I would like to put my ISP modem im bridged mode and use an OpenWrt router with OpenVPN as a NAT for optimal speed and latency.
All it needs is support for the latest OpenWrt version, Dualband Wifi and 4 LAN ports.
Any special deals or devices I need to pay particular attention to?
Anybody with an idea?
You didn't give any requirements. Any device will do. To see which ones support "the latest OpenWrt version" you can see https://openwrt.org/toh/start?dataflt[Supported+Current+Rel_releasepage*~]=22.03.0
Most of devices have 4 LAN ports and you can check if they have 5GHz Wi-Fi.
Hey thanks so much for the reply. Yeah I saw the table of hardware but there are hundreds of devices who all support the latest version 22.0.3
I just wanted to check if there is a very popular device in that 70$ price range that is often used or recommended here.
I Really dont have many requirements, really just 1Gbit LAN, dualband wifi, and very good customer reviews.
What is the ISP speed? Is it 1 Gbit?
popular and affordable : Belkin RT3200 / Linksys E8450
It still has issues. But not a bad choice.
Hi, yes I have 1Gbit down and 420mbit up.
Realistically, I never reach that with OpenVPN though. It is usually around 850Mbit down.
I am planning to set up two wifi access points, one over clearnet and the other via OpenVPN. The LAN should also go through the VPN.
I am guessing all the available devices can do this, so that doesnt really narrow it down.
Maybe x86, reasonable amount of RAM and possibly extended storage options for larger iptable logs could be a requirement? I want to log any and all activity of accepted and dropped packets through the LOG target in iptables.
You should have started with that 
Very few devices can do it. If you have additional load like VPN or SQM, you 100% need x86.
Ah ok, sorry for that.
1Gbit is not actually a requirement in this particular case, even though it would theoretically be available. I have subscriptions with two separate ISPs and don't need a lot of download speed with this OpenWrt setup. I am more concerned about security with this system and want to make sure I have full control over the network.
There is a second rig on a different modem thats purely meant for downloading, streaming and gaming.
I have read good reviews about Xiamoi devices in that price range, can you confirm?
This doesn't depend on hardware.
Brand name doesn't really matter. It is the last that can be taken in account... Make sure that Openwrt can be easily installed without using UART
What are your thoughts on the TP-Link Archer AX53? Its in my price range and should support installation without UART.
Is it supported by Openwrt?
RT3200! It's the darling of this forum at the moment for good reason.
Sorry, I had the wrong one in the clipboard.
This is the router thats currently being immensly praised for being the best value option out of most devices in 2022 on reddit and pretty much any comparison. It consistently scores #2 or #1
It's the iNet GL-AR750S
Doesn't that pack less punch than a tired old fly hitting a window though?
It is a poor choice. Not enough RAM for dual band ath10k and 17 Mbps for OpenVPN
I think it'd be nice to shape at 1Gbit/s for future proofing and cake on RT3200 won't cut it for that with VPN too in the mix. But if you don't mind compromising to say 400Mbit/s it'd be alright on the night.
So maybe you need a recommendation from Mr @frollic who can advise on an eBay second hand x86 device that has 4 lan ports? You'd help cut down on electronic waste which is dire these days.
There is RPi4 plus WiFi AP but that means lots of bits to piece together.
Hmm.
Thank you guys, I guess the iNet is a bit weak. I didn't even notice the 17mbps over Openvpn.
I like the RT3200 but its unavailable in my area.
What do you guys think about the Linksys EA7300 Max Stream or the Belkin RT1800?
Especially the RT1800 seems to be a popular alternative to the RT3200 it seems.