this post was submitted on 01 Dec 2024
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Usually the routers you install OpenWRT on are really a CPU with one port to a VLAN-capable switch, and the port labeled WAN on the device is just VLAN'd separately by default. One cool thing OpenWRT lets you do on "normal" hardware is change the VLAN settings on the switch ports which are not accessible under stock firmware.
But if they are shipping "just" the router piece and making people go get their own VLAN-capable switch, I'm not sure what hardware exactly they expect people to use? And I'm not sure what being connected to the switch over one real 2.5G cable is going to do to LAN/WAN throughput, vs. how a "normal" router ties the CPU into the switch through means not known to mortal minds. Maybe it is just as good, maybe it is a huge bottleneck. It is definitely going to add cost over the $89 sticker price.
But if most people are just going to run fiber modem straight to WiFi, maybe this is the right config actually?
The key there is the switch does most of the work in hardware, so you can have 1G going between all ports with no CPU usage, so the internal 1G port doesn't matter as much, and the hardware acceleration lets it efficiently handle routing across VLANs without involving much of the internal port. Those internal switches can usually handle VLANs and basic NAT nesrly entirely on its own.
With a single external 2.5G port you lose that because your traffic will have to go in the router and back out to the switch to cross VLANs, so it's basically a 1.25G link. And it needs to be a managed switch too since the router doesn't come with a built-in one anymore. Best you can do is software VLANs but the other device will need to also use the VLAN explicitly in that case, as there's no switch to give you untagged ports.
So you would have to pair this with a switch that not only does VLANs but also somehow does your NAT for you.