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OpenWrt One – Open Hardware Router

openwrt.org

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Re: OpenWrt One – Open Hardware Router

#291

Post by zamadatix »

xelxebar wrote: post #241
PaulKeeble wrote: post #17

They are working on an OpenWRT Two at the moment which will be Wifi 7. OpenWRT runs on a lot of hardware and its a great way to extend the life of a router past the manufacturers patches as well as gain a lot of capabilities. I wouldn't buy a commercial router that wasn't supported by OpenWRT now.

Why 7 (802.11be) when the bandwidth isn't really used? Genuine question. The GL-BE9300 mentioned here clocks in well within WiFi 5 range even. I've got 10Gbps fiber at home (egregious, I know), and the only OpenWRT router I found that can saturate it is the Turris Omnia NG[0]. The price tag is a notch up from others but it's legitimately one of the best pieces of hardware I've ever owned. A perf3 test against an in-t…

Screw the max theoretical bandwidths for marketing, without 6 GHz (which would need 6E or 7) and the improved airtime efficiency I can barely get a few hundred jittery mbps standing next to my AP because the airspace is so crowded where I live.

Re: OpenWrt One – Open Hardware Router

#292

Post by petee »

ssl-3 wrote: post #84
petee wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, so your wan is 1gig, and your lan 2.5...handy but not much of a perk. Lets just call this an AP, which would clear up many issues people seem to have with it

It depends. It'd be handy for me: The fastest WAN pipe I can get is less than a gigabit while my LAN is still gigabit. I can't be the only person with this situation, wherein: If anything, then the 2.5-gig port is overkill. I don't have any direct interest in the wifi radio that the box includes (I already have Mikrotik APs that I like just fine), except to configure it as a failover station-mode interface to use wit…

> If anything, then the 2.5-gig port is overkill.

Or 1 gig is underkill. My original reply was just pointing out that simply adding a 2.5g switch doesn't make it a 5 port 2.5g router, it makes it a 1 gig router with 2.5 internal, at best

Re: OpenWrt One – Open Hardware Router

#294

Post by Cabal »

toast0 wrote: post #197
linsomniac wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.…

> It is basically always better to run more APs at lower power in the areas where you need coverage, than to boost the power. Only if your clients are competent at roaming.

Looking at you, Nintendo Switch 1 and 2. Yes, the 2, in 2026.

Re: OpenWrt One – Open Hardware Router

#295

Post by radlad »

walrus01 wrote: post #252
buildsjets wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why does Wifi 5-7 require designing the case so it is shaped like an F-117 fighter jet instead of a box of candy?

You don't have to buy such a design, the ubiquiti u7 lite and u7 pro are ordinary round white ceiling mount 802.11be AP. Somehow ordinary non tech consumers got it into their heads that something which looks like a f117 with many spiky antennas sticking out of it must be faster.

I could be crazy, but don't all the external antennas allow for more flexibility with regard to directionality of signal?

I have a U7 Lite and it is very directional compared to other routers I have used (spider style, trash can style, etc.)

Re: OpenWrt One – Open Hardware Router

#296

Post by grvbck »

somat wrote: post #177
baggachipz wrote: post #13

Off topic, but what amuses me about the "Wrt" name is that it was originally alternate firmware for the Linksys WRT54G router from 25 years ago. The name has stuck for whatever reason; I guess since only geeks use it and know what it is.

Did WRT mean anything? Wireless RouTer?

Wireless Router or Wireless Router Technology is the common interpretation, but to my knowledge, Linksys has never officially confirmed this.

Re: OpenWrt One – Open Hardware Router

#297

Post by numpad0 »

buildsjets wrote: post #208
Karliss wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wifi 5-7 happened, now operating at 3 different frequency ranges (2.4, 5 and 6Ghz) and using techniques like beam forming and MIMO. All those antennas need to go somewhere. If you want plain unassuming looking hardware get dedicated wifi access points and place them all over the building. There are plenty of those shaped liked big smoke detectors. If you want single device there are also quite a few trash can shaped…

Why does Wifi 5-7 require designing the case so it is shaped like an F-117 fighter jet instead of a box of candy?

Presumably you can do a snare drum shape with antennas arranged like tension rods, for whatever reason they do articulating antennas.

As for why it needs multiple antennas, it's for MIMO and beam forming.

Re: OpenWrt One – Open Hardware Router

#298

Post by drnick1 »

xelxebar wrote: post #274
voxadam wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I've got 10Gbps fiber at home (egregious, I know), and the only OpenWRT router I found that can saturate it is the Turris Omnia NG[0]. The price tag is a notch up from others but it's legitimately one of the best pieces of hardware I've ever owned. Why not use OPNsense on a mini PC?

Apparently, WiFi is spotty on OPNsense. I did start looking into home grown options, but WiFi 7 with 10Gbit ethernet is no joke. Most hardware ends up being power-hungry and noisy. The Omnia NG is fanless, meaning quiet and power-efficient. It's also small and relatively stylish. The small hardware LCD is very handy, and everything Just Works. The whole package is just so well put together.

Fanless is attractive on paper, but often means overheating and unreliable in practice. A large, slow fan in a bigger case is always better if you value reliability and a long service life. The best 10G router that you can buy is a low spec PC with a two-port 10G NIC. Make sure airflow is directed to the NIC (a PCI fan bracket is useful for that). WiFi is best handled by a dedicated access point, ideally the ceiling-mounted commercial type.

Re: OpenWrt One – Open Hardware Router

#299

Post by vsviridov »

auselen wrote: post #221
all2 wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The WRT54 is still one of my favorite pieces of industrial design. Small case, ~~purple~~blue and grey, two antennas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linksys_WRT54G_series

One could stack them.

I was so annoyed that the Linksys cable modem, that came in the exact same color scheme was not stackable with the routers. You had a wifi router and a non wifi router in the same exact case with same exact front panel. But no, the modem was completely different form factor.

Re: OpenWrt One – Open Hardware Router

#300

Post by pidgeon_lover »

xelxebar wrote: post #274
voxadam wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I've got 10Gbps fiber at home (egregious, I know), and the only OpenWRT router I found that can saturate it is the Turris Omnia NG[0]. The price tag is a notch up from others but it's legitimately one of the best pieces of hardware I've ever owned. Why not use OPNsense on a mini PC?

Apparently, WiFi is spotty on OPNsense. I did start looking into home grown options, but WiFi 7 with 10Gbit ethernet is no joke. Most hardware ends up being power-hungry and noisy. The Omnia NG is fanless, meaning quiet and power-efficient. It's also small and relatively stylish. The small hardware LCD is very handy, and everything Just Works. The whole package is just so well put together.

How much does it cost? I was spooked when there were no prices on the website and it says only "email for quote".
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