Privacy

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Best Routers for Privacy? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 3 weeks ago by frostypanda@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/privacy@lemmy.dbzer0.com

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I'm looking to get a new router, but all of the ones I've found try to force a mandatory internet connection/account creation to activate them without any bypass methods (at least that my searching could find).

Is there any way to get a new router to work without connecting an account to it? Or a way to bypass it? If not, is there a specific used router that might be more privacy friendly?

I don't need anything special, it's just home wifi.

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[–] quid_pro_joe 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm a DD-WRT fan, mainly for it's simply, uniform GUI. Here's a good article comparing the two, plus an honorable mention of ASUSWRT. https://www.xda-developers.com/dd-wrt-vs-openwrt/

[–] randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Fair enough DD is also a good choice!!

Last I looked one of the typical Linksys recommended model (WRT series) hadn’t been updated in a while in DD.

OpenWRT also had a ton of “internet support”…. or a little more than DD, again last time I looked.

I currently use a Synology, because I don’t have the mental energy to tinker right now 🙂

[–] quid_pro_joe 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I just looked up my (backup) router, a Linksys WRT1200AC, and sure enough, OpenWrt has a recently updated firmware dated June 2025, whereas the latest supported build of DD-WRT is from 2020. I'm gonna give OpenWRT a shot, thanks for the recommendation!

[–] randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

You are welcome! I hope OpenWRT works out for you!!

[–] quid_pro_joe 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It did work out - and just in the nick of time! My main router, a Cudy, was glitching badly; I took it apart yesterday and found a bulging capacitor about to burst. So I flashed my old Linksys with the latest OpenWrt - it was so effortless that I wasn't sure I configured it properly! Even though it's an older WiFi 5 model, speedtests show no measurable drop in performance. Interestingly, packet latency is half of the Cudy's, so it feels much snappier and responsive. It honestly feels like an upgrade lol. I love the app store it has too, very useful. Thank you very much for the recommendation!

[–] randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 weeks ago

I’m glad it worked out. IIRC, the Cudy can run OWRT as well. Assuming it doesn’t have a bulging capacitor of course ha.

The folks over at the OWRT project deserve the thanks, to be honest 🙂