Best custom firmware for routers?

[OrangePulp]

I got a Linksys WRT54GL for christmas, to replace my aging piece of shit router, and I'm planning on putting custom firmware on it. DD-WRT is the only one I know about, but apparently there are others. Anyone have any thoughts/advice on this?

[Disgustipated]

I use DDWRT with my Buffalo G54S, and it's awesome. Way too many options, a networking nerd's dream. Easy to set up too.

[Slack3r78]

I still need to get around to migrating my Home Networking FAQ (http://www.playitreviewit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131) over here from PiRi, but it depends on what you're looking to do.

I'm increasingly of the opinion that Tomato (http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato) is probably the best firmware for home use for anybody that's not a hardcore networking geek. Just about any option you could want on a home network with a top-notch interface.

I use DD-WRT on business installs just in case I need some of the more advanced features, but I run Tomato at home these days.

[Crittias]

What does Tomato do for an average home user that the original firmware doesn't offer?

[Slack3r78]

What does Tomato do for an average home user that the original firmware doesn't offer?
Tx boost, QoS, real-time bandwidth tracking, static IP assignment via DHCP, far better stability than many stock firmwares, etc.

Really, the 'features' available in consumer-level firmwares are so inconsistent that Tomato usually fills at least some kind of hole.

[muddi900]

I just found out that my WRT54G has only 2MB flash. So only custom firmware I can use is DD-wrt micro. Is it worth it? Its been one of the biggest pain in my ass ever. It resets WPA keys, assigns same IPs to different systems, stops internet for everyone if a file is being transffered over the network,etc.

Help ME!

[Stmfuller]

IMO, you might as well flash to the current version of your router's firmware and leave it as is.
If you wanted a hardcore router, honestly you should have just bought one :)
Although, I could use some QoS for my vonage phone :/

[Slack3r78]

IMO, you might as well flash to the current version of your router's firmware and leave it as is.
If you wanted a hardcore router, honestly you should have just bought one :)
Although, I could use some QoS for my vonage phone :/
Well, the fact of the matter is that none of the companies that sell these routers are the ones that design the actual hardware anyway. They're all using the same hardware from a handful of vendors with branded software sitting on top, and, as a rule, they really don't put that much effort into their inhouse firmwares. There's no real difference to speak of between, say, a WRT54G v4 and a Buffalo WHR-G54S even though the Buffalo has a lot more features from the factory. Buffalo just put a little more work into their inhouse firmware (and they've actually been shipping units with DD-WRT preloaded for some time).

Point being that the reason third party firmwares are so popular is because spending hundreds of dollars on a 'hardcore' router is kind of ridiculous when a ~$50 piece of hardware is entirely capable of doing the same things.

[Slack3r78]

I just found out that my WRT54G has only 2MB flash. So only custom firmware I can use is DD-wrt micro. Is it worth it? Its been one of the biggest pain in my ass ever. It resets WPA keys, assigns same IPs to different systems, stops internet for everyone if a file is being transffered over the network,etc.

Help ME!
The V5+ ships with some pretty notoriously buggy firmware. DD-WRT micro obviously isn't going to be as feature rich as it is on better hardware, but it can be more stable than the crappy VxWorks firmware Linksys ships with it. We'd need to know the exact version number of your unit before I could really give any more advice, though.

[Stmfuller]

Point being that the reason third party firmwares are so popular is because spending hundreds of dollars on a 'hardcore' router is kind of ridiculous when a ~$50 piece of hardware is entirely capable of doing the same things. Of course if your flashing the software fucks up the router, you're sol and your $50 router just became a $100 router...

but who's counting? ;)

[Slack3r78]

Of course if your flashing the software fucks up the router, you're sol and your $50 router just became a $100 router...

but who's counting? ;)
Which is still cheaper than a 'high-end' consumer router which will be less capable than a cheap unit running a third party firmware.

And not that anybody's keeping count, but my personal flash count is into the dozens at this point without a bricking. ;)

(Closest I've come to bricking a unit was the router I had outside acting as a bridge that got rained on before I had a chance to cover it. I actually disassembled that one and stuck the PCB in the oven at like 150 for a few hours and son of a bitch if it doesn't still boot. The ethernet controller is shot, but it'll work as a wireless repeater still. :p)

[muddi900]

The V5+ ships with some pretty notoriously buggy firmware. DD-WRT micro obviously isn't going to be as feature rich as it is on better hardware, but it can be more stable than the crappy VxWorks firmware Linksys ships with it. We'd need to know the exact version number of your unit before I could really give any more advice, though.

it's a V5. My cousin has the same router and it has brought him to tears. It's the most constipated piece of electronics I've ever seen. And I'm an electronics student!

[Slack3r78]

it's a V5. My cousin has the same router and it has brought him to tears. It's the most constipated piece of electronics I've ever seen. And I'm an electronics student!
The v5 has been around for a while and the flash process for it is very well documented at this point. What used to take cracking the case open can now be done through a multi-step flash process. It's more of a pain than on most routers, but it can be flashed with DD-WRT micro relatively safely. Just make sure you read all the instructions carefully before you start the flashing process.

[muddi900]

The v5 has been around for a while and the flash process for it is very well documented at this point. What used to take cracking the case open can now be done through a multi-step flash process. It's more of a pain than on most routers, but it can be flashed with DD-WRT micro relatively safely. Just make sure you read all the instructions carefully before you start the flashing process.

I think I'll try it on my cousins router first. if it bricks, he was gonna buy a new one any way.