The coolest hardware in the cheap router/APs that run OpenWRT is the programmable Ethernet switch. VLANs on such cheap hardware is an awesome tool to split up stuff at the ethernet level without having to have a bunch of NICs. This doesn't seem to have it. Does anyone know of a 5 or 10 port cheap switch that also has programmable VLANs? Those would be great for homelab kinds of uses.
I am really excited about this one. I have used the Turris Omnia in different settings, and can absolutely recommend it for people that want a great supported Open Source Hardware and OpenWRT router. This one seems to be an alternative to the Turris Omnia.
This reminds me of a recurring thought I have had over the past 15 years using UNIX-like OS. In the past, there were many more computer architectures commonly in use, and some UNIX-like OS projects made efforts to port their OS to a variety of architectures. (Not naming names, but please note I am not referring to Linux.)<p>Today there are fewer archs in common use, but there is still variety in hardware. UNIX-like OS projects make efforts to port their OS to a variety of hardware. Assuming they make an attempt and are successful, this usually takes time. There will usually be a considerable period of time where the hardware is for sale but before the non-Linux UNIX-like OS project is running on the hardware, and able to utilise enough of its features to justify installing it.<p>And so the recurring idea I kept having was "Why not prioritise support for a particular hardware product."^1 Of course this idea is unpleasantly inequitable, but the practical benefits could justify it. As it happens, eventually, the project I was using started to officially prioritise certain architectures.<p>1. The hardware product chosen for prioritisation should be one that is likely to be produced for many years, not the type that is a passing fad.<p>The benefit I imagined is that someone who prefers to install a non-Linux UNIX-like OS themselves could purchase a new item of hardware and install the OS on it and have every feature working _immediately_. Generally, this would be potentially 100% of people using this non-Linux UNIX-like OS. There is no GUI, all are capable of installing the OS with or without an installer, all understand how to compile software from source.<p>To some extent, this already happens. There are some particular hardware products, e.g., development boards, that are produced for many years that continue to work with this non-Linux UNIX-like OS and they tend to receive consistent attention by the OS project volunteers.<p>To sum it up, the pipe dream here is that some non-Linux UNIX-like OS user who does not like pre-installed OS and likes to install the OS himself can purchase a brand new device and _know_ 100% that all the features of the hardware will work.
Looks like decent specs for a homelab (although not for "creators" :-P)<p><pre><code> SoC – MediaTek MT7981B (Filogic 820) dual-core Cortex-A53 processor @ 1.3 GHz
*Networking*
- 2.5GbE RJ45 port
- Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port
- Dual-band WiFI 6 via MediaTek MT7976C (2×2 2.4 GHz + 3×3/2×2 + zero-wait DFS 5Ghz)
- 3x MMCX antenna connectors
</code></pre>
From TFA<p>"The router’s specifications have been selected with the goal of keeping the price under $100, and that’s why we have interfaces such as USB 2.0 instead of USB 3.0 since there aren’t any spare ones in the Filogic 820 SoC"
I really want to like this, but what interests and concerns me more is the finished product, specifically WiFi range. I have a TP-Link AC4000 which doesn't support OpenWRT, but I can have like 20 devices connected throughout my 4 bedroom house and 30m from the AP I can get about 500Mbps throughput at 0% loss, and the throughput is probably more a limitation of my ISP. Not sure I'll find anything better than this at the price point I paid ($150AUD).
Love the idea. Underwhelmed by the hardware choices.<p>Only two nics, and only one is 2.5Gbe. Wifi6 while 6E now and 7 is soon. What will probably be travel router level.
This could be a good match, because bananapi do a lot of boards but their software story has been a bit poor, as it tends to be an android build hacked together with a conventional linux distribution (or was a few years ago when I last looked). Whereas openWRT know how to build a software platform.<p>bananapi have some kind of link with foxconn, but I don't know what kind.
The mailing list announcement might be a better link <a href="https://lists.openwrt.org/pipermail/openwrt-devel/2024-January/042018.html" rel="nofollow">https://lists.openwrt.org/pipermail/openwrt-devel/2024-Janua...</a>
A doubt - isn't the antennae an important part of any Wifi router? Are they too standardised now, with multiple options, and as easy to use as plug-and-play with such boards?
The same page links to another Banana device at roughly same price but vastly superior specs?<p><a href="https://www.cnx-software.com/2023/11/23/banana-pi-bpi-r4-wifi-7-router-board-mediatek-filogic-880-processor/" rel="nofollow">https://www.cnx-software.com/2023/11/23/banana-pi-bpi-r4-wif...</a>
What are those 3 slots on the top left? Looks like 3 slots for sim cards, but there's no mention of SIM support and only 3 quantities of something are antennas.