How to install DD-WRT onto your Linksys Cisco Home Router

Installation

Installing DD-WRT on your Linksys Cisco Router is almost as simple as installing a program onto your computer. The bad part is; if done incorrectly, you can brick your router. Installing programs on a router is known as a firmware, is done through flashing. This article will help you install DD-WRT onto your Linksys Cisco Home Router.

Identifying your Linksys Cisco Router

Visit this website to accurately identify which model your Linksys Cisco router is. Start with the brand name Cisco Linksys and go down the list.

Flashing Instructions

1. First and foremost, you will need to download the DD-WRT file that you've identified is your model and save it to a location that you will be able to locate later to flash your router.
2. Log into the Linksys stock firmware and choose to reset to defaults.
3. Do a hard reset on your router (hold the reset button down for 30 seconds.) 
4. After your router has been set to default settings and you've done a hard reset, log into your Linksys firmware by typing 192.168.1.1 into your browser.
5. Click on the "Administration" tab
6. Click on the "Firmware Upgrade" sub-tab.
7. Click the "Browse" button and select the DD-WRT .bin file you downloaded and placed in a location you remembered earlier.
8. Click the "Upgrade" button.
9. The router will take a few minutes to upload the file and flash the firmware. You should see the power light flash multiple times, dont panic. This is normal.
10. Once the firmware has been uploaded, a new page will open confirming that the upload was successful. Now wait about 3-5 minutes before clicking "Continue".
11. Lastly, do another hard reset on your router.
12. To check that you've successfully and correctly installed DD-WRT, type in 192.168.1.1 in your web browser to be able to see the DD-WRT web interface.

Reverting Back to Stock

Should you want to revert back to your router's stock firmware, you should be able to download the stock firmwaire from the Linksys's site and flash using the webgui.

Helpful Sites

• DD-WRT Installation site
• How to install custom frmware DD-WRT on Linksys Router (YouTube)

Six major points of Routers

There are six major points to remember or keep in mind when working with routers or layer 3 devices. You should probably commit these to memory.

Here are the six major points

1. Routers, by default, will not forward any broadcast or multi-task packets.
2. Routers use the logical address in the network layer header to determine the next hop router to forward the packet to.
3. Routers can use access list, created by an administrator to control security on the types of packets that are allowed to enter or exit an interface.
4. Routers can provide layer 2 bridging functions if needed, and can simultaneously route through the same interface.
5. Routers provide connections between virtual LANS (VLANS).
6. Routers provide Quality of Service (QoS) for specific types of network traffic.

Tips on network, routers, and switches

1. Plan your network design carefully.

2. Use network bridge in network to reduce collisions within broadcast domains and to increase the number of collision domains in your network.

3. Using hubs can contribute to traffic congestion.

4. Routers break up collision domains as well as broadcast domains.

5. Although bridges/switches are used to segment networks, they WILL NOT isolate broadcast or multicast domains.

6. Even though you have a switched network, you still need a router to provide your inter-VLAN communication or internetworking.