Permacomputing

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Computing to support life on Earth

Computing in the age of climate crisis is often wasteful and adds nothing useful to our real life communities. Here we try to find out how to change that.

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Ideas for how to use a spare wifi router? (slrpnk.net)

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

8 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I have an ac1900 wifi router that isn't in use and had support dropped by the vendor. My home network is already set up, so I don't have a need for it – otherwise, I'd probably flash OpenWRT on it. Any ideas for what I could use it for?

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

I'm sure others have posted better ideas, but I used to run a dual wifi setup at my old house. One router was the 'main' one and was basically just the core internet access, connecting to the second router. The second router had my VPN setup in the firmware, so if I wanted to pirate games/movies or do other VPN stuff, I just had to swap from one wifi to the other.

We needed the non-vpn network so that mom could do her job (work-from-home, they didn't like you using a VPN that wasn't their in-house connection).

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

Second wifi network/VPN for untrusted devices? Guests and smart home stuff?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

If you're into hardware and maker stuff, it is ideal for learning Linux embedded. The radios are likely on PCI buses that are just integrated on the PCB. You can work on programming the kernel stuff. This guy has been doing a great job at building up and documenting this kind of dev skills lately: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHkwlexIsoJVa5g_G9g18GA

You can also try and use the UART serial port that is likely broken out and any LED or button pins as an enable line for chip select and that will give you access to SPI as the SPI bus will be connected to the flash memory chip and that is easy to find documentation for in practice. A router is basically a beagle bone level of development board that comes with a nice enclosure - IMO.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I have same router, spare. So, I went into settings and turned it into a bridge and put it in my garage for stronger signal there.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

Seconded on this…

Use it in an area of low signal and put it on a different channel.

Alternatively, if it has as detachable antennae, you can put a “yagi” on it, and point the “very directional antenna” at your driveway or the backyard or the local park etc…

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Turn it into another access point?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I have a spare ISP modem. Is there may use for this?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

Not likely…. ISP ones are usually locked down and/or under powered.

Depends on model though