Hey. Hope you’re doing well. 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. …

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 abou…

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 …

[image] NatureFriends: is this meaningless if my router is an ISP-provided one 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 real…

Have you heard of BananaPi OpenWRT one router? How do you think it fares in comparison?

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…

Maybe that’s a next step for me. But which would you recommend from the former 2 options? Flint 2 or Banana?

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Is GL.iNet Flint 2 (or 3) better than an ISP router/modem or most Asus/TP-Link routers for privacy/anonymity/security?

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autfernandez1987 (Autumn Fernandez) July 5, 2026, 9:32pm 7

This has been discussed before: Thoughts on GLiNet Flint 2 as an OpenWRT router? . My take away from that thread was that the Flint 2 is generally a better option.

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Is GL.iNet Flint 2 (or 3) better than an ISP router/modem or most Asus/TP-Link routers for privacy/anonymity/security?

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