Here is a little marvel that should delight all defenders of free software and the right to repair! The project OpenWrtwhich you surely know for its excellent open source firmware for routers, has just launched its very first router: theOpenWrt One. And it’s not a router like any other!
For its 20th anniversary, the OpenWrt project joined forces with the Software Freedom Conservancy and to the manufacturer Banana Pi to create this innovative router whose objective is to prove that it is possible to design high-performance hardware while respecting the right to repair and the freedoms of users.
At the heart of the beast, we find a processor MediaTek MT7981B dual core and a WiFi 6 MT7976C chip. On the connectivity side, you have two Ethernet ports (one 2.5 Gbit/s and one 1 Gbit/s), a USB 2.0 port and possible power supply via USB-C or PoE (Power over Ethernet). RAM is generous with 1GB of DDR4, and storage combines 256MB of NAND memory with 16MB of NOR. The router also has an M.2 2042 port for adding an NVMe SSD and a mikroBUS expansion slot.
But the real innovation is its hardware architecture designed for repair. A small switch allows the NOR and NAND parts of the flash memory to be flashed separately, which means that the router is literally impossible to brick ! Even if you make a mistake during a firmware update, you will still be able to recover your device.
The developers even had their creation certified by the FCC (the American communications regulatory authority), proving that you can design a completely open device while respecting regulatory standards.
And the best part about it all is its price! Count 89$ for the complete version with housing and antennas, or 68$ for the card alone if you want to create your own case. And for each sale, $10 is donated to the Software Freedom Conservancy to support the development of OpenWrt.
So yes, you could find cheaper WiFi 6 routers on the market but none offer this combination of performance, software freedom and repairability. The OpenWrt One is not just a router, it is also a declaration of independence from manufacturers who impose their conditions on us.
In short, if you are sensitive to issues of right to repair, free software and privacy, or if you are simply looking for a reliable and scalable WiFi 6 router, the OpenWrt One is well worth a look.
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