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* Vitals [1]
* Official Details [2]
* Pictures [3]
* Firmware [4]
* Alternate Linux Based Firmware [5]
* Misc Notes [6]
* V2.2 serial port [7]
* Discussion (moved from MelbWirelessRouterProject [8])
* Custom firmware [9]
* Bricked [10]
* Link reliability [11]
VITALS
* MANUFACTURER : Linksys
* MODEL : WRT54G
* TYPE : Access Point / Router
* EXTERNAL ANTENNA JACK : 2x RP-TNG
* CHIPSET : Broadcom
* POWER :
* 19mW default
* 84mW max
* RECIEVE SENSITIVITY :
* -84dB @ 11Mbps
* AVAILABLE NEW : Yes
* AVERAGE PRICE : $150
* VITALS LAST UPDATED : 28/07/04
OFFICIAL DETAILS
From the Manufacturers blurb [12]...
The Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router is really three 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.
* Finally, 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.
PICTURES
or a High Res ( tif image [13])
FIRMWARE
Firmware Upgrade [14] For WRT54G - Wireless-G Broadband Router v2
ALTERNATE LINUX BASED FIRMWARE
Sveasoft Firmware Upgrade [15] For WRT54G - Wireless-G Broadband
Router v2
OPENWRT Firmware Upgrade [16] For WRT54G - Wireless-G Broadband
Router v2 - OpenWRT [17] provides an flexible, re-writable Linux
distribution for the WRT54G
MISC NOTES
PDF datasheet [18] from the ftp server.
V2.2 SERIAL PORT
I just added a serial port to my v2.2. The pinout is the same as v2.1
but the header block is flipped 180 (key to front not back). Check the
location of pin 1 before soldering on your header.
DISCUSSION (MOVED FROM MELBWIRELESSROUTERPROJECT [19])
CUSTOM FIRMWARE
2005/02/08 DANFLETT [20] : _You might want to check out myWRT [21] -
it makes customising OpenWRT [22] a lot easier. It uses a modified
Linksys menuconfig tool to select which packages should be installed,
and whether they should be statically compiled into the firmware, or
installed as an add-on package into the rewritable flash partition._
2005/02/08 DANFLETT [23] SAYS:(EDITED) _Another important
consideration is support: There are heaps of people worldwide who are
hacking away and developing for the WRT54GS. WRT54GS's are tried and
tested. People have their own individual problems with them but that
doesn't invalidate them as a usable platform. Any problems you have
with them will likely have been encountered by someone else, and you
can scour the OpenWRT [24] and Sveasoft forums and find a solution._
_Ultimately it would be good to have a common build system like
OpenEmbedded [25] working on the WRT54GS and whatever other embedded
boards we choose to use. Then development efforts on one platform can
use used on others._
BRICKED
2005/02/07 - NOTE FROM CRC: I've had 2 of these routers die now with
various flash problems while developing custom firmware for MW. My
confidence in these units is a little shaken at the moment, but the
functionality is great (then they work). I'm waiting to see how
Linksys will handle the situation, and that will probably decide as to
if I abandon the Linksys routers or not. UPDATE 2005/02/08: Linksys
have decided to RMA this equipment even though it has a third party
firmware installed. As long as no changes to the hardware has been
made, they will cover the device under warranty. This is a big
redeeming feature in my view, and will ensure my continued work on
getting a WRT54GS firmware completed for MW.
2005/02/08 - DNA: Ha, join the club. I use my dead ones for 4 port
switches as that part still works. If there are enough of us with dud
flash chips perhaps it will be worth socketing the dead ones and
putting together a flash programmer.
2005/02/08 - DANFLETT [26] : The OpenWRT [27] and Sveasoft forums are
full of stories of 'bricked' routers. This is more of a problem for
developers than it is for end-users. It's something that really just
goes with the territory for such a cheap box. I believe as developers
it's up to us to shoulder this burden, so that end-users will benefit
from the cheapness of the router once we've stabilised each new
firmware release. Those developers who are regularly testing
newly-compiled firmware probably use a test-bed router or two
(different versions), and probably have the serial and ejtag ports set
up to make de-bricking easier. You're probably aware of the
recommended methods to de-brick a WRT54G/GS, but here's a link just in
case you're not: OpenWRT Debricking Forum topic [28]
I am happy to buy/make an ejtag cable for any Melbourne Wireless
firmware developer who wants one (within reason ), and solder the pin
header onto their router's circuit board. I'll even loan such a
modified router to any developer who doesn't have a test-bed to play
with. I'm very keen for any developer with the skills, time and
inclination to develop firmware to have everything they need to get
the job done.
Here's the pdf instructions for building an ejtag cable, written by a
gentleman known as HairyDairyMaid [29], and his accompanying software
for saving and restoring the contents of the flash:
HairyDairyMaid_WRT54G_v2_DeBrick_Guide [30]
wrt54g.h [31]
wrt54g.c [32]
Makefile [33]
I'm not 100% certain this software would work as is with a WRT54GS
since it has a different flash chip. But it shouldn't be too hard to
adapt it.
2005/06/21 - JONATHAN: Has anyone looked at network booting a WRT54G?
Surely this would avoid the problems of bricked routers when testing
development firmware builds.
LINK RELIABILITY
2005/02/08 - NOTE FROM RICHARDVANORSOUW [34] AKA KAHLESS: I've had a
play with a couple of these units running on either end of 1Km link, a
wrt54g (sveasoft) and a wrt54gs (openwrt) after a bit of stuffing
around, got em going in bridge mode by issuing "wl wet 1" (wireless
bridging) on the wrt54 running in client/managed mode, didn't seem to
matter whether it was ON on the one running in master/AP mode.
Remember the WAN port not used, just one of the LAN ports. Got a 54M
connection going, but its not realible and stalls, have locked it down
at lower speeds, used different power levels, but as yet hasn't
helped. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Both the units r
directly connected to a n/w card in a linux box at each end which uses
up 4 ips on the same subnet, 2 each for the wrts and 2 each for the
linux box.
2005/02/09 - NOTE FROM RICHARDVANORSOUW [35] AKA KAHLESS: Another
thing i have discovered, iwconfig doesn't work to well, looks like
everything must be done via wl, to get openwrt to work as a client in
bridging mode
wl ssid x.x.x.x
wl wet 1
wl ap 0
wl join
2005/02/11 - NOTE FROM RICHARDVANORSOUW [36] AKA KAHLESS:
Hmm, got rid of the stalling problem, i made the sveasoft end the
client and the openwrt end the ap, get b/w 1200 & 2000 KB/s now, not
sure why the speed isn't constant?. Will re-flash the sveasoft to
openwrt.
Links:
------
[1] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#vitals
[2] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#official_details
[3] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#pictures
[4] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#firmware
[5] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#alternate_linux_based_firmware
[6] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#misc_notes
[7] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#v2_2_serial_port_
[8]
http://melbournewireless.org.au/#discussion__moved_from_melbwirelessrouterproject_
[9] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#custom_firmware
[10] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#bricked
[11] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#link_reliability
[12]
http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=35&prid=601
[13] http://www.linksys.com/press/tiffimage/wrt54g%20v1.1.tif
[14] http://www.linksys.com/download/firmware.asp?fwid=201
[15] http://members.cox.net/wrt54g/
[16] http://www.openwrt.org/
[17] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?OpenWRT
[18]
http://melbournewireless.org.au/ftp://ftp.linksys.com/datasheet/wrt54gv2_ds.pdf
[19] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?MELBWIRELESSROUTERPROJECT
[20] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?DANFLETT
[21] http://openwrt.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=922
[22] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?OpenWRT
[23] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?DANFLETT
[24] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?OpenWRT
[25] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?OpenEmbedded
[26] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?DANFLETT
[27] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?OpenWRT
[28] http://openwrt.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=580
[29] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?HairyDairyMaid
[30]
http://users.bigpond.net.au/flett/wireless/ejtag/HairyDairyMaid_WRT54G_v2_DeBrick_Guide.pdf
[31] http://users.bigpond.net.au/flett/wireless/ejtag/wrt54g.h
[32] http://users.bigpond.net.au/flett/wireless/ejtag/wrt54g.c
[33] http://users.bigpond.net.au/flett/wireless/ejtag/Makefile
[34] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?RICHARDVANORSOUW
[35] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?RICHARDVANORSOUW
[36] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?RICHARDVANORSOUW
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