Top Choice for Affordable WiFi 6e Router with DD-WRT Compatibility
Top Choice for Affordable WiFi 6e Router with DD-WRT Compatibility
I've recently switched to gigabit internet and am considering upgrading my ISP router to one with WiFi 6e capability. Previously, I relied on an older Netgear Nighthawk running DD-WRT, which only supports WiFi 5. I really enjoy DD-WRT and take advantage of its extra features, plus the clear security advantages of open-source firmware. This brings me to my inquiry: which WiFi 6e router with DD-WRT support offers the best value right now? I’m willing to invest in quality hardware that lasts, as long as it delivers solid performance for several years. I don’t want to pay a premium—like £500—for something packed with unnecessary bells and whistles or mediocre AI-based QoS settings that I’ll never use. (A bit of teasing on Asus too...)
WiFi 6 compatibility on DD-WRT is very limited, so I wouldn't expect any 6E routers to receive updates. OpenWRT offers marginally better support, though choices remain restricted. This particular Wi-Fi 6 device is officially backed by the manufacturer here: https://www.gl-inet.com/products/gl-mt6000/. If you require tailored settings, most users opt to isolate the router and use a separate AP, such as a PF-Sense device.
I agree on exploring building your own router. I began with pfSense, then transitioned to OPNsense. It simplified upgrading my Wi-Fi setup. Initially I used Wi-Fi 6 access points, and eventually switched to 6E APs. No additional steps were needed beyond replacing the APs.
For OPNSense on an R710, consider budget-friendly options like the Raspberry Pi 4 with Wi-Fi or a basic ESP32. These provide solid performance without breaking the bank. The cheapest yet reliable choice is often a mid-range Pi model paired with a decent USB hub.
Modern hardware capable of 2.5Gbit speeds is now quite affordable. Personal experience confirms the N5105 and N100 models. If connectivity issues persist, consider using an Access Point instead of a router. However, upgrading to WiFi now might not be wise since better WiFi 7 solutions are expected next year—though they could be very expensive. Enterprise-grade WiFi 6 APs remain reliable despite their cost.
Hi there! Glad you reached out. I understand wanting to explore OPNSense and its features. It’s clear you’ve been using split APs and routers before, so diving into a single device makes sense now. Your curiosity is great—this shows how much learning can happen when you stay engaged! Thanks for sharing your thoughts; it helps me better support you.
I miss OpenWRT on my Access Point because I need SNMP and Zyxel didn't add link rate, which is really frustrating. With OpenWRT I just created a web page with all the details back to my main server. I've also found SNMP difficult for getting traffic stats. On my Netgear switches it takes several seconds per port, while on the Zyxel Access Point it crashes completely since they expect you to use their app or pay for cloud management. So I had to stop tracking traffic per client. On the other hand, when I'm using pfSense on a powerful router, I can monitor everything easily thanks to plenty of CPU capacity. When I tried OpenWRT on a consumer router, it could easily consume its CPU if I monitored too much.