Buffalo has announced a new AirStation Wireless-G MIMO Router claims to be the “first commercial wireless router to come with DD-WRT firmware pre-installed,” notes Engadget:

The WHR-HP-G54DD (WHR-HP-G54 pictured) is the first device to emerge from the firm’s partnership with NewMedia-NET (pdf). It features five QoS levels to prioritize traffic, optimized link state routing (OLSR), a data transfer application with VPN functionality, PPTP protocol support, WMM and DDNS, and a bevy of management applications including remote network status logging, remote web management via HTTPS and web-based backup / restore.

DD-WRT firmware (blog is a free, open source firmware that features captive portal pages and management functions. It is estimated that 1 million DD-WRT based routers are already in use worldwide. Previously, users had to install the firmware at their own risk, thereby nullifying the manufacturer’s warranty. The new Buffalo router will have it built-in.

The new Buffalo “N” router will reportedly cost $86.

In other news, Buffalo is appealing a US import ban of its 802.11a and 802.11g gear. In June, a US court ruled the sale of Wi-Fi equipment from Buffalo Technology infringed on patents held by the Australia-based Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

But The Register points out that the CSIRO patent also underlies the 802.11a and g standards, and has been licensed world-wide with the help of the IEEE. Microsoft, 3Com, SMC Networks and Accton Technology support of Buffalo, filing an amicus brief. Intel, Dell, Atheros, Belkin, Consumer Electronics Association, Hewlett-Packard, NETGEAR, Nortel Networks, Nvidia, Oracle, SAP, and Yahoo! have filed a separate brief.

Original Source: dailywireless.org