One of the main reasons to choose to install an alternative firmware, that is, remove the manufacturer, is to be able to add additional options that are not standard in our model, but that would be possible because of the hardware it incorporates.
Many times this is because manufacturers want the router to be very simple to configure, and they save on firmware design on the simplest models. However, we find that the models that offer the most profitability to the manufacturer and that are more expensive, these do usually incorporate all the options.
Thanks to the possibility of being able to install an alternative firmware on the routers, we can make economic routers have the configuration options of routers much more expensive.
Some features of alternative firmwares
- QoS (Quality of service): This option allows us to set priorities for data packets.
- Bandwidth limiter: allows us to limit the maximum speed of a certain connected equipment.
- Bridge: Be able to connect with other routers.
- Access Point: It would allow us to make our router become a Wi-Fi access point.
- SNMP: We can activate the SNMP protocol, which is a protocol that will help us monitor the router centrally.
- VPN servers of type L2TP / IPsec, OpenVPN, WireGuard, IPsec IKEv2 etc.
- RADIUS server for authentication of wireless clients.
- Detailed diagnostic tools.
We have to keep in mind that the installation of a customized or alternative firmware on our router opens the possibility to new functions. However, we must bear in mind that this action involves the following risks or damages:
- Installing an alternative software, usually involves canceling the router’s warranty.
- The router may be unusable or blocked if a problem occurs during the installation of the new operating system. Although many routers have a recovery mode to flash the original firmware again, not all incorporate this functionality.
Which routers are compatible with third-party firmwares
The answer to the question of which routers are compatible, is that it depends on the manufacturer and model of the router. Normally, the best-selling routers are those that are generally compatible with alternative firmwares, since developers have focused on them because they are top sales, and ensure that a large number of users benefit from the programming work that entails.
However, we have to keep in mind that a router really is a set of chips and processors, and, therefore, if we find a router that has the same hardware as another that can be installed with an alternative firmware, this will surely also be compatible with said firmware.
What third-party firmwares currently exist?
DD-WRT Firmware
This is undoubtedly the best known, installed and used alternative firmware. It has been developing for many years, and is currently a very stable firmware. Its installation is very simple, since it is done from the update options of our current router.
Thanks to the installation of the DD-WRT firmware we will see that, once installed, we can perform functions that did not exist before or could not. Thanks to the installation of this firmware we will be protected against security holes that had not been solved, in addition to improving performance and security.
This firmware is completely free, so its installation is almost mandatory in the models that are compatible. You can check if your router is compatible in the following link .
Fresh Tomato Firmware
Fresh Tomato is based on Tomato firmware. This new firmware brings improvements based on the DD-WRT firmware. This firmware is very simple to install, but it has a great disadvantage despite being always in constant updates, and it has fewer functions than the DD-WRT firmware. The main advantage of Fresh Tomato is that it offers advanced options such as QoS and a Console.
Another major disadvantage of Fresh Tomato is that it is not available for as many routers as the DD-WRT firmware. You can see if your router is compatible by consulting the following link .
Advanced Tomato Firmware
Like the previous Fresh Tomato firmware, this firmware is an improvement over the original Tomato firmware. The main one that Advanced Tomato brings is a complete interface design change, which now happens to be flat and contemporary, providing a completely intuitive GUI. This causes the result to be a very complete, but simple router management experience.
Open WRT Firmware
This firmware is known as the open source router firmware. OpenWRT is based on a package management system that allows you to expand your router in any way thanks to the installation of different packages.
The main disadvantage of this firmware is that you will need advanced knowledge to use it. Although many aspects of the router are handled through the command line, we have a graphical user interface that will allow us to configure the main parameters of the equipment.
Chilifire Firmware
If what we are looking for is to turn our router into an Access point then we have to choose this firmware. Thanks to this firmware we can offer access to free or paid access points from our router to other users.
The disadvantage of this firmware is that the free version limits us access methods, and only 10 users can connect per month. If we want more users to connect or earn money for access, then firmware developers get a percentage of revenue.
However, its main advantage is that we obtain a professional firmware that will prevent you from having to face the problems of managing this entire system. This firmware is available for different routers, you can check the following link which are compatible.
Gargoyle Firmware Firmware
This firmware based on Open WRT allows us to add bandwidth quota rules to different devices, and also to add which computers have permissions to connect or not to the network. The main routers that are compatible are those of the TP-Link brand, and some routers of the Buffalo, Netgear and Linksys brands. It is possible that since the firmware is based on Open WRT, it is compatible with more routers. One of the advantages of this firmware is that it is updated every few months, solving problems to make it as stable and secure.
What is the best firmware?
After seeing what each firmware offers us, we can make it clear that we cannot tell you for sure which one is the best. However, depending on what you want to use or configure your router, one will be better for you. Any of the aforementioned firmwares is a great option.
In addition, another feature that we have to take into account is if our hardware is compatible with the firmware we want to use, since not all firmwares are compatible with the same router model that we want to use.
If you are looking for a firmware that gives you security, stability and is compatible with many routers, without a doubt the one you should choose is DD-WRT.
We advise you to check your router very well before installing an alternative firmware, since, if it is not, it can be totally unusable. If you want to try one and have doubts, try the DD-WRT firmware, which is the most used and developed today.