OpenWrt Forum Archive

Topic: List of known-good OpenWRT devices with detachable antennas

The content of this topic has been archived on 25 Apr 2018. There are no obvious gaps in this topic, but there may still be some posts missing at the end.

I think many people are using OpenWRT where detachable antennas are valuable, for point-to-point links, sector antennas, etc.

Post known-GOOD AND known-BAD hardware here and I'll update this top post! Please post as much info as you can, including antenna connector type, link to the router in the wiki, chipset, and any brief gotchas or quirks of the device.

Definition of "good"
  • Device is very well supported by Attitude Adjustment (12.09) or Barrier Breaker current release candidate

  • There are no known big performance problems with the device on OpenWRT

  • There are no functions that don't work on the device, but normally work on a well-supported device running OpenWRT

KNOWN GOOD for OpenWRT with detachable antennas

KNOWN BAD for OpenWRT with detachable antennas
  • RP-SMA D-Link DIR-655 (can't take open source firmware of any kind)


PARTIAL GOOD (some problems, see links if possible) with detachable antennas
  • RP-SMA Zyxel P-870HW-51a (wifi is based on BCM4318, which does not perform good in AP mode with the b43 driver)


Unknown status with detachable antennas
  • RP-SMA Rosewill RNXN360RT (loaded Barrier Breaker but full support uncertain)

(Last edited by normblop on 14 May 2014, 19:20)

@Pteridium: Thanks! It looks like the connector on that TP-LINK is RP-SMA, can you verify?

I'd also love to hear about known BAD devices with detachable antennas, because often I've been at the thrift store, seen some, grabbed them, and then was met with disappointment when I got home (no data coverage at the thrift store to look them up).  So a known-bad list would be awesome.

Once these get big enough I will try to sort them in descending order of common-ness, so the ones you're most likely to find used are near the top.  Unless that annoys people.

(My ultimate goal is to translate this into the TOH or in the wiki in some form but I think the forums are good for building up the lists.)

normblop wrote:

@Pteridium: Thanks! It looks like the connector on that TP-LINK is RP-SMA, can you verify?

Yes, RP-SMA.

normblop wrote:

I'd also love to hear about known BAD devices with detachable antennas, because often I've been at the thrift store, seen some, grabbed them, and then was met with disappointment when I got home (no data coverage at the thrift store to look them up).  So a known-bad list would be awesome.

Once these get big enough I will try to sort them in descending order of common-ness, so the ones you're most likely to find used are near the top.  Unless that annoys people.

(My ultimate goal is to translate this into the TOH or in the wiki in some form but I think the forums are good for building up the lists.)

Can you clarify what does mean good and bad for you? I.e.: the Zyxel P-870HW-51a has a detachable antenna but the wifi is based in BCM4318, which does not perform good in AP mode with the b43 driver.
Zyxel P-870HW-51, BCM6368, http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/zyxel/p-870hw-51a

Good ones are TP-Link ones: WR741ND, WR841ND, WR842ND and all other TP-Link models with "D" in their name, D=Detachable.
All have RPSMA connector.

Pteridium wrote:

Can you clarify what does mean good and bad for you? I.e.: the Zyxel P-870HW-51a has a detachable antenna but the wifi is based in BCM4318, which does not perform good in AP mode with the b43 driver.
Zyxel P-870HW-51, BCM6368, http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/zyxel/p-870hw-51a

So for this list (I'm gonna make the text real big and maybe move it into the top post later, since I'm hoping to collect a large list):

Definition of good
  • Device is very well supported by Attitude Adjustment (12.09) or Barrier Breaker

  • There are no known major performance problems with the device on OpenWRT

  • There are no functions that don't work on the device in question but normally work in OpenWRT on a well-supported device

Basically the Zyxel you're mentioning shouldn't be on the GOOD list because somebody at a thrift shop might just scan the list and not read the "btw there's a small problem with _____" bit, and buy it, then find it doesn't do what they want.  I'm looking for devices that are as close to 100% functional as possible for the "good" list smile

The Zyxel might go into that list at the bottom, which is probably gonna turn into the "unknown or has a few problems" list. smile

valentt wrote:

Good ones are TP-Link ones: WR741ND, WR841ND, WR842ND and all other TP-Link models with "D" in their name, D=Detachable.
All have RPSMA connector.

Thanks! I edited the top post to include a "definition of 'good'" ... are you pretty sure all these devices fit that definition?  If so, I'll put them in the "good list" ASAP! smile

I have a rosewill rns-360rt Wireless N router that seems to be compatible to the wr941ND series of TP link router.  when I attempt to upgrade to from factory to backfire, I get an 18005 error.  I was wonder if anyone had a workaround for
an upgrade similar to the rnx-150rt, or am I just out of luck. Any helpful input will be welcome .

Thanks

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