Everyone likes being in control - we don't want to be told that we aren't allowed to do something with our own hardware. In this world of locked-down operating systems, proprietary software and rights-removed content, anything that gives us control over our hardware is a good thing.
One such area is the world of wireless router hacking. You might not have come across it before, but it's a well-established niche that provides fresh, Linux-powered firmware for a wide range of wireless routers, which wouldn't necessarily get updated otherwise.
It's something you should be interested in: it gives you total control over your wireless routers, and it's fun.
Suitably scared:
Before you dip a toe into these murky waters, you should be aware of the potential dangers. Router hacking isn't without its risks - if you try to flash a router with the wrong firmware, you'll brick it and end up with something that's about as useful as a concrete kite. Because of this, we strongly recommend that you don't try it if you only have one router to hand.
However, if you have a suitable old one lying around, you'll be able to revitalise it with a raft of new features that might even push your current router into the background.
The idea here is simple: you circumvent the firmware upgrade process of an existing router to inject and run your own feature-packed software.
WRT or WRT:
For our walkthrough, we're going to concentrate on DD-WRT, which tends to be more end-user orientated. Its main aim is to provide a working firmware that you can actually install.
OpenWRT takes a slightly more high-brow approach, wanting to provide framework and source code support for embedded devices that also happen to be gateways and wireless routers. Having said that, many devices have ready-compiled OpenWRT firmware, with comprehensive installation guides provided.
Going back to DD-WRT, the first and most important step is to identify your router's make and model. Make sure you've got the exact one - there may be several with similar model numbers and designs. Doing this will provide you with the correct firmware and tell you exactly how it should be installed.
It's important that you follow the installation instructions to the letter - if you're told to do a power cycle or reset, do it. These instructions are linked to clearing the NVRAM that stores tables and other settings. If these aren't cleared, they can play havoc with the new firmware, and cause you headaches trying to work out the source of the problem.
Failure state:
Oddly, it can be quicker to come from the other direction and check if you have an incompatible router. There's a list of known incompatible devices here.
There are some quick rules that can quickly eliminate certain models from your search. For the UK, it's important to note that routers with a built-in ADSL modem won't work for DD-WRT. Don't despair, though - owners of ADSL routers can try www.routertech.org, which supports various models that use the Texas Instrument AR7WRD platform. There's a list of compatible devices here. It isn't exhaustive, but it's worth a look.
Then router versions:
The first step is to identify your router. Go to www.dd-wrt.com/site/support/router-database and search for the make and model. It's not always straightforward - we had a Netgear WG602, which initially looked like it might be compatible. However, closer examination showed that it was an original v1 revision. The compatible v3 and v4 versions are white.
How to reset cycle:
Flash time:
For a number of routers, at this stage you can use the standard web-based interface to install the DD-WRT firmware provided by the database. Wait for it to install (up to five minutes), perform a hard reset and you're done. For our Linksys model, we also needed to use pre-install firmware, which sets the stage for the full firmware update.
The scary bit:
The final DD-WRT firmware is installed using a TFTP tool - a Windows GUI version is provided. Enter the 192.168.1.1 address, a blank password and choose the correct firmware. Power cycle the router, wait two seconds and click 'Upgrade'. Wait five minutes. If you can now access the router on 192.168.1.1, do a power cycle and a final 30-30-30 reset.
friends just you follow that easy to play in that router hack frimeware
No comments:
Post a Comment