How to Choose the Best Firmware to Charge Your Wi-Fi Router
Installing custom firmware on your Wi-Fi router is similar to God Mode for your home network. You can see everything that’s going on, strengthen your Wi-Fi signal, increase security, and even perform advanced tricks like setting up your own VPN. However, there are so many options that choosing the right one can be difficult. Here’s what you need to know.
Why bother at all?
Installing your own firmware isn’t just a day project for alpha geeks looking for something interesting – it actually makes your router better. Pick the right one and you can monitor your network in real time, make sure your roommate isn’t slowing down your Netflix binge by downloading music (but make sure your music downloads well and fast), make your network friendly for guests, but unfriendly to attackers and much more. Open firmware gives you more control over Wi-Fi performance, and most of them even allow you to boost your Wi-Fi signal so that one corner of the house is no longer a dead spot. You also get privileges like the ability to run your own VPN at home (which you should definitely try ), and they get updated to fix security issues far more often than the manufacturer updates their stock software, both of which are huge security implications.
It might take a little time, of course, but if you get the job done, you get a faster, more secure home network that you always have complete control over. If your speed drops, you know exactly why. You will be able to log and monitor your connection to make sure your service provider (like Comcast or Verizon) does not restrict you because you dared to watch Netflix or launch Spotify.
The Big Three: DD-WRT, OpenWRT, and Tomato
Some of the most popular open router firmwares are names you may have already heard, such as DD-WRT , OpenWRT, and Tomato . We’ve already shown you how to install DD-WRT on your router before and showed you how to recharge your router using Tomato , but here’s a quick breakdown of how they differ:
- OpenWRT is the firmware from which many others were born. It is completely open source and customizable based on the Linux kernel, supports package management, and has many additional add-ons and utilities. It is not easy to use and install, but it supports the widest hardware base, from powerful and high-quality home routers to pocket travel routers and even corporate equipment. It offers most of the features of any open source firmware, but it is often difficult to customize. For example, OpenWRT supports almost any Linux device that you can connect to the network (such as printers, webcams, etc.), Has a rich interface, real-time network monitoring, built-in dynamic DNS (so you can access to your home computers. from afar ), IP tunneling for built-in VPN, built-in quality of service (QoS) that allows you to prioritize certain things (like streaming or VoIP calls) over others (like torrents or other downloads) etc. on. You can check supported devices here .
- DD-WRT is based on OpenWRT. DD-WRT has many OpenWRT features such as real-time monitoring, access control, QoS and the ability to configure your own VPN, all combined into a more user-friendly interface. You also get additional features like Wake-On-LAN , so you can put computers on your home network to sleep, but wake them up when you need to connect to them from abroad. It is easier to install than OpenWRT and slightly easier to manage. It doesn’t support as many devices as OpenWRT, but it does support some of the more common home routers. You can search to see if your router is supported here .
- Tomato firmware is most notable for being very lightweight, its user interface is intuitive, and even easier than DD-WRT to install and use. Its greatest strength is real-time bandwidth and connection monitoring, which means you can see everything that is happening on your network as it happens , which is great for troubleshooting connectivity issues or verifying that there is no one in your network . It’s also compact and, unlike other firmwares, is designed in such a way that you don’t have to reboot your router after every small change. Likewise, it makes it easier to increase Wi-Fi signal strength than many others here. Even advanced features such as firewall configuration and access control are available even for new users. The only downside to Tomato is that it supports relatively few devices. Here you can see if your router is supported .
For most people, one of these three will support your existing device and provide you with all the features you might need. Of the three, DD-WRT is the most well supported by home routers and is relatively easy to install and configure. Tomato is the most user-friendly and by far the most attractive of the three, but it supports the fewest devices. OpenWRT supports most hardware, including something that only a network engineer can use, but its learning curve can be steep. It is also the most modifiable and customizable, and is a good option if you have hardware that is not supported by anything else. Even so, they are far from the only options.
Other options for customizers and hackers: firmware for specific routers or for developers.
While these three may be the most famous and popular, there are many others to choose from. Here’s a rundown of all your options:
- Gargoyle is also based on OpenWRT, specifically designed to make it easier to work with Broadcom and Atheros router hardware. It’s tiny, easy to install, has a nice web-based management page, and supports a range of portable routers and routers. It is most notable for its ability to limit bandwidth to specific IP addresses, or to give you a unique insight into how your bandwidth is being used. Gargoyle is perfect for people with travel routers, or those less concerned with things like security and Wi-Fi signal and more concerned with how everyone in your home is using your bandwidth. It is ideal for people with limited bandwidth. You can check supported routers here, or buy one of the open hardware routers preloaded with Gargoyle from their website.
- LibreWRT is completely free, open source firmware that complies with the Free Software Foundation’s guidelines for distributing free systems . If you’re wondering which router firmware someone who lives and dies because of open source, like Richard Stallman or Linus Torvalds, will choose, then this is probably it. LibreWRT is also designed to be an easy option for aspiring developers to participate in and contribute to. It is also based on OpenWRT, but only supports a few devices (although you can certainly build it yourself , although this is not a beginner project).
- DebWRT is another umbrella firmware that has a number of derivatives. Users of Debian-based Linux systems such as Ubuntu or Linux Mint will appreciate this as it is essentially a Debian built on top of OpenWRT and designed to run on home routers. It includes all the basics you need, but by itself is not the most feature-rich. You’ll need to add packages and additional tools to make the most of it, and its command line interface isn’t exactly beginner-friendly (although if you’re already familiar with Debian it will feel like home). It also helps that it offers everything you would get with a standard Debian installation, along with its package manager and any compatible utilities. However, this is probably not for the faint of heart.
These are just the largest derivatives of the three major players. They’re great, but if you like the look and feel of OpenWRT but need something specific, check out other derivatives . For example, Gargoyle was designed to give OpenWRT a user-friendly web interface that made it easy to set up and customize. Many of them also support third-party plugins for features like a home VPN, a mesh network to connect your network to your friends’ home networks, or any other more complex setup you can think of. If you’re ready to get your hands dirty and have some programming experience, you can rebuild any of them to make your own customizations, or add your own packages.
Start with what your hardware supports and browse through the features
If you are trying to choose one of these firmware options, the first thing to consider is what kind of router you have and what open firmware supports it. If you’ve ever installed your own firmware, you already know this. Chances are, even if one of these options supports the newer 802.11ac model , you just need to figure out which one.
If you only find one option that your router supports, the decision is made for you. If you find several, choose according to your needs, but be sure to see how well the firmware is supported. Are there guides or documentation you can follow, or forums where you can get help? You want the best one for you, but you also don’t want to stay out of the cold if you run into trouble. “Once you’ve selected the firmware you want, just follow the installation instructions they provide, but for more information check out our DD-WRT and Tomato installation guides here .
Where to go for help
Finally, if you’re still stuck or don’t know if a particular firmware will do what you want, dig in. As we mentioned, many of these projects have forums where users can discuss the project and troubleshoot each other’s problems. Also, Google your router model and firmware you are looking for to see if it is compatible or have any complaints before you install it yourself. After all, once it is installed and configured, it will become your gateway to the Internet, so after you are done it is not time to start researching.
If you cannot find an open firmware that supports your router, or the one you want does not work with your router, you have the option to buy a router specifically for the firmware you want to use. Check the compatibility list for the firmware you want to run and select your favorite router model from that list. This way, you can be sure to get a router that works without problems. Alternatively, you can buy a router with pre-installed firmware. For example, Buffalo sells routers with DD-WRT pre-installed, and some VPN vendors even sell routers with open firmware installed and a VPN configured and ready to go. Both TorGuard and SlickVPN do this. Before buying, make sure you have important functions in your router, as well as the firmware you want.