Netgear KWGR614: "Open source router"

[blu at vl.com (Tom Metro)]

Netgear has a new wireless router out that they're marketing as an "open 
source" router. I guess they were envious of all the attention Linksys 
was getting.


http://www.netgear.com/Products/RoutersandGateways/GWirelessRouters/KWGR614.aspx
   OPEN SOURCE WIRELESS-G ROUTER KWGR614

   Open source code enables router customization for Linux developers and
   hobbyists

   Create firmware for specialized applications such as gaming, VoIP,
   security or increased signal strength

   Open-Source Wireless-G for Linux? developers and enthusiasts
     * Up to 2x the WAN-to-LAN throughput of other Wireless-G routers
     * Compatible with 802.11b/g/n networks

Oddly the US page seems to lack a link to the source code. But the 
German product page:
http://www.netgear.de/Produkte/Router/Wireless/KWGR614/index.html

has it in plain sight, and the link takes you to a page on the US site:

GPL Open Source Code for Programmers
http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/open_src.asp


A lot of the hits on the model number are in German, so I'm guessing it 
was released there first. For example, this news article:

http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/83573

Here's Google's translation:
http://xrl.us/KWGR614

   ...an adapted works ?CLinux (Kernel 2.4.26) and numerous programs like
   the slim Web server Boa, the DNS Proxy dnrd as well as various aids
   from the Busybox package on the KWGR614. In addition runs a Firewall,
   which network packages examined and protection from DOS attacks is to
   offer. By quality OF service (QoS) priorisiert routs besides speaking
   and other time-critical application data. ...works with 200 MHz of
   clocked RTL8651B with MIPS core as routing processor.

Yeah...sure, but you get the gist of it.


If you go to the WRT hardware table and search for KWGR614:
http://wiki.openwrt.org/TableOfHardware

It's listed as having a Realtek RTL8651B CPU running at 200MHz, 4MB
of Flash, 16MB of RAM, and a Realtek RTL8185 WiFi chip. The speed and 
memory are the same as the Linksys WRT54GL, which uses Broadcom chips.


Not much on the KWGR614 in the OpenWRT forums. This post:
http://forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php?pid=40644

complains that it lacks an MMU. I don't know if the WRT54GL's Broadcom 
CPU has an MMU, or what practical impact that has on likely applications 
you'd run on one of these devices.


Looks like they're selling for between $55 and $65:
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=KWGR614&btnG=Search+Froogle&lmode=online&scoring=p

which is in the same range as the WRT54GL.


While looking up the above stuff I also ran across mention of FreeWRT:
http://www.freewrt.org/trac/

a competing distribution to OpenWRT. It focuses on a more limited number 
of hardware platforms (just 3) and describes itself as an "appliance 
development kit." It's more about providing tools to assemble a custom 
distribution, than a general purpose distribution to enhance a stock router.

  -Tom

-- 
Tom Metro
Venture Logic, Newton, MA, USA
"Enterprise solutions through open source."
Professional Profile: http://tmetro.venturelogic.com/

-- 
This message has been scanned for viruses and
dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.