[Discuss] Linux box for under $20? TRENDnet

[tmetro-blu at vl.com (Tom Metro)]

Rich Braun wrote:
> On an impulse, I bought a wifi router at Microcenter a few days ago,
> thinking that heck for $25 I wouldn't mind have an upgrade from "g"
> to "n".
> 
> * The vendor supplies full GPL source code on its website
> * It's on the OpenWRT hardware compatibility list

About 2 years ago I applied the same reasoning to buying a TRENDnet
TEW-652BRP at Micro Center.


> Anyone else here have comments about the TRENDnet routers?

I reported my experiences with the TEW-652BRP on this list back around
the Fall of 2009/Winter 2010. In summary, I found that several devices
on my wireless network had trouble establishing a connection, even
though they worked flawlessly with the WRT54G I used previously.
Additionally, my N supporting clients saw no speed improvement over the
G connection they previously used.

I set up the TEW-652BRP to log to another server via syslog, and over
the course of the year I used it it captured kernel buffer overruns and
at least a few panics, requiring restarts.

Other than recommending a hard reset, TRENDnet support wasn't helpful.
(Which is consistent with the level of support they provide for their IP
cameras when I've tried reporting bugs or seeking workarounds for said
bugs.)

My WiFi network improved greatly when I switched to an ASUS RT-N16
running Tomato USB firmware.


> ...I found it interesting that prices for a "Linux box" have dropped
> below $20.

That's novel for a device claiming to support 802.11N, but otherwise
there have been several Linux-based routers at or near that price point.
Several of the ASUS models that used to be popular with 3rd party
firmware users were around that price.


> I don't yet see a reason to swap out the vendor's software for OpenWRT

Likewise, I ran it stock for the time I had it deployed, but now that it
is sitting on a shelf gathering dust, I ought to try loading a 3rd party
firmware onto it and put it to some use.

I wish Dnsmasq was designed to operate in a master/slave fail-over
arrangement. If it was, I'd set it up as a backup DHCP/DNS server.

 -Tom

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