Technical Details

These instructions are geared to a mobile phone hotspot, but they should apply to most hotspots.

If you need to reset your router, unplug it for a few minutes, holding the reset button down plug the router in and continue to hold the button for at least 30 seconds.

1. Connect to your router (192.168.1.1) and reset the user and password (you should be asked, if not do another hard reset)
2. log in
3. Go to “Wireless->Wireless Security” enable,
   1. set security mode “WPA2 Personal”
   2. select the WPA algorithm to match your hotspot in my case “TKIP+AES” and enter the password the corresponds to your hotspot
   3. save & apply
4. Go to “Wireles->Basic Settings”
   1. set wireless mode: Client Bridge
   2. set the SSID to match your hotspot exactly
   3. save & apply
5. On your phone you should see your WRT54G connection on your phone
6. Go to “Security->Firewall”
   1. disable SPI Firewall
   2. Uncheck “Block Anonymous WAN request, Filter IDENT”
   3. save & apply
7. Go to “Setup->Advance Routing”
   1. change “Operating Mode” to “Router”
   2. save & apply
8. Go to “Setup->Basic Setup”
   1. set your Local DNS to a well known DNS server like Google’s 8.8.8.8

That should be it, you should now be able to connect to the Internet via any port on WRT54G

Note: that any machine that uses DHCP that is connected to your router will get a bridged network IP and will not be able to administer the router. To administer the router manually set your IP to 192.168.1.131 and you will be able to connect to the web administration console.