## Specific Design Goals and Requirements

**A standard Linux server environment** for hosting applications, meaning that
web applications and most daemons (eg, appropriate to run on a single VPS) do
not have to be specifically re-ported to run on rooter.

**Simultaneous 200Mbps down, 109Mbps up routed ethernet throughput** between
local and remote ports. This performance ensures that rooter would not limit
the performance of [DOCSIS 3.0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOCSIS#Speed_tables)
cable modem connections.

**"No-surprises" generic router functionality**, meaning that the device should
meet the expectations of non-technical users in it's default configuration:
standard firewall configuration, DHCP and DNS auto-configuration, support for
common upstream authentication mechanisms, configuration via a web interface at
the gateway's IP address.

**Hardware Hackability**, a vague concept. In this case meaning (at a minimum)
that new firmware can loaded and debugged on the device, and that low-level
electronics can be integrated using standard connections (3.3/5v GPIOs, UARTS,
SPI, ADCs, etc).

Ability to **participate in alternative networks** like wireless mesh networks
(BATMAN, OLSR, etc), darknets (i2p), or Tor without excessive difficulty. This
may require some network-specific porting and may contra-indicate some other 

**"Line-rate" WiFi routed throughput** (to local or upstream ethernet ports).
For 802.11n this means 150Mbps for a single 40MHz channel.

**IPv6 fully supported out-of-the-box.**

**"No-reboot" reliability** under defaults with "normal usage", meaning that end
users should never have to manually power cycle the device to resolve local or
uplink DHCP or routing connectivity issues.

**No NDAs, special vendor deals, or binary blobs.** A mostly free/libre
software and hardware stack, reproducable by anybody with capital and
manufacturing facilities.

**"Internet-of-Things" connectivity** via a low-power IP-based wireless
protocol (eg 802.15.4 6lowpan, ZigBee, Bluetooth Low-Energy, etc).

## Hardware features

See [design/hardware]() for specific components and costs.

- 1GHz ARM SoC processor (possibly dual-core)
- 512MB RAM
- Internal uSD card storage, expandable through SATA and USB ports
- Modular WiFI via miniPCIe slot
- Second USB-only miniPCIe slot for expansion
- 2+ powered USB ports for expansion
- 5x Gigabit ethernet ports: 4x local + 1x upstream
- Serial and JTAG debugging via USB port
- Low-power "internet of things" gateway with 802.15.4 radio 
- Hardware entropy generation device

## Comparison

See [research/devices]() for a listing of other similar hardware devices.

**Router?** indicates whether the device meets contemporary first world user
expectations of a home router.

**Server?** indicates whether the devices meets expectations of web application
developers: eg, whether a Ruby On Rails web application would run well enough
for a small group of users.

**Libre?** indicates whether the design of the entire device is truely Free.

**Hack?** indicates whether the device could be integrated into an electronics
project by an Arduino-experienced hacker.

<table class="gridded" style="width: 1200px;">
 <tr>
  <th style="width:180px;">Device
  <th style="width:80px;">Price
  <th style="width:200px;">CPU/RAM/Disk
  <th style="width:100px;">Ethernet
  <th style="width:230px;">Wireless
  <th style="width:80px;">Router?
  <th style="width:80px;">Server?
  <th style="width:180px;">Libre?
  <th style="width:200px;">Hack?
 <tr>
  <td><b>rooter</b><br>with OpenWRT+debian
  <td>$175
  <td>1GHz ARM / 512MB <br> 8Gb uSD, empty SATA
  <td>5x 1000Mbps
  <td>802.11n 2.4GHz miniPCIe
      <br>802.11n 5GHz miniPCIe
      <br>802.15.4
  <td style="background-color: #8F8;" >Yes
  <td style="background-color: #8F8;" >Yes
  <td style="background-color: #8F8;" >Open Hardware<br>FLOSS software<br>FLOSS drivers<br>FLOSS BIOS
  <td style="background-color: #8F8;" >Serial, JTAG, GPIO, MCU
 <tr>
  <td><b>[DreamPlug](http://www.globalscaletechnologies.com/t-dreamplugdetails.aspx)</b><br>with FreedomBox/debian
  <td>$180
  <td>1.2 GHz ARM / 512MB <br> 4GB uSD, empty eSATA
  <td>2x 1000Mbps
  <td>802.11 2.4GHz ???
  <td style="background-color: #FF8;" >Limited
  <td style="background-color: #8F8;" >Yes
  <td style="background-color: #F88;" >Proprietary Hardware<br>FLOSS software<br>Binary Blob drivers<br>FLOSS BIOS
  <td style="background-color: #FF8;" >Serial, JTAG
 <tr>
  <td><b>[Raspberry Pi B](http://www.raspberrypi.org/)</b><br>with debian
  <td>$35
  <td>700MHz ARM / 256MB <br> empty uSD, ??? SATA
  <td>1x 100Mbps
  <td>empty USB
  <td style="background-color: #F88;" >No
  <td style="background-color: #FF8;" >Limited
  <td style="background-color: #F88;" >Almost-Open Hardware<br>FLOSS software<br>Binary Blob drivers<br>no BIOS
  <td style="background-color: #8F8;" >Yup
 <tr>
  <td><b>[Netgear WNDR3700v2](http://www.netgear.com/home/products/wirelessrouters/high-performance/wndr3700.aspx)</b><br>with OpenWRT
  <td>$90
  <td>680MHz MIPS / 64MB <br> 16MB flash
  <td>5x 1000Mbps
  <td>802.11n 2.4GHz ???<br>802.11n 5GHz ???
  <td style="background-color: #8F8;" >Yes
  <td style="background-color: #F88;" >No
  <td style="background-color: #F88;" >Proprietary Hardware<br>FLOSS software<br>FLOSS ath9k drivers<br>FLOSS BIOS
  <td style="background-color: #F88;" >Undocumented, expert only
 <tr>
  <td><b>[Soekris net6501-50](http://soekris.com/products/net6501/net6501-50-board-case.html)</b><br>with debian
  <td>$330
  <td>1GHz Atom x86 / 1GB <br> empty SATA
  <td>4x 1000Mbps
  <td>empty miniPCIe + USB
  <td style="background-color: #8F8;" >Yes
  <td style="background-color: #8F8;" >Yes
  <td style="background-color: #F88;" >Proprietary Hardware<br>FLOSS software<br>FLOSS drivers</br>Proprietary BIOS
  <td style="background-color: #8F8;" >Serial, GPIO, FPGA
 <tr>
  <td><b>[Mesh Potato](http://store.villagetelco.com/mesh-potatoes/mesh-potato.html)</b><br>with OpenWRT
  <td>$100
  <td>180MHz MIPS / 16MB <br> 8MB flash
  <td>1x 100Mbps
  <td>802.11b/g 2.4GHz ???
  <td style="background-color: #8F8;" >Limited
  <td style="background-color: #F88;" >No
  <td style="background-color: #8F8;" >Open Hardware<br>FLOSS software<br>Blob drivers<sup>[ref](http://wiki.villagetelco.org/index.php?title=Mesh_Potato_Firmware_How_To#WiFi)</sup><br>FLOSS bootloader
  <td style="background-color: #8F8;" >MCU, CPLD, Serial, JTAG, [more](http://wiki.villagetelco.org/index.php?title=Mesh_Potato_Features_/_Specs)
</table>