So you want to install OpenWRT and after some looking at OpenWRT’s hardware compatibility list You realize a couple of things.

First you realize that you’re not one of the lucky few who just randomly happen to already have a router model with a revision that will work with OpenWRT

Second, as you glance over the list you realize that there are a lot of places where a router model with revision 1, 2, 3, and 4 will work, but revision 5 is completely unsupported. Which means that if you pick up a new router in a store… and it’s not been sitting around on the shelves for a long time… You probably wont be able to use the new router iether

Third you realize that there isnt any documentation on OpenWRT’s site which says “go here, and buy this router if you want to use OpenWRT”

So, where does that leave you? Well… at this blog entry of course. After doing some serious list searching, and window shopping I’ve found that you can, in fact, go to the store and pick up an OpenWRT compatible router right now!

As of Sunday, March 12, 2006 you can go to Fry’s electronics and pick up iether of these routers — brand new. The Linksys WRT45GL ($80 at Fry’s last time I looked), and the Linksys WRTSL54GS ($140 at Fry’s last time I looked) routers.

Sounds like an easy decision to make, doesnt it? $80 or $140?! $80 router and I’ll be on my way, thanks… right? Well, not so fast, you see the $140 router has one feature which *greatly* expands its usefulness: USB. With the $140 router you can connect USB disc drives to it, and use it for a Network Attached Storage device, or one of so many other juicy possibilities…