How to Enhance Your Router With Open-Source Firmware

04.08.2012
As the number of connected devices in our homes and offices continues to multiply, the limitations of many consumer-grade broadband routers become increasingly apparent. Not so long ago, many users had just one or two systems connected to the Web through their router. But today, many users have multiple smartphones, tablets, printers, laptops/notebooks, and desktop systems connected to their routers, along with such consumer electronics devices as Blu-ray players, HDTVs, and game consoles.

When a basic broadband router has to juggle so many connected devices simultaneously, bad things can happen. If you're lucky, everything works; but for many routers, the load that the connected devices impose becomes excessive, resulting in poor performance or instability.

One potential solution is a drastic upgrade to open-source firmware that can increase the performance and enhance the stability of many routers, and also add lots of new features.

Flashing open-source firmware on a broadband router isn't particularly difficult, but the broad range of routers currently on the market means that the process varies from one device to another. If you decide to give open-source router firmware a try, we strongly recommend that you conduct all of your research and obtain all of the files necessary for completing the task before making a single modification; a little prep work will help ensure that the process goes smoothly.

The crucial first step is to confirm that the firmware you plan to install supports your router. We'll focus on using the excellent, open-source firmware DD-WRT here, but other good options, such as Tomato, are available as well. Though DD-WRT and Tomato aren't related, their device support and installation processes are similar. You can find plenty of information at the and on the ; in addition, consider running a few Google searches to see what other users' experience has been with using open-source firmware on a particular router. Numerous sites across the Web are devoted to open-source firmware, and it's a good idea to consult a number of them to make sure that users are having good experiences.