In the world of home networking, the standard ISP-provided modem-router combo is often the weak link in the chain. It offers limited features, poor Wi-Fi range, and rarely receives firmware updates. On the other end of the spectrum, enterprise-grade networking gear is expensive and power-hungry. There is a middle ground, however, that offers the best of both worlds: building your own router using a Single Board Computer (SBC) running Armbian.
For secure remote access. Armbian’s modern kernels include native WireGuard support, offering lightning-fast VPN speeds compared to OpenVPN.
A consumer router with a dual-core ARM CPU and 512MB RAM might cost $150. An Orange Pi 3 LTS ($35) with Armbian has a quad-core CPU, 2GB RAM, and Gigabit Ethernet. You get more compute power for a fraction of the price.
Dual Gigabit or 2.5G ports; very popular for OpenWrt/Armbian routers. Budget compact builds Small form factor with dual Ethernet. Banana Pi BPi-R3 "True" Router SBC
Receive security patches directly from the Linux community long after manufacturers stop supporting "v1" of your hardware.
