Third-party firmware projects

Although listed here under Linksys, many of these will run on other brands of Linux-based devices, such as the Buffalo network-attached storage series. The extent of support for (and testing on) particular hardware varies from project to project.

• Major Projects
  • DD-WRT Paid and free versions available. Include lots of different features.(Linux/GPL)
  • HyperWRT Thibor Firmware based on stock WRT54GS firmware, HyperWRT +tofu and other additions.
  • OpenWrt A very customizable firmware written from scratch with a JFFS2 file system for package management aimed mostly toward advanced users.(Linux/GPL)
  • X-Wrt Extension of OpenWrt for the end-user with a web-management console with more than 40 control and status pages for a router.(Linux/GPL)
  • Sveasoft Paid and free versions available. Latest versions available via subscription.
  • Tomato HyperWRT-based firmware aimed to be easy, stable and fast. Features advanced QoS and a number of web innovations such as Ajax and SVG graphs. The Tomato Manual is available at Wikibooks. (Linux/GPL)

• Minor projects
  • BatBox - RAM based distribution for experimenting, does not change firmware
  • Bluebox - Automatic open Internet scanning and bridging software that runs on WRT54G with OpenWRT.
  • Chillispot - Captive portal software that runs on WRT54G and other platforms, available under GPL
  • Earthlink's IPv6 Firmware - IPv6 feature added to original Linksys firmware (beta-test version)
  • EzPlanet - Enhanced firmware based on DD-WRT v24 and including Layer 2 Load Balancer
  • FON - Chillispot-based worldwide Hotspot network. After unsuccessfully attempting to develop a version that supports 2 SSIDs (one private, one public), FON abandoned the WRT54G series, and now distributes a router called La Fonera, which does support 2 SSIDs.
  • FreeWRT - Experimental firmware based on OpenWrt.
  • Freifunk - German software supports wireless mesh networks with OLSR, based on OpenWrt
  • Meraki - Mesh Networking Wifi AP developed thru Roofnet project, based on OpenWrt.
  • PacketProtector - OpenWrt-based security distribution that includes IDS, IPS, VPN, and web antivirus capabilities
  • TinyPEAP - Secure wireless authentication feature added to Linksys firmware
  • WiFi-Box - No documentation available as of January 2006.
  • Neighbornode
  • Tarifa - Based on stock WRT54GL firmware.
  • WiFiDog Captive Portal - WiFi Dog by Ile Sans Fil, a Captive Portal software that runs on the OpenWrt platform
  • WifiTastic - Hotspot solution for home or small business use. Features credit card billing. Runs on the OpenWrt platform.
  • Wirds.net A project which uses freifunk firmware with chillispot captive portal and worldspot.net authentication.

• Deprecated projects (no longer maintained)
  • EWRT - Enhanced WRT, with integrated captive portal based on NoCatSplash
  • HyperWRT - Original power boost firmware project by Avenger 2.0 to stay close to official WRT54G and WRT54GS firmware but add features such as transmit power, port triggers, scripts, telnet, etc.
    • HyperWRT +tofu - Based on stock WRT54GS firmware, HyperWRT and some additions.