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30 | MAXIMUMPC | JUL 08 | http://www.maximumpc.com
JOURNEYMAN
Upgrade Your Linksys RouterN
avigating through a router’s multitude of
menus and confi guration settings can be con-
fusing, especially given the obtuse documen-
tation typically bundled with the device. That’s why
we prefer third-party open-source fi rmware, which
not only streamlines a router’s graphical user interface
but also adds robust functionality. For .inksys routers,
our fi rmware of choice is Tomato (www.polarcloud.
com/tomato). As with all third-party fi rmware up-
grades, installing Tomato does come with a slight risk
of damaging your router. While we’ve never had any
problems with this soft ware, it’ll defi nitely void your
router’s original warranty.
First, verify that your router is compatible with
Tomato. Older W4T54G and W4T54GS models
(versions 1 to 4) will work, as will all versions of the
W4T54G. series, which we recommend (image A). A
list of compatible routers
is on the Tomato website.
Download the latest
fi rmware and unpack
it to your desktop.
Access your router’s
settings with an Internet
browser (the default IP is
192.168.1.1) and click the
Administration tab. Un-
der Firmware Upgrade,
browse to the unpacked
fi rmware folder and pick
the matching fi rmware
type—the Tomato pack-
age includes diff erent
versions of the fi rmware
for diff erent .inksys
router models. Hit Apply
and wait while yourrouter’s fi rmware
is fl ashed. Don’t
disconnect power to
the router during this
upgrade.
Once the upgrade
is fi nished, go back into the router confi guration and
you’ll be greeted with the new interface. If your pre-
vious username and password don’t work, try using
“admin” (without the quotes) in both forms to get in.
We recommend using Firefox to access the GUI to en-
able all of its features. The newest version of Tomato
automatically migrates all of your router settings so
you don’t have to reconfi gure your network.
To boost your router’s wireless signal, go to the
Advanced menu and select the Wireless section.
From there, you can adjust the router’s “Transmit Pow-
er” value to any number between 1 and 251 (default
is 42). We don’t recommend setting a value higher
than 70, since sending stronger signals can overheat
the router (image B). From this menu, you can also
adjust the maximum number of wireless clients and
the transmission rate of your wireless network.
Within the Bandwidth menu, you’ll fi nd access
to bandwidth monitoring, which lets you scrutinize
traffi c usage for every wired or wireless connection
to your router (image C). Combine this information
with the new Access 4estriction options and you’ll be
able to ensure that your kids aren’t playing World of
Warcraft in the middle of the night.
Enabling 3uality of Service mode (under the
3oS menu) will let you prioritize traffi c going
through your router depending on the size of data
packets and network protocol (i.e., http vs. ft p). Sort-
ing 3oS Classifi cation is a complicated
process, so you should refer to Tomato’s
online documentation to fi nd out what
settings will be appropriate for your
particular setup.
You can also turn your router into
a wireless Ethernet bridge, which lets
it act as a wireless network hub for de-
vices that lack wireless network cards,
such as the Xbox 360. Under Basic
Network settings, scroll down to Wire-
less Mode and select Wireless Ethernet
Bridge. Under SSID and Security, enter
the name and network key for your
wireless network. With these settings
saved, you can plug wired devices into
the bridge and tap your home’s wireless
network—perfect for streaming moviesonline documentation to fi nd out what
settings will be appropriate for your
particular setup.
You can also turn your router into
a wireless Ethernet bridge, which lets
it act as a wireless network hub for de-
vices that lack wireless network cards,
such as the Xbox 360. Under Basic
Network settings, scroll down to Wire-c
a
Download the latest
fi rmware and unpack
it to your desktop.
Access your router’s
settings with an Internet
browser (the default IP is
192.168.1.1) and click the
Administration tab. Un-b