[lightfall]

Can I use a stock linksys firmware wrt54g 8.2 as my base router connected to the modem with a wireless bridge to my downstairs network which would be physically wired to a wrt54gl with dd-wrt firmware that I am considering purchasing? Or do both units have to have the dd-wrt firmware installed and configured in some manner?

Is there a cheaper way of doing this? Thanks for your help. It seems that all manuals for other brand bridges do not make it clear whether the base router has to be of the same brand/firmware/etc for bridge modes to function properly so I am scared of purchasing things like the SMCWBR14S-N4 with very vague instructions.

[buddee]

You should be able to use stock on the wrt54g v8.2 and if you have a wrt54gl with dd-wrt you can set it up as a "wireless access point", just click on the 'how to link routers' in my signature and follow the guide for wireless access point, btw, do you specifically have to have a wrt54gl? I would suggest an asus wl-520gU for about $25 less than the GL, i think newegg still has the wl520gu for $40 where the GL is around $50-60, the asus is way better IMHO and works with dd-wrt great.

[lightfall]

Thank you for the excellent advice. I was not stuck on the GL, just saw that it was supported and thought it might have to be a linksys > linksys thing.

But I will look into the router you suggested if I can use it to wirelessly bridge the connection between my bluray, tv, and media pc downstairs and the main internet source upstairs for $20 less! I will look to the literature on specifics of how to set up the bridge formation, I just wanted to know if I could use a non-modded router as the main source or if both bits of hardware needed to be modified.