have a play - I'd like to compile in support for USB WLAN NICs so that extra radios can easily added via USB.