[GTALUG] router upgrade; cheap WRT1200ac

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Thu, Jul 20, 2017 at 11:49:31AM -0400, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
> | 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.

It would seem that the difference between the 1200 and 1900 really is just
that the 1200 is 2x2:2, and the 1900 is 4x4:3.

I must admit most clients can't use more than 2 streams at the moment,
so likely in use you wouldn't notice a difference.

-- 
Len Sorensen