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Check out http://sveasoft.com/ - they have firmware loads for commodity WiFi nodes that turn them into excellent mesh's that do exactly what you want. Excellent tech, dirt cheap. Easy.

Take a look at the differences between two systems/groups that parallel your questions.

Sveasoft on the commercial side.

OpenWRT or DD-WRT on the Open Source side.

And if you are familiar with the discussions/flame wars around this platform and code, I think it's safe to say there's a market for either one. Albeit, sometimes there's bad blood between closed source companies and the Open Source community, other entities who have profit as their prime motivator instead of passion for the idea have and do work and play well with the community.

At the end of the day, the choice is still yours since it is after your Source.

No, that's this guy.

I see no problems with this model. If the software is licensed under the
GPL, and you distribute the source code with the binaries (as opposed to
making an offer for source code), you are under no obligation to supply
future releases to anyone.

Please be clear that the subscription is for the support and
distribution and not for a license.

Peter Brown
GPL Compliance Manager
Free Software Foundation

When used as an Internet "access point", it's unusual to bottleneck the air link, because the link to the Internet is slower than the air link. But if you have a local server, as we did, the air link was the bottleneck. CVS checkouts would hang every time.

We had three Linksys boxes, so we know it wasn't a single-point hardware problem. Probably botched buffer management. It wasn't an interference problem.

This is pretty much what I've done with my network, except I used http://www.sveasoft.com/">Sveasoft.

I currently have 2 Linksys WRTs attached at the hip (wirelessly) as well as a Linksys B (the newest firmware for B's supports lazy WDS). The G's perform flawlessly, but the B has its days. I can seperate everything on their own Subnets, choose NAT paths, etc...

I think between something like this and adding a firewall package like ZoneAlarm, that should keep the in-law out.

Either that or update her privilidges in (I assume) Windows so almost nothing can be installed... Ok, thats harder than what I first suggested - never mind.

You can get the Linksys WRT54G/GS and then install other linux firmware (one example that i use is: http://www.sveasoft.com/ ) and it will give you a tremendous amout of power and control in a $40-70 box. You can route/have VLANs/have firewalls/etc. with it.

kiwi

(note, make sure not to get the v4 hardware of the wrt54g, as it does not run the firmware.)

But obviously you can't take something that's licensed under the GPL and "remove offending portions" that you don't like, before releasing your modifications. That would undermine the whole idea.

You mean like www.sveasoft.com did? "We'll just take a GPL'd firmware from Linksys, that they got from a minimal linux distro and re-release it as BSD license cause then we can use it commercially! Oh, and then ask the FSF if doing something different is ok and pretend we asked about what we're actually doing"

with this guy and his shill, as well as someone who's dealt with Ewing? You might give that some consideration with licensing.

Maybe parent assumed that everyone knew about this.

http://www.hyperspacehome.com/hyperwrt/index.php?p age=home-page
http://www.sveasoft.com/modules/phpBB2/
http://www.sveasoft.com/content/view/3/1/
http://www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/LinksysWr t54g
https://sourceforge.net/projects/wifi-box/

Not a complete list and some of the above may be a little dated but you can get an idea of the additional features that hackers have been able to squeeze into these devices.

Maybe parent assumed that everyone knew about this.

http://www.hyperspacehome.com/hyperwrt/index.php?p age=home-page
http://www.sveasoft.com/modules/phpBB2/
http://www.sveasoft.com/content/view/3/1/
http://www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/LinksysWr t54g
https://sourceforge.net/projects/wifi-box/

Not a complete list and some of the above may be a little dated but you can get an idea of the additional features that hackers have been able to squeeze into these devices.

I believe the limit for effective radiated power is higher than that for 2.4Ghz devices. It seems like that (100mW) might be about right for ~5Ghz stuff. Also, I know that with a WRT54G and sveasoft firmware, you can push the stock hardware to 251mW, and they claim that is well below the 36dBm limit.

sveasoft faq on the subject some site that seemed to have relevant stuff on the FCC regs

Assumption: internet access. My suggestion is to purchase a wifi phone and a Linksys WRT54G wireless router along with VOIP service...oh yeah, and 2 super long range antennas for the router. The phone and the service are self-explanatory. The router has available an OSS firmware upgrade @ http://www.sveasoft.com/, one advantage of which is to up the power output to the FCC legal limit for said hardware. The antennas (research needed) are required to put that power to use. One should be able to reach a few thousand feet or so rather easily.

The sveasoft ROM also allows you to up the power output of the wireless broadcast quite a bit (I think something like 700%). The WRT54G also has dual antennae that can be replaced with larger ones for better broadcast coverage. Overall the Linksys is a great option with or without the Airport Express units.

I've currently set up a network in my neighbourhood with 4 other houses, distances of about 50-100m (I'm only capable of using the metric system), with walls and such, and have succeeded quite easily using WRT54G's in every apartment, using a custom firmware (sveasoft) with both WDS capability, and ability to alter the transmission power (I have doubled it to about 50mw), and this works like a charm with speeds varying from 1 - 2Mbs. The whole thing is rather cheap (~70$ for each WRT54G) and works like a charm for 8 months now, and with WDS you can build a grid of access points...

Your best bet, for both simplicity, functionality, and price, is a Linksys wireless router running the Sveasoft firmware. The extremely popular Linksys WRT54G 802.11g wireless router runs Linux, allowing easy customization with enhanced features. For basic functionality, a Linksys WRT54G can be had for under $50. The best you can get is a Linksys WRT54GS v1.0, which has more memory as well as Speedbooster technology.

You then flash the firmware of the router using freely available, open-source firmware such as that made by Sveasoft. I enjoy the Sveasoft firmware, as it contains a wealth of features, is easy to setup, and has good documentation. I would suggest that you download the firmware from a free mirror rather than subscribe, as Sveasoft has been known to engage in predatory business practices that it is best not to support.

Once you install the Sveasoft firmware, you will gain a new "QoS" tab in the router's configuration that allows you to prioritize certain types of traffic, certain MAC addresses, the wireless connection, and based on Ethernet ports.

I setup the Sveasoft Alchemy pre-7a firmware on my Linksys WRT54GS on a 6600/768 cable connection I share with two geeky, gamer, bittorrent-loving roommates. Even when we're all fighting to achieve maximum upload and download speeds with bittorrent, web-browsing is fast and games have no lag. This solution dramatically outperformed my expectations, it cost less than $100, and took less than 15 minutes to setup.

sveasoft

Linksys Access Points are based on linux and they opened up the firmware under the GPL. Several groups have released modified firmware, Sveasoft is just one of them.

I have 2 linksys WRT54G access points in my house. Only one of them is plugged in to the cable modem. The other connects back wirelessly over WDS. I can connect to the internet from either of them.

One of the best things things is that they allow you to crank up the transmit power.

If I were you, I'd get a few of these things...get a couple of high gain antennas and set up a WDS network. Completely wirelessly...

Just grab a handful of Linksys WRT54G's and buy a copy of Sveasoft's firmware which adds WDS support. You can also boost the output power to 251mw. $75 per router, $20 for support from Sveasoft, and you're set. You'll need to work out weatherproofing and power though. weather proof wrt54g

1. I reccomend buying a few Linksys WRT54GS boxes for getting your feet wet. They're ~US$50. Don't cheap out and buy the WRT54G's for a few bucks less as the GS has a bit more flash memory you might want a year or two down the road.

2. Download the free Sveasoft firmware, or any of the other distribs out there. Sveasoft is due for a new release any-day-now, however if you want beta versions or access to their support board you'll need to pony up US$20.

3. Determine which spots you'll want wireless in, then set up some test spots in 'em and figure out what kinda reception you'll get, the characteristics of your greenhouses, what kinda output works best.

4. Figure out if 802.11a, or b, or g, works best for your needs. You can also hugely increase the transmission power with the third party firmwares but you're also increasing the noise (and heat!) too so test-test-test.

5. Power will be a big concern, you'll want as clean a supply as you can manage. Also a reasonable climate, these boxes are tough but if you can avoid abusing 'em you'll get longer service. The #1 killer is heat buildup & the #2 is power surges.

6. On a map apply what you've learned from your testing, figure out where you'll want base stations, repeaters, where they'll tie into the existing HomePNA, where you can run Ethernet, etc. Only after this go ahead an purchase the deployment hardware (it'll probably be US$10 cheaper by then.)

7. If security is a big concern then not only turn on wireless encryption but also set up a proper VPN. The Linksys WRT54GS/Sveasoft's can be endpoints, or servers, or pass-through, so take advantage of this.

RadioLabs.com has an excellent selection of wireless antennas, coax, and connectors that will work for you.
http://www.radiolabs.com/products/wireless/wireles s-2.html

Also, I agree with an earlier post suggesting the Linksys WRT54G or GS running the SveaSoft firmware.
http://www.sveasoft.com/

With a slightly better antenna and a few WRT54G's in a WDS configuration, you could easily provide both wireless and wired connections in the remote buildings and have some wireless coverage between the buildings as a bonus.

With enough of the WRT54G's in the WDS configuration and using OSPF, you could create a "self healing" component to the network.

G'Luck

Pickup a WRT54G, some directional and omnidirectional antennas and get the SVEASOFT firmware.

These guys are upgrading a $50 Linksys router with a full SIP server and SIP NAT. Add a wireless Wifi phone you have your own wireless PBX for the house including Wifi, QoS, a killer firewall, and tons more to boot.

Amazing! Thanks. Any advice about how to install OpenVPN on the WRT54G? Which package would you recommend? Do the OpenWrt packages have an adminstration console? I don't see any mention of that. It looks complicated, since I read that there is no Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) until installed.

Also, I note that OpenVPN will NOT work on Windows XP SP2 unless the pre-release version 2.0 is used. I suppose you don't care if you are using a WRT54G at both ends of the VPN. I'm not knowledgeable about this, but I guess that running VPN software on a WRT54G would be more secure than running it on a PC.

I note that Sveasoft provides firmware with PPTP VPN software, but there seems to be some question about whether PPTP is sufficiently secure.

Just guessing, but this seems to be a considerable job to configure. I wish there were a commercial release with the OpenVPN built in.

OpenWrt.

Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Broadband Router.

Linksys WRT54GS Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster.

WRT54GS has updated chipset.

WRT54GS Under $70.

Both Linksys products have GPL'd firmware.

There is intense interest in the WRT54G and WRT54GS. One company, Sveasoft, provides upgraded firmware.

Amazing! Thanks. Any advice about how to install OpenVPN on the WRT54G? Which package would you recommend? Do the OpenWrt packages have an adminstration console? I don't see any mention of that. It looks complicated, since I read that there is no Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) until installed.

Also, I note that OpenVPN will NOT work on Windows XP SP2 unless the pre-release version 2.0 is used. I suppose you don't care if you are using a WRT54G at both ends of the VPN. I'm not knowledgeable about this, but I guess that running VPN software on a WRT54G would be more secure than running it on a PC.

I note that Sveasoft provides firmware with PPTP VPN software, but there seems to be some question about whether PPTP is sufficiently secure.

Just guessing, but this seems to be a considerable job to configure. I wish there were a commercial release with the OpenVPN built in.

OpenWrt.

Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Broadband Router.

Linksys WRT54GS Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster.

WRT54GS has updated chipset.

WRT54GS Under $70.

Both Linksys products have GPL'd firmware.

There is intense interest in the WRT54G and WRT54GS. One company, Sveasoft, provides upgraded firmware.

More like James Ewing. One of the few who have sold GPL'd code and conned the GPL authors into accepting it.

Those using a consumer router based on Linux, such as the Linksys WRT54G, may find a way to run the Wondershaper on it. For instance, you can get replacement firmware for the WRT54G from Sveasoft that incorporates the Wondershaper. (Just turn on the QoS feature.)

I use the Sveasoft firmware and add a couple of iptables commands to put my UDP game traffic in the high-priority queue, so P2P uploads don't disturb my gaming. See the Sveasoft forums (registration and $20 required) for details. You'll also want to do this if you use UDP-based VOIP.

More interestingly the about to be inaugurated new beta series, Talisman, which will offer 1-click Hotspot out of the box. Sveasoft has cut a deal with a billing service (and apparently there will be alternatives possible) so with almost no effort one turn on a hotspot and start recouping some expenses (TOS permitting.)

Yes, I said beta. So it won't be an appropraite solution unless you've got some folks willing to become reasonably knowledgable on your staff and the business is open to being 'cutting edge'. On the other hand if this project is like many the firmware may well be out of beta well before the project is ever ready to be widely deployed.

Fair warning: There is a noisy bunch of folks who don't like Sveasoft's beta distribution & support policies. Me, I've no problem with 'em, and apparently the FSF doesn't either, but I figured I'd say it before the barracks-lawyers and tinfoil-hat crowd starts in.

Anyway, that noise aside their firmwares are excellent and do offer fantastic functionality for a US$40-70 series of boxes. I also find it heartening they offer a bounty system for folks developing with their firmware: If there's a feature you specially want put up some cash and see if any of them take the bait & deliver your dream-code Indeed my only complaint is their lack of a wiki for support (also 'due any day now'.)

I just did something a bit like this. I live in an apartment in the same building as my office, but it's on the other side of the building. Minor detail: the building is L-shaped, and home and office are on the different branches.

I spent a month or so going through different options: looking for a third point on the other side of the street that could act as a line-of-sight reflector, investigating existing cable ducts with phone wire and that long range ethernet thing.

Finally I decided to get a directional antenna (this one) and a new Linksys WRT54G. I had an existing WAP54G which I use for the other end.

The WRT54G is in my hallway at the apartment, stuck to the wall above the entryphone. The WAP54G is in my office, with the antenna bolted to my office balcony. Using the Sveasoft firmware, I've boosted the signal a little and have established a ~2Mbps bridged link by blasting the signal through the apartments in the line of sight. The WRT54G acts as a repeater for my laptop. Since the office only has a 2Mbps line, it's good enough. The people in the apartments between might start having funny-shaped babies, but I've got free connectivity, and that's all that matters!

I'm sure it would be better if the home-side box had an external antenna, but it's intrusive enough in my hallway anyway. I'd also then be able to use the stock firmware. The Linksys boxes are relatively cheap and thanks to third-party firmware are extremely configurable.

As far as the 5 second break every 30 minutes goes, I'd guess it's some third-party box negotiating something (eg. NetBIOS or NTP or something) and interfering with the signal on your cable runs.

Why not just use a pair of linksys WRT54G routers using the Sveasoft firmware? At under $60 each, not going to find a reliable solution much cheaper... firmware update allows all sorts of neat features, including VPNs.

I second this. I have one and recently went through a few firmware changes. The stock firmware is actually not bad, and can has a decent amount of options.

Although Sveasoft stirrs up mixed emotions around here, you can get the image for free, and it's very good. You just can't see the forums unless you pay. I personally haven't needed the forums, but your results may vary.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mcmntl/satori/Firmwar e_Satori-4.0G.zip

If you are one of those people that don't agree with Sveasoft's forum policy there's Wifi-Box on sourceforge. I installed this one too and its very good also, although I prefer the Sveasoft image.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/wifi-box/

There are some others floating around, but I did not try them as they seemed too alpha. Cratering my WAP isn't currently a priority.

There are 3 different models of the WRT54G actually. If you count the WRT54GS there are 4. I suggest ebay as a source for the early 20 LED (V1.0) model. This model has more flash ram than later models, and of course looks cooler with its 20 LEDs.

http://www.sveasoft.com/modules/phpBB2/viewtopic.p hp?t=1176

Of course there are the other WAPs based on the Broadcom chip:

Linksys WAP54G
Linksys WRE54G
Belkin F5D7130
Belkin F5D7230-4
Motorola WR850G
Trendnet TEW-411BRP
Asus wl-300g
Asus wl-500g
Dell Truemobile 2300
Buffalo Airstation WBR-G54
Ravotek W54-RT
Ravotek W54-AP
Microsoft MN700
Apple Airport ExtremG

I don't have experience with these so I can't vouch for their performance.

Have fun!

-ft

The distribution for the WRT54GS (ONLY) that I saw with NFS mount capabilities was the

sveasoft-5.2.3-ultra2.zip

http://www.sveasoft.com/modules/phpBB2/dlman.php?f unc=file_info&file_id=84
This is a special version for WRT54GS units only (8MB flash required) created by Nikki Chumakov.

Use it at your own risk. It works for me, but I cannot guarantee it will work for you and don't damage your router.

This version is intended for developers. No new WWW interface items were added, no user friendly features. All new features
have to be configured from the CLI or rc_startup nvram variable.

Stock 5.2.3 bugs were not fixed except for a minor bug with ash prompt.


******************* WARNING*******************

1. DONT try to flash this firmware on non-GS units even if you think it has 8MB flash. It won't work and make damage your router.

2. Flash stock 5.2.3 first. DONT FLASH THIS FIRMWARE UNTIL YOU FLASH SVEASOFT 5.2.3-pre FIRST AND MAKE IT WORK. 5.2.2, 5.2.4 and so on won't work.

since you mentioned the wrt54g you might be also interested in the Linksys NSLU2. It's got a single ethernet port, dual usb ports and can run linux. Attach a usb harddrive to it and you can use it for your file/mail server. The open source firmwares aren't as polished as, say sveasoft but it seems to me that you're the type that might enjoy getting it working.

i've got a linksys wrt54g with upgraded firmware from these guys, but the QOS stuff is pretty lacking... i'd like to see a better interface on it.

but at least it's a step in the right direction.

i'd have to agree that this just sounds like a gimmick to upgrade your hardware when really all it takes is a firmware update.

Sort of reminds me of this guy. Same game, different player.

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

Depends on the brand of your router, but I have seen some really good performance out of the firmware at http://sveasoft.com/

When I can wirelessly play my PS2 and download torrents at the same time, I'll be in heaven.

Sveasoft provides 'modified' firmware for Linksys WRT54G(S) and WAP54 units. Included in this is a bandwidth management utility (among other great features) that lets you set ports/ip's as high/low priority and throttles your connection accordingly.

Many people are using this firmare along with an IP telephony service and have reported amazing results (ie no interference on phones while downloading/uploading large files). The latest public release is OK, but the beta releases (you can get for $20 subscribing to the site) are where all the goodies are (albeit still buggy).

Maybe you should check it out.

Check out this page on recovery procedures.

See:
http://openwrt.ksilebo.net/
http://www.linksysinfo.com/
http://www.sveasoft.com/modules/phpBB2/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/wifi-box/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/newbroadcom
etc.

It is Linux, and more or less Linux is equal to Linux. Many people are good in Linux development and administration ;-)

When silencing your critics, you're going to have the attitude that you are hiding something that isnt right. In this case, the shut-in of Sveasoft and the apparent reflexive backrubbing over at for sveasoft wont help your case. Even the admins are in it as well, by locking any opinion. If it gets to the point where you're being hacked, you've got quite a lot explaining to do about what you're really up to. Either way, Sveasoft's going to be suceeded by someone who provides the same features without the obvious violation.

The GPL does not require you to release your modified version. You are free to make modifications and use them privately, without ever releasing them. This applies to organizations (including companies), too; an organization can make a modified version and use it internally without ever releasing it outside the organization. But if you release the modified version to the public in some way, the GPL requires you to make the modified source code available to the program's users, under the GPL. Thus, the GPL gives permission to release the modified program in certain ways, and not in other ways; but the decision of whether to release it is up to you.

If you count the idea that if you do release it somehow (even under the sveasoft loophole) that sentence in bold applies. The "subscription releases" count as well as the public ones. Since there was no proof of identity, sveasoft and the people who think we're unjustified.

From james@sveasoft.com
I create firmware - nothing more nothing less. I leave folks like yourself to the Rikki Lake show.

If you really just made firmware you'd have only asked payment for the binaries. I dont see as much criticism for winex doing that kind of stuff, and they have gotten leaps and bounds further than wine has gotten itself. Sure, this is only firmware, but these developers dont go as if they sought the Almighty Dollar, the Holy Euro, or the Sacred Kronor.

See this post about source code comments in the Linksys source release which explicitly prohibit any redistribution, and this post regarding linksys.

In brief, what sveasoft is working on is a forked version of Linksys's source code release. Linksys's release was already highly questionable in regards to GPL compliance, since it does not include source code for all of the binaries included, particularly the wl.o module. In addition Linksys included in their source distribution a great deal of source code which claims to be proprietary and non-redistributable.

This is IMHO the elephant in the room that nobody's talking about, and it affects wifibox just as much as sveasoft.

I'd urge anyone interested in wrt54g development who is concerned about these GPL issues to check out OpenWRT, which aims to be a fully GPL-compatible clean-room implementation of Linux for this hardware (they use Linksys's modified version of the kernel, but not much else).

See this post about source code comments in the Linksys source release which explicitly prohibit any redistribution, and this post regarding linksys.

In brief, what sveasoft is working on is a forked version of Linksys's source code release. Linksys's release was already highly questionable in regards to GPL compliance, since it does not include source code for all of the binaries included, particularly the wl.o module. In addition Linksys included in their source distribution a great deal of source code which claims to be proprietary and non-redistributable.

This is IMHO the elephant in the room that nobody's talking about, and it affects wifibox just as much as sveasoft.

I'd urge anyone interested in wrt54g development who is concerned about these GPL issues to check out OpenWRT, which aims to be a fully GPL-compatible clean-room implementation of Linux for this hardware (they use Linksys's modified version of the kernel, but not much else).

I'm sure I'm not the only one pissed at them. First, non-subscribers are not allowed to download the newest version of their firmware for the Linksys WRT54G wireless router. You must pay $20 for the prviledge or use the release that is about six months out of date. Fine, I understand that they have bills to pay too, just as long as they don't slip on the release schedule for the free version (blatant GPL violation non-withstanding).

Now, here's the part which burns me. As of last Sunday, access to the Sveasoft website has been discontinued for those not paying their $20 yearly fee. Before that, you could download the free version of their firmware from them or check out their forum for troubleshooting etc. No more. Non-subscribers can't even browse - instead we are told that "Sorry, but only users granted special access can read topics in this forum." Sveasoft says that we should try linksysinfo.org instead, yet the amount of information there is sorely lacking. Furthermore, the admin there would make George Orwell proud - any hearsay about Sveasoft will get your IP banned and your message promptly thrown into the void. Straight from the horse's mouth:

"It is not a "I hate Sveasoft for closing his site" debate. Anyone thinking and debating that issue will be have a Temporary ban, as I have better things to do than listen to people whinged about why sveasoft closed and the GPL Issues."

Sveasoft themselves tolerate no dissent either, a poster at linksysinfo.org reported that after reporting a bug in the firmware, they banned him for "an attempt to create a flame and is against our posting guidelines. Should you wish to create further problems I will contact the authorities in Germany and report that you are criminally trespassing in our computer systems. It is up to you. Go ahead - make my day." Yikes! Not very nice people, are they?

I could go on and on, like how Sveasoft masquerades as an average user in his forums and on linksysinfo.org helpfully suggesting we contribute $20 for their wonderful firmware (that's right, I'm talking about YOU Wolf!), but the fact is that this is totally against the spirit of Open Source and that it is a shame that such a promising project has been ruined by greed.

Sveasoft continues to push ahead with adding features and have discussed adding mesh functionality as long ago as January of 2004. If they could do this then it would extend the market for the Linksys WRT54G(S). This is all another example of how the GPL can benefit everyone: consumers get cheaper, fully-featured wireless routers, Linksys/Cisco get a larger market. Good thing that Rob Flickenger forced Linksys to live up to the GPL.

Sveasoft mesh discussion

From Broadcom's site:

Broadcom's new solutions provide the enhanced features, performance and software drivers required for the demanding enterprise WLAN market. The software has been extensively tested in system verification test labs at Broadcom and at customer sites. The BCM4306 and the BCM4309 incorporate hardware support for WEP and AES and system support for the leading security protocols, WPA, TKIP and 802.1x, and software can be upgraded to the forthcoming 802.11i security standard.

eth2: Broadcom BCM4306 Wireless 802.11b/g Controller 3.11.30.5 (Compiled in . at 17:23:17 on Feb 12 2003)

They COULD probably do it. Apparently, the hardware acceleration was in there all along.

Also see: Hardware specs

...is not vulnerable.

Its not that bad... The thing is a linux box, with an admin password.

If you did the right thing and changed you admin password, then what you've really got is a linux box on a wan, with a hard to guess password.

Besides which, your running the Sweadish firmware anyway arn't you. :-)

You can flash the firmware to one from sveasoft http://www.sveasoft.com and avoid the whole problem. You also get a nifty linux environ to work with.

The core firmware of these routers runs linux, and as such Linksys was compelled to offer the source code back to the community. Sveasoft was kind enough to modify the firmware using the provided source and to then provide compiled binaries and source back to the community.

Now they've changed their model somewhat. Currently you can only download the binaries and source for the older versions of the firmware. To access any of their newer works, you have to pay them a $20/year subscription fee. Once you've ponied up the $20, you can download the new sources and binaries.

While the GPL allows for this sort of action, it's their policing of it that makes me uncomfortable. You can download the code and binaries and post them on a website, but if they figure out which user did this they will cancel your subscription. If you post links in their forums to download sites for their new version your subscription is cancelled, your forum account suspended, and the post is deleted.

What they've done is to take a GPL-covered firmware, improve it, charge $20 for access to it, and then do anything they can to censor any action of sharing that code. While their actions still obey the letter of the GPL, I can't really see that it is in keeping with the spirit of the free software movement.

Sveasoft's FAQ about charging $20 for GPL software and canceling accounts that are caught distributing the software: http://www.sveasoft.com/modules/phpBB2/viewtopic.p hp?t=1259