DIY Router Device

Hardware Questions and Recommendations
1

Hello LEDE/OPENWRT Devs,

I want your help to build a router based on latest wireless technology(mediatek or Qualcomm), from PCB design to Building a prototype. Any suggestions?

2

A LEDE router is a computer that runs Linux and has more than one network
interface.

So if you are wanting to design a system from scratch, you are building a
computer from scratch.

If you are going to play with the latest wireless technology (and use it to it's
fullest), then you need a fairly beefy CPU and good I/O performance between the
CPU and the network interfaces.

beyond that, you are really going to be on your own if you are starting from PCB
design, there are just too many options available.

1 Like
3

Hi, thank you for support,

I am serious about this project.

Please take a look at MT7668:

I wanna it to be able to handle VPN server/client and adblock and realtime monitor,
What the available options to engineering and design the router to be powerful enough?

4

there are a lot of different options, basically any company making CPUs is an
option and they all have many different choices, you need to decide what
criteria you have for deciding between the different options.

Asking on a project that is dedicating to using existing systems how to design a
system from scratch really isn't going to get you much help.

1 Like
5

Good point,
I want it to be powerful enough and legal to manfuctarer and sell (if was successful), for example I wanna add hardware button to enable and disable VPN/adblock,
It should handle 3000+Mbps( 1000Mbps 2.4GH and 2000+Mbps 5GH signal).
MU-MIMO
4x4 datastream,

What do you advise me to do? And how I can start, even if it based on development board?

Thank you again

6

you are asking what you should do to design and build a computer from scratch
(including building a motherboard)

the fact that there are so many thousands of different systems out there that
you can buy (and that you don't want any of them) is an indication of how wide
the choices are.

1 Like
7

No, I want to buy an available open source hardware, you are 100% correct so I don't want to design from scratch, I just want open source hardware if available or normal good board.
Please give me a good available option to buy for gigabit fiber internet router,
What's about x86?
Thank you for your understanding.

8

really?
You want to build a router from scratch by yourself and ask this kind of questions?

9

Here is a community where everyone have the right to seek for knowledge and ask any question,
I used to build AVR Microcontroller projects from 5 years ago, but nowdays unfortunately I am web developer, thats why I was looking to follow the ARM architecture based on open hardware...

10

My emphasis:

Not sure if I understand what you really want to do...

11

I want open hardware solution ( board to buy or just a online schematic).

12

https://omnia.turris.cz/en/

3 Likes
13

Thank you, seem very interesting.

14

You keep talking about open hardware but suggested a MediaTek SoC. I think you need to actually start by understanding what open hardware actually means.

1 Like
15

As written before, you need a real computer.

Go for PC Engines APU2:
https://www.pcengines.ch/apu2c4.htm

The APU is the successor of the 2D13, I have a couple of APU and I am very satisfied. I will never use again traditional computers to build servers, as they consume way too much.

  • CPU: AMD Embedded G series GX-412TC, 1 GHz quad Jaguar core with 64 bit and AES-NI support, 32K data + 32K instruction cache per core, shared 2MB L2 cache.
  • DRAM: 2 or 4 GB DDR3-1333 DRAM

  • Storage: Boot from m-SATA SSD, SD card (internal sdhci controller), or external USB. 1 SATA + power connector.

  • 12V DC, about 6 to 12W depending on CPU load. Jack = 2.5 mm, center positive

  • Connectivity: 2 or 3 Gigabit Ethernet channels (Intel i211AT on apu2b2, i210AT on apu2b4)

  • I/O: DB9 serial port, 2 USB 3.0 external + + 2 USB 2.0 internal, three front panel LEDs, pushbutton

  • Expansion: 2 miniPCI express (one with SIM socket), LPC bus, GPIO header, I2C bus, COM2 (3.3V RXD / TXD)

  • Board size: 6 x 6" (152.4 x 152.4 mm) - same as apu1d, alix2d13 and wrap1e.

  • Firmware: coreboot (please contact support@pcengines.ch for source code if desired).

  • Cooling: Conductive cooling from the CPU to the enclosure using a 3 mm alu heat spreader (included).

Nice casing. Then you only need to buy on m-SATA card and one or two Wireless NICs.
a/b/g NICs are easy to find. I am not aware of any ac solution yets.

You can buy the APU on eBay or on PC Engines shop if you are in Europe.

Kind regards;

16

The schematics is available for the APU2 : https://pcengines.ch/pdf/apu2.pdf

17

I need too.. I want PCB design. If you find a good product, please share it.

18

Hi,
Compex is making some boards compatible with Lede/openwrt, see here : https://www.compex.com.sg/embedded-board/
the WPQ864 is the most powerfull compex board, runing an ARMv7 IPQ8064@1.4GHz + 5x GE Port + 3x MiniPCI-e v2.0 Slot supporting MU-MIMO WIFI AC.

They are also giving their ready to use Openwrt based system called CompexWRT, fully optimized, or the open source based version less optimized (Lede/openwrt) here :
http://downloads.compex.com.sg/

And this is their wiki page : https://wiki.compex.com.sg/wiki/Main_Page