[GTALUG] router upgrade; cheap WRT1200ac

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

| From: o1bigtenor via talk <talk at gtalug.org>

| I've been running an Asus rt-n16 router, using dd-wrt, for about 6.5 years
| now. On the second one for about 1.5 years and no longer have a spare for
| the next time the router craters.

It depends on what firmware you wish to run.

It is always easiest to run stock firmware but there are
disadvantages.  Here's one:
<https://arstechnica.com/security/2017/06/advanced-cia-firmware-turns-home-routers-into-covert-listening-posts/>
One simple thing that this highlights: disable UPnP!
If you are going to run stock, you should pick a router with decent 
firmware and a prospect of long-term support.

I dislike the politics/governance of dd-wrt and prefer OpenWRT / LEDE.
This is theoretical: I don't have a first-hand basis for comparing
them.

If you pick dd-wrt, I understand that Broadcom-based units are 
(Brainslayer has NDAs with Broadcom, a useful but worrying thing).  I 
think that dd-wrt lists preferred hardware.

If you pick OpenWRT, you can google to find out what OpenWRT people seem 
to like.  They are not as clear as one would hope.  It used to be that 
Atheros chipsets were preferred (open drivers) but I'm not sure about the 
802.11ac world.

One advertised-to-be-open choice is the Linksys WRT AC series
<https://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/linksys/wrt1x00ac_series>

Newegg.ca is currently selling a refurb WRT1200AC for $67.99 +
shipping + tax.  That would seem to be a good price.
<https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIABAK48X8230&AID=10657534>
<https://www.linksys.com/ca/p/P-WRT1200AC/>

I paid $150 + tax for a refurb WRT1900ACS and consider it a good deal.  
The hardware seems to be the same except for the radio side.  I'm 
currently only using mine as an access point, with stock firmware so I 
cannot give a useful review.  It does have a lot of hardware resources, 
including USB 3 and ESATA, lots of RAM, and lots of flash.