This 'Unbrickable' router should never fail you.
More than nine months after OpenWrt began finalizing its $100 open-source router, the consortium has finally released the OpenWrt One. According to the Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC), one of the groups working alongside OpenWrt, this wireless router "will never be locked and is forever unbrickable" as it was built-for and comes with the open-source OpenWrt firmware pre-installed.
The group worked together to draft the specifications for this router, and then OpenWrt tapped Banana Pi for the device production. You can now order a complete set with a case on Aliexpress for just $89 (although it's out of stock at the time of writing), but the tinkerers among us could choose just the logic board for $68.42, though it's unavailable in the U.S. at the moment.
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The OpenWRT One router is designed with 'software freedom and right to repair' in mind
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OpenWRT is an open source, customizable operating system based on the Linux kernel, designed primarily for networking devices — such as routers. While the OpenWRT One is far from the first router to support OpenWRT, it is the first to be designed from the ground up for OpenWRT, by the community behind the project, with the full source code published from the get-go.
A core selling-point, according to the SFC, is that the OpenWRT One can't be locked down or bricked — it gives the user full control, allowing them to modify, repair, and update as required.
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Where did the WiFi router go?
He went data way.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 07, @06:44PM
This seller seems to have stock, at a slightly higher price,
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807683891053.html [aliexpress.us]
After the page loaded, it annoyingly jumped to a log-in page. If I hit the back button enough times it finally let me read the router page.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Snospar on Saturday December 07, @07:31PM
I've been looking at a number of dual ethernet SBC's lately, trying to decide which one meets my needs. I was going to buy one of the tiny dual port OrangePi's until I read that the Wi-Fi card shorted against the metal case (Ooops). This looks to be exactly what I'm after, dual Gig Ethernet (well, one side appears to be 2.5G but I don't need that) plus dual band Wi-Fi and designed to run OpenWRT by default rather than something more esoteric like OpenElec or a custom Linux build (only available direct from a dodgy website). I'm off to investigate how easy it is to add custom firewall rules in OpenWRT between the "WAN" port and the other interfaces. I will have to wait until early next year to actually be able to buy the hardware but that's good too, others will have time to report on any rough edges and I can see how the community reacts. Good times.
Huge thanks to all the Soylent volunteers without whom this community (and this post) would not be possible.
(Score: 2) by aafcac on Saturday December 07, @08:10PM (5 children)
Considering the current recommendation to not text people due to a massive Chinese hack allegation, is it really wise to import things like this which could be compromised in ways that can't be easily detected? It doesn't really take much to have insecure code loaded from firmware hidden in an unexpected chip or included in the recovery process. It's almost as if nobody learned anything from the compiler exploit incident decades ago wherein the compiler would add an exploit in that wasn't in the code.
I've seen other cool stuff lately like cheap network kVMs that I won't get just because of how hard it is to verify that they aren't compromised ahead of time.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 07, @09:13PM (1 child)
> import things like this
Just googled:
Are there any wireless routers made completely in USA?
Here's one discussion from last year that doesn't give much hope, https://www.snbforums.com/threads/american-made-routers-and-access-points.85420/ [snbforums.com]
(Score: 4, Insightful) by aafcac on Saturday December 07, @09:26PM
I'm aware, it's one of the reasons that I oppose allowing so much production to be moved overseas. It's one thing to import resistors and capacitors, it's another thing entirely to import chips from hostile countries that have an incentive to try and slip things in to make it easier to break in.
This whole situation is a damning indictment if neoliberal economic policy where nothing matters as long as prices fall and profits increase.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Snospar on Saturday December 07, @11:38PM
I think the use of OpenWRT helps here. I really don't think the latest attacks targetted these little SBC's or related BIOS (or equivalent) ROM chips. As far as I can tell they were going after bigger better targets. That said, I am also wary about buying from Aliexpress, I hope that other sales channels come available in time.
Huge thanks to all the Soylent volunteers without whom this community (and this post) would not be possible.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Sunday December 08, @12:33AM (1 child)
Are the chips produced in China or, er, "China" [theguardian.com]? Because the latter would be difficult to avoid [cfo.com].
(Score: 3, Insightful) by aafcac on Sunday December 08, @01:20AM
Which is a massive problem. RoC isn't necessarily a problem for home users, but PRC gear may be. The fact that we're more or less incapable right now of making the chips for telecommunications use is deeply problematic. The US is a large enough country to have appropriate fabs to cover at least the chips that are most easily compromised.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by ElizabethGreene on Saturday December 07, @08:44PM
My current routers are Linksys E8450s with OpenWRT and they are 10/10.
The OEM software that ships on them is OpenWRT based too. If you "backup" the configuration, crack it open, search for the string ssh, turn it on, seal it up, and upload it back to the router you can SSH in and see it. :D
(Score: 3, Informative) by Cyrix6x86 on Sunday December 08, @08:52AM
I have the older Turris Omnia. From 2016 I believe, I was using it in late 2017. I have the blue one with 2x the RAM from the Kickstarter/Indiegogo campaign or whatever.
The best thing was last year installing Wifi 6 Modules in it. Upgrade kit was about $100 and included new antennas and a new cover.
So it's been running 24/7 for about 7 years, updating itself, and minus a couple of relocations and last summer's Wifi 6 surgery, presented zero issues.
OpenWRT routers have been a thing for a while now; I can't see why people buy a router that doesn't support it out of the box, or (in the case of my WRT3200ACM) can easily be flashed.
Hosts files and wireguard built in (wireguard wasn't even a thing when it was released) are essential.