The Seeed Studio reRouter/Mini Router certainly isn’t the cheapest router, but it’s very interesting if you’re looking for a pure open source router. Not only the software in this case, but the hardware as well. This makes the router a chameleon that you can use in all sorts of projects, as the job doesn’t have to be limited to routing network traffic. You can have the device perform all sorts of server functions, but you can also have it serve devices that you wouldn’t normally connect to a router.

The main advantage of these types of routers is that they never make an unsolicited connection to the manufacturer’s cloud service and may transmit privacy-sensitive information, something we’re increasingly seeing with consumer routers. In addition to this feature, the router can be implemented almost without limits with free additional software functions that require manufacturers to quickly sign up, and in some cases collect data again.

For the privacy-conscious and privacy-loving, you could say this router is a no-brainer if you ignore the price tag. However, versatility does come with a downside, as it makes the device a bit more complex than a “normal” router. Especially if you get off the beaten track, you’re at the mercy of your knowledge and perseverance, because you’ll have to be prepared to put this device to your liking. It is very easy to configure the basic functions, but you must be careful to keep the configuration secure; A mistake is easily made and OpenWrt accepts insecure configurations without warning as services can be accessed externally that you never want.

If you have the knowledge, or at least the perseverance to start using this router, only the price throws a wrench, because at €190 this is not a cheap router. This would no doubt also be due to the Raspberry Pi Compute Module that forms the basis of this device, which has only been available in drops and patches for so long and also ensures that the router is not in stock everywhere. The advantage of this module is that the router probably has a longer life than the average router, because you can upgrade the router core later to get a more powerful one.