[Discuss] Linux box for under $20? TRENDnet

[bogstad at pobox.com (Bill Bogstad)]

On Wed, Nov 9, 2011 at 12:30 PM, Tom Metro <tmetro-blu at vl.com> wrote:
> 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.
>

Interesting.  I have had that same model on my home network for about
the same time with no problems.  It also replaced a WRT54G.  I didn't
see any speed increases either, but I didn't even have any 802.11n
clients at the time.   One possible reason for different experiences
is that TRENDnet used that model number for two completely different
hardware versions.   I have the V2 hardware with the 2.00.22 firmware
revision.  While the V1 hardware is supported by alternative
firmwares, the V2 hardware does not.  It is just too different.   I
had originally bought it for experimentation purposes and I didn't
know there were two different hardware versions.  TRENDnet does
provide source code for at least some of their binary releases and I
was able to compile a new version from source which allowed me to
login via telnet.    In the end, I changed directions and used my
WRT54G for the experiment and the TEW-652BRP has been my home
network's gateway with stock firmware ever since.

I also have 4 or 5 TRENDnet gigabit dumb switches (5/8 port).   So
far, I have had one problem which seemed to be caused by one of the
switches.
I reconfigured my network to remove that switch and the problem went
away.  I'm not 100% sure the switch went bad (rather then a cable
problem), but I lean towards it being the switch at this point.

Bill Bogstad