A bunch of consumer hardware is based on openwrt.
this post was submitted on 25 Mar 2024
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OpenWrt was relatively popular back in the day when Linksys routers could run Linux. At some point iirc Linksys sadly replaced the default Linux based firmware by a closed source OS, and also decreased the amount of memory for the firmware. A few years ago I saw that there was an option to install OpenWrt in an lxc container, I briefly played with it, nice nostalgia.
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I use DD-WRT, it dies everything I need. Is Open-WRT better?
Anecdotal, but I only see OpenWRT out of the two in commercial products which hints to me its better supported (e.g., security patches and feature support).
Yes, I love it. My router is an x86 mini PC running Open WRT, then I have two routers acting as WAPs also running OpenWRT.
I know about it, but I prefer Asuswrt Merlin firmware for my routers, because I mainly use ASUS routers (powerful, modern (WiFi 6E etc) , easy to find second-hand models for cheap) and Merlin firmware is very well integrated with the routers and uses the same UI as the stock firmware, but provides additional features like a package manger etc.
In fact I believe ASUS themselves have started to use some of Merlin's patches in their firmware, which goes to show how professional Merlin is.
(powerful, modern (WiFi 6E etc)
Interesting, I had no idea about this. Thanks for sharing! And it looks like there's even an R4 with WiFi-7!
Yes, the R4 is the next thing, I'm not sure the wifi board is selling already and what's the current state of the software. However I happen to have deployed a bunch of R3 boards (with metal case) with OpenWrt and they work amazingly good.
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Years ago I derived a flash with vtun on it. It's so old, now, but vtun still goes and connects. And since it's not systemd, it'll keep hammering at the connection until it succeeds.
So these old routers are still out there, and when a soho site is sick and we can't get in we instruct someone to plug in the blue box and it calls out for help.
It's so ghetto but, in places like the southern states where rural power outages can outlast generator time, it has cut down our time to recovery tremendously.
I’ve been debating buying a cheap aliexpress mini 2.5G router pc and doing something of the sort. But I have been too lazy to look into if I can still use my orbis as access points. Maybe tonight’s the night.
I personally use it on a protectli with the 2.5G ports. I also replaced my ISP modern with a protectli running OpnSense. Decided to opt into that as my solution to have two different softwares protecting my network and also so I could scope internet facing devices at the OpnSense level instead of internal to the network. Just in case they get compromised, they can't access the rest of the network. Call me paranoid... But I also find it much easier to manage lol.
Yes, I run my network infrastructure on it (three access points (one of them the network gateway) and an Ethernet-to-wifi bridge).
I remember getting a LinkSyS WRT54G for free and then installing OpenRT and then jumping to Tomato and dd-wrt on and off and finally setting on dd-wrt
I bought a router with OpenWRT support but the official firmware works well enough and I can't really be bothered to switch it out for OpenWRT right now lol
it's good to know that I can in the future though, that wasn't an option with my last router
I used it before, but ultimately it comes down to compatibility. Broadcomm is dominating the router space and 3rd party firmwares are a nono for that. So I just got an Asus that is supposed to be supported for a very long time.
I've long known about it. I don't seriously use it, but I would if only my Wi-Fi router was fully supported. It's an Asus one (that I got for free from T-Mobile a decade ago) so I installed Asuswrt-Merlin on it instead.
Following the recommendation of homelab communities, I got into OpnSense (a BSD-based firewall system for x86 hardware only) last year, still keeping my Wi-Fi router as a dedicated AP. In hindsight I somewhat regret that choice and probably would've been better off buying a new OpenWRT-compatible router and using it to handle firewall/routing/AP all in one device instead of wasting the power draw of another separate N100 system. I like having wireguard and vnstat in my router now, which Merlin didn't offer, but I know OpenWRT has those too and I don't have any other needs that warrant a higher-power router.
It is fairly easy as for most hardware it is pre configured in a way that makes sense.
Setting it up in a VM is a different story