[Bloat] Linux-able modems

[Jonathan Morton]

On 14 May, 2012, at 4:55 pm, David Woodhouse wrote:

>> So I repeat my question: where can I reliably go and buy a DSL modem
>> that I can put Linux on?  It probably helps to mention that I'm in
>> Finland, so a European (or at least British) reseller is preferable. 
> 
> If the Geos or Solos are too expensive, I'd be looking for other ADSL
> devices supported by OpenWrt. Probably Lantiq-based. The Netgear
> DGN3500B perhaps (see recent traffic on openwrt-devel).

The 3700 is back-ordered by weeks, and the 3800 doesn't have a modem, and the 3500 isn't even in the local catalogues.  Netgear doesn't seem to be well regarded over here, even by the hacker types - and you *know* we have hacker types aplenty.

I double-checked all my hardware again, and while I can technically get OpenWRT on my D-Link modem, it can't actually drive the *modem* part because Broadcom is mean and stingy.

After biting the bullet and going through the local retailers' catalogues with a fine-toothed comb, I eventually found this - a fine specimen as far as hardware specs goes:

http://www.jimms.fi/tuote/WBMR-HP-G300H-EU

It happens to be Lantiq based, and so OpenWRT shows full support for it:

http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/buffalo/wbmr-hp-g300h

Jimm's is transitioning to a purely mail order system and is based in a different city, but it turned out that my local megahypersuperretailer had just got a batch in stock, so I got one from there.

Well, this should be fun.

 - Jonathan Morton