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    WRT54GL - which firmware to boost reception?

    Discussion in 'Networking and Wireless' started by ricecell, Jun 1, 2007.

  1. ricecell

    ricecell Notebook Enthusiast

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    I have a DL-624 router. Works fine and everything. It's located in my basement and my laptop is in the main floor. Reception I get upstairs is 1-2 bars. I decide to get a WRT54GL just for the potential to get better reception. To my dismay, a non-(3rd party) firmware installed v1.1 linksys gives the same reception as my DL624 router. Now I move onto the next step - to install a firmware.


    So, which firmware is good for boosting reception? There's DD-WRT, tomato, and so much more.

    Noob questions regarding firmwares:
    - Does it void my warentee?
    - Can it be uninstalled?
    - Can I put in more than 1 firmware in my router?

    thanks
     
    ricecell, Jun 1, 2007
    #1
  2. hehe299792458

    hehe299792458 Notebook Deity

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    What do you mean you don't have a firmware installed? You can't even operate a router without one.
     
    hehe299792458, Jun 2, 2007
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  3. ricecell

    ricecell Notebook Enthusiast

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    No firmware installed as in no other firmware added besides the factory pre-installed firmware.

    Heh, I thought the pre-installed firmware didnt count
     
    ricecell, Jun 2, 2007
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  4. azntiger1000

    azntiger1000 Notebook Deity

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    It is still a firmware. What doesn't it count?
     
    azntiger1000, Jun 2, 2007
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  5. ricecell

    ricecell Notebook Enthusiast

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    Perhaps what I had in mind is a 3rd party firmware. The pre-installed firmware did not meet my expectations in terms of boosting reception.
     
    ricecell, Jun 2, 2007
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  6. wave

    wave Notebook Virtuoso

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    1. Yes it will void your warentee.
    2. Yes you can uninstall it so to say. You can get the original firmware or a different 3rd party firmware and flash that over it.
    3. 1 firmware at a time.

    With the 3rd party firmware you can boost the signal power. This gives you a little more range but doesnt make too much differance. You might need to get bigger antenna.

    DD-WRT is the best IMO.
     
    wave, Jun 2, 2007
    #6
  7. andyasselin

    andyasselin Notebook Deity

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    I second ddwrt you can boot power level in options pages
     
    andyasselin, Jun 2, 2007
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  8. azntiger1000

    azntiger1000 Notebook Deity

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    Yea I like ddwrt.
     
    azntiger1000, Jun 2, 2007
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  9. Skibums

    Skibums Notebook Evangelist

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    Larger antenna and the 3rd party firmware should give the signal boost you are looking for.

    These should work.
     
    Skibums, Jun 2, 2007
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  10. Grentz

    Grentz Notebook Evangelist

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    I would recommend DD-WRT. It has always worked very well for me and is a great firmware to use on the Linksys Models that are compatible with it.

    Lots of info/the download/stuff about it on its homepage:
    http://www.dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv2/ddwrt.php

    You will want to increase the Transmit power on the Advanced Wireless Tab (under the main category wireless) once you get DD-WRT installed on your router.

    If the router is in an airconditioned relativly cool area you can safely go up to about 180-200. If you do not have A/C or it is in a hotter place you should keep it at 120 or under. There is not a huge difference in performance between these (there is a big difference over the stock 28 though) and the higher the number (power) the more heat.
     
    Grentz, Jun 9, 2007
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  11. Greg

    Greg Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Don't worry about that odd post guys...it is taken care of and deleted. Thanks!
     
    Greg, Jun 9, 2007
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  12. brianstretch

    brianstretch Notebook Virtuoso

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    Most of these should work. I put a pair of 9dBi antennas on my WRT54GL. Note that the higher the dBi, the "flatter" the radiation pattern, so if you're trying to cover multiple floors rather than horizontal distance it isn't necessarily what you want. Most of the time it is.

    I'm using an old dd-wrt v2.4 beta build. Check this out:
    Code: 
    Firmware: DD-WRT v24 Beta (07/06/06) std
Time: 20:31:18 up 229 days, 3:30, load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00
    Pretty cool. It just keeps running and running...
     
    brianstretch, Jun 9, 2007
    #12
  13. Pitabred

    Pitabred Linux geek con rat flail!

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    I agree. I've got a second VLAN hooked up to a second WAP with my WRT54GL running DD-WRT, which sets up two separate DHCP pools. DD-WRT is awesome.
     
    Pitabred, Jun 11, 2007
    #13