I am doing a writeup of cheap networking gear that I've cobbled together
from old enterprise grade hardware for my homelab.
Hardware choices:
* Router:
* only x86 for pfsense/opnsense
* Brand new:
* Radxa x4 if you can get it or ODroid H4
* Some firewall boards from Shenzhen oems like cwwk.net
* These are all N100 cpu boards, highly recommended
* Used:
*
https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/c3000-based-network-devices-to-install-opnsense-pfsense-and-use-as-a-router-firewall.47423/
* Add an M.2 to pcie like:
*
https://www.amazon.com/HLT-Extension-Cable-90%C2%B0Right-Angle/dp/B08D3C91HS
* Add a 40gbe card like:
* https://www.ebay.com/itm/286320294854
* or any 10gbe card:
* https://www.newegg.com/p/14G-062D-00038?item=9SIC10VKPS1802
* Switch
*
https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/brocade-icx-series-cheap-powerful-10gbe-40gbe-switching.21107/
pick one from here or
*
https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/beware-of-emc-switches-sold-as-mellanox-sx6xxx-on-ebay.10786/
* https://www.ebay.com/itm/286224547646
* https://www.ebay.com/itm/365230313060?
* Get even numbered models
*wifi ap:
* https://openwrt.org/toh/extreme_networks/ws-ap3935i
* I have a bunch of these willing to sell for $20/each
* https://www.ebay.com/itm/116508756767
Happy to answer any questions.
-Eldo
On 1/12/26 07:40, Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:
> There isn't any difference between a consumer grade router and a wireless AP
> - they are both built around a SoC, often the same SoCs.
>
> But, there's a lot to be said for separating the network address translation
> function from the wireless function using different boxes, I've done it that
> way for the last decade.
>
> Ted
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: PLUG <[email protected]> On Behalf Of kenjen--- via PLUG
> Sent: Monday, January 12, 2026 2:42 AM
> To: Portland Linux/Unix Group <[email protected]>
> Cc: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [PLUG] Router recommendations for pending Ziply Fiber upgrade
>
> I've started going mudular on my hardware purchases. Router+WirelessAP
> instead of Wireless Router. Bluetooth Dac connected to wired IEMs or over ear
> cans instead of wireless earbuds and wireless studio monitors.
>
> Ethernet moves slower than WiFi and good headphones are still good without
> the batteries - and they can be reused with new batteries and newer, higher
> quality BT radios.
>
> I also thk it will be easier to source your components that way - then you
> can "build" what you want.
> Thanks | おおきに / ありがとう | Kiitos | Merci | Gracias | Obrigada | Grazie | 谢谢 |
> Danke | Wado | спасибо,
> 賢進ジェンナ「Kenshin, Jenna」
>
> "You should be as alive as you can until you're totally dead!" - Dylan Moran
>
>
>
> 2026年1月12日 1:35 差出人: [email protected]:
>
>> Been around for the MR33 for a while:
>>
>> https://sagacioussuricata.com/posts/meraki-mr33/
>>
>> More discussion on this here:
>>
>> https://watchmysys.com/blog/2024/04/breaking-secure-boot-on-the-meraki-z3-and-meraki-go-gx20/
>>
>> And from here:
>>
>> https://openwrt.org/toh/meraki/z3
>>
>> "... Thus, the only way to install OpenWrt is to physically remove the
>> TSOP48 NAND chip (U30 on the PCB) and flash it in an external programmer.
>> You will also need to reprogram the AT24 (24c64) EEPROM (U32 on the PCB)..."
>>
>> Now, granted, the Z3 isn't wifi6, it's 5. So even though the Z3's are
>> cheaply available on Ebay, etc. - they aren't worth the money to fuss with.
>> Unless your just wanting to get some cheap kit to learn on with your prom
>> programmer.
>>
>> There's also a long discussion thread on OpenWRT on the OpenWRT forum on the
>> Meraki MR46 which is an 802.11AX chip. Pretty much that one will end up
>> like the Z3 - unsolder chip, reprogram it, resolder it.
>>
>> Obviously, there's other devices out there that have secure boot bypasses
>> using that chipset - such as the Netgear WAX 220 - but it's going to be
>> years before these wifi6 devices are available cheaply in large quantity the
>> way that the Aps like the Luma, Meraki, etc. which fail to function if the
>> subscription is not paid, are.
>>
>> Buying 40 Meraki MR-52's for under $20 each to populate out a building with
>> wifi 5 - quite doable.
>>
>> Buying 40 Netgear WAX 220's for under $20 each? Not happening.
>>
>> Buying 40 Meraki MR-46's for under $20 each to populate out a building with
>> wifi 6? Well, not doable NOW since that device is currently sold - you can
>> get used ones as cheap as $75 - but the moment Cisco EOLS them the price on
>> them will crash on the used market.
>>
>> I simply don't see price crashing on the stuff sold to consumers like the
>> Netgear WAX stuff. And you won't see auctions like "lot of 20 WAX for $100"
>> the way you see for the Meraki stuff because it's generally 20 different
>> people buying those 20 WAXs while it's ONE org buying 20 or 200 of the
>> MR-46's. And when the 20 different people decide to get rid of WAX 220s, it
>> will be 20 different times over 2-3 years while the BigCo will just dump all
>> of them at once.
>>
>> This is why I spoke against the OpenWRT One on the forum although doing so
>> got me a lot of flak.
>>
>> With the used Enterprise gear, someone else has paid the depreciation. So,
>> it's always going to be dirt cheap. I felt instead of OpenWRT developers
>> sinking time into yet another $100 wifi AP, that they sink time into the
>> Enterprise gear so that we would have more $20 Aps. But the devs are techs
>> not businesspeople and to them, $100 is - apparently - nothing. They don't
>> consider the multiplicative factor of scale....
>>
>> Ted
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: PLUG <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Russell Senior
>> Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2026 6:12 PM
>> To: Portland Linux/Unix Group <[email protected]>
>> Subject: Re: [PLUG] Router recommendations for pending Ziply Fiber upgrade
>>
>> On Sat, Jan 10, 2026 at 5:22 PM Ted Mittelstaedt <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Obviously I want to see OpenWRT ported to the new hardware but the latest
>>> porting efforts now, too much gear seem to start out with:
>>>
>>> Instruction #1 - heat up your hot air soldering station, desolder the PROM,
>>> put it into your PROM programmer and flash in our fixed boot loader....
>>>
>>
>> I've never seen that. Can you point at an example?
>>
>> --
>> Russell Senior
>> [email protected]
>>
>
>
