Linksys WRT54G v5.1

multiple revisions of this device, use caution

bg (G54)
Wireless-G Broadband Router
Wikipedia	Linksys routers
InfoDepot Wiki	Linksys WRT54G v5.1
3rd Party Firmware
dd-wrt	Supported
OpenWrt	Incompatible
Tomato any flavor	Incompatible
Gargoyle	Incompatible
Platform
Brand • Model • Rev	Linksys WRT54G v5.1
Serial number prefix	CDFC
FCC ID	Q87-WRT54GV5
Type	wireless router
Series	WRT54G
CPU1	Broadcom BCM5352E
CPU1 Type	BMIPS3300
CPU1 Speed	200 MHz
Flash1 Chip	Macronix MX29LV160CTTC-70G
Flash1 Size	2 MiB2,097,152 B <br />16,384 Kib <br />2,048 KiB <br />16 Mib <br />0.00195 GiB <br /> (Parallel)
RAM1 Size	8 MiB8,388,608 B <br />65,536 Kib <br />8,192 KiB <br />64 Mib <br />0.00781 GiB <br />
RAM1 Chip	SK hynix HY57V641620ETP-H
nvram Size	32K
ETH chip1	Broadcom BCM5352E
Switch	Broadcom BCM5352E
Ethernet Port Count	1-100MbE-WAN 4-100MbE-LAN
Wired Standard	IEEE 802.3/3u
802dot11 OUI: none specified
Stock bootloader	BSP
Stock FW OS	VxWorks
Expansion IF types	none specified
Power	12 VDC, 0.5 A
Connector type	barrel 5.5 mm (OD) 2.1 mm (ID) 9.5 mm (LEN)
Serial Port (UART)	yes, 10-pin header, unpopulated, , (115200 8N1)
JTAG Port	yes, 12-pin header, unpopulated
Other
3rd Party Firmware Support	DD-WRT • (List)
Radio 1
Chip1	Broadcom BCM5352E
Chip2	Broadcom BCM2050
Wireless interface OUI	none specified
Antenna Connector Type	RP-TNC
Wireless Standard	IEEE 802.11b/g
802.11g	up to 54 Mbps
802.11b	up to 11 Mbps
WiFi Operating Frequency	2.4 GHz
Radio cor_rev	9
Radio Capabilities	ap sta wet led wme 802.11d 802.11h rm cqa mbss4 afterburner acktiming
FCC ID Linksys WRT54G v5.0 Q87-WRT54GV5 Linksys WRT54G v5.2 Q87-WRT54GV5
CPU1 brand Radio1 chip1 brand Radio1 chip2 brand Linksys WRT54G v1.0 Broadcom Broadcom Broadcom Linksys WRT54G v1.1 Broadcom Broadcom Broadcom Linksys WRT54G v2.0 Broadcom Broadcom Broadcom Linksys WRT54G v2.2 Broadcom Broadcom Broadcom Linksys WRT54G v3.0 Broadcom Broadcom Broadcom Linksys WRT54G v3.1 Broadcom Broadcom Broadcom Linksys WRT54G v4 Broadcom Broadcom Broadcom Linksys WRT54G v5.0 Broadcom Broadcom Broadcom Linksys WRT54G v5.1 Broadcom Broadcom Broadcom Linksys WRT54G v5.2 Broadcom Broadcom Broadcom Linksys WRT54G v6.0 Broadcom Broadcom Broadcom Linksys WRT54G v7.0 Atheros Atheros Linksys WRT54G v7.2 Broadcom Broadcom Linksys WRT54G v8.0 Broadcom Broadcom Linksys WRT54G v8.1 Broadcom Broadcom Linksys WRT54G v8.2 Broadcom Broadcom Linksys WRT54G-TM Broadcom Broadcom Broadcom Linksys WRT54GH Ralink Ralink Linksys WRT54GP2 Marvell Marvell Marvell Linksys WRT54GP2A-AT Intel XScale Inprocomm RFMD

For a list of all currently documented Broadcom chipsets with specifications, see Broadcom.

For a list of all currently documented Linksys device with specifications, see Linksys.

• 54 Mbps - 2.4GHz 802.11g = G54 class

Overview

See also: Linksys WRT54G series

Links of Interest

• Version 5 And 6 Router Information

Flashing

Flashing DD-WRT

On the DD-WRT Wiki

 

IN SPITE OF SOME OTHER INSTRUCTIONS ELSEWHERE, YOU REALLY NEED TO CREATE A CUSTOM VX Image for your router. If you don’t you will get a generic MAC address on your router and a generic MAC address will mean most ISP won’t let you connect to the Internet. Here is how to do it properly:

Download the zipped files in GV5Flash.zip

Or you can download the same file from me here: Gv5Flash.zip

1. Read the peacock announcement found here: http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=51486
2. Do a Hard reset or 30/30/30 on the router according to note 1 of the peacock announcement (30/30/30)
3. Set a static IP on your computer to 192.168.1.7. Subnet mask should be 255.255.255.0.
4. Connect the LAN cable from your computer to a LAN port of your router. Make sure your router is plugged in. Nothing should be connected to your computer or the router except the LAN cable between them. Turn your firewall and any wireless computer connections OFF.
5. Unzip the file you downloaded and place it in a location you can easily find on your computer.
6. Unzip the VXImgToolGui.zip file to the same folder as where you placed the other files you downloaded.
7. Start VXImgToolGui.exe.
   1. Make sure the top button is on the left for WRT54G, not the right for WRT54GS.
   2. Put the MAC address from the bottom of your router in the box that says "Desired MAC".
   3. Click on the three dots next to "output image" and save the file as My54gImage.bin in the same folder as everything else is located.
8. Power cycle the router (unplug the power from the router for 30 seconds and then plug it back in).
9. Open your browser to 192.168.1.1 by putting that in the browser address window of your browser. You should open the linksys webgui and NOT a page that says Management Mode. If you see management mode, power cycle the router again.
10. Enter "root" as the username and "admin" as the password.
11. Go to Administration and Firmware Upgrade.
12. Navigate to the folder that you are using, and select vxworks_prep_03.bin.
13. Hit upgrade.
14. Wait for FIVE FULL MINUTES. Go for a walk. Don't you TOUCH that router for FIVE MINUTES.
15. When five full Earth minutes have passed, power cycle the router.
16. Refresh your browser window. If you get a blank window, clear your browser cache. NOW you should be in the MANAGEMENT MODE window.
17. Select the My54gImage.bin file that you created. Hit Apply.
18. Wait for the "Upgrade Success" message, and then WAIT FIVE FULL MINUTES again. Don't TOUCH your router.
19. Start tftp.exe.
    1. Enter 192.168.1.1 as the address in the top box of tftp.exe.
    2. Leave the password blank.
    3. Select the 12548 Newd_Micro.bin firmware.
    4. Set retries to 99.
    5. Power cycle the router.
    6. Count to 2.
    7. Hit upgrade.
20. When you get a success, wait FIVE FULL minutes.
21. If you don't get success, repeat from steps 19(4) up to this one. If you still don't get success, clear your browser cache. Try using a different browser as well, to navigate to 192.168.1.1.
22. When you can access the dd-wrt webgui using a browser at 192.168.1.1, power cycle the router.
23. When you can again access the dd-wrt webgui using a browser at 192.168.1.1, do another Hard reset or 30/30/30 on the router.
24. Reset your computer Ethernet connection to auto IP and auto DNS.
25. Check for recommended builds here.

Upgrading

Updating DD-WRT

If dd-wrt is already on the router follow these instructions. If stock firmware is on the router follow the flashing instructions.

1. Check for recommended builds here first.
2. Set your computer to a static IP of 192.168.1.7. (or to whatever subnet the router is on) Disable all firewalls and security. Disable wireless on your computer and only have the router connected to the flashing computer by the ethernet cable between the two.
3. Hard reset or 30/30/30 (If the router supports it, if not, reset to defults in the GUI) prior to flashing. Wait. Check for password page on re-login and change password.
4. Flash firmware. You can use the webgui except if you have a belkin router. (For belkin use tftp.exe to flash)
5. Wait...at least three minutes. Lights should return to normal. See important2, below. Failing to wait is how most people brick their routers.
6. Do a power cycle of the router. (Unplug the cord, count to 30 and plug it back in.)
7. Wait for the lights to return to normal usually about 2 minutes.
8. Hard reset or 30/30/30 again (If the router supports it, if not, reset to defults in the GUI). Wait. Check for the password page and re-login to change the password. Then you can reconfigure your settings manually.
9. Once configured set your computer back to autoIP and autoDNS.
   

Important1: This Hard reset or 30/30/30 works fine for Asus router, but you do have to power cycle after the reset.

Important2: After you flash the firmware, and before you do the hard reset, the router will be building some nvram settings. YOU MUST WAIT FOR THIS TO FINISH PRIOR TO DOING ANYTHING WITH THE ROUTER INCLUDING A HARD RESET. Usually, you can tell when this process is completed by the WAN light coming on, but it does take several minutes. Go have a beer. There are starting to be more and more people who BRICK their routers by not waiting until the nvram is rebuilt, PRIOR to doing a hard reset. YOU NEED TO WAIT!