WiFi 7 router that is compatible with OpenWRT?

Cromulent

Cromulent

Cromulent

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I've been using a TP-Link Archer AXE75 since July 2023 and have to say it works pretty well. The WiFi is stable and I never need to touch it but I need a router that supports OpenWRT and unfortunately it does not.

Since I'm looking at a new router I might as well get a WiFi 7 one as future proofing. I need it to have at least one 2.5Gb ethernet ports with the rest being at least 1Gb ethernet. WiFi signal strength is important.

Can anyone recommend one to me at all? I'd like to keep it reasonably priced if possible.
 
If you care enough to run a decent router with custom firmware, it's only reasonable to expect you to segregate switching and wireless functions. Unifi feels like the obvious choice here, Omada perhaps, then again Deco tends to be inexpensive if you can live within it's limitations/simplicity.
 
Avalon said:
If you care enough to run a decent router with custom firmware, it's only reasonable to expect you to segregate switching and wireless functions. Unifi feels like the obvious choice here, Omada perhaps, then again Deco tends to be inexpensive if you can live within it's limitations/simplicity.
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My main goal is to run an OpenVPN client on the router but also having a decent firewall solution would be good.
 
Asus BT8 has snapshot support.

The Flint 3 won't have OpenWRT support in the sense you think because it's Qualcomm based. It'll be some hybrid fork.
 
Cromulent said:
Before I go ahead and buy this router is there anything else I should consider first? I don't want to upgrade my router for a long time if possible so I want to make sure I'm getting the best I can get for the money.
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I don't know specifically that much about Wifi and networking but I do know that the Wifi 7 standard hasn't been finalised and a lot of Wifi 7 stuff is provisionally labelled as Wifi 7 but may not be fully Wifi 7 in the future.

You might be better off getting a Wifi 6 unit with good MIMO specs over a wifi 7 with OK MIMO specs.

A quick and good example is the U6 Long-Range which has 4 x 4 MIMO config for both 2.4ghz and 5ghz which will throw the signal further than 2 x 2 which is the MIMO config most routers have.

you wanted OpenWRT so why not get a Wifi 6 OpenWRT router with good MIMO specs and get a good wifi 7 unit down the road once the standard has been finalised?

Just a thought.

Edit: I just looked, the UniFi 6 LR is OpenWRT compatible which I didn't know and is a good reason for me to also consider it. I was looking at a ruijie AP which is better value but is Chinese made so there is that concern with data routing and the CCP.
 
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JollyJamma said:
I don't know specifically that much about Wifi and networking but I do know that the Wifi 7 standard hasn't been finalised and a lot of Wifi 7 stuff is provisionally labelled as Wifi 7 but may not be fully Wifi 7 in the future.

You might be better off getting a Wifi 6 unit with good MIMO specs over a wifi 7 with OK MIMO specs.

A quick and good example is the U6 Long-Range which has 4 x 4 MIMO config for both 2.4ghz and 5ghz which will throw the signal further than 2 x 2 which is the MIMO config most routers have.

you wanted OpenWRT so why not get a Wifi 6 OpenWRT router with good MIMO specs and get a good wifi 7 unit down the road once the standard has been finalised?

Just a thought.

Edit: I just looked, the UniFi 6 LR is OpenWRT compatible which I didn't know and is a good reason for me to also consider it. I was looking at a ruijie AP which is better value but is Chinese made so there is that concern with data routing and the CCP.
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Thank you. They are good points. I'll have a hunt around.
 
Cromulent said:
Thank you. They are good points. I'll have a hunt around.
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No stress. I’m in the market for a new wifi setup that I can just bolt onto a stock ISP modem.

I’ve just bought a used Unifi network switch and have to decide on which AP to get.

A couple sources on YouTube said to avoid WiFi 7 for now and just get a good WiFi 6 unit with good MIMO specs as that’ll be fast enough and with wider coverage.

Pretty much just going to get the UNIFI U6-LR myself since it works with OpenWRT which I only discovered thanks to your thread.
 
JollyJamma said:
but I do know that the Wifi 7 standard hasn't been finalised
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The standard was finalised like a year ago.

From the OP you wanted a 2.5 Gig port and rest just 1 Gig. Look at the Cudy WR3000H it has full OpenWRT support at £60.

The problem with 7 routers is that the drivers are still immature. I read way more troubles with 7 hardware than 6. Just look at the Pi R4 thread at the official forums. Give it a year or so and by that time the hwardware costs will have come down and then you can have the Cudy as additional AP or easily sell it for like £20. Yeah you've "lost" £40 but in a year the prices will have dropped by more than £40 on the wifi 7 hardware to make it worthwhile.

The OpenWRT Two will be approx £170 releasing in November/December. That seems like the proper router to wait for and if you do £170+£40 it still works out cheaper than if you bought that Asus now. Plus if you get the Cudy it's not so much money that you regret putting out to make sure you actually like the interface etc.
 
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GregI said:
The standard was finalised like a year ago.
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Yeah and that’s one factor but a lot of companies have launched “Wifi7” devices that aren’t properly and fully certified as per the finalised standard and may have some WiFi 7 features but not all.

Here’s the full list of certified Wifi7 devices - there’s 1 device under Asus and zero under Ubiquity so I’d rather wait until more devices are tested and fully meet the standard before shelling out extra cash for a device that might not have the full set of WiFi 7 functions.

 
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