Hacking the Linksys WRT54G

knightrdr writes "Robert X. Cringely has posted an interesting article on the PBS web site about modifying the Linksys WRT54G wireless G broadband router to build a wireless layer on top of the Internet. He argues that with as little as a $70 investment per node, the Sveasoft WRT54G Firmware could be the first in a line of many wireless devices to enable a giant leap forward for the Internet."

Dupe

[Ripplet]

The next article will be ready soon, but Slashdot editors can dupe it early! [slashdot.org]

Re:Cringely could be right

[millahtime]

broadband is easy to get. just live in an apartment where there are 3 or 4 unprotected wireless nodes.

Wireless G? Wireless B?

[JessLeah]

I feel like my intelligence is being insulted by the pervasive labeling of these devices by Linksys as "Wireless G" and "Wireless B" (as opposed to "802.11g" and "802.11b"). Why can't any technical term ever remain unadulterated by end-users and marketeers? Yeesh. What's next, they'll start referring to the "Linux Kernel 2.6" as "PenguinPopper 2004"?

The "penguin popper"

[16K Ram Pack]

Tux meets Goatse?

Re:Dump question about VOIP

[BrainGumbo]

You asked the question wrong. On Slashdot, if you wanted to find out how to do VOIP, you have to say:

"VOIP is a dead technology. You can't implement it. There aren't and headsets or software available, and it doesn't scale between countries well."

This will cause the modern geek to feel challenged, and he'll reveal your answers as he rebukes you.

Re:Wireless G? Wireless B?

[teasea]

Why can't any technical term ever remain unadulterated by end-users and marketeers?

That's an easy one. I am a programmer, and one thing I've learned; while engineers need to create terms to describe new concepts, they should be watched closely. All too often they create bizzarre strings of terms just to make a silly acronym. Worse, they keep inventing new terms so they can claim to have invented a new idea when the idea should come before the name.

I say leave the evolution of the English language in the hands of professionals. The Rap/Hip Hop community!

Let the cheap shots begin.

Re:Wireless G? Wireless B?

[jpellino]

Not at all.

Who wants to spout eight-oh-two-dot-eleven-gee when they can say "Wireless G".

Do you say "automobile" or "car"?

"Digital versatile disc" or DVD?

Do you tell people "the nerve signals from the trigone indicate that there is a need to toggle the state of the detrusor muscle and equalize hydraulic pressure so that osmotic filtering can maintain its normal rate"
or
"I gotta take a leak."

Re:Wireless G? Wireless B?

[sql*kitten]

All too often they create bizzarre strings of terms just to make a silly acronym

I named a couple of my projects "Asynchronous Replication System (Experimental)" and "Parallel Implementation for Maximum Performance" but both were caught by my manager before a customer saw them!

Re:Wireless G? Wireless B?

[the unbeliever]

When did Capcom get the job of naming new standards?

(to ruin the joke for clueless moderators: Capcom didn't learn how to count to three for a long time with Street Fighter. Street Fighter, Street Fighter 2, Street Fighter 2 Championship, SF2 Turbo, SF2 Super, SF2 Hyper, et al)

Re:Wireless G? Wireless B?

[VAXcat]

One of my pals managed to get a program he called the "Terminal Interchange Task" distributed at his company, before the managers noticed what the acronym would be...

Re:Wireless G? Wireless B?

[BradleyUffner]

I've got the reverse :) One day management decided to change the name of our group to "Spirent / Hekimian Informationg Technology Departent". We were quite happy to use the name, but one of the less fun-loving members of the department informed upper management what they had done. Needless to say, that name was never used.

Re:Cringely could be right

[bigpat]

"broadband is easy to get. just live in an apartment where there are 3 or 4 unprotected wireless nodes."

So far that arrangement was the best internet access I've had at home. I wish more of my current neighbors had access points, I'd gladly share to have all that combined bandwidth and flexibility back again.

Re:Wireless G? Wireless B?

[JessLeah]

Pentium, Pentium Pro, Pentium II, Pentium III, Pentium 4, Pentium 4 Extreme Edition...

Shit, if Intel invented numbers, we'd count like:

Zero, zero, one, two, three, four, five, five pro, five II, five III, five 4, five 4 extreme....