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I'm aware of the giant Supported Devices list. I'm wondering which ones you all prefer (e.g., support for Mega install, cheap, reliable hardware, USB port, etc.)

I've used an ASUS WL-500G Premium for 1.5 years, but I've been eyeballing the WL-520gU recently.

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I've had great success with the WRT54GL v1.1 devices, as they have plenty of power for all of DD-WRT's advanced functions, and from what I've seen, run rock-solid for years on end. They require a mini (or micro) version of DD-WRT to first raise the allowed firmware size, followed by the full DD-WRT flash. While they can be a little pricier than other routers by a few dollars, the excellent performance and stability they afford can't be beat.

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  • A year or two ago, I tried OpenWRT before DD-WRT, and really disliked OpenWRT. I can't remember the specifics, but I think the features I wanted to use either didn't exist or weren't documented very well for OpenWRT at the time. DD-WRT seemed much better documented.
    – rob
    Nov 19, 2009 at 18:22
  • Although they are getting a bit dated now (no gigabit ports & no N wireless), they are still one of the most compatible and stable routers. You can run DDWRT, OpenWRT or Tomato. Some of the newer routers are not supported under all three.
    – hookenz
    Nov 29, 2011 at 2:14
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I've been using DD-WRT for more than 2 years now on a LinkSys WRT54G. Works like a charm. It covers all my needs for a basic WiFi router for home use, and if I plan to extend my network there are still many options I have not yet tried out.

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    This series of routers has worked great for me as well. It really helps to get the WRT54GL though if you can
    – bjtitus
    Jul 15, 2009 at 16:20
  • I keep hearing good reports about the hardware of the WRT54 line, but it's hard for me to know which particular version I'm buying (e.g., WRT54GS has at least 11 different versions) and they can have widely varying specs, RAM, flash, processor speed, etc.
    – hyperslug
    Jul 17, 2009 at 14:49
  • Search for openbox items, and check the version. I have wrt54gs v3. I personally prefer openwrt.
    – dlamblin
    Aug 5, 2009 at 6:54
  • @hyperslug as long as you take the WRT54GL you have one that can run it, as the GL is speciffically created for the linux community (that's what the L means, linux) you don't want any of the other ones ;) see also: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linksys_WRT54G_series#WRT54GL
    – alexanderpas
    Aug 5, 2009 at 17:26
  • I just wish the old faithful wrt-54g could be upgraded to N and 10/100/1000 for cheap... like with software or a hardware hack :)
    – ubiquibacon
    Jul 24, 2010 at 19:47
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I have set up about ~15 Buffalo WHR-HP-G54, 5 in a mesh network at my old workplace, 3 for WiFi client bridges and the rest as standalone routers for home, family and friends, all running DD-WRT.

It is not the most feature-packed router, but it's cheap and reliable and works very well with DD-WRT. All the networks I've done with them are effectively fire-and-forget. Never goes down or requires restarts, and the coverage is quite good for 802.11g when you boost the transmitter power (Default is 70mW, DD-WRT lets you boost it to 254, although I've only tried it with 100mW, since that is the highest radio transmitter strength allowed in Denmark without a special permit).

Buffalo actually ended up entering a partnership with DD-WRT, so WHR-HP-G54DD actually ships with DD-WRT installed, but I've never had one of those.

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  • This is what I have too, and am happy with it. It was recommended to me by someone else. Initially I ran DD-WRT but I've switched to Tomato.
    – endolith
    Nov 2, 2009 at 15:03
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i prefer openwrt because it is more customizable. It is more work to configure and doesn't have as nice a web interface, but it is very stable and you can do lots more with it.

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  • I'm curious, what have you done with it which you couldn't with DD-WRT?
    – Deleted
    Jul 29, 2009 at 21:18
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    i'm using it as a music server using mpd, a print server, a proxy for remote desktop using ultravnc repeater and an openvpn client to my work.
    – Robert Ivanc
    Jul 31, 2009 at 15:47
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I've had an Asus WL-520GU running tomato for over a year now and it's been rock solid. I also used three of them to setup a bridged network for a small shop. For the price it's a fantastic router. Though, as far as I know, the USB port doesn't work in any of the alternate firmwares.

Initially I installed dd-wrt and liked it, but I couldn't get the bridge mode working the way I wanted so I switched to Tomato.

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If you're looking for an 802.11n router, the WRT300n has worked well for me. I think the 350n may also work.

The dd-wrt page says that the firmware versions of these routers may cause issues so you should probably check into that if you get one of these.

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I like the Asus wl-520gU because it has a USB port and is usually cheaper than the WRT54GL, so you can run a print server with dd-wrt and presumably openwrt as well.

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I've used OpenWRT quite successfully on a Linksys WRT54G (v3).

The new feature in OpenWRT Kamikaze that allows you to start the machine in a "failsafe/fallback" mode (press the hardware reset button on boot) has been invaluable.

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I never used it, but FON is about to release their new Fonera 2.0N. If I understand correctly then this is also preloaded with OpenWRT (the current Fonera 2.0 surely is).

(Of course, you should only buy that if you're planning to open up your WiFi.)

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I believe that the Buffalo WHR-G125 is one of the cheapest DD-WRT supported routers around.

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i prefer tomato because i find it stable and beautiful. think os x for your router.

"Tomato is a small, lean and simple replacement firmware for Linksys' WRT54G/GL/GS, Buffalo WHR-G54S/WHR-HP-G54 and other Broadcom-based routers. It features a new easy to use GUI, a new bandwidth usage monitor, more advanced QOS and access restrictions, enables new wireless features such as WDS and wireless client modes, raises the limits on maximum connections for P2P, allows you to run your custom scripts or telnet/ssh in and do all sorts of things like re-program the SES/AOSS button, adds wireless site survey to see your wifi neighbors, and more."

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For owners of Linksys WRT54G family wireless routers look at the this link listing the many versions of the product family: http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/WRT54G

Some models are greatly modifiable and some not so much.

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