Some of the coolest technologies that exist today are re-packaged versions of things that have been around for quite some time. For example, the Apple iPod is a mashup of MP3 and music technologies that existed years before the first iPod surfaced. But Apple took lots of pieces and re-assembled them into a compelling new package.
Two weeks ago, my wife came to me with a challenge. Since our neighborhood is in an established part of the county (i.e., we are in an older neighborhood), there has been a substantial increase in the neighborhood crime rate over the past six months. After reading story after story of garage thefts that have occurred recently, my wife asked me if I could put together a good surveillance system. “That should be easy,” I mused to myself. I would need: a) a web camera, and b) a monitoring application/platform.
So with this simple mashup in mind, I thought I could sling together something that would work quite nicely. So I ran out to the store and bought a couple of Logitech webcams. And I ran home and downloaded some monitoring applications to test. So far, so good. I fired up the cameras without a problem. Then I launched the monitoring app. I configured the alert subsystem to email me whenever any motion was detected. Then I set the tool to start monitoring after everyone left the house.
The next morning, I got 600 messages during the first four hours of operation. My delight quickly changed to frustration. So I looked at some other tools. Different web monitoring software allowed me to set the “sensitivity” of the motion detection. Apparently, simple light/shadows moving through the room (as the sun moved through the sky) had triggered false alerts.
So new software would be better, right? Well, the new software had its own problems. After trying two or three differents apps, I decided to take a different tack. In the end, my wife and I sat down and listed a much more complete set of requirements. Yeah, OK. I’m a technologist, not a systems analyst. But I know enough to document real requirements. So that’s what we did. Our requirments included:

• A camera with a minimum of 320×240 resolution. Actually, we wanted 640×480. But we also wanted to be able to see it on our cell phones. So the camera needed to support both resolutions.
• Wireless connectivity so that I could place the cameras in different locations based upon changing monitoring needs.
• A web server that would stream the video feeds to a computers located outside the household.
• The camera/video browsing tool should be able to pan, tilt and zoom the camera from a remote location. And it needed to be a web app.
• A monitoring tool that could be set to start and stop monitoring based upon a predefined calendar.
• An alerting system that would send emails to outside accounts.
• A recording system that would store video that was captured.

And the list began to grow even larger. So I began to realize that a simple mashup wouldn’t work. I wasn’t just going to be able to blend a couple of pre-existing tools on-the-fly. I needed something that would solve all of these needs – and then some.
So I started looking into a more robust camera (or monitoring platform). And I found the Panasonic BL-C30A. This device is fabulous. It meets (or exceeds) all of the video requirements that my wife and I had outlined. More importantly, the camera had all the management features we wanted as well.
This camera has a web server. And the web server is very comprehensive. It provides monitoring and alerting capabilities that matched our needs. And the software can be updated as new capabilities are added. In short, the camera has a small, purpose-built server that provided the surveillance and control features we were after.
So while I did not do the mashup myself, Panasonic did it for me. They served up a product that was a camera, a web server, a monitoring application and an alerting sub-system. And the system is performing admirably thus far.
-CyclingRoo-

I live at home with a wonderful wife and four great teenagers. My oldest daughter is a nineteen year-old college student. And as the first of four, she often feels “entitled” to special treatment. That’s not her fault. After all, she is the oldest. And much is expected of her. But she can (sometimes) be a real pain. And so begins the saga…
Meredith has been complaining that the wireless signal strength in her room is not very good. Actually, she compains that she can’t stream the music she wants to hear w/o running into periodic network disconnects. And she seems to think that the Microsoft “Repair” option is the best way to fix any network problem. Consequently, I started yesterday committed to the proposition that I would eliminate the reason for her griping.
Situation Analysis
As of yesterday morning, I had the following wireless infrastructure. I use a Linksys WRT54G. In fact, I am using one of the very first WRT54G’s that Linksys built. And I have used a number of different firmware builds over the years. I started with the stock Linksys builds. I then moved on to the Sveasoft builds. After becoming frustrated with the politics of the Sveasoft firmware, I moved to the HyperWRT build. I really like this build as it is the Linksys software with only a couple of minor tweaks – most notably, a power boost feature. So I’ve used HyperWRT for quite some time.
But Avenger (the firmware author) has been working on other things for the past couple of months. So I decided to try a few different builds. For the past few months, I’ve been using the DD-WRT build. This firmware is based upon the Sveasoft Alchemy base. And it adds some nice custom features – including a captive portal (Chilispot). It’s been an interesting build to play with.
In addition to the WRT54G (w/DD-WRT), I have four desktop systems in the house. All four systems use Windows XP. Fortunatley, all four systems have WinXP SP2 installed. Therefore, all three have the Windows Zero Configuration (WZC) support installed. In addition to these systems, my wife and I each have a laptop supplied by our employer. My system runs WinXP SP2 while my wife’s system still runs Windows 2000.
Attempt #1
I tried to reposition my daughter’s computer to get a better signal. This worked. But she wasn’t wholly satisified with the outcome. Actually, she was upset that she had to move anything, but that’s another matter. So I tried moving the wireless router so that I could get better coverage. This worked fairly well, but I couldn’t move the router too far away from the new cable infrastructure that was installed this past Thursday.
In the final analysis, moving stuff around helpd slightly. But for relocation to work, I would have to do some drastic rewiring and movement of the access point. So on to the next option.
Attemp #2
I decided to try the newest stock firmware from Linksys. The currently available version is 4.00.07. Based upon the release notes, Linksys had changed the wireless drivers. So I thought that the new drivers might provide better signal management – and maybe fix the problem. So I went and downloaded the firmware from Linksys and installed it on my router. Since I was using the DD-WRT firmware before, I had to first load a base Linksys firmware build, cold-start the unit (thus wiping out all firmware flotsam and jetsom) and then load the new Linksys firmware (also cold-starting after IPL).
And I love the new firmware from Linksys. It is quite nice. First of all, the new firmware supports WPA2 encryption. From the “Wireless -> Wireless Security” tab in the web UI, I noted all the fancy new options – including WPA2 PSK. So I just had to use this firmware. But there is more to WPA2 then just the router firmware. I needed to get WPA2 support onto all of the client systems.
On my Windows XP systems, I had to first ensure that they were using XP SP2. Fortunately, they all were. I then had to make sure that each system had the Windows zero config (ZCW) support for WPA2. In April 2005, Microsoft released Knowledge Base article #893357. This KB article includes the necessary patches to support WPA2 in the “Wireless Networks” tab of the “Network Configuration” dialogs. So I installed these updates.
But that was only the start. I needed to get new drivers that would support WPA2. Since most of my home systems use Linksys devices, I just had to get the right firmware loads/drivers from Linksys, right? Uh, wrong. Linksys does not provide support for WPA2 just yet. So I had to track down the drivers from Broadcom. BTW, you have to get the Broadcom drivers from a third-party. Fortunately, you can get the drivers for the Broadcom chipset from HP. They can be found here.
Of course, one of the cards was a more recent hardware build (the Linksys WMP54G v4). Apparently, Linksys abandoned the Broadcom chipset in faovr of equipment from RaLink. The drivers for the RT2500 chipset can be found here.
At this point, I installed the drivers on all the machines. Voila. I now had WPA2 support on all of my home systems. And it was easy to get WPA2 support on my office system. I use a Dell D600 with an Intel Centrino chip. I simply downloaded the most recent Intel drivers and I was in business.
My wife’s system was a little bit trickier. She has an older Dell system. And it is running Windows 2000. Fortunately, she is using a Linksys PCMCIA card (WPC54G). The most recent firmware for this card includes a WPA supplicant for Windows 2000. So with the installation of the Linksys code, I was in business.
So after all this research and several software upgrades, I was hoping for success. But there was no change in signal strength. While the WPA2 support is welcome, the new wireless drivers for the WRT54G did not solve my problem.
Attempt #3
I decided to take a different tack and change antennas. Yeah, yeah, I know. Changing antennas might have little impact on the problem. 2.4GHz signals are heavily attenuated by walls, foil-clad insualtion, and other building materials. But I thought it was worth a try. So I went to my local Best Buy and picked up the Linksys High Gain antenna kit. And while my hopes for success were high, the antennas didn’t provide the help I needed. In fact, signal strength dropped within the house. I would note that I had fewer dropped packets (as noise levels were much better). But in the final analysis, I didn’t want to spend that much money just so my neighbors could hear my signal better. So it was time to move on.
Attempt #4
At this point, I was getting a little frustrated. Since I’ve been running this same router for a number of years, I was starting to think the issue might be associated with the radio in the older unit. I had to return the antennas, so I figured that I would just exchange the antennas for a new WRT54G. I was very tempted to get some MIMO gear instead. But I let that craving pass.
So I went to Best Buy and picked up a shiny new WRT54G. I figured that I would be spending less – after the rebates – then I was willing to spend for the antennas. Of course, this meant that I would have to go through rebate purgatory with Best Buy. If you haven’t had to do a mail-in rebate with Best Buy, don’t try it. Fortunately, Best Buy will be phasing out their rebate program sometime during the next five years.
At the end of the purchase experience, I had a new router. And this v3 hardware has some real advantages to the previous hardware. First of all, it’s newer. So the radio signal is more stable. It seems “stronger” as well. Second, there is more memory in this device. This will make my custom firmware woes a little easier for the next few years.
So I got home and configured my brand new router. I first set it up with the stock firmware. I then upgraded it to the new Linksys version. While signal strength was not immensely better, it was good enough to keep working at it.
Attempt #4 – And Then Some
The more I started to think about the problem, the more I was getting frustrated. While the new router helped marginally, nothing was seeming to help in any substantive way. Then, I had a revelation. Approximately two months ago, I switched from HyperWRT to DD-WRT. And that was when my daughter returned from college.
By itself, this shouldn’t mean much. But then I remembered that some settings can be held in NVRAM between firmware loads. And more importantly, different firmware authors have different views on power settings. Linksys believes that power settings should be quite low – usually between 19mW and 21 mW. And Avenger sets the default for HyperWRT at 42mW. But the Sveasoft folks have always liked 28mW. And since DD-WRT is based upon Sveasoft Alchemy, it is set to 28mW by default. So when my daughter came home from college, I had unintentionally switched from 42mW to 28mW.
I could certainly boost the power setting for the DD-WRT firmware from 28mW to 42mW. That would solve things at least for a while. But that just wasn’t good enough for me. I had seen the new Linksys firmware. And I wanted to use the new WPA2 protocols. So I really wanted something with WPA2. After all, I had spent all that time upgrading the client systems to support WPA2. But the Linksys code wouldn’t provide the power boost that was neeeded to solve my daughter’s problems. I really wish Avenger had some magic up his sleeves.
>
Well, the folks from the HyperWRT team have come to the rescue. One of the great things about open source projects is that they are open. People can pick up where others have left off. And while Avenger is extremely busy with his “day job” responsibilities, Rupan has been able to pick up where Avenger has left off. He has taken the Linksys 4.00.07 firmware and added the HyperWRT power boost features. The saga of the last few weeks of HyperWRT development can be found in the “HyperWRT and 4.00.07G” topic at the HyperWRT forum. The bits [for the WRT54G only] can be found here.
So I loaded up the HyperWRT beta bits. And they are meeting my needs in every regard. Many thanks to the Linksys/Cisco folks for choosing to open up the firmware on one of their most successful products. And many thanks to Avenger, Rupan and the rest of the HyperWRT team. You guys rock!
Summary
Did I need a new router? Probably not. My real problems revolved around switches between various firmware levels and the default power settings that various authors used. But the new router is welcome nonetheless. The new radio is much more reliable and should provide an excellent duty cycle. Further, the additional memory will allow me to load all sorts of new features onto the router. And in addition to having a shiny new router (for only a couple of bucks, after rebate), I have also upgraded the entire household to WPA2. All in all, it’s been a successful weekend.
-CyclingRoo-

Avenger has just released his HyperWRT manual – in the form of a Wiki. I’m gonna start adding (or modifying) content – but probably not for a couple of days. In the meantime, I wonder how many folks are using wikis for collaborative electronic manuals. I know it’s the “in” thing to do. But I wonder if a) general/basic customers will use such documentation, b) how document consistency can be strictly enforced, c) whether or not this consistency breaks down with large numbers of contributors, and d) whether there are any special documentation “quality control” steps that should be applied for any “customer-facing” documents. Any insightful comments would be greatly appreciated.
-CyclingRoo-

I’ve been using the WRT54G since v1.0 of the hardware and software. In that time, I’ve used several different flavors of firmware. Right now, I am using Avenger’s HyperWRT frimware for production implementations (currently v2.1b1). Avemger’s code is a minimalist improvement upon the Linksys code. It adds basic antenna diversity and power management features that are conspicuously lacking from the Linksys firmware. So I use this firmware because it has the minimum set of features I need.
But one of the great advantages of this device is the fact that Linksys (Cisco) actually released their firmware source code under the terms of the GPL. Therefore, folks have been hacking away at the firmware for a couple of years. In that time, several versions have emerged:

• OpenWRT (GPL; based upon Linksys code; features a writable jifs2 file system – thus promoting add-on packages)
• Wifibox (GPL; based upon Linksys code)
• HyperWRT (GPL; based upon Linksys code; *my current choice* because it adds the antenna/powerboost features I need)
• eWRT (GPL; based upon Linksys code; features a writable jifs2 file system, and a captive portal)
• Sveasoft Alchemy (GPL)
• DD-WRT (GPL; based upon Alchemy; features a writable jifs2 file system, captive portal and RADIUS authentication)
• Sveasoft Talisman (Despite persistent rumors, the code has not been released. Therefore, we must wait to learn what the final licensing terms will be)

So which is best? That depends upon what you need. But I am now starting to work with DD-WRT. It is based upon Sveasoft Alchemy (which is GPL code) and adds a few nice touches. With wds, jifs2, a portal page server and a RADIUS infrastructure, this code base is looking very promising. Of course, this is so much more code than the Linksys base code. And since I have an original WRT54G, I am getting pretty cramped on space in nvram. Maybe it’s time to upgrade!
-CyclingRoo-

For those not following Avenger’s work, you may have missed this announcement yesterday. Here’s my summary: Avenger’s released 2.0 final. For you folks with the Linksys WRT56G/GS, there are new bits for you. For those who are clueless about what I am talking about, Robert Cringely had a great article discussing the importance of this device and Cisco/Linksys’ courage in releasing the source.
So why this firmware mod? You could certainly use the bits from Sveasoft – assuming you want to pay to access them. Without getting into too many knotholes, the Sveasoft Alchemy firmware is not yet available for public use. Yes, it’s based on GPL code. But it is not yet “released.” I respect their right to put a fence around their development efforts. Therefore, I recommend Avenger’s code. In this case, Avenger has added power boost to the basic Linksys firmware. Why do you need a power boost? You may not. But some folks do – including me. I get far better wireless coverage in my house now that I have signal output control on my wireless router. Thanks, Avenger!
This version is rock steady. I’ve been running it for almost 24 hours! Go grab it if you need it.
-CyclingRoo-