Alfa Boards and Routers:

OpenWRT: Enable Sophisticated Features on a very Low-Cost Router Board, AP or Router.

  • OpenWRT is a Linux-based firmware that is an alternative to the manufacturer's firmware.
  • OpenWRT is free (it is actively developed as Open Source software) and yet it has most of the sophisticated features that one would expect in a high-end router.
  • Open-WRT is an evolution from DD-WRT, which runs on the Linksys WRT54G: This LinkSys model was manufactured from about 2002 and this model was discontinued by Cisco LinkSys around 2006.

Benefits (if supported by the router hardware)

Open-WRT has almost every feature one could ask for or will ever need – features often only found on “enterprise” routers like Cisco and MikroTik – but with a GUI. Open-WRT is arguably the best operating system for a SOHO AP/router (small office / home office)

  • Use all the hardware's capabilities: Full control of your router hardware - not just what the manufacturer allows.
  • Create multiple wireless networks, multiple SSIDs. For example: Create a guest access WLAN.
  • Create multiple physical networks, using VLAN techniques: You can create a separate network for the neighbor, your kids computers or those game consoles that need all ports forwarded and you just cannot trust.
  • Use standard IP tables for firewall and packet (QoS) marking / tagging rules.
  • Apply QoS using advanced packet shaping and policing techniques
  • Install additional software on your broadband router to make it a web server, bit-torrent client or audio streamer for example, or all of that and more.
  • Probably more secure than standard firmware. Because it is open source, it is probably more secure and better in respect to your privacy than the stock firmware from the factory: There are legions of developers looking at the same OpenWrt code.
  • See also "Millions" of Home Routers Vulnerable To Web Hack.
  • PPoE client / DSL client: Solve limitations/restrictions of DSL modems, simplify, & save IPs
  • Reduce number of public IP addresses required by 1 or 2.
  • Assign your 1 public/static IP to your SOHO router rather than your DSL router
  • RDP access behind DSL modems that block RDP (Terminal Services / RDC)
  • OpenWRT Default IP address on some versions it is: 192.168.1.1/24 and on others it is 192.168.2.1/24
  • WiFi is disabled by default

Alfa Boards and Routers

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Alfa Boards and Routers:

OpenWRT: Enable Sophisticated Features on a very Low-Cost Router Board, AP or Router.

  • OpenWRT is a Linux-based firmware that is an alternative to the manufacturer's firmware.
  • OpenWRT is free (it is actively developed as Open Source software) and yet it has most of the sophisticated features that one would expect in a high-end router.
  • Open-WRT is an evolution from DD-WRT, which runs on the Linksys WRT54G: This LinkSys model was manufactured from about 2002 and this model was discontinued by Cisco LinkSys around 2006.

Benefits (if supported by the router hardware)

Open-WRT has almost every feature one could ask for or will ever need – features often only found on “enterprise” routers like Cisco and MikroTik – but with a GUI. Open-WRT is arguably the best operating system for a SOHO AP/router (small office / home office)

  • Use all the hardware's capabilities: Full control of your router hardware - not just what the manufacturer allows.
  • Create multiple wireless networks, multiple SSIDs. For example: Create a guest access WLAN.
  • Create multiple physical networks, using VLAN techniques: You can create a separate network for the neighbor, your kids computers or those game consoles that need all ports forwarded and you just cannot trust.
  • Use standard IP tables for firewall and packet (QoS) marking / tagging rules.
  • Apply QoS using advanced packet shaping and policing techniques
  • Install additional software on your broadband router to make it a web server, bit-torrent client or audio streamer for example, or all of that and more.
  • Probably more secure than standard firmware. Because it is open source, it is probably more secure and better in respect to your privacy than the stock firmware from the factory: There are legions of developers looking at the same OpenWrt code.
  • See also "Millions" of Home Routers Vulnerable To Web Hack.
  • PPoE client / DSL client: Solve limitations/restrictions of DSL modems, simplify, & save IPs
  • Reduce number of public IP addresses required by 1 or 2.
  • Assign your 1 public/static IP to your SOHO router rather than your DSL router
  • RDP access behind DSL modems that block RDP (Terminal Services / RDC)
  • OpenWRT Default IP address on some versions it is: 192.168.1.1/24 and on others it is 192.168.2.1/24
  • WiFi is disabled by default