Alternative router firmware: what are DD-WRT, OpenWrt, Tomato & ASUSwrt Merlin : technology

[–] [email protected] 39 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I would take these projects over stock firmware on traditional home routers any day. And I have done where I’ve been unable to rig a more permanent solution. They have an honourable mission in a section of hardware filled with absolute junk.

But the trouble is the sheer number of hardware targets and meagre resources on these devices combined with the contempt of third party firmware from most manufacturers make them hard to flash and leave them rarely updated, if you’re lucky enough to have a supported device. Even then they are prone to quirks and bugs. Some devices do receive and are capable of receiving updates but they often cost more than the equivalent low TDP general purpose computer.

Just imagine: the developers of DD-WRT have to target not just each individual router model but every single revision as the manufacturers have a habit of switching major components or even entire chipsets between product revisions. On top of that the documentation for the components used might be sparse or non existent. I’m impressed that these router distributions can make it work at all but that doesn’t make it any more practical or sustainable.

At this point you may as well flip the router into modem mode and run OPNsense or PFSense and get a fully fledged operating system running on far more resources than any of these SoCs. Assuming you have the power budget you’ll get assured updates and far more flexibility with fewer compatibility issues and quirks. My passively cooled N5105 box with 8GB of ram and a 128GB HDD happily routes a 1gb/s WAN while simultaneously hosting a busy home assistant instance. The resources aren’t even maxed out.

Following my experience I will always opt to run dedicated APs. DD-WRT WiFi support is amazing considering what they have to work with, but there are only so many wifi chipsets they can support and because they try to support as much as they can there are always problems with something. I really don’t have time to constantly troubleshoot the wifi following cryptic posts from years ago. Ubiquity stuff isn’t flawless either but it’s stable and a lot less prone to hard to trace issues. YMMV.

DD-WRT and friends I love you, you really saved my ass a few times when all I had was some shitty CPE. You’re still way nicer than Cisco gear. But I find it hard to justify using a gimped out SoC from a couldn’t-care-less manufacturer when I can buy a 5W TDP passively cooled x86 computer for ~100usd.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I will always opt to run dedicated APs

Any recommendations for a dedicated Wi-Fi 6+ AP that supports open firmware?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

The short answer is no, because it’s a pain in the ass and offers little tangible benefit. But I can speculate.

If I was going down this path I would look for an x86 box with a wifi card that is supported by OPNsense or PFsense(that’s usually going to be dependant on available *BSD available drivers). I don’t how well they would function but I would expect quirks. You could also check the compatibility lists of the open router distributions to find something that’s well supported. You can check the forums for posts from people with similar goals and check their mileage.

You might even be able to achieve this with an ESP32.

But what are you hoping to achieve? Do you mean open radio firmware or do you mean open drivers? Or an open OS talking to a closed radio? What’s the benefit?

Radios in any device are discrete components running their own show.

Open drivers should be possible. However I have a feeling that open firmware for wifi access points radio hardware is going to be extremely hard to find. The regulatory agencies really don’t want the larger public to have complete control because of the possibility of causing interference and breaking the rules(for good reason - imagine if your neighbour had bad signal so he ignorantly cranks up the power output, not realising that he can’t do the same with his client devices, rendering his change useless).

I seem to remember a change in FCC rules some time back that seemed to disallow manufacturers obtaining certification for devices that permitted end users to modify the firmware, much to the concern of open router users at the time. The rule was aimed at radio firmware but the concern was that the distinction would be lost and the rule applied to the entire router by overzealous manufacturers who hate third party firmware at best.

A fully open radio is basically an SDR. Can you move packets over an SDR? Hell yes, but now you’re in esoteric HAM radio territory. It’s going to be a hell of a fun project and you’re going to learn a lot, but in so far as a practical wifi ap, your results will be limited.

I use FOSS wherever it’s practical but if you want working wifi just stick to the well tested brand names. For what it’s worth you probably won’t gain any security by going open, if there’s any weakness it’ll probably be baked in at the protocol level which open devices would need to follow anyway. At least a discrete AP can be isolated and has no reason to be given internet access.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We get it, you're the smartest man in the room. None of that was helpful for that poor soul who asked you for a recommendation on how to step away from OTS routers.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

He asked for a recommendation which I can’t provide because I haven’t gone down the route he wants to know about, hence the first line and my explanation of why I chose not to do that.

I then speculated how I would do it if I were in his position. Then I broke down his question to help him examine what he really wanted: a completely free(as in open source) appliance, a free operating system and or free drivers.

Then finally I explained why you’re unlikely to get a truly free radio. I’m sorry if you or others found this unhelpful, I was just trying to condense quite a lot of information into a short post.

I did just see this posted: https://lemmy.ninja/post/224052

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

Opnsense and PFsense run on top of BSD underpinnings, so as long as the base OS sports the hardware you should be ok there, but:

I still don't really recommend throwing it all on one device. At the minimum, it's unlikely that a white-box PC with a wifi card is going to be as good for signal etc as a multi-antenna wireless device in hardware designed for such.

DD-WRT and OpenWRT can both do VLAN's and per-interface routing, so what I'd recommend instead is having AP's that run that software connected to port(s) or a VLAN intended for your wireless network, then having that run through your firewall (running PFsense, opnsense or whatever). You can even bind a specific SSID to a VLAN and separate your internal vs guest networks so they can't talk to each other (or at least, not without rules on the firewall host). That also allows you to run a bit of cable and space out multiple AP's in such a way that it provides better coverage, while still managing rules/routing/DHCP/etc so the central firewall.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I think Asus routers are about as close as you can get because the stock Asus firmware itself is based on an opensource firmware, which means 3rd party projects such as asuswrt-merlin has an easier time to develop their 3rd party firmware because the stock firmware's source code is available. They are more expensive than other routers though, which might a be a tough pill to swallow especially when vendors such as TP-Link sells their router for dime a dozen.

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

The problem with DIY solutions is that you will be missing out on all advanced hardware features available in prosumer and industrial routers. It's always better to just buy top of the line ASUS router than going DIY. DIY won't give you WiFi 7 or even WiFi 6E. DIY won't give advanced antenna array. The list goes on.

Another point for ASUS routers is that Merlin firmware is available for most of them. And new routers are added all the time. Simply because Merlin is based on official firmware from ASUS. And it adds a lot of nice features, plus gives you SSH access so you can do whatever you want.

And last, but not least, ASUS supports old routers for many years, adding new features and fixing bugs. So if you're not comfortable with flashing custom stuff, you are still better off with ASUS product than with a competitor, as some companies tend to drop support after a measly 9 months since release (looking at you, TP-LINK).

Basically, always go with hi end ASUS - the best hardware plus really good software and support.

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

Couldn't you use the prosumer router as an AP for the opnsense appliance?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

But why?

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

Because then you get the best of both worlds, powerful routing hardware that can easily route and firewall at multi gig speeds, extreme flexibility in software packages to run on your open router platform, and a prosumer AP with best in class wifi performance, antenna configuration, mimo, solid chipset and driver, etc.

Doing everything on a prosumer router running mips or arm with limited package selection at best and a locked down router is at worst is subpar just as trying to get good modulation rates with a client oriented wifi card running in AP mode with subpar antenna configuration.

If you want the best wifi and the best routing/firewall/IDs with the widest package selection (and ability to just run any x86 application) then a separate router box running an x86 based os like opnsense,pfsense,whatever paired with a high end AP (business AP is a good choice) will always be the way to go unless you value compact, low power, or simplicity over achieving the best performance.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Great comment. I ran dd-wrt for years, but finally picked up a used Ubiquiti router and purchased the Eero Pros for wifi. Software does the security now.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago (6 children)

It's awesome to see these projects are still alive and kicking but they feel like a relic of a past era nowadays. Much like how stock ROMs on Android have improved to the point that rooting isn't really beneficial in most cases anymore, the stock firmware on the majority of routers is perfectly serviceable. I'm sure there are still some corner cases where they are as transformative as ever though.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I installed MerlinWRT on my Asus router and it greatly improved the smart steering between 2.4 and 5ghz. Before installing it the router would steer me back and forth very often no matter what I set it too, and I would often drop connection. After Merlin it is rock solid.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I need it for custom DNS settings that aren't normally exposed. Works great.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I have worked with a gigabit ISP for a number of years, and personally haven't seen that much improvement in stock firmware. If anything, I feel like it's more a matter of hardware improving to the point that the clunky stock firmware can run ok.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Maybe I should revise my statement to "consumer routers an informed user would consider buying".

[–] CannedTuna 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I agree. Back in the day I used to run DD-WRT on a cheap $75 router to get features you’d only get on $200+ routers, but now a days I think there’s better options. UniFi for example is great if you don’t mind spending a bit extra. Otherwise I’d rather just use PfSense.

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

Same here! These days I have less time for tinkering and enjoy everything behind the Unifi "pane of glass".

[–] CannedTuna 3 points 1 year ago

Same. I just don’t have as much time to troubleshoot things when stuff goes wrong these days.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I run OpenWRT on my Unifi AP :D

[–] CannedTuna 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Chaotic neutral move. Nice.

In all seriousness, how is it?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

It makes wifi! I'd say that stability and performance are probably identical. I don't especially mistrust Ubiquiti, but running open source feels nice, and it gives me nerd cred.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Yea I feel like I'd lose features if I tried to do a different firmware on my Amplifi alien

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ever since I found out my old Netgear R7800 didn't have a functional IPv6 firewall, I've been riding happily on the OpenWrt train. Now I absolutely refuse to buy routers that I can't flash with OpenWrt.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I'm a bit surprised OpenWrt is in the same list as the rest. It really is in a league of its own on a technical and functional level. OpenWrt is much closer to a typical server Linux OS. Yes you can use it as a dumb flash-it-and-go firmware replacement on supported hardware, but it can do so much more.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

You can also run openwrt on x86 boxes and not just a random selection of embedded devices. That might feel silly, but you get the benefit of Linux's more advanced bufferbloat mitigation and a nice clean and relatively easy to understand UI.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Not silly at all for multi-gig connections. I'm running it on Pi 4 which does well for a 1Gbps connection with SQM. Sometimes it's cheaper to get old x86 hatdware to do the same. Or I've heard you could run it in a Docker container on a bigger machine.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Or I’ve heard you could run it in a Docker container on a bigger machine

You can definitely run it in a VM (which is how I handle it) but container support wouldn't surprise me.

The "silly" part was more that if you have x86 you can use opnsense/pfsense but I'm with you in that SQM is a big draw as well as less risk of compatibility issues as my APs are also flashed with openwrt. And the BSDs were well behind on wireguard support when I first switched to x86, although they have since caught up now I believe.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Exactly, standardization is a very significant pro. Hardware support being a dependency for standardization. I wrote a simple SaltStack module for OpenWrt and I'm using that to manage the config of multiple OpenWrt devices across multiple locations. That happens to live along with the rest of my Salt code which manages everything else.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I was actually under the impression that DD-WRT was sort of on-par, but then again I've never tried it.

[+] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

[deleted]

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I run Fresh Tomato on my Asus router, and super happy with it. Tons and tons of functionality that didnt exist at all in asus firmware.

It's fast, stable and has a much better user interface than default.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I have run Fresh tomato for years now but I have also run DDWRT before. The original manufacturer gave up security patches long ago for my router and many critical vulnerabilities have been found since, now unpatched on routers with vendor firmware. Tomato is kept up to date and patched and with all the recent features of a much more expensive class of router than what mine came with.

It's superior in features but it's also much more secure. Nowadays I think most should be selecting OpenWRT, it's the biggest project with the most hardware supported and if choosing hardware it's a good idea to select something on their supported list, if nothing else but to get security patches when your vendor stops, typically just a couple of years after you buy it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I've got some variety of Tomato running on an ancient Netgear thing the previous owner left here. I use it in client mode to be a wifi adapter for my desktop, my server, and my little TV box running Armbian. In years past, we used a DDWRT router to provide a second SSID with always-on VPN.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I ran DD-WRT and Asus-MerlinWRT for a long time before hopping on the unifi train. They worked a treat and extended the lives of the hardware.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I'm using GL.Inet GL-B1300 as my main router which had out-of-the-box OpenWRT-based firmware where the primary control panel is GL.Inet's own design, but from where you can also use advanced login to OpenWrt's own LuCI-interface where it's true potential unleashes. It is also possible to install pure OpenWrt on the router, but I haven't seen no need for that, at least for now, since the router is still supported by GL.Inet itself.

This GL-B1300 is my first OpenWrt based router, but before this I have used few Netgear, Buffalo and Linksys routers since 2009 with DD-WRT, Tomato and FreshTomato firmwares installed on them without any bigger problems. Only minor problems that has occured has been about the wifi speeds vs. original firmwares, which has been about the proprietary hardware wifi drivers being performant than the open source ones.

After all, these third party firmwares has given new or extended life with new features for many old and new routers that has been EoL or otherwise restricted by manufacturers. Not to mention how these 3rd party firmwares has saved money and natural resources preventing me to buy a new one everytime manufacturers dropped the ball about the updates even if the hardware where still valid.

Concerning Asus, I just last week got Asus Blue Cave AC2600 from 2018 on my hands; router which is EoL and it's latest official firmware is from 2021, but I found a ASUSMerlin-WRT based and up-to-date firmware fork for it; fork because there even haven't been any official Merlin support for it. This is probably because ASUS uses not-so standard or otherwise open hardware on some of it's routers instead of well supported Broadcom architecture, in this case this Blue Cave is based on non-usual Intel hardware.

[–] epyon22 3 points 1 year ago

I ran ddwrt for years moved over to a mikrotik hex with router os. Gave me all the features I used in ddwrt and more plus no weird reflashing hardware risks. Rock solid stable and still getting updates years later.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Pfsense/opnsense >

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

Unfortunately, no firmware is compatible with my Asus DSL-AC52U.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There are no alternative firmwares for any DSL routers from ASUS. What you should do is buy a regular router and plug it into the box supplied by your ISP. You also disable WiFi on ISP box.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The ASUS router is currently my only device.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I understand, it's just a tip for the future if you ever decide to upgrade.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Still have 2 wrt 54 gl

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Yes indeed! It's how I got Streetpass connections from all over the world in the 3DS days! Sure beats going to McDonald's!

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