Best no-brainer easy-to-flash easy-to-buy cheap router with usb

Hi,
Finding full lede supported hardware is not so easy.
I need a domestic router that runs lede because I'm security concerned (KRACK patch).
Performance is not so important.
Usb is a plus to use mobile phone tethering.
Xiaomi has good hardware but sucks with custom firmware policy... Original Xiaomi mini 3g seams decent but I fear the flashing steps...
Buying it on Amazon would be sweet because of the warranty andreturn policy.

EDIT so here are the criteria in relevant order

  • well supported and stable (WIFI connexion, routing)
  • easy to flash (SFTP, SSH, HTTP, command OK, Not soldering or hardware stuff, if possible no online unlock)
  • 8M+ flash
  • cheap around 35 euros and esay to find (amazon)
  • USB
  • Dual Band (for home use)
  • 2 external amovible antennas
  • compact
    other tell me

EDIT: so far so (not) good

ruled out devices:

  • TP-LINK TL-WR841N v13 too much deconnexion even with original firmware

good candidates but...

  • E4500 cannot find it in France for cheap enough (100 euros)
  • Any restrictions on Wifi? Is single band sufficient, or dual band needed, or no wifi at all?
  • 100mbit LAN ports sufficient, or Gbit required?
  • What is "cheap" for you? How much are you willing to spend?
  • What is "easy to flash" for you? Is doing simple steps via SSH already too much?

.
General advice thread for cheap devices: What's your favourite cheap LEDE/OpenWrt device?

  • cheap is like Xiaomi around 30/40 euros top less is better ;p
  • WIFI dual band 300 Mb/s at least
  • external antenna if possible
  • 100 m/b is ok (it' for home)
  • easy to flash is not having to pray on f*** Xiaomi online unlock system or having to downgrade to X version before (if possible), any reasonable command under shell is OK, no physical step (soldering is not ok), not dangerous step like "if you don't do it in 30 seconds it will explode or brick"
  • not too big

I read the post you mentioned but some did their own build, other bought older-hard-to-find version to have full support.
I've a Linksys wrt1200ac it's perfect but it's not cheap (and a little overpriced)

thx for your help !

1 Like

TP-LINK TL-WR841N. Less than 20 bucks with shipping on eBay. And a lot of them already flashed with openwrt/LEDE. If you really afraid of bricking the router, can contact the sellers who are willing to flash them for you.

Well, he wants the dual band and they are not dual-band.
I don't think that he will find anything other than Xiaomi.

300M does not need dual band.
And he only needs 100M ethernet port. I don't see the meaning of dual band.

GL.inet has just released their new GL-AR750. I do not know that any one actually has seen these yet, but all their products come with OpenWrt pre-installed, so upgrading is easy. GL.inet products come with their proprietary GUI over OpenWrt (you can use either). All the older products are available in LEDE (no GL.inet GUI), however the AR300M does not have a supported NAND version in LEDE, just the NOR. GL.inet offers "clean" firmware (no GL.inet GUI) and there is a version of the NAND on OpenWrt). Their 2.263 firmware contains the KRACK patches.

@ximibaba, There are other reasons to use 5g like channel congestion on 2.4G. 300M is theoretical max under ideal conditions and even though 2.4N should get to 150, I rarely see more 72, so anything that can better that is IMHO a fair ask.

2 Likes

I'ts more to have 2 antennas (don't understand very well dual band stuff so I've miss spoken :/)

EDIT : Isn't 300 Mb shared between users ? And it s max band.

I've bought one of these a couple of weeks earlier but I've not been able to flash LEDE. I've seen sftp is mandatory. I'll give it a try but last comment says WIFI is messy. I mean I don' car if WIFI is slow but should be stable.
And it's not un LEDE stable (yet) I do prefer a very well supported device.

And no USB so it is very limited (Print server, etc)

841N v13 support is in trunk and you might see more problem than those in stable branches.
841N is not a very good choice. No USB, and could have 432 warning. My 841N is old v7 and I always compile the sw for it to avoid trouble on opkg out of memory.

For dual band, you can try TP-Link WDR3500/3600/4300. They all have USB2.0 I remember.

I know nothing about the device you reference.

I think you may want to spend some time reading about antennas, bands and speed. I do not think things work the way you expect.

It may be worth elaborating on your use case (location, users, applications, etc) including describing the area you wish to cover. I have a number of devices with internal antennas and get good coverage over about 20 feet through wood\plaster walls. I'm not saying antennas are bad, but requiring them limits your choices.

Thx fot the explanation I'll definitively read more about dual band etc...
But external antenna is good to be able to put the box in a closet and deport the antenna (i domestic environment You have to deal with Mr and... Mrs) but is it usefull ? tell me ?

EDIT : I've done so with my WRT 1200ac, out it in a closet with the ISP Box -> +33% signal vs inside antennas.
EDIT 2 : antenna NOT mandatory btw :stuck_out_tongue: (USB is more important)

External doesn't necessarily mean detachable.
That's why the ToH explicitly shows "Detachable Antennas".

https://lede-project.org/toh/views/toh_detachable_antennas

I fully agree. USB is so universal (hence the name :)) that it is a great loss to not having it.

ok, if antenna is not mandatory. Linksys EA3500 is there.
https://wikidevi.com/wiki/Linksys_EA3500

TL-WR1043ND v4 is probably you best bet in that price range unless you can find a refurb WRT1200AC or something similar in that range. MT7621 does have some limitations that may be troublesome further down the road.

1043 is not dual band...

That is true, your budget also limits your choices however...

so why don't try linksys ea3500? It is

  • Dual band
  • Gigabit ethernet port
  • USB
  • 64M/64M
  • Sleek and curved no atenna design
  • Cheap as less than $20 on eBay
  • Easy to flash through web interface

Most people have not known its value so it is on good price now. Once more ppl buy it for second hand the price could go higher as other TP-Link crap.

hard to find in France...
a least +20 euros for shipment cost...

but I keep it in mind thx a lot

A bit expensive in France.... I know, I know :confused: