What hardware to buy for OpenWRT router in 2019

This article has been last updated on May 30, 2019

TekLager sells a lot of open source hardware for building routers, firewalls and access points. Many of our customers are fans of OpenWRT. We are often asked "What hardware should I get for OpenWRT router?". 

The truth is that OpenWRT will run almost on any hardware, but you wouldn't be here if you were looking for low-performing device. When buying new hardware, you want it to be up to date for many years. 

OpenWRT hardware requirements

Not everyone is the same, but there are some common requirements that any new hardware must fulfill. 

• CPU should support AES-NI
• CPU must be powerful enough to route 1 Gbit internet traffic
• There should be enough storage to install additional software packages
• RAM - you must have enough for the packages you want to run. 
• WiFi - OpenWRT support a range of high-end Wireless adapters, but some perform better than others. Adapters based on Qualcomm chips are one of the best.  

What is AES-NI?

AES-NI (AES New Instructions) is a new encryption instruction set, baked right into CPU that dramatically speeds up cryptography tasks such as encryption/decryption for VPN or SSL. AES-NI was initially developed by Intel, but most modern AMD CPUs also support it now. 

OpenWRT firewall appliance recommendations

Cheap OpenWRT box - APU2.D0

APU is a well known, reliable hardware manufactured by a Swiss company PC Engines. APU2, APU3 and APU4 routers are the most popular hardware firewalls we sell at TekLager. There are few versions of APU, starting at entry level APU2D0, to the latest version of APU4C4.

This is the cheapest OpenWRT router we sell, but don't be deceived, it's a very capable firewall for home or small office.

Tip: in most applications, this box will perform just as well as the more expensive versions.

APU2.D4 OpenWRT router (more RAM and more ports)

For those who would like to have a bit more memory, or LAN ports we recommend APU2D4, which is one step up from APU2D0. It has 4GB of ECC RAM, and has 3x Gigabit LAN ports. 

TLSense - the high end performance

TLSense i7 is a really powerful box. It's great if you plan to use a IDS/IPS packages such as Suricata or Snort for Intrustion detection and prevention. It's also a very good choice for a VPN gateway or server. This hardware is most often purchased by customers who have a Gigabit internet connection and want to utilize high-throughput OpenVPN connection. 

It has a powerful Intel i5 CPU, 8GB or RAM, and 60GB SSD. It comes with 4 Gigabit Intel LAN ports and a HDMI port.

OpenWRT works great with the following WiFi adapters

TekLager sells hardware for building open-source appliances in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, US and Canada.