Supercharging Your Home Router - What You Said

Enhancing Home Router Performance: Reader Insights

Recently, we solicited feedback from our audience regarding methods they employ to optimize their home routers. The following compilation presents the responses received, detailing how readers are boosting their router capabilities.

The Prevalence of Custom Firmware

When it comes to router customization, custom firmware is the dominant approach. A significant number of respondents emphasized the advantages offered by utilizing custom firmware on their devices. Kevin, for instance, manages his entire extended Wi-Fi network utilizing DD-WRT.

My primary router is a Linksys model running DD-WRT. It handles Quality of Service (QOS), a personal VPN, port forwarding, and the management of my Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPOE) connection. (The DSL modem operates in bridge mode and remains entirely passive.)

I also have several additional Linksys routers with DD-WRT functioning as wireless bridges. One of these is connected to a pair of inexpensive Ubuntu servers that provide network storage and perform nightly, on-site data backups. Currently, I am seeking a cost-effective off-site backup solution.

Trevor pointed out that the popularity of DD-WRT has led Buffalo to begin pre-installing it on their routers:

I initially installed DD-WRT on my Buffalo router and found it to be excellent. Buffalo now ships routers with DD-WRT pre-installed, providing both superior hardware and firmware out of the box. I configured mine for remote access using DynDNS to avoid IP address management, and then set up all my computers and the router for VNC and other remote access needs.

Similar to Kevin, Daymon also utilizes additional routers to extend wireless coverage:

I implemented a simple Wi-Fi repeater in the center of my home. This ensures the main router maintains a strong signal in the front of the house, while the repeater amplifies that signal, providing good coverage in the rear and even extending to the deck!

Being wireless and requiring only a power source, it’s easily concealed. I retained the original router’s SSID, appending “EXT” to indicate an extended network.

Tomato Firmware: A Strong Contender

While DD-WRT garnered considerable attention, Tomato also received praise. LVDave shared his experience:

Simply put: Tomato! My Linksys WRT54GL experienced a dramatic improvement switching from the stock Linksys firmware to Tomato – it was a complete transformation. I’ve experimented with DDWRT and others, but ultimately returned to Tomato. In my opinion, it’s the best firmware for a Linksys router.

Brodiemacnic expressed his fondness for Tomato but noted a desire for broader hardware support:

Throughout the years, I’ve used both Tomato and DD-WRT on various routers, primarily Linksys WRT54G and Asus models. I find Tomato to be the most user-friendly, even discovering a customized version that supports USB on the Asus router. It functions well for network printing, but I’ve encountered some difficulty utilizing it for shared network storage. DD-WRT offers a wider range of features, but requires a deeper understanding to effectively manage.

I truly hope Tomato expands its router compatibility. It’s unfortunate that it doesn’t support a greater number of devices.

DIY Router Solutions

Rothbart took a unique approach, constructing his own router using a custom configuration:

I am currently using Astaro Security Gateway on a dedicated machine with dual network interface cards. This functions as a comprehensive router, security gateway, firewall, content filter, antivirus scanner, and versatile utility.

And… it’s completely free. The only requirements are a spare machine and electricity to operate it, which I believe is a worthwhile investment.

For additional tips and insights from our readers, please visit the original discussion thread here.