I just spent an hour at Google and the OpenWRT site looking for something that might be called a "List of Features." I did not find one.

I did find this: https://forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php?pid=33 but it is not an official project document so I'm left with as many questions as answers.

I know that OpenWRT uses dynamic packages for feature deployment, but I'd expect some sort of grid page -- package vs. edition -- or similar so that one might have some idea what is available to choose from.

{commentary}
I know that part of the Linux sociology involves some amount of "you just gotta know." However, unless one is a networking maven or wonk one does not know enough about network features to state which features one wants ... much less know what name to use in search or discussion.
{/commentary}

Merci d'avance,
~~~ 0;-Dan

OpenWRT is more or less a full Linux distribution, so asking for a feature list is a little like asking for a list of features for Ubuntu or any other of the major distros. It can do pretty much anything you want, since you can compile your own packages for it if the package you want isn't already included.

Perhaps it would be easier for you to simply ask directly about the specific functionality you're after, and we could go from there.

Thanks to MS3FGX for the reply. As I read more, I see your point about OpenWRT.
However, I don't know enough about router/gateway/access point/bridge and friends to ask reasonable questions. Maybe THAT is what I need to be reading about ...
I clearly need to learn more about all of the various and possible things that a router-box (in any of its variations) can accomplish.

Thanks, again,
~~~ 0;-Dan

if you just want standard router functionality based on a linux kernel, with a web based interface, perhaps you should look into dd-wrt otherwise you're gonna have to figure out what it is you want to do and figure the package that you need, if you look in the package tree you should find a "Packages" file that contains a brief description of each package.

1 members found this post helpful.

Maybe ... I don't even know the names of all of the things that my store-bought "wireless router and access point" will do -- much less all of what I want it to do that is not part of the built-in feature set.

Is this "package tree" part of DD-WRT or part of OpenWRT?

Thanks,
~~~ 0;-Dan

package tree is part of openwrt it is basically just a hierarchy of releases and package versions
http://downloads.openwrt.org/whiteru...kages/Packages
is an example of the packages available for the 'whiterussian' distribuiton of openwrt.
hope that helps
also you might want to check out the specs of your router, because the chipset and size of the flash chip will determine what you can do with your router.

I don't have any idea about all of the "moving parts" inside my router / gateway / access point / network box even if I wanted to list them.
The more I thought about that, the more I thought I'd give that a try.

Here goes:

• everything radio
• 10baseT at various rates
• authentication of radio connections
• "hot spot" services
• USB-A port(s)
• file services thru USB
• print services thru USB
• web server for box administration
• FTP or TFTP for file transfer
• DHCP server on the LAN side
• DHCP client on the WAN side
• firewall
• SSH or Telnet for administration
• "bridging" from wire net to wireless net
• port forwarding
• masquerading

This is supposed to describe the features of a typical home network router / gateway / access point / network box. It might be nice if we could expand the list and mark items somehow to indicate if the feature is typical or rare or advanced or high-end.

I invite comments that add light to this thread. I expressly discourage critical remarks that are more smoke than light.

Thanks,
~~~ 0;-Dan

OpenWRT and DD-WRT are more than capable of doing all of those things you listed.

Perhaps we need to think of this another way. Basically, there is nothing that the original router's firmware can do that OpenWRT/DD-WRT can't do. They were both developed to expand the functionality of consumer routers, not limit it. Assume that all the things your router could do before are the base set of functions in the replacement firmware's, and go from there.


But I also agree with frieza. Unless you are looking to do something rather advanced with this router, just use DD-WRT. DD-WRT is a "turn key" solution, as soon as you flash it you will be ready to roll in a fairly familiar web UI. OpenWRT on the other hand, doesn't even include a web frontend by default; you have to log in via telnet and set some things up on the command line, and then can optionally install the front-end. It is not really designed for the average home user's environment, it is more for specialized cases.