Upgrade to a stable AX Router for the new FTTH

[matetod]

Hi all,
It's been a few weeks that I'm looking for an AP to replace my current one that is satisfying me in terms of performance and coverage (a Zyxel EX5401) but not in terms of customization and stability.

Also, I currently have a 1Gbit FTTH but I am in the process of definitely replacing it with a 2.5Gbit also I am hoping for a 10Gbit that they should activate during Q1 of 2023 in my area.
The routing side currently (and in the future) is handled by a virtualized Microtirk CHR, and then I will upgrade the bare metal HW in due time.

I am aware that with current-gen devices it is difficult to exceed 1Gbit in Wi-Fi except with specific HW.
In case all the devices in the house are all AX (1200 and up) except for an old Alexa.

Looking at the table of AX devices and related posts on the forum, I can't find a device ported to OpenWRT that is powerful but also stable, unless it is an MTK dual core, but that I understand would not be able to handle more than Gbit.

I am looking for something with the following features:

-At least one LAN port greater than 1Gbit.
Outside of upgrading the connection, it is useless to have potential bandwidth of 1200/2400/4800 with 1Gbit ports.

-That it can handle 2.5Gbit on the LAN ports.
It's not only a consequence of the previous point but also due to the potential use for LAN distribution to the few nearby wired devices.

-Stable, not necessarily easy to flash.
I don't mind having to take it apart and connect it with a USB to TTL or in SSH/Telnet to do it, but I don't want to have to go in blind, especially on devices with this range of price.

I have a budget of up to 200 Euros but are welcome choices under this price.

In the last few weeks, I have seen some Qualcomm IPQ807x-based devices with ports above Gbit, but it is my understanding that they may have performance problems due to the immature drivers and the lack of DSA on the integrated Qualcomm Switch chip (Xiaomi AX9000, DL-WRX36, QHora-301W or Zyxel G5 Armor).

Have I missed any interesting devices?

Thanks to all
Matteo

[slh]

@matetod

Have I missed any interesting devices?

Yes, you should be looking for x86_64 instead (i3/ i5, starting around haswell to kaby lake).

So you have 500Mbps-1Gbps fiber and need a router READ THIS FIRST

It's such a frequently asked question over the last few years that we really need a post we can point people to. So your cable company rolled out 500Mbps or 1Gbps download speeds, or you have 1Gbps symmetric fiber (GPON/EPON) from ATT or Centurylink or Orange or whoever. You realize your old all in one router from 2009 is not up to the task of handling this, but hey by now stuff should be cheap and available that will handle your new fiber connection right? So you want advice about a router for…

[diizzy]

Probably worth mentioning that you might also want to look at something else than OpenWrt unless you want to spend quite a bit of time tuning source code and options at those speeds.

[matetod]

Why not,
I have some small PC to give this function.
I'm not up to date on what wifi and lan module can work on an X86 version.
The format is indifferent having various recycled PCs (M.2, Mini PCI-E or PCI-E Full).
Is there any recommended choice?

[matetod]

I was also looking at Mikrotik devices directly, but they don't convince me as a combination of LAN and Wi-Fi.
Even compiling the code wouldn't be a problem for me, but I don't know which targets I should get my hands on.

[andyboeh]

@matetod

Also, I currently have a 1Gbit FTTH but I am in the process of definitely replacing it with a 2.5Gbit also I am hoping for a 10Gbit that they should activate during Q1 of 2023 in my area.

I live in the wrong country/region...max. 40Mbit DSL

@matetod

I have some small PC to give this function.

If you recycle old hardware, have an eye on the power consumption. There are also a few threads on converting Mini-PCs to routers with 2+ multi-GBit ports.

Example: https://forum.openwrt.org/t/convert-a-dell-optiplex-3050-usff-into-an-openwrt-router/
or here: https://forum.openwrt.org/t/lenovo-m720q-tiny-build-documentation-and-guide/

[SirLouen]

OpenWRT or any other opensourced Linux based firmware is a good idea for weird functionalities but not for performance because performance is attached to drivers which generally are not best delivered to Linux kernel. Like what happens with the Graphic Cards for PC on Linux and Windows and most other hardware in the world. As you say the lack of DSA is a clear example of this.

With OpenWRT you will be able to do super strange things like creating a wireless network with steroids implement super expensive standards like very expensive Cisco routers have. But if you are not looking in these kind of strange things, bad idea going for OpenWRT, just stick to a stock router and look for raw performance in any review site that compare such physically.

[slh]

WLAN is best outsourced to a classic wireless router running OpenWrt (e.g. ipq807x, mt7622bv+mt7915 or mt7621a+mt7915). That ends up faster and cheaper - and lets you place the wireless where it covers your rooms best.

[matetod]

In fact, I was watching some previous generation Enterprise solution or Mikrotik material (which is certainly cheaper).
I also saw QNAP solutions but at prices outside my pockets, completely (something like 600 euros).

I was evaluating some X86 solution as they said above, but I see that even in this area there are not many WiFi 6 modules compatible with the AP Mode at now, I am still starting to read the various posts in the forum on the pcie modules compatible in the various formats

[matetod]

Routing is already made by an external machine, to a virtualized Mikrotik Chr.

What I am looking for are "performance" in bridging between LAN and Wi-Fi.

In fact I am looking for an AP, not a Router.