{{tag>software hardware linux hacking}}

====== Hacking the WRT54G ======

Yep. Of course I've played with hacking the wrt54g. What linux nerd hasn't?

===== Serial Port Hack =====

Here's pictures of my serial port hack. I did this to a wrt54g version 3. You'll see in the last photo, a screenshot, I've loaded openWRT on it.

Apologies for the crappiness of the photos. They were upload straight off the camera.
<box>{{ :wrt54g:serial:dsc07135_small.jpg?direct&300 |}}</box|Wires going to ttyS0 (console serial port) header (bottom).>
  
<box>{{ :wrt54g:serial:dsc07136_small.jpg?direct&300 |}}</box|Wires going to ttyS0 (console serial port) header (top).>

<box>{{ :wrt54g:serial:dsc07138_small.jpg?direct&300 |}}</box|1/8th inch (3.5mm) panel mount stereo jack.>

<box>{{ :wrt54g:serial:dsc07141_small.jpg?direct&300 |}}</box|Rear-view, fully assembled.>

<box>{{ :wrt54g:serial:dsc07142_small.jpg?direct&300 |}}</box|Stereo plug, assembled.>

<box>{{ :wrt54g:serial:dsc07144_small.jpg?direct&300 |}}</box|Stereo plug, disassembled to show soldered connections.>

<box>{{ :wrt54g:serial:dsc07144_small.jpg?direct&300 |}}</box|This is what the stereo jack goes to, a FT232R (TTL UART to usb serial) mounted on a breakout board.>

<box>{{ :wrt54g:serial:dsc07145_small.jpg?direct&300 |}}</box|Plug in jack.>

<box>{{ :wrt54g:serial:openwrt.png?direct&300 |}}</box|Screenshot of the serial connection.>



===== SD Card Hack =====

This was a surprisingly easy hack in all senses. The soldering was easy (save for a trouble spot or two), the case mod was easy (though I did make my slot a little too big), and the software was easy (just install some packages in OpenWRT).

I used on old, cheap, often-non-functional USB sd card reader for the SD card socket. I put a piece of  blue masking tape to prevent any unwanted electrical connections being made between the card and the grounded metal of the Ethernet ports. Then I just hot-glued the slot onto the tape. It's quite sturdy.

{{gallery> :wrt54g:sd?4 }}