OpenWrt One – Open Hardware Router

Post by cduzz » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 2:00 AM UTC

vsviridov wrote: post #99

WithinReason wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The planned specs are here, they say it will be made by GL.iNet: https://openwrt.org/voting/2025-02-12-openwrt-two Otherwise this router from GL.iNet has OpenWRT preinstalled, Wifi 7, 5x2.5G: http://www.gl-inet.com/en-gb/products/gl-be9300

Why do they always have to look like some unholy blend of a cybernetic spider and a Knight Rider? What happened to a plain unassuming looking piece of industrial hardware...

Post by nine_k » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 2:09 AM UTC

MrDrMcCoy wrote: post #161

mike_d wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because a modern wifi router requires a minimum of 6 antennas. 9 is even better. This lends itself to a spider like design with just a ton of antennas sticking out of a box, or a trash can with the antennas hidden inside around the outside edge. Do you have other ideas for how to lay it out?

My radio knowledge is not up to par, but couldn't a phased array antenna setup allow for friendlier form factors?

Post by papascrubs » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 2:14 AM UTC

dominick-cc wrote: post #113

I use opnsense with an aliexpress n100 router. It works very well and I enjoy it. But upgrades scare the crap out of me. I've only had 1 upgrade where things went bad. I have zfs snapshots and everything, but just because its a headless unit, I get super anxiety upgrading the system waiting for the beeps for it to come back online.

Post by Barbing » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 2:24 AM UTC

linsomniac wrote: post #88

baggachipz wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I loved it because it allowed me to boost the signal above FCC-approved power requirements and saturate my house with that sweet 2.4GHz connection everywhere.

It is basically always better to run more APs at lower power in the areas where you need coverage, than to boost the power. Especially today with the radio spectrum being so congested. Despite this, I could expect 3-5 people to hunt me down at PyCon when I was running the wireless to tell me that I had misconfigured the wifi because it was set to low power. More reports of that than reports of wifi not working, IIRC.…

Post by pizlonator » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 2:35 AM UTC

guywithahat wrote: post #115

IgorPartola wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In case it is not, an old PC with a dual port Intel NIC running OPNSense is so far the best router I have ever used. I mean rock solid performance with near zero maintenance beyond adjusting VLANs and setting up a 6in4 tunnel over the past 5 years solid. My home network is larger, more diverse, and more complex than what I suspect most people have, with several hundred devices and yet I log into the OPNSense UI maybe…

I don't disagree, however using an old PC as a router almost certainly wastes an enormous among of power. An old non-gaming PC could use 70kWh of power a month if running continuously (as a router would), which is around 11 a month and almost 140 a year. At that price you could just buy a nice router, or an OpenWrt One which will possibly also have newer, faster WiFi standards (WiFi 6)