OpenWRT capable travel routers
Nov 1, 2014, 5:44 pm
#1
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OpenWRT capable travel routers
There comes a time when you need to (in this case, literally) weigh your priorities. I decided that having a router with OpenWRT on it as my travel router is an absolute must. I can not and will not trust a closed source firmware. Now trouble starts because most of these small travel routers are not too open source friendly, the Realtek chipsets and the ridiculously underpowered hardware doesn't help.
I also like having two LAN ports and 5GHz to round it out. Now, 5GHz makes a massacre among travel routers. Yet, 2.4GHz just doesn't cut it any more, I think.
I ended up snatching a used Buffalo WLAE-AG300N from Amazon. This is a Atheros AR7240 based router with a single radio operating on both frequencies and two Ethernet ports. The factory firmware as shipped is capable of flashing OpenWRT. Altogether it was a very pleasant experience and armed with OpenWRT the possibilities are just dizzying.
The Dlink DIR-510L has two USB ports so that plus an USB Ethernet adapter ticks every point on my checklist. This is an expensive piece (because it's 802.11ac I guess) but it is also a battery which is cool. Also, unlike the Buffalo, this is dual radio and the MediaTek MT7620A it runs on is screaming fast. The chipset is certainly OpenWRT capable.
If you are OK with 2.4GHz only then the GL.iNet also has two Ethernet ports and on top a USB port as well and much, much smaller than the Buffalo. It also has 64MB flash and 16MB RAM (at least the version I linked) and it comes with OpenWRT to boot.
So there you have it.
I also like having two LAN ports and 5GHz to round it out. Now, 5GHz makes a massacre among travel routers. Yet, 2.4GHz just doesn't cut it any more, I think.
I ended up snatching a used Buffalo WLAE-AG300N from Amazon. This is a Atheros AR7240 based router with a single radio operating on both frequencies and two Ethernet ports. The factory firmware as shipped is capable of flashing OpenWRT. Altogether it was a very pleasant experience and armed with OpenWRT the possibilities are just dizzying.
The Dlink DIR-510L has two USB ports so that plus an USB Ethernet adapter ticks every point on my checklist. This is an expensive piece (because it's 802.11ac I guess) but it is also a battery which is cool. Also, unlike the Buffalo, this is dual radio and the MediaTek MT7620A it runs on is screaming fast. The chipset is certainly OpenWRT capable.
If you are OK with 2.4GHz only then the GL.iNet also has two Ethernet ports and on top a USB port as well and much, much smaller than the Buffalo. It also has 64MB flash and 16MB RAM (at least the version I linked) and it comes with OpenWRT to boot.
So there you have it.
Last edited by chx1975; Nov 2, 2014 at 1:42 am
Nov 2, 2014, 1:17 am
#3
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ScottC, does the DIR-510L work with it? Which file did you flash on it? https://downloads.openwrt.org/barrie...amips/mt7620a/ I only see the sysupgrade version here and I thought that already required OpenWRT.
Last edited by chx1975; Nov 2, 2014 at 1:25 am
Nov 2, 2014, 1:44 am
#4
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Also, I found http://www.ebay.com/itm/121443885777 this device, the SAPIDO BRF61c. No way to tell whether it's OpenWRT compatible but it's really, really enticing: power from AC (foldable plug) or USB, two LAN, another USB port for 3G, simultaneous dual band w/ 802.11ac.
Nov 2, 2014, 10:12 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: San Jose, CA
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Let us know if you were able to get it running. I'm especially curious if using a WiFi network for the uplink has an easier setup than with dd-wrt and its Repeater Mode.
Nov 3, 2014, 9:46 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2005
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As a cheapie travel router I'd like to recommend the TP-Link TL-WR703N mini.
http://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-TL-WR7.../dp/B005VEJ3GM
(can be found cheaper on eBay)
I originally loaded dd-wrt but it is documented as capable of running OpenWRT also. Don't mind that it doesn't support 5 GHz but for my purpose I'm always pretty close to it in the hotel room "bubble" and haven't been hit on 2.4 GHz.
I subsequently flashed back the original firmware because I needed WISP for a quick trip but will reload dd-wrt pretty soon & configure the VLANs to do the same thing.
http://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-TL-WR7.../dp/B005VEJ3GM
(can be found cheaper on eBay)
I originally loaded dd-wrt but it is documented as capable of running OpenWRT also. Don't mind that it doesn't support 5 GHz but for my purpose I'm always pretty close to it in the hotel room "bubble" and haven't been hit on 2.4 GHz.
I subsequently flashed back the original firmware because I needed WISP for a quick trip but will reload dd-wrt pretty soon & configure the VLANs to do the same thing.
Nov 14, 2014, 2:56 am
#9
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The $15 HooToo on Amazon is reported to do OpenWRT:
https://github.com/wingspinner/HooTo...T-TM02-OpenWRT
https://github.com/wingspinner/HooTo...T-TM02-OpenWRT
Nov 23, 2014, 10:05 am
#10
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 1
Nov 23, 2014, 5:27 pm
#11
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Up a buck since I bought it, but the now-$15.99 Hootoo runs great with OpenWRT using the instructions above.
Only tricky thing is the guy who assembled the OpenWRT port has it set up by default to connect to the wifi as a client for a device connected to the etnernet port. Very easy change back to regular router mode if familiar with OpenWRT.
Only tricky thing is the guy who assembled the OpenWRT port has it set up by default to connect to the wifi as a client for a device connected to the etnernet port. Very easy change back to regular router mode if familiar with OpenWRT.
Jan 1, 2015, 11:16 am
#14
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My own choice is the nano sized TP-Link TL-703R on trips (Open-WRT optional) and it's a powerful combo with my Google Chromecast (+ XBMC loaded on N7 tablet.) Slightly bigger than a pillbox, on eBay for $20 shipped & for a few bucks more from Amazon, pre-installed with WRT firmware (which I run @home off a secondary Linksys). If & when the TL-series are updated with 5Ghz support, I will upgrade as it has paid for itself dozen times over already - if it gets any smaller, I will end up leaving it behind in the hotel one of these days ... 
Jan 2, 2015, 5:46 am
#15
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This http://www.asiarf.com/WiFi-5GHz-2-4G...-view-387.html board and this http://www.asiarf.com/OPEN-WRT-MESH-...-view-380.html router certainly fits the bill but I have no idea where to buy them.