<h2>Router Hacking</h2>

<h3>What</h3>
<ul>
    <li>Flashing a router with alternate firmware</li>
</ul>

<h3>Why</h3>
<ul>
	<li>Provide additional features</li>
	<li>Improve performance</li>
	<li>Privacy (gets rid of <a href="https://recode.net/2014/05/18/in-letter-to-obama-cisco-ceo-complains-about-nsa-allegations/">unwanted spyware</a>)</li>
	<li>Fun</li>
</ul>

<h3>Where</h3>
<ul>
	<li>The DD-WRT Router Database: <a href="https://www.dd-wrt.com/site/support/router-database">https://www.dd-wrt.com/site/support/router-database</a></li>
	<li>Tomato Firmware for Linksys WRT54G/GL/GS: <a href="https://www.polarcloud.com/tomato">https://www.polarcloud.com/tomato</a></li>
	<li>OpenWRT firmware: <a href="https://openwrt.org/">https://openwrt.org/</a></li>
</ul>

<h3>How: Steps for My Latest Hack</h3>
<ol type="1">
	<li>Find used Netgear WNDR3400 router on shelf at local <a href="https://www.goodwill.org/">Goodwill</a> store, priced at $3.99.</li>
	<li>Use my smartphone to check the <a href="https://www.dd-wrt.com/site/support/router-database">dd-wrt database</a> to see if this router is hackable.</li>
	<li>Grin broadly upon seeing the green "Yes" beside router WNDR3400.</li>
	<li>Double-check that power supply is included, find an AC outlet and plug in to be sure it powers on and my phone sees its ESSID. Yep and yep.</li>
	<li>Take router to cashier and purchase.</li>
	<li>Do hard reset of router to clear any previous configuration.</li>
	<li>Hook a laptop up to router using ethernet patch cable (turning off WiFi adapter on laptop).</li>
	<li>Access router's configuration in web browser at default router address of 192.168.1.1 just to confirm that it works.</li>
	<li>Go back to the dd-wrt router database and find the router again, then download the corresponding "mini" and the "mega" versions of dd-wrt firmware (The mega version has the most features&mdash;including USB support, which I wanted&mdash;but on many routers, including this one,  you have to install the mini version first or else you could brick the router)</li>
	<li>Read over the dd-wrt wiki page for this specific router just to see if there's anything unusual about the hack. There's not.</li>
	<li>Go to the router's stock configuration page again and find the "Firmware upgrade" button.</li>
	<li>Click the button and choose the "mini" version of the dd-wrt firmware, and click upgrade, then wait while crossing fingers until it says firmware successfully upgraded.</li>
	<li>Refresh the configuration page at 192.168.1.1 and see the new dd-wrt configuration interface.</li>
	<li>Pat myself on the back because I have just hacked another router. Hray!</li>
	<li>Find the upgrade firmware area on the new dd-wrt interface, and this time choose the "mega" firmware file and submit, then wait and cross fingers as before. Celebrate when it works. </li>
	<li>Configure newly hacked router as wireless bridge (this is NOT going to be my main router), enable the USB and printer support, hook up our formerly-usb-only printer to the router, and configure household computers to be able to print wirelessly to the newly-networked printer.</li>
	<li>Enjoy kudos from appreciative family.</li>
</ol>
