Tomato (Toastman) for WRT54GL

[Kaos Kid]

I would like to try flashing my GL to a Tomato firmware to see what gains I can make. Googling has pointed me to the Toastman flavor, but looking at the dozens of possible firmware versions has my head spinning. I have updated the official Linksys firmware to 4.30.15 but now I'd like to go to the next level. Since I don't know much at all about routers other than what I have gleaned from the stock Linksys firmware (and little at that) I am hesitant to flash the router using aftermarket firmware and end up bricking it/having to do without WiFi on the three upstairs boxes (my wife and two kids will kill me, lol).

My query is: Who here has used or still uses Tomato on their Linksys WRT54G/GL routers, and what firmware revision are you using? Mine is mainly used as a Gateway for four wireless adapters--two that just mainly surf, one that is on my HTPC and one that is a bittorrent box and main surfer. Since limited finances preclude dropping $100 or more on a decent N router I would like to see how much more I can squeeze out of this WRT54GL before I have to get a faster router. I figure this router is already long in the tooth and I've never tried to max its potential maybe now is the time to take that chance, but would rather have the benefit of knowing that someone else has had good results with a certain firmware before I try it.
Thanks for any advice/help!

[Major_A]

Here's the only advice I can give you right now. If you can't afford to lose the hardware skip firmware. As careful and meticulous as you are being there's always the chance the flash goes sideways. If you can pick up a cheap wireless N router (you'll like the added signal distance/strength) then play with the old router.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6833704039
$26 and I think it supports DD-WRT or Tomato.

I think with the firmware you're looking to flash if you do get a new router you can turn your old one into a repeater and add signal strength to places where it didn't work before. Jeez that looks like a run-on sentence but I can't tell.

[Kaos Kid]

Thanks Major_A for the advice. The router really isn't performing too badly, my house isn't that big so I get fairly good signal anywhere in the house all things considered. I think it's just that when I see that some folks can get more out of it by using developer-modded firmware (plus up to 25% OC safely) then I get the itch to try it out as well, you know how that goes
I'm running mixed speeds (the kids' both have Linksys G adapters, the BT/surfer and the HTPC have Rosewill N's) so I had hoped that the boxes with the N adapters may get a bit of a boost with Tomato even if not their own full potential. I think even when I end up getting an N router I'll probably still play with flashing and OCing the G before I put it away as a backup. I guess if I ever got a laptop that I would want to take out on the patio then I may want extended range, but right now the G reaches to all my rooms adequately.

[Major_A]

I do know what you mean. We can't leave stuff well enough alone.

[kenc51]

Careful with overclocking them. They tend to lockup after sustained usage when run very hot.
I've a WRT54-GL and used "WRT-DD" on it for years.
The little Broadcom chip gets very hot even at default speeds.
Most users will open the router and stick on some heatsinks on the IC's
I even went as far as cutting out the vent holes on top of the router.


http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp12 ... /photo.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... LING_2.jpg

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/39 ... llix4.jpg/

Apart from that, hack away!
They are great little routers. If you have the time and patience, look into "OpenWRT" firmware.
It has a webGUI to configure it, but most of the config is CLI
WRT-DD & I think Tomato is based on OpenWRT.


Ken

[Major_A]

Snip...

LOL, that's one badass looking router.

[kenc51]

Snip...

LOL, that's one badass looking router.

Forgot to paint yellow lightning bolts down the side

[Major_A]

Lightning bolts easily add another 15 feet through concrete walls right?

[Kaos Kid]

That is awesome Ken, love the mods! Are you using thermal epoxy for those little heatsinks? If you are OCing, how high are you going? I found info that says the broadcom chips are underclocked at 200Mhz and are actually rated for 268 Mhz so 250 Mhz (25%) should be plenty safe--but then you never know until you try...

I think one reason my range is adequate is that signal only has to go through cheap carpet and OSB floor ;)

[kenc51]

Ohh, those pics are not mine. They're from a google search.

I think I had mine at ~270Mhz and used an old sckt478 (p4) cooler just cut to size for heat sinks, nothing as extreme as those pics.


Ken