The XIAOMI MI Router 4A Gigabit Edition

[@OneMarcFifty]

Please visit my channel page: kzbin.info Want to talk to me? Join my Discord Server: discord.com/invite/DXnfBUG

[@calinriley6476]

I am into security and privacy and I love this video 23mins worth it! More videos similar to these and probably home automation or home servers please! Clear and well explained 😎

[@OneMarcFifty]

Thank you very much!

[@markohh99]

Very informative and in-depth review with crystal clear explanations. You earned a sub my guy!

[@bongbongdalazybum2894]

Without you I might've never known my router's performance could be that smooth and stable. Thank you very much!

[@OneMarcFifty]

Awesome - many thanks for the feedback !

[@dleivam]

Really well made and explained video. The quality is far beyond the average youtube channel and you really deserve more views/subscribers. Thanks.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Thank you very much ;-)

[@wallieshere]

Last year, before your video I asked the same question about all my IoT devices. Your videos explain a lot of how to overcome this issue on the home network. Thanks.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Thank you very much.

[@matejnovak2410]

I just found your channel by accident. You have excellent presentation skills.This is what youtube is/was about... keep up the good work.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi, many thanks !

[@jamess1787]

I was in the network security field; worked for an outfit many years ago. I've always been against cloud control since the early days. I'm a network engineer now, so for me it's first/second-nature. I use locally controlled everything, with knockd to only open ports to specific /32 addresses as long as the knock sequence is complete (which prune every 24 hours). I follow this by a limit for the knock and dummy ports to lock the system (like honeypot). I also have some "cloud", that I've stuck behind another firewall and don't allow network connectivity out of my home network with strict -J DROP. This makes it a nuisance to try and use IoT apps, but that's fine for me.(TUYA has been replaced by tasmota) Home network is further secured from non-established connections to these devices to prevent any scanning or future devices being added to this "MZ" network.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Many thanks for your feedback!

[@mistamal]

Marc your channel is purely amazing. Your explanations are crystal clear even for neophytes like myself while managing not to sacrifice too much in depth technical detail. Excellent video as usual. I am myself definitely reluctant to have my devices dependant on a cloud service, ad have been trying to get home assistant running at home. Cheers!

[@OneMarcFifty]

Thank you very much:-)

[@RomanBaranovic]

i just second that, your explanations are excelent, i am learning a lot just watching your videos

[@dendrobatus814]

A 24 min video for a 25 EUR router. Really worth the money, thank you!

[@OneMarcFifty]

Thanks for the feedback ;-)

[@sp4c33]

Also, I forgot to mention: Thank You! So much work and experience in this "review"! I want more! I would also mention a gigabit switch, attach to this router with OpenWrt, and bam, you can connect your cameras, and more APs, PCs, what the heck you want. :) Liked, subscribed, turned on the notifications!

[@OneMarcFifty]

Awesome many thanks!

[@rsupp]

KZbin algorithm recommended your channel and really love the high quality content, got lots to learn. Thank you !

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi, that's awesome! Welcome ;-)

[@kapurar]

Thank you for such a comprehensive and clear analysis and description of the device. As for your questions, I don't like my routers or firewalls open and accessible from the outside without something like Openvpn. I run openwrt or ddwrt on my wireless devices mostly as dumb access points and a pfsense box as my primary router with various vlans to isolate functions in my network. Great Channel!

[@OneMarcFifty]

Awesome- many thanks for the feedback!

[@miguelbelbut]

I am using one of these as an AP. I get peaks of about 400Mbps download over 5GHz 802.11ac, and average between 100 and 300 Mbps, with -40dB RSSI (iperf3). The coverage is good, much improved over my two previous WiFi repeaters (a DLink and a Asus RP-N12), and supports over 16 devices all over my two floors.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Great feedback, many thanks Miguel!

[@syamantakpati9009]

I dont have a Xiaomi router and I wont buy it eityer. Yet I am watching this at 7.30 in the morning hoping to learn something new. Your videos are such informative. Keep up the good work, Marc

[@OneMarcFifty]

Many thanks for your feedback ;-)

[@christianmedina8758]

Wonderfully thorough and concise video on a budget/affordable solution, my favorite. I am really looking forward to that mesh video as I have already dipped my toe into OpenWRT when I bought the DIR-2640 earlier this year after your previous videos. Thank you for making this so much easier for the laymen like myself and exploring bank for buck territory.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Thanks for your feedback! Hope you are happy with the D-Link?

[@pichonPoP]

22:05 And I agree with you Marc. I'll buy this one, maybe this week to do the same you did here. As always, thanks you for sharing this great insight.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Awesome- many thanks for the feedback- glad you liked it - let us know how it goes ;-)

[@sokolum]

Your explanation is suberb… the highlighted details, awesome… 👌🏼 (lol watching this 2nd time, recommended video 😂, didn’t notice)

[@OneMarcFifty]

Glad you liked it ;-) Many thanks for the feedback !

[@ciluxt]

Quality, Concise, yet Comprehensive video. I'll give this all my likes if I could, liked and subscribed!

[@OneMarcFifty]

Awesome - thank you so much for liking, subscribing and for the feedback!

[@Serdarme]

Thank you very much for sharing your experience and expertise on the home networking. I have been a system engineer for 10 years but i always felt away from the custom firmwares like openwrt. With your tutorial videos, a person can understand the logic behind the networking rather than just following your instructions. Thank you again

[@OneMarcFifty]

Thank you very much! I am happy if I can shed some light on networking- it’s fun if you get into it - but I felt exactly the same when I started ;-)

[@bunglerbox6166]

Good done. T:-) ( Luci is in the release image when the device got enough space or power. Yes for this device for sure)

[@OneMarcFifty]

Thank you!

[@marioschatzipavlis2468]

Hello Marc. I have the hardware-wise similar Xiaomi Redmi AC2100 flashed with OpenWRT for a year now, having the same concerns with you. Nevertheless in my eyes a good choice for it's price, if flashed. I am impressed with your knowledge transfer capabilities, couldn't skip a second of your video. Keep up the good work! We will stay tuned :)

[@OneMarcFifty]

Awesome, many thanks Marios 😉

[@Mikesco3]

Liked right after you started that you wouldn't like anyone else controlling your own hardware!!!

[@vhm14u2c]

Good to see you posting vids again, Marc. I bought one of these routers after your vid. Price was about $42 USD

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi Vince, many thanks ;-)

[@markshaz8691]

This is one of the best channels for openwrt and networking in general.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Thank you very much ;-)

[@surajbhowal5846]

Loved this detailed guide, especially for performance and technical aspects of this video. Hope you do more such videos. I have a TP-Link Archer C20. It's terrible. Just one CPU and connecting 4 - 5 devices increases latency like crazy. This router seems to have a decent cpu that can handle a lot more it seems

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi Suraj, yes it has more juice than the Archer. However, Iam a bit reluctant to test equipment because vendors tend to issue new versions of the hardware and the tutorials simply stop to work or the characteristics change a lot.

[@surajbhowal5846]

@@OneMarcFifty True but even if OpenWRT is not possible due to version change, the router is still decent and cheap.. Maybe it will support openWRT.. I may buy this.

[@fiendus]

Didn't watch this video, but thanks to you i flashed my router with openwrt a week or two ago and solved so much problem i had with original router's firmware. And after that you releasing video about my router's model. Holy cow.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hey Alexey - I am glad that I could help you solve the challenges that you encountered!

[@Unspecified-gr9we]

Thank you! Your videos are very clear and beautiful. With the help of your video, I easily converted my MI Router 4A Gigabit Edition into an OpenWRT device.

[@OneMarcFifty]

That's great to hear! thank you so much for the feedback. Glad it could help!

[@falsemcnuggethope]

I was looking for a router that works well with some open source FW because I don't like calling home or potential backdoors, and I want timely security updates. It so happened that this router was highly recommended on some list (was it even yours). For a small home network it seems to fit the bill perfectly. I got it for less than half the price you quoted in the video, but that must've been a special deal. I think I decided that OpenWRT is the FW I want to got with after watching your video. It was only after that that I started looking at suitable HW. Btw, I believe that the first 'i' in Xiaomi is supposed to be skipped over. Otherwise it sounds good to my ear.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Many thanks for sharing;-)

[@vincentzhang8849]

Cooooool! The pronunciation is quite good! There is only 16 MB flash of R4A Gigabit. So better choose Xiaomi or Redmi AC2100 which include the same CPU MTK7621 & much more flash with 128MB.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Xie xie Vincent ;-) I'll have a look at those !

[@JAAPOP8]

I love your posts! Great presentation in even better English, my compliments! As the videos are often on the edge of what I can comprehend, I sometimes end up watching them more than once... I always worry a bit about my privacy and security, so I try to stay away from using "cloud services" from various companies. I must admit that I'm not always successful though. Looking forward to a video about the mesh implementation you mentioned at the end of this video! Greetings from Holland. PS DM1,50 lol.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Dank jij wel Jaap 😉

[@AnupamGupta-o2q]

This is the best video i have seen for reviewing a router and openwrt. God bless u Sir

[@just4therecord]

You pronounced Xiaomi better than 99% of the KZbinrs out there 👍🏻

[@OneMarcFifty]

Thank you ;-)

[@michaelfoxworthy3213]

I know this is a bit late but I am working on a platform that controls devices from the cloud. However, I myself wouldn't want to operate in this fashion. We have a lot of users who wouldn't even understand logging into their router and making any changes. Either they are too nervous or just don't want that complication in their life. Most people are very comfortable using a mobile app that has very simple instructions and alerts. "Your Internet is not currently available, please do X, Y or Z." "There was a few requests for adult content today from this device..." I think you get my point. You, like many of those who watch your wonderful videos are very technical in nature and can grasp the finer points of network security and network configuration. Simplifying it for those who can't seems to be a good trade off for them. How many iPhones or Android phone are roaming around the planet, right?

[@OneMarcFifty]

I think that you are absolutely right. It is always a trade-off between privacy and control over your devices on one side and ease of use or comfort on the other side. I think the key differentiator is whether you trust a provider or not. Or alternatively - if you do understand the implications. Many thanks for your feedback!

[@Vader74]

thx for super review and test,here in EU Croatia on BF costs about 20usd ,seem like good deal now price is about 30usd

[@OneMarcFifty]

Awesome - many thanks for your feedback!

[@emersonalves3864]

I will look forward to the video referring to this router's mesh network, I am grateful for your videos, Thank you!

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi Emerson, many thanks for the feedback. I have just published it today ;-)

[@rvanwaay]

No phone-home here in Eschede (NL) 5x archer-C7 with openwrt, the only problem is the limited 5GHz channels, but now i know which to choose :-) thanks for his channel, verry usefull

[@OneMarcFifty]

Many thanks for your feedback Robert!

[@yochananpeled8157]

thx, great video. please do the mesh over openwrt video

[@OneMarcFifty]

Will do 😉

[@yoorfanidis4975]

TY for the excellent content you always provide. Ans.1 Yes use lots of IOT services 15+ since i use a smartphone!!! Can we control our phones phone home and at the same time use all services they provide? Yes i know we can do so... but then..? there is lot of hard work to be done to establish etc for GPS service as maps or fitness tracking. So many to talk about it. Ans.2 Privacy...so far at least 15+ people on the world know exactly whats happening in my house but mostly outside ;-) its fine to me that a Chinese guy know what time i switch on my lamp switch..and another know whats happening outdoors from my camera... but we talk for different people who can have access. Combining all these services under one authority..that makes me terrified and if this authority called Government we are doomed. Lots to talk about it. Ans3. IOT routers already established. Since there is no sniffing or other processes that also would blow CPU usage as some of the internet usage too... i am fine with that! for the same above reasons spoken above. (cheap devices.. i don't believe could be used to monitor peoples privacy that could pass unnoticed. Everything - traffic is encrypted nowadays. The only thing i hope is that these companies offer IOT take good care of protecting our Data first and privacy second.

[@companyhome6585]

Thanks for the good video. I bought a Second hand one for even lower price and flashed openwrt. For whom facing Broken Pipe in idle connections with the used of this router, please disable Software Offloading.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Thanks for sharing !

[@emiellr]

Hey little tip: reduce the light shone on the greenscreen to minimize the amount of green light reflecting on the back of your head :)

[@OneMarcFifty]

Great advice- many thanks - I’ll give it a shot in the next video!

[@reyskidude]

09:40 only learned of this phoning home via my Pi-Hole. bought a security cam that i setup only to work with my Synology Surveillance Station yet it kept pinging back to the manufacturer every second. camera still worked after i blocked that on the Pi-Hole so that's good at least. but its skewing the blocked stats on the pi-hole, so i setup a no-forward DNS server in my router and setup the cam to use it instead as a DNS and it worked. then i realised simpler solution - setup the cam to point to itself as a DNS server 😁. i bought 2 other cheap cameras that were totally useless blocking traffic on the pi-hole.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Oh - clever giving it the localhost as dns! Yes, I did discover how nasty my Samsung TV and DVD player are with DNS filtering as well - the modern devices are really chatty!

[@alexanderempty9997]

Hi, Marc! I'm going to put an OpenWrt router after the ISP's fiber router (thanks for your videos, it really helps a lot). Unfortunately, the ISP doesn't allow Bridge mode on their modem router (I think a lot of people have the same restriction from the ISP side). So, the question is what is the best mode for the 2nd OpenWrt router: a) to use a "Router" mode (but to deal with the dual NAT). OR b) to use it in "dumb AP" mode (but as exception to enable/configure firewall on AP). P.S> I saw your previous comments that you're using option "a" in your home network (your home network starts after the ISP's NAT), but could you please share a feedback what the issues you faced with dual NAT? Thank you.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Actually I don’t have any issues with double NAT - I even do IGMP proxying on the second (OpenWrt) router in order to stream iptv

[@soranblue]

I don't usually write comments, but I just wanted to tell you how great and educational your videos are, hope we see more DIY network ideas 💡.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi Soran, that's very kind of you - thank you very much!

[@freeman4006]

looking forward for that next video, mesh!

[@OneMarcFifty]

It's in the queue - after VLANs for OpenWrt 21 and presumably NoMachine

[@mariotpc]

This video has a lot of useful information, many techs facts that Worth finding, it is a pleasant time to hearing that master class.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hey Mario, many thanks for the gentle feedback !

[@fernandog-mail4318]

I like your presentation, and even more the way you think 😎I learnt lots. Keep going 👍

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi Fernando - many thanks!

[@subhobroto]

Marc: What do you think about creating a video where you run x86 OpenWRT as a VM in Proxmox or KVM which itself is running on one of those nice, power-efficient MiniPCs you showed earlier. Proxmox/KVM connects to the WAN or modem and routes the traffic to the rest of the system/nodes

[@OneMarcFifty]

I kind of did that already in the MPTCP lab videos - the edge router is an OpenWrt VM ;-)

[@hiyoshi177]

that is the video that I wanted, thanks sir, some cheap, useful and all in one vídeo, it's amazing 😍

[@OneMarcFifty]

Many thanks Luis, glad you like it!

[@amine7861]

thanks for your hard work it's clearly that xiaomi collect data 👍👍

[@OneMarcFifty]

Oh yes - and they do tell you so. So from that perspective - they don't do anything wrong ;-)

[@sahismaylxtai8071]

Hey there! Thanks for the video. It is really helpful and I appreciate the quality of the production. It is a delicacy to enjoy. I am considering getting a router with OpenWRT support. I have a 35/8 VDSL connection so bufferbloat is a great concern of mine. I will use SQM and ad blocking packages with the openwrt. However, I couldnt choose between Archer C7 and Xiaomi 4A. Is there a marginal difference between them to justify the price difference in a tight budget? Thanks a lot.

[@OneMarcFifty]

The Xiaomi has the stronger CPU. I would probably prefer it for that scenario if you can live with the limitations ( number of Ethernet ports, no wall mount etc.)

[@sahismaylxtai8071]

@@OneMarcFifty Many thanks.

[@alexxx4434]

Hey, welcome back! Long time no see :)

[@OneMarcFifty]

Many thanks! And thanks for having waited so long ;-)

[@jefferyholcombe5189]

I'm still waiting for you to do an openwrt install on a routerboard RBM11G which has one PCI port, two serial board connections, and one POE lan port. Shell setup of a server to hand out IP addresses and some testing! Love your video's.

[@OneMarcFifty]

The router is sleeping in a carton box together with a banana pi r64 and an aPU4d board - waiting for me to take it out and make that video ;-(

[@massimogiussani4493]

Hi Marc, very nice video! One general question: which software are you using for making your animations (eg. at minute 10:24)? Is that software free? If not, is there any free software that you could suggest? Thanks Massimo

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi Massimo, I am using Sparkol Videoscribe. It is not free unfortunately.

[@massimogiussani4493]

@@OneMarcFifty Thank you Marc! I will have a look

[@afb9999]

Nice video! I was stuggling with an asus openwrt and high cpu usage and gonna test the hw offload tip you gave. Thanks!!

[@OneMarcFifty]

Great - let us know how it goes ;-)

[@পাপ্পু]

আপনার অভিজ্ঞতার আলোচনা দারুণ ভালো লাগে। Xiaomi 4A যন্ত্রের সাথে সরবরাহ করা software -এ কি remote webmanagement port সুবিধা কি যোগ করা সম্ভব? আর UPS -র একখানি অভিজ্ঞতা প্রচার করবেন বলেছিলেন ১ম দিককার video গুলোতে, খোঁজ করে পাই নাই। I enjoy your explanations as well as explorations. Is there any way to use the remote webmanagement port feature in default firmware of Xiaomi 4A devices? Also you mentioned in one of your first videos that you will explain your experiences with UPS installed in the network which I am looking for but didn't find it. Please, help

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi, many thanks for the feedback! Presumably yes - you could possibly use the remote Mgmt port using an App or the like - however, I am not planning on using the device with stock firmware but would rather stick to OpenWrt. W/r to the UPS video - yes, I have never made that one - I'l see if I will do it in 2022 ;-)

[@পাপ্পু]

@@OneMarcFifty I do not see any feature or port mentioning the remote web management port in the stock administration interface. Can you help me find it? Your explanations are the kind someone should look for, helps a lot

[@JetonRamadani]

Hey Marc, thanks again for your videos man you are really helping in making everything easier to understand! You mentioned the mesh network with xiaomi 4a router, can you please cover the 802.11s with openwrt?

[@OneMarcFifty]

That’s the plan ;-)

[@likaaaoun1074]

Well explained , i really would like to have an easy explanation about the protection efficacity of routers , thank you

[@OneMarcFifty]

Many thanks Likaa - by protection efficacity you mean if it is actually possible to break into a device from the outside?

[@metinik8528]

great job. changing wifi output power in openwrt can make difference in speed /distance compared to stock firmware?

[@OneMarcFifty]

It can - definitely - but usually people tend to rather turn up the Wifi power too much when in fact they should lower it for better roaming. For my tests it didn’t matter as I was only a couple of feet away from the AP.

[@metinik8528]

@@OneMarcFifty 👍 i've read part of the openwrt discussions about this router, and people mentioned that wireless functionality over long distances(and behind walls, etc) is better in stock firmware so i'm curious if it's true or not. is it possible for you to test that?

[@OneMarcFifty]

@@metinik8528 I’ll see if I can check

[@MarcGroos]

Thanks I learned a lot from this video! It's packed with information, very useful.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Thank you Marc - many thanks for your feedback ;-)

[@alecsm.6978]

Hey Marc nice content as always. i have few of these devices flashed with WRT. The one currently i use is XIaomi R3p. Could you make a test with this?

[@OneMarcFifty]

I’ll give it a thought 😉

[@maciejmizgalski6112]

Thanks for great test. So as i understand it could be good router with QoS for small home network DSL > --- < ROUTER > --- < SWITCH > ---USER am i right?

[@OneMarcFifty]

Well - if you can live with the limitations then yes. Be aware that QoS under OpenWrt will need additionaal CPU. Also, the router does not have MU-MIMO, so if you have multiple Wifi clients, then there might be limitations

[@maciejmizgalski6112]

@@OneMarcFifty im just looking for some fast wired router for small network but my topology isn't good so wifi is only additional feature - mit the best one. You could prepare some tutorial Joe to design home network with nas with media server and smb. Looking forward to see more your great materiale 👍

[@rafapasternak8090]

I Had issues with my router r4ac crashed at least 2-3 times daily. After installing openWRT works perfectly

[@OneMarcFifty]

Awesome, thanks for sharing!

[@duzao7667]

Another outstanding video Marc! Can you provide your backup? I've lost my stock backup on a sdcard card that gone bad :/ Thanks!!

[@OneMarcFifty]

gee - I am afraid that I don't have it any more ;-( But you may try the debrick tools on Hoddy's blog: hoddysguides.com/xiaomi-debrick-tools-all/

[@sidbyron210]

HI MArk!!! I'm glad to wath your videos!!! cna you make a control parental filtering on openwrt. I would like to know the options. Firewall filters or DNS filters could be nice. Thanks!

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi Sid, many thanks for the feedback. I have taken note of your suggestions.

[@ST0L24]

22:00 "At least to the vast majority of you" Hahahaha incredible, literally rolling on the floor laughing!

[@maciejmizgalski6112]

Maybe he was a doner 😉

[@asif530]

Been waiting a long time:-), thanks for the video..

[@OneMarcFifty]

Thanks for waiting and watching ;-)

[@michaeldina1103]

This is fantastic stuff! Keep making this kind of content please!

[@OneMarcFifty]

Many thanks Michael !

[@BabakTechCom]

Hi marc thanks for information you share. I have 2 question Did you find a way to enable QOS in hardware offload? And is wireless coverage difference between orginal and openwrt?

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi, I haven't followed up on this further for the moment - I would really need to have some spare time for that ;-(

[@jdancouga]

I use lots of IoT devices, and I don't like my IoT devices being on the cloud for reliability and security concerns. I believe router should not be controlled by 3rd parties since it is the backbone of the entire home network. These kind of cloud features should be disabled out of the box by default for non-tech savy users.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Ah - yes, reliability is an aspect which I have not thought about- if the internet is not available then your device will not work;-( many thanks for the feedback- I do agree on the router bit - it might be safe but it just doesn’t feel right to me - I am curious to get maybe some controversial comments on this matter ;-)

[@husniiskandar5985]

thanks Marc, simple and good explanation as always👍

[@OneMarcFifty]

Thank you!

[@chrisvkr8200]

Yes, I too am concerned about IOT devices, 'smart' TVs that don't get updates and the sort. I don't want a cloud-connected refrigerator, dishwasher, coffee machine, etc.

[@OneMarcFifty]

MAny thanks for your feedback !

[@andherium]

What an incredible video. Thanks for your hard work

[@marcinalagor9782]

Great video. Yesterday I was looking for a new router for my brother. I wonder between Netgaer r6220 and Xiaomi 4A GE. The price is very similar. Netgear is MEdiaTek with single core, Xiaomi MediaTek too, but with dual core. Like You've said without USB and only with too LAN ports. Netgear have USB and 4 LAN ports.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Yeah, it’s a pitty that they did not put a dual core inside - it has more ports, usb and more RAM…

[@marcinalagor9782]

Yes, it's a pitty. But I was reading, the Netgear is a good choice to ISP bellow 0.5 Gb.

[@neotheek]

Can you review cheapest wave 2 router as mi4a giga is wave 1 ? Also difference between wifi 5 w1/w2 and 6 - reallife speedtest and if we should upgrade to wifi 6 for better handling or multiple users.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Need to check - I am not sure if it can do 80+80 or the like (the DIR-2660 can). I’ll update. I wanted to examine further on MIMO, MU and beamforming anyhow ;-)

[@AindriuMacGiollaEoin]

what a comprehensive take down!!

[@OneMarcFifty]

Many thanks - I am happy that you like it ;-)

[@emmarrem]

@OneMarcFifty Thank you very much Marc. I have been actively following your channel and also Im part of your discord channel. This video was extremely useful and I love the way you take time and explain stuff. I have been using 3 of these at home and have set up a WDS and a MESH connection as the 2nd router doesn't have a backup power connection and if there is a power-cut the 3rd and the 1st connect using MESH temporarily. Waiting for your guide on setting up the MESH on this router. Cheers!!

[@OneMarcFifty]

Many thanks for your feedback!!

[@johnpapa8554]

thank you for the info. can you show us how to connect to luci from distance safely?

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi John, obviously you could use Wireguard or Openvpn on the device, but nginx/reverse proxy is on my list. Might do that with X.509 client certificates and luci.

[@KNOWLEDGEHUNTERboy]

Please create a step by step guide for Xiaomi AX9000(those with 4LAN and 1 WAN) to change to openwrt firmware.

[@OneMarcFifty]

I might have a look into that - thanks for the suggestion

[@jonathanlevin7660]

A bit off topic, could you elaborate on the fact that the overlay file block (mtd/7) did not match the hash, and how you knew block 7 was an overlayFS, and block 0 contained all the others? I'm a relative newbie to linux, filesystems and networking in general but am interested to know more. Thanks!

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi Jonathan, actually it was mostly common sense. I compared the volume sizes of the mtd blocks and figured out that mtd0 is as large as all others together. Running the "mount" command showed that mtd7 was mounted as overlay.

[@marcelverpaalen995]

In general I don't want my iot devices to phone home. It is certainly a consideration when buying things. I avoid items which require cloud to function, and don't function when isolated. So unfortunately no echo/alexa/google assistants here in my house even though I would appreciate the functionality. For a wifi router I see no use to be able to config it from the internet ofr my personal situation, hence I switched it off (unifi). I do appreciate the feature is available and can be switched on/off as desired.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Great feedback, many thanks Marcel. I agree, if you can decide to switch it on or off that’s the best situation!

[@mohammadfahimuddin2212]

Hey Mark I found this Xiaomi at 2/3 price of Archer c7 recently. Which should I prefer???

[@OneMarcFifty]

The Xiaomi is more powerful but has limitations (no wall mount, no MU-MIMO yet) but it is also more recent hardware. I have heard however that people had difficulties flashing newer hardware versions. C7=save value, Xiaomi=more power, higher risk ;-) don’t know if that helps - I own both ;-)

[@mohammadfahimuddin2212]

@@OneMarcFifty Thankyou Mark for your valuable insights.

[@user-zr7kz4vs7c]

May I ask which version of OpenWRT are you running on your Xiaomi Router 4A GB edition? Thanks!

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi, I had been using a snapshot Version of 21 (i.e. the latest snapshot that was available at the time of making the video).

[@user-zr7kz4vs7c]

@@OneMarcFifty thanks 🙏🏻

[@goodencrypt]

Great video. Learned some linux stuff. Have xiaomi redmi ac2100 and it has some issues with builtin openwrt drivers. Is there any tips how to get drivers from original firmware and install it to openwrt?

[@jpnaraujo]

Marc, would you know if the V3 currently being sold is still compatible with openwrt and easy to flash? There is a big warning on the device's openwrt page, that got me unsure if it's still a good buy even for an extender.

[@OneMarcFifty]

No sorry, I don’t have any of those - in general however - if there is a warning then chances are you will have to spend a lot more time or it will not work at all…

[@menkovski]

Any chance we can have a proper restore to stock video tutorial? Or if Marc or anyone has a link that you can share, on restoring to stock procedure?

[@OneMarcFifty]

Check this page hoddysguides.com/xiaomi-debrick-tools-all/

[@sledgeHammerRulez]

Yeah, i like everything to be local. That is why i like openwrt, tasmota, home assistent, ... Why must there be cloud connection? For my next router, i will probably go for a virtual machine combined with local dedicated (mesh) wifi ... Or like youtuber Novaspirit Tech a raspberry pi. BTW i was just thinking on openwrt mesh when you proposed it yourself. Great minds do think alike :). Please do a video because this solution can be far cheaper (and performant with DPI) than UNIFI ... KUTGV!

[@OneMarcFifty]

Many thanks for your feedback! I have been so curious to try out mesh ever since I started this channel - I think I need to give it a go very soon ;-)

[@youtubeyoutube1459]

Great video daddy! This router model is ideal for building a VPN router that beats any DPI firewall such as the Great Firewall in China. However, the past couple of Chinese firmware versions have patched the OpenWRTInvasion exploit. Any ideas how to downgrade their stock firmware?

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi, my pleasure (lol) - maybe check out hoddie’s web site - I think he provides some tools for emergencies

[@usernamme2180]

Which do you consider the best choice between TP-Link Archer C7 and the Xiaomi 4A?

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi - the simple answer is - it depends ;-) The Archer C7 is weak on CPU but does have an mPCIe slot for 5 GHz built in in the v1 and v2 hardware versions plus 5 Gigabit ports - but only USB2. The Xiaomi has faster CPU and newer components, but it's lacking Ethernet ports, wall mount and the like

[@shadeofentropy]

We have a lot of IoT devices here at home, and they are all on a separate VLAN with no access to the main VLAN. It's at the point now where if our internet goes out, nothing in our house works. I'm not super concerned about privacy and security being that those devices only have access to limited information about me, at worst my name and email, and how often I turn the lights on and off. They can't get access to my main network, they can't get access to any gateways they shouldn't have and all configuration ports to their own gateway are also blocked. I do have a couple of cloud-enabled Unifi APs that are controlled by a container version of Unifi Controller on my main router powered by RouterOS, and I'm perfectly fine with that. Ubiquiti aren't Chinese, and I'm only really concerned with China collecting my data.

[@American-In-Mykolaiv]

Thanks for your video. No, I do not use any cloud services!

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi, many thanks for the feedback ;-)

[@rossq9432]

@OneMarcFifty 14:15 Personally I do not use any IoT devices, that I access outside of the home network. I do find that it is a double-edged sword, and there are some things you can do to make it more secure, as I am sure you are aware.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Thanks for the feedback! Double edged sword- that’s exactly how I feel - you get tremendous advantages but you potentially pay a price for the comfort you get - I guess it’s just a fact in life - there is no free lunch ;-)

[@nikolaosoikonomopoulos2733]

Hi Mark. I followed your video and created a network with a pfSense firewall and 3 OpenWrt Dummy AP with these devices. Is there a way to configure VLANs without the luci menu option that is missing from the 22.03 OpenWrt. Thanks a lot for your educational videos.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi, please see this video here for VLANs in OpenWrt 21 and above: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5bYi6SIpq1gq8k

[@nonyhaha]

1. I do run cloud controlled services and devices. 2. I do have security concerns. 3. router is controlled by me, as well as all cloud services. I.E. pfsense, local mqtt broker, motioneye, nextcloud, emby, all behind a reverse proxy to open as few ports as I can to the outside. I also block all "smart" wifi devices from accessing the internet, so there is no way for them to talk to anybody outside the network.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Awesome feedback- many thanks for sharing!

[@ericapelz260]

Think party connection to my router is a hard NO. If they have that, they have the run of my network if they want it. This is why we segment networks and isolate IOT devices.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi Erica, many thanks for your feedback !

[@alexanderempty9997]

Why are u selected a snapshot instead of the latest available 21.02.1 release version? Release version should be more stable/supportable, or is it wrong assumption? And yes, we're waiting for a video regarding 5Ghz mesh point OpenWrt configuration! Thank you.

[@OneMarcFifty]

No you’re right - I wouldn’t use snapshot on a production router. The reason why I chose the snapshot here is that I wanted to have the latest state of the art w/r to the Wifi drivers because a lot of people are working on this at the moment

[@VVarun97]

Can you also do a video for archer A6v3 another popular OpenWRT supported budget gigabit router? It's is similar in hardware and pricing to this Mi Router Gigabit and it's also very popular here in India

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi Varun, I might have a look into that.

[@davidniquot6423]

Hi Mark, just an advice, try drinking something before starting a video, your mouth seems very dry .. perhaps stress... i dunno, still .. your videos are very nice .. keep up the good work.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi David - if I remember well I had done 5 or 6 takes in a row that day - it's true that after 2 hours of talking things are not the same any more ;-)

[@mcwalidify]

Any QoS you recommend in openWrt with this router ?

[@OneMarcFifty]

SQM with cake/fq-codel covers all my needs and works quite well. Not sure about the bandwidth that you can achieve though

[@aadeemaanav5783]

Hi! Marc, Can you please suggest, best value for money, router (with integrated modem) for 200 Mbps optical fiber broadband connection, to be used with openwrt? It would be great if it is future proof for 1 Gbps connections also. Thanks.

[@OneMarcFifty]

Hi Aadee, unfortunately no - I am using my ISPs modem for that really. I consider my network to start after the IPS's NAT really - sorry ;-) Maybe someone else can make a recommendation here ?