Can open firmware increase the speed and strength of router?

[karunrox]

Hi Folk,
I have linksys wrt1900ac router. Actually m Noob in modding routers. Can open firmware increase the speed and strength of router? If yes then please Guyz suggest me which firmware should i use in linksys wrt1900ac.

 

[htismaqe]

Since you're a self-admitted novice, I would recommend against loading McWRT on your router. It's highly unlikely you'll see a performance increase anyway.

 

[stevech]

No. Open/custom firmware cannot change the hardware nor the laws of physics.
It used to bring features not found in common retail products.

The DD-WRT firmware, and others, mislead users in that it offers choices of transmitter power settings that exceed what the hardware can do, and exceed what the manufacturer's low level firmware will permit, so as to avoid transmitting a distorted signal.

 

[htismaqe]

No. Open/custom firmware cannot change the hardware nor the laws of physics.
It used to bring features not found in common retail products.

The DD-WRT firmware, and others, mislead users in that it offers choices of transmitter power settings that exceed what the hardware can do, and exceed what the manufacturer's low level firmware will permit, so as to avoid transmitting a distorted signal.

Not only that but often vendors will implement proprietary features or things that are otherwise not available in open source, meaning 3rd party firmware can actually decrease performance in some cases (see also: CTF).

 

[azazel1024]

Not only that but often vendors will implement proprietary features or things that are otherwise not available in open source, meaning 3rd party firmware can actually decrease performance in some cases (see also: CTF).

Change some cases to usually. There might be cases where that isn't true, but every test I've ever seen of 3rd party firmware (with possible exceptions of "mild" firmware, where most of the stuff is left untouched and it is about adding features on top of the existing firmware, such as Merlin's stuff from what I understand of it) has shown a decrease in wireless performance across the board (generally mild, and I am sure there are exceptions to everything). It can also often lead to a decrease in routing performance too (see missing secret sauce).

That said, it CAN sometimes be more secure, depending on the manufacturer and how well kept up the 3rd party firmware is. It can also sometimes add really nice features that a user may desire, but does not want to pay an arm and three legs to buy an etenterprise router to be able to get said features.

 

[stevech]

I think security in WiFi is just a matter of NOT letting the router phone-home to their management center. If vendor has that, don't buy.

And of course, use WPA-2 and change the password now and then.

 

[sfx2000]

One of the concerns/issues with third-party firmware is that these teams do not have the QA resources that the tier-one OEM's have - so they do depend on the developers doing their own QA, along with user reports.

There's some code that they don't necessarily have access to - esp. with regards to WiFi chipset drivers, where the OEM's may have access to closed source drivers that may have functionality and/or fixes that their open-source counterparts don't.

Not to say that McWRT variants are bad, generally they're pretty good - just be aware of what you're getting in to.

 

[AdvHomeServer]

A commenter in this space once wisely said "If It Ain"t Broke, Don't Fix It". I've stolen that piece of advice and now offer it as my own. (I doubt they made it up)

Alternate firmware is great for hobby purposes. It can also provide features you need that may not be available on stock firmware. It can also extend the life of an out of date router that otherwise functions well.

The trade off is that you are experimenting with the output from a one person shop, most likely. Your router depends on their obsession. These are smart people ... much smarter than me. Manufacturers have teams of people for programming and quality control. Manufacturers also decide on features needed to sell a product to the masses with an eye towards an eventual upgrade, not the uber techie. They also sometimes don't mind fixing it in the field, if needed. Some alternate firmware is not reliable. Some is rock solid with respect to the features some people need. Everything in life is a tradeoff.

Ask yourself, is this your hobby or will your wife and kids nag you endlessly when they can't log on to the internet or watch a movie from the server?

 

[AdvHomeServer]

No. Open/custom firmware cannot change the hardware nor the laws of physics.
It used to bring features not found in common retail products.

The DD-WRT firmware, and others, mislead users in that it offers choices of transmitter power settings that exceed what the hardware can do, and exceed what the manufacturer's low level firmware will permit, so as to avoid transmitting a distorted signal.

DD-WRT has issues but not necessarily that one. The TX setting is widely regarded at DD-WRT sites as one with concerns. Too high and you might burn out your router. Too low and you might not get through. Anyone who spends a few minutes looking it up will see references such as this.

DD-WRT releases support so many routers that it's apparent that it can't do all things well. In the DD-WRT forums, some names pop up frequently as problem routers while many others rarely get mentioned. I've seen some releases work well on my retired WNDR3400V1 while others won't let the 2.4GHz radio run, causing a case of NO throughput as opposed to slow throughput. They recently changed from an OLDD / NEWD arrangement to one release and stability has become an issue. The forum makes it appear like it is still being worked out as new releases come out almost weekly. All alternate firmware is a risk, although some appears more reliable than others.

 

[stevech]

DD-WRT has issues but not necessarily that one. The TX setting is widely regarded at DD-WRT sites as one with concerns. Too high and you might burn out your router.

(emphasis mine).

No, you won't "burn out" the router. The manufacturer's firmware for the radio simply ignores DD-WRT or other if it asks for more power than can be supported by the hardware and also while preserving signal distortion requirements. There is so much poppy-cock ill-informed information on WiFi that it makes me sad.