Some DD-WRT capable routers

From dd-wrt.com:

“DD-WRT is a Linux based alternative OpenSource firmware suitable for a great variety of WLAN routers and embedded systems. The main emphasis lies on providing the easiest possible handling while at the same time supporting a great number of functionalities within the framework of the respective hardware platform used.”

At home, we have a LAN with 3 destop computers, a server, a printer and a variable number of laptops (my brother’s laptop and mine). They are interconnected using a U.S. Robotics neutral router, that acts as gateway to the Internet using a cable-modem.

This exposes the following problems:

• Personal documents, pictures and videos are spread in different computers, so there’s no access to common documents if some computers are switched off.
• Sometimes, we need to access the computers externally, so every computer needs a different port open in the router to have access to them.
• Having computers switched on to have access to your services is very expensive on your power bill.

A DD-WRT capable router could fix that problems with its included services:

• USB-Host support: The printer and an USB hard disk could be directly connected and shared from the router, setting up a Network-Attached Storage (NAS). That way, there would be no need to have computers switched on to have access to the printer and all the documents.
• VPN server: The router could act as a Virtual Private Network server. That means you could securely access your LAN from the Internet without having to open more that a single port on your router. Once connected to the LAN by VPN, you can access any service on your computers (RDP, VNC, web and FTP servers and so on).
• Wake-on-LAN: Well, you could access your LAN using your VPN server, but what would be the use of it if your computers are switched off? DD-WRT provides the hability of turning your computers on by sending a magic packet. You only need to enable Wake-On-LAN on your computers.

There’s a lot more of features integrated on the DD-WRT firmware, and I also feel appealed by the possibility of a mail and a web server on the router, although it could suppose a very heavy load for our 12Mb/1Mb Internet connection.

Now, we only need to find a cheap (60 to 80€) USB-Host, WiFi, DD-WRT capable router (something like the new Fonera 2.0N).

The SmartDevices SmartQ 5

I got to know this device in the GP32Spain forums, where I also got to know other open software devices, like the GP32, GP2X, Wiz and Dingoo handhelds.

The SmartQ 5 is a very interesting Mobile Internet Device (MID), which sports the following features:

• 4.3 inches touchscreen LCD with a 800×480 resolution.
• Bluetooth, WiFi and USB Host and an SDHC card reader.
• An integrated Ubuntu-based Linux operating system.

Apart from the Ubuntu-based OS, there’s also support for Windows CE 6.0, and Google Android. There’s also a project to port the community-based Maemo alternative, named Mer, planned to be a lighter and easier alternative to the official SmartDevices Ubuntu-based operating system.

Windows CE requires a $10 license, and there’s not yet a definitive version of the Google Android port, but there are test versions of the last one that shows a great potential and usability.

You can find a lot of interesting information in the unofficial SmartQMID forums, and buy it from DealExtreme or EletroWorld starting at $150 USD (roughly 100 €).