Netgear intros 802.11n Wi-Fi router with Linux
updated 10:05 am EDT, Mon October 5, 2009
Netgear bows Linux-based RangeMax router
Netgear this morning challenged Cisco in customizable routers with a new Linux-based RangeMax model. The WNR3500L has the same 802.11n Wi-Fi, gigabit Ethernet and USB device sharing as the regular WNR3500 but runs on an open-source Linux platform and will take common unofficial router firmware like DD-WRT, OpenWRT and Tomato. These give it much more customization than the proprietary OS and can bring features that Netgear wouldn't introduce itself.
To help, the new RangeMax has a 480MHz MIPS processor with 8MB of flash and 64MB of RAM that combined should help run more strenuous network tasks.
Out of the box, the router can reach up to 350Mbps in peak conditions and supports up to WPA2 security. It can help DLNA and UPnP devices share their media over the network, and its USB port can be used both to share an external drive through those standards or as general attached storage. The port can also recognize cellular modems and is optionally usable for other purposes with modified firmware.
Netgear anticipates the WNR3500L shipping sometime this fall for $140.
like what?
10/05, 10:17am (1 reply) reply
Can someone offer some examples of what one might do with flexibility?
malax
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2006
@ malax
10/05, 10:56am reply
Google is your friend, but so are we, so here are links to the wikis for both projects. You're basically running a superslim linux and customizing a server (before dedicated routers, many people would use a computer for sophisticated routing/firewall tasks). These are amazing projects, it isn't applicable on all routers, and even when applicable may not be the most desirable option depending on your needs, but may, for one thing, be far more reliable in addition to the customizations possible:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato_%28firmware%29
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
emark
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2001
Time Machine
10/05, 12:15pm reply
Anyone know if Time Machine works with USB storage attached to this router?
derbbre
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Oct 2000