Homemade linksys router?

[SlackJaw]

Linksys has released an open source version of their router (WiFi) firmware and ported it to run on x86 systems, be it nix or windows....

Why would they do that? What's in it for them? Won't that curttail router sales? Aren't they now owned by Cisco? Of couse these are rhetorical questions before I get dev/nulled for "not researching" but I want to open a dialog to get insights and perspectives...as I don't see the reasoning.

I've used smoothwall for routing purposes for years, but I'm all for a gui and easy administration. That is if this open source version is similar to their off the shelf routers.

[DaKahuna]

Re: Homemade linksys router?

I've used smoothwall for routing purposes for years, but I'm all for a gui and easy administration. That is if this open source version is similar to their off the shelf routers.

I use PfSense and love it. It's based on BSD and has a number of packages which can be readily added using the WebConfigurator. Plus if you want, you can run it from a CD or can do a permanent install to a hard drive.

[Thorn]

Re: Homemade linksys router?

Why would they do that? What's in it for them?

Well, for one thing, they just got you to provide a small, but free, advertisement for them. Think of all the other postings on all the other boards where similar posts have been made.

That's a lot of name recognition directly to computer users.

[SlackJaw]

Re: Homemade linksys router?

Well, for one thing, they just got you to provide a small, but free, advertisement for them. Think of all the other postings on all the other boards where similar posts have been made.

That's a lot of name recognition directly to computer users.

Point noted, but I can't see any sales benefit to Cisco. On further investigation, it looks like it's a release from an older router firmware, and they said wireless won't work "yet."

By the way Frank, as the resident wireless guy, couldn't one still use an AP to gain wireless with this homemade router? This would do me no good without wireless.

Good to hear from you again Frank....

tommy

[Thorn]

Re: Homemade linksys router?

Point noted, but I can't see any sales benefit to Cisco. On further investigation, it looks like it's a release from an older router firmware, and they said wireless won't work "yet."

By the way Frank, as the resident wireless guy, couldn't one still use an AP to gain wireless with this homemade router? This would do me no good without wireless.

Good to hear from you again Frank....

tommy

With the caveat that I haven't seen the actual release, in general any AP wired to a router should provide a wireless segment to that router.

It's good to see you back, Tommy.