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3com, level1, and linksys are out there. As customer awareness for these products grow...

Allow me to increase your awareness... Linksys is a division of Cisco. That's why you see the "Copyright 2003 Cisco Systems, Inc." at the bottom of the Linksys home page.

-- dforce

Wireless Network Configuration Wizard - simplifies configuring through three simple steps. The application prompts users through the 3-step setup process which simultaneously configures both a wireless router/AP and the Intel Centrino mobile technology notebook computer. The wizard automatically pops up on a notebook computer when the Intel PROSet/Wireless Wi-Fi client software senses a new and unconfigured Linksys wireless router*. There is nothing to install or run – it runs users through the steps automatically.

And yes, the WRT54G already does AES-128 in its stock form.

The Linksys NSLU2 is *much* better than the Ximeta drives. You can attach two USB drives or a HD and a flash drive to it.

Unlike the Ximeta drive, it works under Linux with no issues, can be written to by more than one person concurrently, can be accessed by multiple subnets, uses a common protocol that doesn't require driver installation (SMB and CIFS), is built on GPL software, and can back up shares from other machines on a schedule.

Oh, and you can hack it.

The Linksys NSLU2 is *much* better than the Ximeta drives. You can attach two USB drives or a HD and a flash drive to it.

Unlike the Ximeta drive, it works under Linux with no issues, can be written to by more than one person concurrently, can be accessed by multiple subnets, uses a common protocol that doesn't require driver installation (SMB and CIFS), is built on GPL software, and can back up shares from other machines on a schedule.

Oh, and you can hack it.

Speaking of VOIP, did anyone else catch the press release on Linksys' website yesterday?

Linksys and Vonage have apparently got together to better take a stab at getting VOIP in homes. They just relased two new products, the PAP2 and the RT31P2, both of which are to retail below $100 (before the inevitable rebates).

Speaking of VOIP, did anyone else catch the press release on Linksys' website yesterday?

Linksys and Vonage have apparently got together to better take a stab at getting VOIP in homes. They just relased two new products, the PAP2 and the RT31P2, both of which are to retail below $100 (before the inevitable rebates).

Speaking of VOIP, did anyone else catch the press release on Linksys' website yesterday?

Linksys and Vonage have apparently got together to better take a stab at getting VOIP in homes. They just relased two new products, the PAP2 and the RT31P2, both of which are to retail below $100 (before the inevitable rebates).

Or see about picking up an old Linksys router. Really easy to configure & I see they're cheap now ($20 used). I've had mine plugged in for years and never had a problem.

I would think most people who are able to hack their NSLU2 are also the type that have an extra computer around that they would use instead.

Sure you could use an old PC for that job. But that PC has at least a 150W PSU, often 200W, 250W or more, and almost every PC has at least one noisy fan. My tests on my ex-router (really old Compaq 486 without harddisk) show that a PC needs at least 40W AC power when IDLE, and much more with newer CPUs. According to the Datasheet, the device is specified for 5VDC @ 2A. USB ports must be able to deliver 0.5A each, so the "real" machine needs nothing more than 5V @ 1A. This means you never put more than 10W into the device, with a low power USB storage device, 5W should be possible IMHO. With a common wallbrick PSU (50% heat, 50% output), this translates to 20W AC power under FULL LOAD. With a modern switching PSU (20% heat, 80% output), and a low power USB storage device, you need about 7W AC power. That's what a modern ATX PC draws in standby mode (so-called "off").

Did I mention that the NSLU2 has no moving parts?

Tux2000, not related to Linksys except that I own a hacked WRT54G.

What does the ideal NAS distribution look like to you?

Like this Linksys box. It is silent and cheap and has Linux inside.

No kidding, when I bought the card+router bundle at local BestBuy, I was thinking of returning the router when I did a search of available wireless networks and discovered three of them named linksys .

You can buy a range expander, or even a high-gain antenna to suit that purpose. Put the antenna on your roof. Open your connection up to the whole neighborhood!

You can buy a range expander, or even a high-gain antenna to suit that purpose. Put the antenna on your roof. Open your connection up to the whole neighborhood!

Swap the letters around to get NSLU2. Fortunately, it's a lot like the Linksys WRT54G... eg. infinitely hackable.

I'll comment on this since I've reverse-engineered both products.

They accomplish EXACTLY the same thing but the two products run completely different hardware AND software. Linksys does this so that they can pit one vendor against another until neither makes any money.

The wireless gaming adaptor uses a MIPS clone from SiliconData with integrated PCI and ethernet interfaces and a Mini-PCI 802.11g card.

The WET54G uses a Ubicom processor (same as what's in the WET-11 except 160MHz instead of 120MHz. It has a Davicom 10/100 MAC and a Cardbus 802.11g card.

Both probably cost exactly the same to produce, but having two designs gives leverage on the supply side and the ability to justify two vastly different price points on the shelf.

I didn't have a problem with the existing ban on altering antennas. The hazards of increasing the power of 2.4Ghz is not something to be taken lightly. Isn't that the same frequency that water resonates at (same principle as a microwave oven)?

I wonder if Linksys pushed some buttons following the relase of their new antenna to get this done so quietly?

this didn't really happen to me, but my firend. i assume a calculator is a computer. she had coffee in a covered styrofoam cup in her backpack apparently on top of a TI-89. and guess what! yes you guessed it. the warm coffee spilled on and into the nice calc. we weren't able to save it. it still smells like coffee.

mine on the other hand... well i learned the hard way to have a surge protector... a really really good one. thunder storm fried my mainboard, power supply, network card, router
, and network cards in two other computers, which had surge protectors.

You mean powerline ethernet? Sure...

• D-Link
• Netgear
• Linksys

For an alternative, check out the linksys wrt54g and the wrt54gs.
Linksys has released the full source code and build environment to these routers enabling you to extend the linux install that these are based on.

These devices are not as powerful as the meshbox, but they are much cheaper. They also have more ethernet ports to add a switch/dmz/whatever, although there's only a single wireless device.

Multiple projects have sprung up to extend the functionality of these routers, along with a bunch of informational sites about other hacking projects

For an alternative, check out the linksys wrt54g and the wrt54gs.
Linksys has released the full source code and build environment to these routers enabling you to extend the linux install that these are based on.

These devices are not as powerful as the meshbox, but they are much cheaper. They also have more ethernet ports to add a switch/dmz/whatever, although there's only a single wireless device.

Multiple projects have sprung up to extend the functionality of these routers, along with a bunch of informational sites about other hacking projects

For an alternative, check out the linksys wrt54g and the wrt54gs.
Linksys has released the full source code and build environment to these routers enabling you to extend the linux install that these are based on.

These devices are not as powerful as the meshbox, but they are much cheaper. They also have more ethernet ports to add a switch/dmz/whatever, although there's only a single wireless device.

Multiple projects have sprung up to extend the functionality of these routers, along with a bunch of informational sites about other hacking projects

What would Canada really be losing if it couldn't buy Cisco technology? Canadians can just as easily buy a switch or router from Juniper, Nortel, or D-Link (instead of Linksys, which Cisco bought). Do you forget (or neglect, or not know) that Nortel is a *Canadian* company and a leader in optical, wireless, and VoIP technology? And Wi-LAN was a leader in OFDM networking long before wireless LANs became so popular.

"I bet with Windows, I can add my friend's music collection to my playlist! Oh... DRM."
If you can't afford the songs, then you don't really want them, do you? Borrow an album, sure, but do you think fair use should really include "permanently borrowing" thousands of songs?

"I bet I can create a wireless network without an access point! Oh... Need Linux for that."
Linux and roughly twenty pages of howtos. Which wireless cards work with which distros? Oops, I meant which revisions of which wireless cards works with which distros?

I really wish I could use some sort of "wizard" in XP to "share" my connection. Oh wait, I can.

"I can't even change the MAC address on my ethernet cards."
Gosh, I wish there was an item for around $100 or so that allowed me to "route" all of this "internet" traffic. Guess I'll just have to read the howtos and learn how to use all the unix commands.

"And my sound card skips and crackles, because it's older and not well supported. Same with my old video card, damn. No solution except to downgrade to Windows 98, huh?"
I would have tried downloading drivers, but you sound like you've got better ideas.

"To install a sound card: plug it in, hope it works, swear if it doesn't."
It sure is easier to look for modules, compile them, and then add them to the kernel, isn't it?

"Then buy a new card, but be sure to buy a brand name card, or the drivers will suck."
Gosh, you're right. I've never heard of anyone trying to make sure pieces of hardware worked with linux.

"I think I'll write some software!"
I do it every day, honest. Oh wait, I'm 95% of computer users. I don't think I write software, do I?

I think the best way to go is some sort of 802.11g device that would plug to the cable/antenna and multicast the signal over wireless. HTTP (for users) and SOAP (for applications) interfaces would allow tuning to a channel or configuring features.

Ideally, the package would include both a web-based interface and a client application that would talk SOAP to the box and tune into the multicast for a nice TV-in-a-window experience.

With the number of smart low-cost wireless appliances coming from companies like Linksys, I wouldn't be surprised if they made something like this. They have something just for audio and pictures, but not video.

You can't always have what you want...

Linksys

Cisco

I know many WAPs can also serve as a bridge.

Here is a link to a neat resource that can be used to find this info: Google

Secondly, a decent 802.11g AP WILL cost you a good $80-$90

I posted this in an earlier comment but it's pretty interesting so I will post it again:

The CompUSA in San Antonio (and presumably, CompUSA's elsewhere) is selling the Linksys WRT54G Router/Access Point for $59.95 after instant and mail-in rebates. IIRC, the mail-in rebate is for $10. This is a great little Linux-based router that can be reflashed with custom firmware if you so choose.

Fileservers are good. See one here (good, not great) or just build yourself a cheap box and put massive storage in it, and attach it to your 100Mb network.

Hopefully Linksys will never do this again now that they are being bought by Cisco.

If you want an insanely compatable card, go with anything with a realtek 8139 chipset.

I disagree with your glowing commendation of everything LinkSys. These are the geniuses who's early model DSL routers would reveal the login password by clicking on "View Source" at the login page.

With my first LinkSys DSL router I found that Internet traffic would inevitably become sluggish or just stop working after several days of heavy use and would not behave normally until I cycled the power. When I mentioned this to a friend he told me that he had two LinkSys routers at his office plugged into lamp timers so they cycled power every night. I took it as a joke until I visited his office one day and saw the timers attached to the wall beside the routers!

I moved up to a newer LinkSys router to support a couple of laptops via wireless connection. The range was weak and connections would frequently drop when both laptops were used simultaneously.

I'm currently using a US Robotics (3COM) wireless DSL router that is giving me no problems at all.

I must admit, however, that Linksys has the first wireless DSL router I've seen with actual support for Wi-Fi Protected Access. I'm still waiting for a firmware upgrade on my USR box to support that.

This should help you out, then.

They do not even need to bring resources to the table to win. They have the backbone. Mom & Pop with a DSL line really would not be able to handle 12 simultaneous calls. Throw a T1 and you might get to 24 (which the phone company can already do without VoIP) if you crank up compression or reduce quality.

The phone companies may just love this. They can sell T1s all day long to the little WiFi VoIP guys and have no hassles with individual consumers. The customer support gets cut to be B2B people. Meanwhile most the compliated problems that cannot be automated get shifted to someone else.

But this hides the complexity of roaming a bit. Remember that the node will oly give reception to about 0.5 km. Most people can wander across wireless nodes because the wireless nodes serve new addresses to the customer. An IP-based accounting will not work, but MAC would. Of course, MAC ould be needed to make sure that someone is not copying a password around, anyway. But now you enter the problem of replicating the allowed MAC addresses (just as the phone company already has mostly solved cloned ESIDs with existing cel phones).

Hmmm... the logisitics are adding up... Looks like the real cost is not so cheap.

Addditionally most residential service agreements inhibit you from creating a network of significant size on your line. For that you need a business line, which usually has a lower failure rate, but a higher cost.

He provides misinformation. The WRT54G uses a 125MHz MIPS processor, not a 200MHz Intel processor. The source is indeed available.

The total cost is less than that of a so-called "commercial" access point, and is infinitely more flexible. Can you run open-source software on that crappy Microsoft router? I knew you couldn't.

Did you count _electricity_ of having a fully blown pc with a pentium cpu and spinning disks into the TCO compared to the electricity taken by a MIPS cpu booted from flash?

Linkys And almost everyone else in the market uses Linux in their access points. If that isn't enough flexibility I do not know what is.

My $40 Netgear access point is silent and very small and has all the features I want, Id like to see someone put together a linux based wifi router for that sort of money

Actually, there are some Linux based AP's for not much more than that. I'm not talking about x86 boxes, with a Wifi card and software to act as an AP. There are cheap hardware AP's that use Linux, and can be extended & modified.

The one I use is the Linksys WRT54G. It's an 802.11G AP, running Linux, and there are several open projects creating firmware updates with nice feature extensions. At the minimum, it allows you to ssh into the box and modify the firewall settings to do exactly what you want.. which is a bit leap over closed AP's.

Some good info on mods for this AP are here: http://www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/LinksysWr t54g

I have a LINK to some of the cisco code!

router code

You guys should try to get that Torvalds guy to help you with linux he seems to really know his stuff when writing this router code!

btw if you didnt get it linksys was bought out by cisco...

Cisco owns Linksys though. Check it out.

The real reason Comcast bought TechTV is so they can control the flow of technical information.

Comcast along with Cisco/Linksys and CableLabs plan to SNOOP on YOUR HOME NETWORK!

"I have a router and NAT." NO PROBLEM. ATT is working on fixing that bothersome little problem.

And if your using their new extreme tier with that fancy new Cisco/Linksys WCG2000 router/modem/SNOOPER no problem. CableHome aka SpyHome will allow them to:

CableHome 1.0 support for the ability to deliver secure, managed services from Comcast's head-end network to the subscribers' home network

TRANSLATION:
The goals for the CableHome Management Portal include:
* Enable viewing of LAN IP Device information obtained via the CableHome DHCP Portal (CDP)
* Enable viewing of the results of LAN IP Device performance monitoring done by the CableHome Test Portal (CTP)
* Provide the capability to disable LAN segments

You can read more here.
So TechTV had to go! Too much info in the wrong hands!

If it hadn't been for Kevin's recent Dark Tip about Linux on Linksys routers, I wouldn't own the router I have now, the WRT54G. Although they did not make it clear on the show there is only one (now two) router model(s) that can be modified and despite the fact that it isn't really a "Dark Tip" because compiling firmware from GPL'd code isn't a hack nor very dark, I still found it to be a very useful segment.

Dragan Flyer... Its not wi-fi controlled, but you could probably replace the camera with the guts of a wi-fi camera or something.

Did it look like a SD2008 (Flat top and bottom) or a EG008W (slightly rounded top and bottom with legs on the sides)?

I'm hoping they did it right in the new SD2008 model.

Did it look like a SD2008 (Flat top and bottom) or a EG008W (slightly rounded top and bottom with legs on the sides)?

I'm hoping they did it right in the new SD2008 model.

I've been using GbE for home LAN for about a year now. Here's the hardware I use:

Switch:
Linksys Instant Gigabit 10/100/1000 8-port switch
I think I paid ~$200 for this.

Cards:
Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop Adapter (~$50 ea)
Use the e1000 driver in 2.4.x or 2.6.x.
Netgear GA302T Copper Gigabit Adapter (~50 ea)
Use the tg3 driver in 2.4.x or 2.6.x

The tg3 chipset runs rather hot, the e1000 is tiny and runs cool. I havent noticed a performance difference between either, and both chipsets run fine regardless of whatever PC I put them in.

Motherboards with embedded GbE typically use e1000 (if theyre good), or realtek (if theyre cheap).

Jumbo frames:
See my post on that here.

Cabling:
Hand crimped cat5e. Works fine. One interesting note about GbE, you no longer have to worry about crossover cables -- the GbE spec requires that devices autodetect crossover. You can make all your GbE cables "straight through" cables.

Do pay careful attention to following strict T568 wiring code though. You can no longer get away with incorrectly wired cables which just happened to work for 100bt. Since all pairs are now used in GbE, your wiring order must be 100% spec.

Here's some wiring guides:
http://www.lanshack.com/make-cat5E.asp
h ttp://yoda.uvi.edu/InfoTech/rj45.htm

Is it an EG008W or a SD2008? Linksys makes 2 different 8 port gigabit switches now. The first one they came out with is in their old clasic case design (EG008W) and the other is a new model in a new case (SD2008). I read somewhere the EG008W has a fan. I'm interested in knowing if the SD2008 has one too.

Is it an EG008W or a SD2008? Linksys makes 2 different 8 port gigabit switches now. The first one they came out with is in their old clasic case design (EG008W) and the other is a new model in a new case (SD2008). I read somewhere the EG008W has a fan. I'm interested in knowing if the SD2008 has one too.

Since this just makes the $250 Squeezebox a really expensive remote for you 'puter, you might want to consider some other products instead.

If want you want is just a remote for your computer, then the Keyspan Digital Media Remote provides a $40 dollar alternative.

If you want to stream video to you TV from your Mac, then El Gato's eyeHome will pull this off at the same price as the Squeezebox. It will also stream music from iTunes and do slideshows from iPhoto, with no hacking required. ( I know.. what's the fun in that :) )

If you want to wait for Microsoft Announceware, you could get the Windows Media Center Extender for XBOX and use the XBOX to stream video to your TV.

Or at ~$150 you could get the Linksys Wireless Media Adapter . This is the first round of Intel's Digital Media Adapters , of which there is a good review of the technology at linuxdevices.com

Most Circuit City stores have these in stock. You can look online for availability at a local store, then order it and pick it up yourself, no extraneous delivery hassles involved.

Notes on the machine (I'm typing on it right now):

The 802.11g internal wireless unit is 802.11b compatible, but you're mad if you don't upgrade your home to an 802.11g WAP router (or better, one of these) first thing after saving on the computer.

The PCMCIA slot is single-height (type-I/II), so any double-height (type-III) cards you have won't fit any more.

There are 4 USB 2.0 ports and 1 firewire port but *no* DB-9 or DB-25 connectors. You can buy a USB/RS-232 adapter for about $30 almost anywhere, but with the internal modem you probably won't need them.

I haven't done any gaming on the Radeon 9600 yet. No time for that right now.

The keyboard is a little goofy, but you were going to take a US keyboard and 60-Hz power supply and NTSC video back to Blighty, so you might not mind the hassle of the keyboard so much. They won't tell me how to remap it, either, so YMMV.

The 64-bit "3000+" Athlon CPU is overrated, but what else is new from Jerry's Kids. It's really running at about 2 GHz and is not any faster or slower than my Pentium 2.2-GHz desktop. Must be why these things are so damn cheap. Some day Microsoft will present us with non-beta versions of 64-bit Windows and we'll see if there's any real end-user value in the extra width.

-Homebrew $200 firewalls (routers, gateways, etc) with much, much greater capabilities than those little D-Link units.

Want a hackable router? Why not consider something more along the lines of the Linksys WRT54G. I've had mine for about a month and I love it. $80, runs Linux, and includes 802.11g.

Not a replacement for an extra ethernet port, but one could always attach one of these

I guess you could reverse-engineer it.

• Original Module
• "Decompiled" Output (run through REC)

The source code to "wl.o" is NOT part of the GPLed code at Linksys's GPL page.

If anyone actually got it to work, rest assured someone would feel threatened and DMCA it off the face of the Internet.

However, there are FAR worse ways to disrupt communications than by tweaking a few lines of code in a driver.

You wouldn't even need a router. Wi-fi webcam.