More than nine months after OpenWrt began finalizing its $100 open-source router, the consortium has finally released the OpenWrt One. According to the Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC), one of the groups working alongside OpenWrt, this wireless router “will never be locked and is forever unbrickable” as it was built-for and comes with the open-source OpenWrt firmware pre-installed.
The group worked together to draft the specifications for this router, and then OpenWrt tapped Banana Pi for the device production. You can now order a complete set with a case on Aliexpress for just $89 (although it’s out of stock at the time of writing), but the tinkerers among us could choose just the logic board for $68.42, though it’s unavailable in the U.S. at the moment.
The OpenWrt One comes at a crucial time when many network and storage devices are becoming outdated and essentially turned to e-waste. This is because of vulnerabilities that the original manufacturer refuses to patch, citing end-of-product-life reasons.
For example, D-Link has refused to patch over 60,000 NAS devices that have a critical security flaw. Another set of old D-Link routers were found to be susceptible to threats, but the company recommended that affected users upgrade and gave them a discount voucher for new purchases, instead of releasing a software update. Aside from replacing their hardware, the only solution left for affected users is to replace the stock firmware with a third-party one, like OpenWrt. However, this might be difficult if your equipment isn’t on the list of supported devices.
This makes the OpenWrt One a great solution for those who want a new router with hardware specifically designed for the OpenWrt firmware. At just $89, it's the perfect option if you want something that will last you a lifetime and not have to worry about getting a "bricked" device because the manufacturer no longer supports software updates for it. However, if the gear you have is supported by OpenWrt, you might not need to purchase a new router at all—just download the OpenWrt firmware and flash it onto your device, and you’re good to go.
