Could be DHCP (Score 1)

I have had problems with DHCP specifically. It seemed that the WRT54G could only give out a certain number of DHCP addresses before it had to be rebooted. It would still work Ok for devices which had static DHCP addresses, or for machines/devices that had been up for quite a while and still had the DHCP address, but if I restarted a machine or turned one on that had been off for a while, it wouldn't work. This seemed to happen both with the original firmware that came in the WRT54G and also with Sveasoft Alchemy firmware which I used mainly so I could crank up the Tx power and use WDS. So, it could have been in the original firmware since I think Sveasoft started with the open-source release from Linksys. I used to use the WRT54G as the main router with an Apple Airport Express acting to extend the range using WDS. Later I got an Actiontec router from Verizon with my FiOS setup. At that point, I setup the Actiontec as the main router and have it do the DHCP. I then ran a 1GbE cable to where the Apple Airport Express used to be and used the WRT54G as a 2nd router. It now has the DHCP disabled, and I've not had any problems with it. It's also possible that later versions of the firmware from Linksys may have fixed the issue, but I have not had the motivation to experiment with any. YMMV, but you might try setting it up to renew the DHCP addresses as infrequently as possible. Another approach is just to set up all the devices on your network with static IP addresses. This might not be practical if you roam with your wireless device, but you might be able to set up any fixed devices like desktops or servers that don't leave with a static IP to avoid them using up the DHCP limit (assuming my theory is correct). You might also try a newer version of firmware, or one of the open-source replacements like OpenWRT, etc. Even though I still have Sveasoft on my own WRT54G, I personally wouldn't recommend Sveasoft as in my experience it seems to have the same DHCP problem as the original. It's also possible that this is not directly related to DHCP, but could just be a more general memory management issue that DHCP happens to trigger after a while. One final note is that WRT54G does seem to have some sensitivty to supply power. To reset it reliably, I seem to have to unplug it for about 30 seconds minimum before repowering it or else it may not fully reset. That said, it's believable that power glitches could also be to blame for some of the issues. Some other posters have noted similar effects. A power filter may help, but a UPS would be even better if your power tends to go out for just a few seconds at a time.