Modding my WRT54GL Router:
Changes Made:
- Added SD-Card reader (including a hole cut for the card to be inserted through.
- Installed DD-WRT custom Linux-based firmware.
- Added heatsink to processor.
- Added small fan to assist heatsink in cooling of processor, fitted with switch to turn off when noise levels are a priority over cooling.
Sorry for the blurry pics, they were done quickly. Also, I added the fan switch after taking the pictures, but the power wires run out through the air holes at the bottom, and the switch is stuck to the bottom, so nothing amazing.
The WRT54GL is stock at 200mhz, but I can bump that up to 250mhz (The fan is entirely unnecicary, you could probably do 240 without even a heatsink, it's just there as a little extra.)
I began with the SD-Card reader. I canibalised this from an old Nintendo DS Magic-Key modchip I had lying around that I was not using. The heatsink was a small one I had just laying around, and the same goes with the fan. I attached it with a thermal pad - it was hardly necicary to use MX-2 or Arctic Silver on this.
With the router running Linux, it can function as a small PC. I can run a web server, an xlink kai client, a Dynamic DNS service updater, a WEP key cracker - pretty much anything.
I used a number of guides to help me with this, and I must say, I was surprised it worked when I first tried it. The pins on the SD card reader broke off to tiny stubs, that along with the fact I had to solder to surface mount LEDs, and had a soldering iron with a tip that must have been 8-10mm wide and 5mmish deep made it a very hard task, but apparently I got it all right.
Pictures:
