[OpenWrt Wiki] 8/64 warning (2024)

FAQs

What is the recommended memory for OpenWrt? ›

16/64 as an absolute minimum for any device, with at least 128 MB of RAM being preferred. If a device has less than 16 MB of Flash and/or less than 64 MB of RAM, it may be unstable in basic operation under OpenWrt from 19.07 onward.

Barely enough Flash to accommodate OpenWrt firmware image

If you want to be sure you can install at least a few additional software packages, 16MB (or more) of flash and 128MB (or more) of RAM are the recommended choice.

Device Requirements

However the device's hardware does need to meet some minimum requirements: 1GHz or faster CPU, multi-core is an asset. 512MiB of physical RAM per core you intend to use in the build for 32-bit devices. For 64-bit devices you need double this.

Current stable series: OpenWrt 23.05

It is the successor of the previous 22.03 stable major release. The current stable version series of OpenWrt is 23.05, with v23.05.3 being the latest release of the series. It was released on 25. March 2024.

On APU routers pfSense and OPNsense achieve about 100Mbit/s throughput. OpenWRT achieves about 140Mbit/s. APU delivers more than 600Mbit/s with Wireguard VPN.

Build-time is highly dependable on the number of Cores/Jobs and can be shrunk to less than 30 minutes (from 90 minutes). Build time with single core can take several hours.

DD-WRT is mostly available on older routers with more up-to-date software than the manufacturers provide. If you're ready to take the next step in customization or just want to use hardware that doesn't make sense for DD-WRT, such as using a thin client PC as a router, OpenWrt is the answer.

Good news, OpenWrt has reasonable security by default. If you are inexperienced in hardening and firewall and web security, there is no need to worry, OpenWrt is hardened by default in a sufficient way, such that non-experienced muggles can use it right away, without being worried.

OpenWrt (from open wireless router) is an open-source project for embedded operating systems based on Linux, primarily used on embedded devices to route network traffic. The main components are Linux, util-linux, musl, and BusyBox.

OpenWrt incorporates many algorithms from recent research that perform far better than vendor-supplied firmware. OpenWrt is stable, and operates reliably for long periods of time. Optimal packages and codebase tailor-made for low end hardware and maximum storage space.

What filesystem does OpenWrt use? ›

layout article documents how OpenWrt uses both SquashFS and JFFS2 filesystems combined into one filesystem by overlayfs. The kernel is also stored separately from these partitions in raw flash. When the kernel is built, it is also compressed with LZMA and gzip, as documented in imagebuilder.

Generally, we recommend 8GB of RAM for casual computer usage and internet browsing, 16GB for spreadsheets and other office programs, and at least 32GB for gamers and multimedia creators. How you use your computer influences how much RAM you need, so use this as a guideline.

Large Datasets and Deep Learning Models: Deep learning models, especially with large-scale datasets, often require more memory due to the increased complexity and computational demands. In such cases, it is advisable to have 32GB or more of RAM, and sometimes even higher depending on the specific requirements.

For basic web browsing and document creation, 4GB or 8GB is usually sufficient. For tasks such as photo editing and streaming media, however, 16GB of RAM may be necessary. For gaming or video editing applications, even higher amounts of RAM (e.g., 32GB) may be needed to ensure optimal performance.