I didn't like routeros because it would try to connect to strange ip addresses out of the box.
I like that with openwrt, it doesn't do that, and you can configure all kinds of things just like you want. At first I would use the regular releases and install the packages I wanted. As I got more comfortable with it, I would just build it myself.
It's pretty easy:
git clone https://github.com/openwrt/openwrt
cd openwrt
./scripts/feeds update -a
./scripts/feeds install -a
make menuconfig
make -j$(nproc)
make menuconfig is where you choose how your system is configured (packages, kernel modules, config settings, etc)
my initial builds were sort of experimental, but it was kind of fun and eventually I learned to customize exactly what I wanted. For example I would use ipv4 only and strictly control the ip addresses of all my machines. (current openwrt doesn't allow it, you have to turn off ipv6 using sysctl). I configure out wifi/bluetooth from some machines that don't or shouldn't use them. I set up privoxy and some machines do updates through the proxy which whitelists what they can get to. I use vlans, and it keeps traffic segregated well. It's nice to put a weird device on a vlan and know it won't go uploading to the cloud, or update itself without your say so.
I had no idea about RouterOS connecting to strange IPs, I'll look into that. Can you link to some research that confirms this, why it's done, and how it can be disabled?
I do like how configurable OpenWrt is, and didn't know it was that easy to make a custom build. I'll probably give that a try the next time I have to set it up. Thanks again.
I like that with openwrt, it doesn't do that, and you can configure all kinds of things just like you want. At first I would use the regular releases and install the packages I wanted. As I got more comfortable with it, I would just build it myself.
It's pretty easy:
make menuconfig is where you choose how your system is configured (packages, kernel modules, config settings, etc)my initial builds were sort of experimental, but it was kind of fun and eventually I learned to customize exactly what I wanted. For example I would use ipv4 only and strictly control the ip addresses of all my machines. (current openwrt doesn't allow it, you have to turn off ipv6 using sysctl). I configure out wifi/bluetooth from some machines that don't or shouldn't use them. I set up privoxy and some machines do updates through the proxy which whitelists what they can get to. I use vlans, and it keeps traffic segregated well. It's nice to put a weird device on a vlan and know it won't go uploading to the cloud, or update itself without your say so.