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Where do I start with networking?
(piefed.social)
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this post was submitted on 02 Sep 2025
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OpenWRT is amazingly flexible and would be a great place to start.
I switched from DD-WRT last year and have been amazed how good OpenWRT is. There are thousands of software packages that allow you to do pretty much anything you can think of on inexpensive hardware. Used Netgear R7800s are available for less than $50 on ebay or there are plenty of newer hardware options if you want to spend more. Those thousands of downloadable software packages include Wireguard and Adguard Home, plus there are OpenWRT integrations for Home Assistant. The forum is full of people who are happy to help newcomers.
I started by running OpenWRT in a virtual machine to get familiar with the UI and moved on to a live installation. Highly recommended, especially if you enjoy learning.
I freakin love OpenWRT. I used it for a solid 5-6 years on some consumer grade routers and learned a lot about managing networks.
Ive since moved to more powerful enterprise network gear because OpenWRT opened that door for me and taught me what is possible. I might not ever go back to it, but I will always recommend OpenWRT to people who want to rice out their routers and get the most out of it.
As a home user, what additional features have you found useful on enterprise networking equipment? Just because what I'm doing is already ridiculously complex doesn't mean it can't be more so.
Its more about the hardware than software.
Thanks for that list. No need here for more advanced hardware so I'll have to put off networking upgrades until I can come up with a reason to justify it.