As a non-techie, is buying the GL.iNet Flint 2 for everyday usage much better than ISP router/modem and Asus/TP-Link?
I am just an everyday person not at hug risk like a whistleblower or anything, but I would still like to maintain my right to privacy the best I can. Does router choice matter in this regard?
Or are there other things more important in this regard? I download the right apps (paid no-logs VPN, Signal, Ente, Filen, Proton, Tor/LibreWolf/Mullvad/Brave browser, etc.), but is this meaningless if my router is an ISP-provided one?
First, nothing is perfect.. Every product has pros and cons. That said, having some control is better than none, so I’d choose a router I can manage (for example, one running OpenWRT) rather than relying solely on the ISP-provided device.
Far better than ISP one. Actually ISP versions usually backdoored. And you should not trust ISP at hardware level as it opens new possibilities of surveillance and even attacks.
But regarding other ones, if you cnow how to and wish to flash OpenWRT there is no big difference. If we are talking about stock router (eg TP-Link) firmware, yes Gl.iNet is far better in functionality and security (regular updates).
TLDR: If you flash OpenWRT - no big difference, if not - go with Gl.iNet
For example, I use a Flint 2 router, I definitely prefer it to my old ISP router for several reasons.
More functions, my old router supported VPN via Wireguard but did not have the option to log in directly to the VPN interface and select the respective locations. With the Flint 2, you can set up a connection per device for all traffic or only for certain IPs/domains, including killswitch.
the router also supports Tor and you have the option to upgrade to OpenWRT, which I didn’t have before either.
my ISP also had access to the router and the logs on it through the router that it had set up, which I also saw in practice when nothing worked at all. That was one point where I realized that a newer, better router was a must.
I would definitely go for a Flint 2, the price is not very high now and you get a lot of features, you can optionally upgrade to OpenWRT or downgrade again if you don’t like it.
No, but typically almost anything is better than ISP provided device, but you don’t strictly need to replace it with your own if you’re on the fence about it.
I’m also considering Flint. Why did you choose Flint 2 and not 3 if I may ask? Is 3 an overkill? I’m asking for a 2-person household with maybe 2-3 devices each, in a ~230sqm household.
I do like vanilla OpenWRT, but it can also be a pain in the ass when combining several (relatively) advanced techniques. At some point I decided to create a config backup whenever I felt I had achieved a milestone, so that I could rollback if I got stuck preparing for the next milestone. If you really know what you’re doing and love to tweak, OpenWRT may be the way to go. However, since you indicated you’re not a techie, I’d say it makes sense to go with the default GL iNet firmware, which I appreciate a lot more after having struggled with OpenWRT for a couple of weeks. I’m still using the original Flint (GL-AX-1800), but I presume the Flint 2 will be even more convenient.
Yes, it’s also a good option, as far as consumer devices are concerned.
I personally prefer using a normal (x86) PC, and handroll the router/firewall with kernel parameters and iptables rules. It’s not for everyone, but it’s extremely robust and has a lot more headroom for running other services on the same hardware.
I can’t speak from first hand experience, but the Flint2 seems to have more Ethernet ports and more WiFi antennas. It is flashable to plain OpenWrt, but the default OS is a fork. The OpenWrt One is plain OpenWrt and supports the project directly. It’s cheaper and more hackable, but it is meant to be used with a separate switch, so it’s an extra device if you need wired connectivity. If you already have a switch and/or discrete access points, then definitely get the OpenWrt One.
so as a separate switch connected to the ISP default router? Otherwise, since I want to avoid ISP official router, what’s the point of buying a switch. I might as well get the Flint 2 right?
@Tux I apologize for several messages. Wasn’t sure whether to edit same message or write new.
According to my research the BananaPi could be a standalone router and not just a switch :S right? Also the GL.iNet seems to require account sign up and has some cloud and proprietary stuff?
Asus Merlin seems to be preferred (for non technical users) while the Banana OpenWRT One thing seems to require significatn technical expertise to setup?
Depending on how you get your Internet, the setup will look something like cable modem or ONT → router/firewall (Banani Pi or Flint) → switch → devices and WiFi access points. The ISP-supplied equipment is gone, but you will have to make sure the cable modem or ONT are compatible with your ISP.
But in practice many consumer routers have a switch and WiFi access points built-in, so unless you need extra ports, the switch is unnecessary. Both the Banani Pi and the Flint2 also integrate WiFi, so unless the range is too short to adequately cover your home, you don’t need an extra access point either.
I’ve heard of it, and I applaud the open hardware / software philosophy. Once set up, I can only presume it works great (it’s got twice the RAM the first Flint has). However, when you want to switch VPN configurations (e.g. because one of them might fail at some point), you’ll have to handle it through Luci, which is a bit more painful than the slick interface GL iNet has put on top of it. If you’re comfortable with that, go for it . I’d love to know how it performs in real life.
Contacted İSP and they said it’s not possible to not install their router they need to configure it. But that i can create a bridge after that with my router. Whatever that means. İ think that means i don’t have a choice but to keep their router
. I’d love to know how it performs in real life.