[GTALUG] Wireless routers

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Tue, Jun 21, 2016 at 12:49:53PM -0400, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
> I'm sure that Giles means: pick a router that doesn't require JTAG
> access to load OpenWRT.  He expands on this saying, in effect, JTAG
> access is a pain (requires opening the case, possibly soldering on
> headers, acquiring JTAG tools, ...).

Well I certainly know the one I bought can have openwrt installed
very easily.  From what I read, it appears even reflashing can be done
with tftp without jtag fairly easily too, although I have not tried
that yet.  Normally you shouldn't need even that of course.

> | > So look for the equivalent documentation for DD-WRT, do a lot of
> | > reading, and be particularly aware that if you get a router branded
> | > for the American market (always a possibility in Canada) that it may
> | > have the firmware locked - although OpenWRT has apparently already
> | > found a way around that for most routers.  Do your reading!

I bought a -CA model, not a -US model.  Also it is a model that specificly
has the radio management isolated so that even in the US linksys has no
intention of locking down the firmware.

> DD-WRT seems like a more viable project in some ways.  But:
> 
> - Brainslayer is a jealous god.  The governance model is just not what
>   one would want for an open source project.
> 
> - the source isn't exactly open, AFAIK
> 
> - Brainslayer can support Broadcom (better than any other chipset)
>   because he has signed NDAs and (I think) he uses their drivers.

Well I bought something with a marvell chipset and open source drivers. :)

> OpenWRT is the one that seems better for non-technical reasons.
> 
> Historically, OpenWRT supported Atheros and not really Broadcom
> since someone reverse-engineered Atheros pretty well.
> I don't know the state of AC drivers (they were non-existent last
> time I looked).

Well marvell provided AC drivers.

> Atheros was bought by Qualcomm in 2011 and that may have changed
> the culture by now.

I think both atheros and qualcomm have improved in the last few years.

> OpenWRT has recently been forked.  We don't know how that is going to
> turn out.
> <http://hackerboards.com/lede-openwrt-fork-promises-greater-openness/>
> 
> Broadcom seems to be ahead of other vendor, at least in adoption for
> high-end home wireless routers.

Well even broadcom seems to have gotten nicer lately, with some open
source drivers for wifi contributed to the linux kernel.  Not sure how
open their AP drivers are, but they are at least starting to get it.
Once their competitors start to be more open too, they might all
eventually have to get on board.

> The WRT1900ACS that Lennart purchased is interesting:
> 
> - I think that Linsys promised an OpenWRT port, with drivers upstreamed.
>   At least they promised that for the WRT1900AC v1.  But for that, they
>   didn't seem to do it in a timely fashion.

It did eventually happen after some nagging of Marvell.

> - Like many recent high-end routers, the processor is ARM-based.
>   Almost all home routers used to be MIPS-based.

ARM is taking over everything. :)

> - for years and years, wireless routers would have about 8G of RAM and 8G of
>   NOR flash.  It has been creeping up.  But the ARM-based routers have
>   A LOT more of each.  Except the flash is NAND, which causes some
>   architecture changes (less like RAM and more like disk).  OpenWRT support
>   for NAND wasn't there a year ago; maybe it is OK now.

Seems to be there.

> - a good price for this would be $250, more than I have paid for some computers.

Well I bought mine on sale for $199, which to me seemed like a good price.
The stock did not last long at that price.

-- 
Len Sorensen