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Linksys WRT54G drops Linux

Posted by CowboyNeal on

avorobiev writes "WiFi Planet is running a story on all the advantages of Linux-based firmware for the Linksys WRT54G router. Little do they know that as of v.5 of the router Linksys dropped Linux and switched to VxWorks. And yes, they crippled the hardware (halved the RAM) so that third-party firmware can not be installed anymore."

11 of 72 comments (clear)

  1. So what? There is still a Linux flavoured product. by Narkov · · Score: 4, Informative

    Great article research. Linksys will/have released a Linux version and labled the packaging "Open Source". Here's the FCC information on the Linux device.

  2. WRT54GL by spiralscratch · · Score: 3, Informative

    Linksys is also coming out with the WRT54GL, which appears to simply be the WRT54G v4 hardware relabeled.

    The Italian Linksys site shows it (bring babelfish), but the US site does not yet, except for their GPL Code Center.

    More in this forum thread.

  3. Competition by adderofaspyre · · Score: 3, Informative

    There are many manufacturers out there that sell linux enabled routers. Linksys might lose a lot of sales over this move.

    1. Re:Competition by Sancho · · Score: 2, Informative

      Although Linksys was the beginning of running non-standard flash on off-the-shelf wireless routers, it is far from the pinnacle.

      My money's on the Asus WL-500G Deluxe Why? because although it does not have 8 megs of flash, it has USB ports. Two of them, if I'm not mistaken. With the OpenWRT project, you can actually include the USB mass storage driver and plug a flash device (or a USB hard drive, I suppose) into this thing and have just about all the storage space you could want.

      Of course, you can do this with NFS on other routers, but that requires that the network is up and that the other machine is up. This is a simpler, safer solution, particularly if you want access to the filesystem immediately after bootup.

  4. Bad news by dimss · · Score: 2, Informative

    My co-worker has bought new Linksys. He wanted to install OpenWRT... Bad luck. It was ver.5 running VxWorks.

    Linksys running OpenWRT is nearly-perfect (and very inexpensive) universal CPE equipment for medium-sized ISP. Some ISPs in Latvia use hundreds of them. Here is one: http://nx.mpe.lv/

  5. Re:So what? There is still a Linux flavoured produ by Narkov · · Score: 2, Informative

    They AREN'T dropping support for Linux. They are releasing a separate model with Linux support and making the mainstream one a cheaper design. The product I linked to is a Wireless router that can, with the addition of the USB port, act as a NAS unit.

  6. Re:Understandable by DrSkwid · · Score: 4, Informative

    You do know that Cisco bought out Linksys?

    --
    There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
  7. Re:Understandable by indifferent+children · · Score: 2, Informative

    More importantly, Linksys didn't sell a $600 router, so they didn't lose any money when you made your Linksys router more powerful. Cisco does sell expensive routers (probably none quite as cheap as $600), so a re-flashed Linksys potentially costs them a lot of money.

    --
    Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it. --Mark Twain
  8. Lots of alternatives! by PastaAnta · · Score: 4, Informative

    There are lots of alternatives to the Linksys routers. A detailed list of routers compatible with the OpenWrt firmware can be found here.

    I have just bought a cheap ASUS WL-500g Deluxe router with two USB 2.0 ports, which can be used with storage devices, printers, webcams etc. With USB ports the possibilities are endless! Linksys seem to have been a bit slow to realise this anyway.

    --
    1. Re:Lots of alternatives! by commanderfoxtrot · · Score: 2, Informative

      I also have a WL-500g Asus router- it's fantastic. Very reliable, with full Linux and USB.

      I have disks and printers/scanners plugged in to mine.

      --
      http://blog.grcm.net/
  9. Re:How do I tell on the retail box if it's v5? by michaelredux · · Score: 4, Informative

    I'm going out to buy either a 54G or a 54GS this week, specifically so I can install something that is capable of bandwidth shaping certain IPs in my network, and so obviously I need to make sure I have the right firmware and hardware spec.

    The first 4 digits in the serial number (look on the box or the underside of the router) represent the hardware revision:
    CDF0 = WRT54G v1.0
    CDF1 = WRT54G v1.0
    CDF2 = WRT54G v1.1
    CDF3 = WRT54G v1.1
    CDF5 = WRT54G v2.0
    CDF7 = WRT54G v2.2
    CDF8 = WRT54G v3.0
    CDF9 = WRT54G v3.1
    CDFA = WRT54G v4.0
    CDFB = WRT54G v5.0

    CGN0 = WRT54GS v1.0
    CGN1 = WRT54GS v1.0
    CGN2 = WRT54GS v1.1
    CGN3 = WRT54GS v2.0
    CGN4 = WRT54GS v2.1
    CGN5 = WRT54GS v3.0
    CGN6 = WRT54GS v4.0

    (Source: http://wrt-wiki.bsr-clan.de/index.php?title=DD-WRT _Docu_(EN))

    As far as I know, the GS version still runs Linux, although it is typically $20 more.

    I used the information above to find the last WRT54G v4.0 on the shelf, mixed in with the newer v.5's at my local Office Depot.