Overclock and Seriously Amplify a Linksys Wi-Fi Router

The WRT54GL is a hacker's dream Wi-Fi router, capable of running third-party firmware and upping its signal power

internally. A brave Instructables user shows how to go whole-hog on the blue box with extended antennas, fan-cooled overclocking, and the DD-WRT interface.

Instructable author NostalgicStone offers plenty of warnings before jumping into the details of his hack, and for good reason: it's not the safest way to run a Wi-Fi router. It's also not a pretty sight to have a PC fan running on top of a router, if you have to keep it in plain view. With all that said, this total upgrade is really appealing to those of us who lack Wi-Fi in particular corners of the house, don't have to worry about how pretty the router looks, and don't mind tearing open electronics to do things like install heatsinks.

Hit the link for the full read-through and results testimonial, and share any similar router upgrades you've seen (or pulled off yourself) in the comments.

Unleash the Power of Your Router! [Instructables]

WiFi Stumbler Scans Local Wi-Fi to Find an Interference-Free Channel

If you've been having trouble with your wireless signal the culprit might be interference from other wireless routers in the area. Free web-based tool WiFi Stumbler will show you which channel is least likely to cause interference.

WiFi Stumbler uses your computer's Wi-Fi antenna to scan local access nodes. You can do a wide open scan or narrow it down by the type of encryption, the manufacturer, the radio type, frequency, or channel.

When you're done with the scan you're presented with both a detailed listing and a chart showing the number of nodes. Using this information you can then switch your router to a less occupied channel—every router I've ever purchased has been set to Channel 6 for some reason and just getting it off 6 has been a huge help in every instance.

Have a favorite tool for tweaking your Wi-Fi? Let's hear about it in the comments.

WiFi Stumbler [Meraki Tools via MakeUseOf]

Extend Your Wireless Network with an Old Router and Powerline Adapters

We've shown you one way to turn your wifi router into a repeater, but if your router doesn't have the firmware or your walls aren't wireless-friendly, you can get similar results with the addition of a device called a powerline adapter.

Photo by Andy Butkaj.

While we definitely love hacking our routers with new firmware, it does have a few downsides, most notably the fact that it's a pain to install. Furthermore, you may not be comfortable installing third-party firmware that hacks your device, if your router doesn't have the required firmware available. Technology blog Tested points out that a couple powerline adapters can help give you the same results by connecting your old router to your network through the power lines already installed in your home.

Essentially, instead of wirelessly "extending" your network, you'll be turning your old router into an access point and putting it in the dead zone of your house. It'll still need to be connected to the network, though, which is where the powerline adapters come in. Powerline adapters plug into your A/C outlets and connect to your network. You don't need any kind of electrical experience to get them working. You could, of course wire it up via Ethernet, but you probably don't want Ethernet cables running all through your house—so powerline adapters are a pretty awesome way to go.

You'll need to tweak quite a few settings on your router to make this work, and powerline extenders aren't super cheap—you could probably pick a few up for the same price of a regular wireless network extender—but if you have a house that isn't wireless extender-friendly (due to thick walls or a strangely shaped house), this is a great way to get wireless everywhere you need it. Hit the link for the full guide, and let us know your experience with powerline extenders in the comments.

How To Use an Old Router to Expand Your Wi-Fi Network [Tested]