Last Updated on July 15, 2017 by Dave Farquhar
It’s not as easy to find DD-WRT compatible routers as it should be. Or maybe I should say it’s not as easy to find out if a particular router is compatible with DD-WRT as it could be. Here’s the trick.
New DD-WRT compatible routers
First, forget the router database. At least, forget about it if you’re buying a new router. It’s been years since someone updated it. Go to the DD-WRT FTP site. Click on the current year. Next, scroll to the end and click on the most recent date.
Now you’ll find more than 300 routers that are compatible with the current version of DD-WRT.
Used DD-WRT compatible routers
Some notable routers from the past won’t be on the list above because they don’t have enough memory for current builds. Maybe you really want one of those. It’s easy to find old routers at thrift stores, for example. And you can expect to find something perfectly functional for around 5 bucks. For those, navigate to the supported devices page or the router database. You won’t get the speed and features of a newer router. But it’s five bucks. You can get a lot of functionality out of DD-WRT and a secondhand $5 router.
My recommendations
I really like the TP-Link TL-WR841N. It’s cheap, easy to find, and really reliable. For a higher-end router, the D-Link DIR-860L provides a lot of value. It costs less than $60 but it’s a full 802.11ac compatible router. If your Internet connection seems slow and you have a cable modem, upgrading to a new router like a DIR-860L can really improve your speeds. The Linksys WRT54G is rather old now, but many people still consider it a classic. It’s slow by modern standards but it’s reliable, and chances are you can find one at the nearest thrift store for five bucks. Just be sure to double check the version.
David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.
Hi, Great information! Thank you very much. I’m looking for an inexpensive dd-wrt router that will enable me to hook up a printer for wireless printing and give access to airvpn.
After reading your site, the only one I saw on your site meeting those criteria is the D-Link DIR860L.
I went to the http://ftp.dd-wrt site and under 7/19/17 found 2 files for the DIR860L download:
dir860-webflash.bin 29356kb
factory-to-ddwrt.bin 7448kb
Which is the correct file for my application?
Thank you very much. Best regards, John
Hi John,
Generally speaking, you apply the factory-to-ddwrt.bin and then apply dir860-webflash afterward.