Easy Step to Upgrade LinkSys WRT54GL with DDWRT

LinkSys WRT54GL is one of the wireless router that is popularly use as Wireless Access Point. In this article I want to share my experience when upgraded the router firmware with DDWRT. Before I upgrade the router firmware, may be there are some terms that must be known:

• What is Firmware
  In electronic systems and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic or computer device such as a router or cell phone.
• What is DD-WRT
  DD-WRT is an open-source alternative firmware for routers. The firmware is maintained by BrainSlayer and is hosted at dd-wrt.com
• Why Upgrade LinkSys Firmware
  Upgrading firmware with DDWRT can unlocks features that aren’t present on all routers like static routing, VPN, repeating functions, the list goes on. It also unlocks settings that aren’t accessible normally, like antenna power and overclocking.
• Installing programs on a router, known as firmware, are achieved by a method calledflashing.

Easy Steps To Upgrade Linksys Wireless Router WRT54GL with DDWRT Firmware

1. Find the lates & stable version of DDWRT firmware for LinkSys WRT54GL athttp://www.dd-wrt.com/site/support/router-database .
2. Download Mini Generic and Standard Generic Firmware
3. Connect your LinkSys WRT54GL (ethernet port) to your Computer. As default the router have IP Address: 192.168.1.1 and subnet mask 255.255.255.0, so you can make static your computer IP Address to Class C IP Address for example 192.168.1.100 or assign automatically by DHCP from router it self .
4. Open router web interface by type 192.168.1.1 on your browser. As default you can use User Name: admin and Password: admin to log on.
5. Go to Administration, Choose Firmware Upgrade, click Browse and find Mini Genericfile (dd-wrt.v24_mini_genericbin). Klik Upgrade.
   
   
   
   
   Note: It's important: "Do not click on any other link on the web interface. Just wait until the upgrade is completed !!"
6. Do Hard Reset by push switch reset on the back panel of the router for several second. For monitor the router connectivity you can use the ping command: ping 192.168.1.1 -t.
7. Go back to your router web interface. For fist use you must change username and password for your new router interface with DDWRT mini version.
8. Repeat step 5, but choose Standard Generic file (dd-wrt.v24_std_generic.bin) to upload. I use ping command to monitor my router as below:
   
   
   
9. Once again, wait until the upgrade process complete.

That's all the easy guide to upgrade LinkSys WRT54GL with DDWRT firmware. For complete tutorial you can find on my docstoc file. Thanks for visiting my "gaptek" blog.