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"What is OpenWrt and why should I care?"

The router you bought comes with its manufacturer's firmware. It works, but it's limited — you can't install new software on it, you can't fine-tune the WiFi, and you certainly can't manage it remotely alongside ten other routers.

OpenWrt is an open-source operating system for routers. Think of it as replacing the soul of your router with something far more powerful and flexible. With OpenWrt, your cheap router becomes a fully-featured network device.

With it you can:

  • Create multiple WiFi networks (SSIDs)
  • Set up VLANs to isolate traffic
  • Install packages like VPN clients, DNS servers, monitoring agents
  • Manage the router via a web interface (LuCI) or the command line (SSH)

Work in Progress

This section will walk through the concept of flashing OpenWrt onto your router and what changes when you do.

Ready to flash?

For step-by-step flashing instructions for specific router models, see Guide — Flash OpenWrt.