I am contemplating running the DD-WRT firmware but I have two issues:  1. Is this firmware compatible with the Windows operating system, specifically XP Professional Service Pack 3? I do not like Linux or Unix at all, they are intensely user unfriendly! 2. The original firmware was installed from a setup wizard CD that I did not find particularly easy to use and ended up manually configuring my security for the router. How does this firmware install after it has arrived in the folder you intend to upload it from? Is there a lot of manual configuration like a lot of Unix/Linux software after you get the firmware loaded to the folder? Nothing annoys me more than command line! I presume the firmware will not download using Active X and so there will not be a Run option but will require using Save and then possibly manually decompressing it using WinZip or something similar.

 The reason I like the DD-WRT firmware is it has very good security options and I understand you can throttle the wireless transmitter up in power which is what I need most. I have seen some issues with this firmware bricking the unit and requiring a special serial cable to debrick it! I just can't afford that to happen, my desktop runs wired into the router but the laptop runs entirely wireless and I would have no outside access on that computer after bricking the unit. Could someone give me an idea of how you install this firmware? Right now I prefer to play it safe until I know for sure that I will not have any unforseen complications and foul up my Netgear WGR614 v8 wireless router which is, as of this moment, running nicely. I know how it is with open software, sometimes it's good and sometimes it's very bad! So please cue me in on these questions, I would appreciate that very highly!