But what exactly is the W1700K, and why is the OpenWRT community suddenly obsessed with a router that most Western consumers have never heard of? In short: it’s the latest "King of Price-to-Performance."
Running OpenWrt on or alongside your projector setup unlocks advanced routing, network-attached storage (NAS) functions, and custom automation. Because processing intense network traffic generates significant heat, managing temperatures is critical.
Once you've prepared your router, it's time to install OpenWRT. Here are the steps to follow:
: It features dual 10 GbE ports and dual 1G LAN ports, making it a viable candidate for multi-gigabit home networks.
: You must open the device to access the TTL serial console pins located at the bottom left of the board. Pin 1 : TX (Connect to RX of USB-to-TTL adapter). Pin 2 : GND.
As with all hot tech trends, availability fluctuates, so if you see one listed for a good price, it might be worth grabbing before the secret gets out to the masses.
. While the stock firmware is often described as restrictive or "unmanageable," flashing OpenWrt turns it into a high-performance, fully customizable networking tool Why it's a "Useful Piece" Hardware Power : It features a powerful CPU, 2 GB of RAM 512 MB of storage OpenWrt Forum Connectivity : It includes two 10GbE ports
Once you have installed OpenWRT on your W1700K, you will be greeted by a user-friendly web interface that allows you to configure and customize your router. Here are some of the key features and sections of the OpenWRT interface:
When you have a 10‑gigabit router packed into such a small chassis, becomes a headline feature. The W1700K contains an aggressive Sunon fan, and its default curve in OpenWrt can be a bit assertive. One user noted that “the default fan curve is a little aggressive... It is easy enough to adjust it to match the vendor (50 % at idle)”.
Here is real data from a modified W1700K running OpenWrt 23.05 (ambient 24°C):
This is the story of how a "useless" piece of hardware became a networking powerhouse through the magic of OpenWrt. The Paperweight Quantum Fiber W1700K (also known as the Gemtek MXF-W1700k
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