I'd like to use a Linksys WRT54G wireless router as a signal receiver, attached to a single computer via ethernet LAN. In other words, I'd like to reverse the normal function of the router, connecting to the greater world via wireless, and in the home wired. I believe this is called "client mode" or "AP client mode", or "client AP mode".
I've seen it written that this is possible using third party firmware. What is the best / simplest (and preferably free) firmware to use for this purpose? The person who is setting this up (moi) should be considered a semi-idiot and definitely not a Linux maven, but at least able to type stuff in at the command line and know what a batch file is. However, once this is set up, the users are even less wizard-like and at most would be able to click a link on the desktop after a power outage or other router reset condition. Which could be frequent in the required location.
It would also be handy to be able to boost the power. The tower is nearby and the signal is detectable by a laptop with a PCMCIA wireless card, but usability is sporadic, maybe 60% of the time usable in receiving from the tower, 30% of the time usable in transmitting to the tower.
Is this possible? Win2K, and the WRT54G router is a v.4.
Thanks.