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## 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 6lowpan
<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>$160
<td>1.2 GHz ARM / 512MB <br> 4GB uSD, empty eSATA, SD
<td>2x 1000Mbps
<td>802.11 2.4GHz [SDIO](https://www.globalscaletechnologies.com/skins/skin_1/images/dreamplug_blockdiagram.jpg)
<br>BlueTooth 3 SDIO
<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<sup>[ref](http://www.madore.org/~david/weblog/2012-03.html#d.2012-03-17.2021)<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 SD
<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;" >GPIO, Serial, SPI, i2c
<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 PCI<br>802.11n 5GHz PCI
<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, mSATA
<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<sup>[ref](http://soekris.com/downloads.html)</sup>
<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 SoC
<td style="background-color: #FF8;" >Limited
<td style="background-color: #F88;" >No
<td style="background-color: #FF8;" >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>
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