Gl.iNet 6416A is a very small cheap (around 20 Euros / $25) smart WLAN router platform (clone of TP-Link WR-703 router). It has two Ethernet interfaces, WLAN interface and USB port. The small device is powered with USB power supply. It runs open source OpenWRT Linux operating system. It can be used as a router as it is, you can hack it to be a special router or you can use it as a small development board. Recently there has been articles how this device can be used as portable Tor router with suitable firmware.
Technical data from dx.com Gl.iNet 6416A page:
| General | |
|---|---|
| Brand | Gl.iNet |
| Model | 6416A |
| Quantity | 1Piece |
| Material | Plastic |
| Color | White |
| Specification | |
| Type | Router |
| Chipset | Atheros 9331, 400MHZ (MIPS 24Kc V7.4 265.42 BogoMIPS) |
| Memory | Ram: DDR 64MB; Rom: 16MB flash |
| WLAN Transmission Rate | 150Mbps |
| Network Protocols | IEEE802.3, IEEE802.3u , IEEE 802.11n , IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g |
| WAN | 1 |
| LAN | 1 |
| USB interface | USB 2.0 (supports storage FAT32/EXFAT/EXT4/ETX3/EXT2/NTFS) |
| DIY features | Uboot web interface, Uart soldered, 5 GPIO (3.3V); 3.3V & 5V power |
| UI Language | English |
| Support DD-WRT | Yes |
| Powered By | Micro USB (5V 1A) |
| Power consumption | <1W (without external devices connected to USB port) |
| Temperature range | 0~45’C (Storage -40~70’C) |
| Certifications | CE/RoHS |
| Dimensions & Weight | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 2.28 in x 2.28 in x 0.91 in (5.8 cm x 5.8 cm x 2.3 cm) |
| Weight | 1.55 oz (44 g) |
Gl.iNet 6416A can be used as a router or you can use it as a small development board. Gl.iNet 6416A works as dev board because it runs open source OpenWRT Linux operating system that can be modified. You can take this small box and run your own applications in it. The support for hardware should be good because GL.iNet target is added into Openwrt trunk.
Besides the normal interfaces like Ethernet and USB, there are also several GPIO pins on the the board (3.3V TTL signal level) and UART serial port. So this board can be used as general purpose dev board with few pins of IO.The manufacturer has instructions how to Build your own openwrt for GL.iNet.
There are GPIO pins that are controllable on the Linux file system through file interface (write to virtual file to control IO pin). OpenWRT project GPIO page provides instructions how to control GPIO pins easily from shell scripts. To get physical access to IO pins you need to solder your own cable it pin header to the soldering holes (please note that the pitch is 2 mm instead of the more often used 0.1″, expected to change in the future). Here is pin-out from GL.iNet Openwrt router page:
It is also possible to use USB to connect your own hardware to this box. USB 2.0 devices that are supported by OS should work well, but I have heard that there are problems with Gl.iNet 6416A to communicate with slow speed USB devices when connected directly to USB port (but should work well when connected through USB hub).
If you want a circuit board dev board look, this device is also available as just circuit board version.
About the operating system used: OpenWrt is a Linux distribution for embedded devices. OpenWrt is an operating system / embedded operating system based on the Linux kernel, and primarily used on embedded devices to route network traffic. OpenWrt provides a fully writable filesystem with package management (instead of single, static firmware approach on many other small embedded Linux distributions). File system allows you to do easily customize the device through the use of packages to suit any application. There are about 3500 optional software packages available for installation via the opkg package management system. The main components are the Linux kernel, util-linux, uClibc and BusyBox. All components have been optimized for size, to be small enough for fitting into the limited storage and memory available in home routers. OpenWrt is configured using a command-line interface (ash shell), or a web interface (LuCI).
For developer, OpenWrt is the framework to build an application without having to build a complete firmware around it. OpenWRT development system provides disk image + overlay type file system for the device and GCC cross-compiler for compling own code. IO available with file interface (just write to file to set pin state with C or bash). The Gl.iNet 6416A device has a web interface built with Lua embedded in HTML. For more tips check following pages: OpenWrt Wiki gl.inet, revspace.nl GL-Inet and Tweeting Cat Door project.
Gl.iNet 6416A is an interesting piece of hardware to be used as router or DIY platform to build small Internet connected devices.
3 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Report on another cheap device that runs on OpenWRT
http://hackaday.com/2014/11/13/hacking-a-20-wifi-smart-plug/
The Kankun smart plug is an inexpensive device that lets you switch an outlet on and off over wifi. The smart plug only works with an Android or IOS app that ships with the device
In an attempt to make this device more useful, [LinuxGeek] probed the device with nmap and discovered that it runs OpenWRT. After trying various common default passwords he discovered the login was root/admin.
Kankun Runs on OpenWrt firmware
http://www.htlinux.com/kankun-runs-on-openwrt-firmware/
Kankun KK-SP3 Wi-Fi Smart Socket Hacked, Based on Atheros AR9331, Running OpenWRT
Read more: http://www.cnx-software.com/2014/07/28/kankun-kk-sp3-wi-fi-smart-socket-hacked-based-on-atheros-ar9331-running-openwrt/#ixzz3IzG5fuXy
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bridging Networks With The Flip Of A Switch
http://hackaday.com/2014/11/16/bridging-networks-with-the-flip-of-a-switch/
The TP-Link TL-WR703n is the WRT54G for the modern era – extremely hackable, cheap, and available just about everywhere. Loaded up with OpenWRT, it’s capable of bridging networks: turning Ethernet into WiFi and vice versa.
The SOC inside the WR703n has two exposed GPIO pins, allowing [Martin] to choose between WiFi access point or client and between bridged or NAT/DHCP.
According to the OpenWRT wiki, there are a few GPIOs available
http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/tp-link/tl-wr703n
Tomi Engdahl says:
Save WiFi: Act Now To Save WiFi From The FCC
http://hackaday.com/2015/09/02/save-wifi-act-now-to-save-wifi-from-the-fcc/
Right now, the FCC is considering a proposal to require device manufacturers to implement security restricting the flashing of firmware.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, we live under a system of participatory government, and there is still time to convince the FCC this regulation would stifle innovation, make us less secure, and set back innovation in the United States decades.
The folks at ThinkPenguin, the EFF, FSF, Software Freedom Law Center, Software Freedom Conservancy, OpenWRT, LibreCMC, Qualcomm, and other have put together the SaveWiFi campaign (archive.is capture, real link is at this overloaded server) providing you instructions on how to submit a formal complaint to the FCC regarding this proposed rule.
Under the rule proposed by the FCC, devices with radios may be required to prevent modifications to firmware. All devices operating in the 5GHz WiFi spectrum will be forced to implement security features to ensure the radios cannot be modified. While prohibiting the modification of transmitters has been a mainstay of FCC regulation for 80 years, the law of unintended consequences will inevitably show up in full force: because of the incredible integration of electronic devices, this proposed regulation may apply to everything from WiFi routers to cell phones. The proposed regulation would specifically ban router firmwares such as DD-WRT, and may go so far as to include custom firmware on your Android smartphone.
A lot is on the line. The freedom to modify devices you own is a concern, but the proposed rules prohibiting new device firmware would do much more damage. The economic impact would be dire, the security implications would be extreme, and emergency preparedness would be greatly hindered by the proposed restrictions on router firmware. The FCC is taking complaints and suggestions until September 8th.