HomeSearchMerchandiseAboutMichael HorowitzMy Computerworld Blog

Linksys WRT54G WiFi Router Gripes

These gripes are about the Linksys WRT54G router. It supports WiFi B and G only (not A, not super-G, not Pre-N, not...) 

Firmware Update

November 5, 2005. Updating firmware in a router should be simple, easy and quick. Not with this one.

On Linksys.com it was pretty easy to find the web page for WRT54G which offers downloads for the router. However, the only downloads available are for version 5, which I don't have. Then its off to the downloads page (Support -> Technical Support -> Downloads). More trouble. As shown below the drop-down list box of all Linksys products has eight separate entries for the WRT54G router. Eight! Only two of them show the version number. What gives? I email tech support at  support@linksys.com   

Me to Linksys:  "I am confused by the many different firmware updates available for the many different versions of my WRT54G router. The web page for the router takes me to firmware only for version 5, which I don't have. Your download page had multiple entries for this router all with the same name and no version number. How can I find the latest firmware?"

 Linksys to me: 

Why do you want to update the firmware? Linksys do not recommend to update the firmware if there is nothing wrong the router. With regards to the download. You can download the router’s firmware from our website www.linksys.com/download and make sure of the correct model number and version of your router. (You can verify this by checking out information on the bottom of the device on the black sticker). 
Reah Trinidad (Badge ID 19108)

This response is all but insulting in its stupidity. No, I take that back, it is insulting. Back to tech support. The next response (on November 7, 2005) was: 

If there is no version number beside the model number of the router on our download page that means that the firmware for this device is backwards compatible to the other Linksys WRT54G series except for version 5. The firmware file is 4.20.7.
Reah Trinidad (Badge ID 19108) 

Other WRT54G Gripes

Other routers can find the right firmware file automatically making the above unnecessary. I have a Belkin WiFi G router that does so.  

The WRT54G administration web application has no logoff function. Every other router I've seen has this, it's a security feature. The WRT54G also does not allow you to set a timeout value. That is, after logging in to the router, if you don't use the admin application for a period of time, the router should log you off. Other routers do, this one does not.