The latest wireless router from Buffalo Technology differs from its predecessors in that, instead of custom Buffalo firmware, its firmware is Linux-based open-source code, known as DD-WRT.

As a result, it offers additional functionality over and above standard Wifi networking to, for example, enable small businesses to implement their own wireless hotspots, at a very affordable price.

However, a lot of technical expertise is required and it’s definitely not for the novice.

In essence, the Buffalo router is much like others in the range. It’s a tiny device with a four-port integrated Ethernet switch for wired network integration, together with a separate Ethernet port for connection to the internet.

The wireless interface is Broadcom powered, supporting 802.11b/g Wifi, with a single antenna that screws onto the unit. There’s support too for Buffalo’s AOSS (Airstation One-Touch Secure System), which makes for a much simpler client setup, although only when used with compatible Buffalo adapters.

A stand is included for desktop use, and there’s also a special cradle to allow the whole thing to be wall or ceiling mounted. Unfortunately, there’s no support for Power over Ethernet, so you need to connect the small AC adapter supplied.

The DD-WRT software is configured and managed via a browser interface, with an optional secure shell command line, if required. All the expected Wifi options can be set here, including an extensive list of security options from Wep encryption to WPA2 security, with support for both Personal and Enterprise implementations. User authentication against a separate Radius server is another option, and there’s a stateful inspection firewall built in, alongside support for Nat (Network Address Translation) and so on.

These and other basic Wifi, networking and security options are fairly easy to configure. We also found it easy to set up multiple virtual Wifi interfaces, each with its own SSID, and to enable the built-in wireless hotspot services. However, there’s a lot more to creating and running your own hotspot than enabling an agent and, in this respect, you’re pretty much on your own with hardly any mention of the additional DD-WRT services in the accompanying documentation or on the Buffalo website. Instead you have to spend time researching the help files, the DD-WRT site (www.dd-wrt.com) and those of the supported services, to work out what’s required.

A number of built-in hotspot agents can be activated, including one for use with the commercial Sputnik (www.sputnik.com) service, which lets you manage access to hotspots over the web, optionally charging users for access. Another is Wifidog (http://dev.wifidog.org), an open-source project involving the use of captive portal software that you need to install and run on a Linux server.

HTTP and SMTP redirection agents are also available, along with another for use with Nocat. All these and other advanced options, however, require a working knowledge of the technology involved and, in the case of Sputnik, you have to sign up to a commercial service. As such it’s not something we would expect the average network manager to be able to tackle.

That makes Buffalo’s DD-WRT router much more of a specialist product than the marketing would have you believe, and it’s most likely to appeal to small service providers and system integrators. Alternatively, you could just look at it as a very well-specified, yet low-priced small-business Wifi router and ignore the DD-WRT extras altogether.