Like almost everyone else with a wireless home network, I use a Linksys WRT54G as my router. For the past year or so, mine ran the HyperWRT Thibor third-party firmware package with generally good results. It’s much better under heavy load than the stock firmware but would inexplicably bomb out for 10 minutes every two days or so, and the signal dropped off to nothing as soon as I stepped out onto the porch.

On a whim, I switched the router over to DD-WRT firmware this afternoon. While it hasn’t been running long enough or under enough of a load to really wring it out, initial results are very promising. My laptop establishes a wireless connection in about half the time and I’m retaining 50% signal strength from the back porch, which means I can sit outside with The Unforgiving Puppy and still feed my internet habit.

If you have a compatible wireless router (check the list of supported devices) and aren’t happy with its performance right now, DD-WRT could be a worthwhile upgrade. And hey, it’s free!