Best way to interface a microcontroller with a router?

[seawolf]

Hey,
I'm working on an underwater robot project. The goal right now is to have an ROV with a camera and sensors (pressure, heading, etc.) communicating through a tether to a wireless router located in a buoy. The wireless buoy will transmit the data to a laptop on the shore. A user will be able to see the data being collected by the ROV and send commands back to the vehicle.

If I've lost you already, it looks something like this:


Most of this design is based off of the wireless RC car found at http://www.jbprojects.net/projects/wifirobot/

I've already got a network camera working. What I need is some input on is how to interface a microcontroller (in my case, an arduino) to the wireless router.

The methods I've seen so far are:
1. Hack the wireless router to have a serial port, as shown in the RC car tutorial.  Requires physical and software hacking.
2. Hack the firmware on a router that has a USB port (like this: http://todbot.com/blog/2010/12/16/wifi-for-arduino-with-asus-wl-520gu/)  Requires a similar amount of software hacking, and no physical hacking.
3. Use an arduino ethernet shield.

My background is in electrical engineering, but networking and communication protocols are new to me. I would appreciate some input as to what would be the best way to send and receive data between a laptop and an arduino using a wireless router.

Also, if someone could clue me in as to what has to be done on the laptop side, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,
-Seawolf

[Soeren]

Hi,

Why not make a web server on the controller and just browse it by its IP number.

[Rent2Own]

If you're still interested in this, I've made a thread/project (based on the same links you left) on hacking the Asus wl-520gu.

Getting the dd wrt software on the router isn't hard, and it doesn't require soldering in the serial port.  Here is my progress so far...
http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=14782.0

*I'm trying to figure out "the laptop side of it" as you've stated.  e.g. Putting the router in the correct mode, and establishing a connection with the microcontroller.

[seawolf]

Decided to go with the wireless router approach (Asus 520gu). Got it working so that commands can be sent from a laptop to the microcontroller. We also managed to get a virtual serial port up and running so that the wireless router interface is transparent to serial commands.
I'll get one of the software guys to do a write up at the end of the semester.

Cheers,
-Seawolf