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How to build a Linux-based wireless router out of spare parts (1998)

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Re: How to build a Linux-based wireless router out of spare parts (1998)

#31

Post by tiagod »

throwaway892238 wrote: post #19
uniformlyrandom wrote: post #8

What if I'd like to build a linux router out of modern hardware? I would like to stop upgrading routers every two years (maybe just upgrade the wifi cards in it), and have full control over router's UI (command line is fine). Is this a stupid idea?

Depends what you want. Modern routers can have faster speeds than the base specs, and can switch easily between different modes (ap/bridge/mesh/etc). But yours would be more secure and less likely to crap out from cheap hardware. Use a mini/embedded PC platform (fanless + low energy), a network chip with good Linux support, and don't use moving disks, or write logs to flash, so the storage won't die. Should last you…

>and less likely to crap out from cheap hardware

For what it's worth, I put up an already old, extremely cheap TP-Link AP inside an old greenhouse some 5 years ago, and it's still working. Stopped working twice from being full of rain water (coming from holes in the roof), and it started working again after I drained the water and dried it for a few days.

Re: How to build a Linux-based wireless router out of spare parts (1998)

#32

Post by fellowmartian »

johnklos wrote: post #26

Reminds me of creating a wireless access point using an old 80486 laptop and a ORiNOCO Bronze wireless card, a pigtail and an antenna. It was for one of the first free public wireless networks in Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan, New York, in 2001. The bandwidth was provided by alt.coffee, a coffee and Internet cafe. It took some convincing to get the owners of alt.coffee to let me do this because they thought it wo…

Man, I’m always jealous when I hear these tales of how things used to be here. I came to New York in early 2021 and my experience is completely different - it’s basically 24/7 grind and this kind of hacker fun seems inconceivable now. But maybe I’m just looking in the wrong places.

Re: How to build a Linux-based wireless router out of spare parts (1998)

#33

Post by GuB-42 »

uniformlyrandom wrote: post #8

What if I'd like to build a linux router out of modern hardware? I would like to stop upgrading routers every two years (maybe just upgrade the wifi cards in it), and have full control over router's UI (command line is fine). Is this a stupid idea?

Not stupid, but you also have to understand the downsides.

I once did that, essentially just a linux PC with extra network cards. It doubled as a NAS too. One issue is simply that when you are playing with it (updates and all that), you won't have a router and you will lose internet access for all your connected devices. You also have to consider power outages (UPS highly recommended) and electricity costs. It gives you a lot of flexibility, but it also gives you a hobby. In the end I backed off and got an off-the-shelf router like everyone else, the server is still there, but it doesn't do routing anymore. Sure, I lose a bit of control, but it works, and solving problems is usually just "turn it off and on again", and I don't want to play hotline when my roommate loses internet access.

A compromise is take an off-the-shelf router and flash an alternative firmware like OpenWrt.

Also, why do you need upgrading routers every two years? Things don't move that fast, and widespread adoption of new standards even less so. If WiFi is the reason you change so much, you can buy access points and connect them to your router with wires.

Re: How to build a Linux-based wireless router out of spare parts (1998)

#34

Post by seized »

uniformlyrandom wrote: post #8

What if I'd like to build a linux router out of modern hardware? I would like to stop upgrading routers every two years (maybe just upgrade the wifi cards in it), and have full control over router's UI (command line is fine). Is this a stupid idea?

While not Linux, look at OPNSense. It's a fork of pfSense without the bad behavior of Netgate. Will run on all sorts of hardware and has been utterly reliable for me.

Re: How to build a Linux-based wireless router out of spare parts (1998)

#35

Post by dualboot »

hk1337 wrote: post #18
throwaway892238 wrote: post #17

I used to build Linux router software that would fit on a floppy disk and run it in a 486DX2, for absolutely no reason except it was fun as hell. Made a nice web UI, packed in a ton of advanced features. Wanted to try and start a company to sell little open source routers, but then I found out cheap routers were quite hard to make money on, so I became a sysadmin instead and mostly browsed Slashdot for 10 years. My b…

> Linux router software that would fit on a floppy disk and run it in a 486DX2 I thought this was me that posted this and forgot I posted it. I did this exact thing with same equipment back in college. My reasoning was slightly different. I did do it just for fun but also I wanted to run multiple computers and servers and the university was pretty strict on the one computer per connection rule.

There are a lot of us out there.

Re: How to build a Linux-based wireless router out of spare parts (1998)

#37

Post by PragmaticPulp »

> The total cost of each end of the router, including antennas and cabling, is less than 1300 US dollars, which is a considerable cost savings over the dedicated bridge units (typically about 3100 US each) available from the same manufacturer.

Adjusted for inflation, $1300 in 1998 dollars is equivalent to nearly $2400 in today's dollars. The $3100 manufacturer price would be equivalent to $5700 today.

Really puts into perspective how accessible computing and hardware have become.

Re: How to build a Linux-based wireless router out of spare parts (1998)

#38

Post by zekica »

uniformlyrandom wrote: post #8

What if I'd like to build a linux router out of modern hardware? I would like to stop upgrading routers every two years (maybe just upgrade the wifi cards in it), and have full control over router's UI (command line is fine). Is this a stupid idea?

You should really look into Intel Pentium N6005 based mini PCs with up to 5 ethernet inferaces - they are very versatile and you can choose from different Router systems: OpenWRT, pfSense, opnSense and others. They consume less than 10 watts idle (most of the time) and about 25W max. Regular consumer routers consume 3-5W idle and about 15W max, so not much of a difference. You can even use a hypervisor and use VT-d to pass through the ethernet cards to the router VM. The only downside is that there are a small number of PCIe cards that work good as an wireless AP - mostly Mediatek based ones (some Qualcomm/Atheros cards work fine too).

Re: How to build a Linux-based wireless router out of spare parts (1998)

#39

Post by zekica »

rektide wrote: post #28
uniformlyrandom wrote: post #8

What if I'd like to build a linux router out of modern hardware? I would like to stop upgrading routers every two years (maybe just upgrade the wifi cards in it), and have full control over router's UI (command line is fine). Is this a stupid idea?

It's a great idea. It's a bit of a pain the ass from a hardware sense. OpenWRT is available & easy but there's quite limited hardware (newely no wifi6), but honestly, at this point, I'd much rather use a real computer and some add-in cards. Alas availability of hardware- specifically AP grade cards & things to plug them into is forsakenly awful. One has to scrounge around for increasingly absurdly priced botique adap…

I run OpenWRT on ASUS RT-AX53U (WiFi 6 - MT915E) and it works fine - as an AP only, it can manage 800Mbps and routing with no SQM 500Mpbs (using Software Flow Offloading).

Re: How to build a Linux-based wireless router out of spare parts (1998)

#40

Post by projektfu »

johnklos wrote: post #26

Reminds me of creating a wireless access point using an old 80486 laptop and a ORiNOCO Bronze wireless card, a pigtail and an antenna. It was for one of the first free public wireless networks in Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan, New York, in 2001. The bandwidth was provided by alt.coffee, a coffee and Internet cafe. It took some convincing to get the owners of alt.coffee to let me do this because they thought it wo…

I'd worry about some cable guy attempting to splice it before noticing it's the wrong thickness. I loved 10Base2 because it was so easy to install, no hub required. But apparently point to point is easier for most offices.
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