Reading with interest mwan3 (https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/network/wan/multiwan/mwan3)
I wanted to run the feasibility of the mods/upgrades I wish to do past the knowledgeable folks on this forum—and hopefully this can serve as useful information should others want to try something similar in future.
Current home network
● LAN: Currently I'm running a BT Home Hub 3A. I flashed openwrt onto this a couple years ago, via the stock firmware upgrade page on the stock web interface. This firmware gave an SSH, connected to a TFTP server and installed openwrt. I was able to install LuCI, do pkg updates, etc. It's been near-perfect since. I have noticed the slow WiFi on occasion, (I have lots of IoT connected to it over WiFi),and unsure whether this is related to the various bugs raised against the branch, or simply the location within the house.
- see below my intended target hardware.
● WAN: the OpenWrt BT hub connects to a ZTE 4G router, as I have several vodafone SIM cards preloaded with 6 months free data. Once the 6 months is up, I switch the SIM. Theyre 5G enabled, but the router is not. When I connect direct to this dongle, I get speed tests with 40+Mb down, 20+Mb up. When I speed test via the LAN, this drops to 20/10, sometimes lower (and thats obv. depending on what traffic is using the WiFi. My PC is wired to the BT hub. And speed tests are better, so I'm nlt overly worried about WiFi other than range). This isn't running OpenWrt but I have no need for it to do so. Prior to this, I was using the mobile hotspot of an old android phone.
Upgrades!
I have two projects I wish to embark on to improve my LAN, specifically wifi.
WiFi range for LAN
● A second (even third?) WiFi router as an additonal access point into the same WiFi SSID, thus boosting the range. I could just get one of them AC style TP-Link range extenders, but I like the homebrew-esque challenge of getting OpenWrt onto new devices. Plus, should I ever wish to use said router as its own LAN, a stock wifi extender wouldn't give me this.
Boosting up/downstream bandwidth
● A second 4G WAN dongle, in all likelihood another ZTE or equivalent price range—in theory this would/should double my bandwidth. It would also give me the option of running my home-hosted servers/services through a seperate WAN, wouldn't it? A physical hardware DMZ rather than a software DMZ.
This doesn't need to run OpenWrt. I'm now wondering if I can test mwan3 (for example) by adding in the mobile hotspot from android, in lieu of a dedicated 2nd dongle, to prove my LAN will use both connections/balancing, etc, before buying the 2nd device.
Target hardware for WiFi AP/range extender
For those who saw my "bloody broadcom" thread, I've finally gotten two useful routers with which to upgrade to openwrt - a TP Link Archer C60, OEM easy install via stock web interface upgrade page, ala my experience with the bt HH3A—and a Plus Net One (its a white version of the BT smart hub, 6? Requires soldering four wires, UART to USB, but its not broadcomm so therefore useful).
Thoughts? And thanks!