GL.iNet GL-MT6000(Flint 2) WiFi 6 Router with Wide Coverage, High-Speed Gaming Router, 2 x 2.5G Multi-Gig Ports+4 x 1G Ethernet Ports, Mass Device Connectivity, Rapid OpenVpn & WireGuard, 802.11ax

My synology router with mesh started to become very flaky. I used did-wrt before and loved it, so this router caught my attention. It was the right move. Well supported. Very fast and wide coverage (no need for mesh). File storage and downloads handled with ease, open source app ecosystem. Pi-hole dns and dhcp friendly, while guest network is isolated and handled by router. Very stable, no need for regular reboots.

This is a decent "home router" that comes with expandable "open source" firmware. This router has a number of features that my previous home router lacked. And this router also has better signal/range than other routers I've owned, and it also crashes less often than those other routers did.One router feature I really like is full support support for the semi-regulated DFS frequencies in the 5ghz WiFi band. While those frequencies are legal to use in the US, they do have extra regulations on them. And sadly most home routers don't implement those extra regulations, so you can't use the DFS frequencies with most home routers. But I found that configuring this router to use the DFS frequencies greatly increased my WiFi speeds (on some days more than doubling the speed gotten on the more traditional WiFi bands).And this router also has support for extra features that I don't personally use, but others might find handy. For example, this router has built-in support for VPNs (i.e. the router can setup a VPN into your network, or have your network use an external VPN). Also this router has an option to have the router itself do ad-blocking for all devices on your network. And because the firmware for this router is "open source" you can easily download/install other features you may want your router to do.So in my personal opinion this router really is the worth the retail price of around $160. Yes, this router is more costly than many home grade routers, but that higher price buys you a more reliable and feature rich router.

The iNet GL-MT6000 (Flint 2) is a powerhouse of a WiFi router that truly stands out for its flexibility and performance.Based on OpenWRT and unlocked capabilities make it a dream for tech-savvy users, while its performance and reliability make it a great fit for everyone else. Highly recommended!Offers unparalleled customization for advanced users. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or someone looking to maximize your network’s potential, this router is an excellent choice. You can tweak settings, install packages, and configure it to fit your unique needs, giving you control over every aspect of your network.One caveat to note is that the router’s emitted even with TX power set to “Low” is too high especially if the range of 8 ft. Stay at least 20 feet away from frequently occupied areas to minimize prolonged exposure to strong signals. This minor consideration doesn’t detract from its overall functionality but is worth keeping in mind during setup.

I originally bought this just to stream video games over my local network. The idea was to be able to play any of my Steam games on an ultra powerful PC in any room of the house. I started with powerline adapters, these things you plug into wall power outlets, and then created a sort of wired connection over your electricity wiring, which seemed to improve latency. I was surprised the dream was coming true when I used it but I wanted to optimize it so that it really felt reliable and snappy.I already had a relatively all-in-one modem-router-WiFi from Netgear AC1900, and never had a major problem with it. But as I started reading about how to improve the streaming, I found out about buffer bloat, and ways in which router software can manage their packets/data coming in/out. Which led me to OpenWRT software, which I couldn’t install on an all-in-one which led me to the Flint 1 and then the Flint 2 because it was more powerful for not much more cost. I still use the Netgear as a modem with the router off.This thing exceeded my expectations. First of all the software is a joy to use. I was so surprised how quickly you can navigate the interface and load pages, because I swear the Netgear felt like it took 10+ seconds to register clicks. Installing was easy. Installing an SQM plugin to manage buffer bloat and changing some settings like DNS and NAT was certainly not simple intellectually, but making the clicks on the UI absolutely was. People have complained about how up to date OpenWRT is, but it came with an update right away, and for the average user, I think LTS updates is more important than up to the minute updates.So my streaming setup is pretty amazing now. 1440p streaming with a moderately old gaming PC is working. Powerlines do seem to fluctuate based on time of day, but to my surprise WiFi 6 and the performance of the router actually make streaming over WiFi possible in some cases. Like if the host or client utilizes the whole powerline network and another utilizes WiFi 6 from not that far away, it’s totally basically as good. Streaming from my Meta Quest 3 to the TV is flawless, it even kind of worked when I streamed to chrome on Mac to airplay on the TV via like 4 wireless jump, I mean it was choppy but the fact that it just worked and disconnected was great. I bet this will also reduce the need for wired connections when streaming Steam or a virtual desktop to the desktop.Finally in my opinion this is the only router anyone should buy unless you’re a raspberry pi enthusiast, or you can find another router with something like OpenWRT preinstalled. I would’ve flashed firmware, but the fact that I got it ready to go on a consumer product is magical. Why every router doesn’t come with OpenWRT or an equivalent, is crazy. The software seems so far advanced than the crap in routers I’ve had from big companies in the past. The performance seems amazing. Has the latest features. Doesn’t break the bank. Easy to setup. Overall, prefect score from me, I can’t think of a con.