I’m looking to get a new router, but all of the ones I’ve found try to force a mandatory internet connection/account creation to activate them without any bypass methods (at least that my searching could find).
Is there any way to get a new router to work without connecting an account to it? Or a way to bypass it? If not, is there a specific used router that might be more privacy friendly?
I don’t need anything special, it’s just home wifi.
Fair enough DD is also a good choice!!
Last I looked one of the typical Linksys recommended model (WRT series) hadn’t been updated in a while in DD.
OpenWRT also had a ton of “internet support”…. or a little more than DD, again last time I looked.
I currently use a Synology, because I don’t have the mental energy to tinker right now 🙂
I just looked up my (backup) router, a Linksys WRT1200AC, and sure enough, OpenWrt has a recently updated firmware dated June 2025, whereas the latest supported build of DD-WRT is from 2020. I’m gonna give OpenWRT a shot, thanks for the recommendation!
You are welcome! I hope OpenWRT works out for you!!
It did work out - and just in the nick of time! My main router, a Cudy, was glitching badly; I took it apart yesterday and found a bulging capacitor about to burst. So I flashed my old Linksys with the latest OpenWrt - it was so effortless that I wasn’t sure I configured it properly! Even though it’s an older WiFi 5 model, speedtests show no measurable drop in performance. Interestingly, packet latency is half of the Cudy’s, so it feels much snappier and responsive. It honestly feels like an upgrade lol. I love the app store it has too, very useful. Thank you very much for the recommendation!
I’m glad it worked out. IIRC, the Cudy can run OWRT as well. Assuming it doesn’t have a bulging capacitor of course ha.
The folks over at the OWRT project deserve the thanks, to be honest 🙂