Edit: forgot to mention that I'm based in Europe, which might be relevant for which devices are easily available.
Hi, I am a newbie looking for a new router, one where I can block ads and tracking (with AdGuard, PiHole or something similar), I can choose my own DNS, and hopefully tinker more once I learn more about routers and networks. I have a home server currently running only locally and would like to access it from outside my home, but I'm afraid of letting the door open to bots, hackers, etc.
I am currently using the router provided by my ISP, which has poor customization options and is also failing a lot lately (it loses internet connection at least once a week and needs restarting).
I have searched a bit around and I think something where I can install OpenWRT or other open source firmware would be good. On the OpenWRT forum I have seen recommended the GL·INet Flint 2 GL-MT6000 https://openwrt.org/toh/gl.inet/gl-mt6000. I also looked a bit more on GL·INet's website and saw the GL·INet 3e (GL-BE6500) which has WiFi 7, and wondered if that could be a good upgrade, but seems it doesn't support (yet) installing official OpenWRT.
As for me and my use case: I am comfortable with the Linux command line, my personal computer runs Linux and I have a home server running OpenMediaVault with a couple of services on Docker (Jellyfin, Navidrome, Radicale, Trilium, Calibre-Web, Wanderer), but I barely know anything about routers and networks. The router will serve to connect that server via Ethernet and use several devices (laptops, desktop PC, phones, tablets, AndroidTV...) via WiFi.
I wonder what the thoughts of people who know about routers and networks are.
- Are these good options for a first non-ISP router?
- Is the 3e (GL-BE6500) worth the update for WiFi 7 or is it overkill for my use-case? Maybe even a bad idea if it doesn't support the official OpenWRT?
- Anything else I missed and should take into account?
In addition to the physical router recommendation, I have 2 more questions:
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from what I have read in other threads I believe I might need to keep my ISP's router, or get another device to use as a modem before the router (I don't know how to do that). Is that correct or can I just replace my ISP's router with a router running OpenWRT (or similar) and be set?
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does anyone have any good resources to learn more about networks, modems, routers, etc.? for a newbie who is comfortable with the Linux command line but otherwise knows nothing about the topic.
I found the Cisco free networking courses really helpful when trying to figure out my network stack. Some of the earlier stuff you probably know but you can skip through quickly, especially if you don't care about getting the "qualification". https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/learn/training-certifications/training/netacad/index.html
I would personally recommend keeping the router and adguard/pihole server separate. If you mess something up, it's easier to quickly switch the router DNS to a public one whilst you try to fix it, especially if you have anybody else at home who won't appreciate losing their internet because you messed up something (which will happen but let's you learn)! It's also a good idea to keep this separate from your main server for this very same point. You might accidentally use up the entire hard drive or have some messed up update on one software take all the RAM, making everything else unusable (both happened to me at different times, and one was overnight before I was working from home which was not fun to try and fix first thing in the morning!). It's not always clear which device is causing and what went wrong so can take some time to fix but gives you flexibility to fix in your own time.
That's why I would recommend getting a used thin client for £30ish (GBP) from eBay or somewhere like that. I have my pihole and home assistant on there to be clean and separate in case my server goes down. Then the internet still works, the lights still work, and things like nextcloud and jellyfin just have to wait a bit.
It also allows you to upgrade devices separately (e.g. when my internet provide unexpectedly upgraded to 2.5G I chose to buy a new router and one of the switches, and upgrade the Ethernet socket on my home server) but kept my existing WiFi access point and pihole/HASS server which still work fine after years of use. Most of my clients at home can't handle higher speeds so no point upgrading the rest of the network until they can (if ever). I have separated my WiFi access point and router because of the location of my incoming wires and home layout, which you could also think about doing. I've always thought getting seperate devices focusing on one thing they do best makes sense, and can actually be cheaper to buy.
Not sure about routers themselves but have heard good things about openwrt. I do NOT recommend the TP Link Omada series!