OpenWRT, the open-source Wi-Fi router project, and the Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC) have unveiled a jointly developed router, the OpenWRT One. It’s a router built from the ground up to use the custom OpenWRT firmware.
This router, available for purchase now, is a culmination of efforts that began in January 2024 when OpenWRT contributors sought to celebrate the project’s 20th anniversary with a custom hardware device. The OpenWRT One boasts impressive specifications, including a dual-core MediaTek MT7981B processor, a MT7697 Wi-Fi 6 chip, and both 1Gbit and 2.5Gbit Ethernet ports. It comes with stock firmware but is designed to be easily upgradable and is touted as “unbrickable” due to its ability to separately flash different portions of the memory. The device is also notably fully compliant with the FCC’s specifications and requirements, which means that you can get and use one of these in the United States with no problems at all.
The router’s prebuilt case has a bit of an industrial look, and you can also buy just the board, although that’s apparently a little harder to find. It’s also just a decently powerful Wi-Fi 6 router that’s not too expensive and, if you want to tinker with it later, you have the option to do so—you can stretch it as long as the hardware allows you to, which is pretty cool.
The OpenWRT One is available for $89.99 with a case, antennae, and power brick from Banana Pi’s AliExpress store and other Chinese e-commerce sites. With each purchase, $10 is contributed to the SFC, supporting its mission to promote software freedom. If you’re looking for a cool new router that’s different from the options already available on the market, make sure to check this one out.
Source: The Register, Liliputing
