Tomato Firmware Supported Devices

[Lola Maroun]

Alsopeople who currently use OpenWRT or DD-WRT firmware on their routers asked me if they can use their existing routers with Tomato. Some devices might support it, but not all OpenWRT or DD-WRT routers can run Tomato Firmware. So, how do you pick the right router for Tomato firmware?

Just so you know, being an open-source firmware, Tomato is dedicated to routers that come with Broadcom chipsets and can enhance their capabilities and functionalities of them. It brings along some powerful and advanced tools like advanced QoS bandwidth controls, traffic stats by the user, advanced USB support, dynamic DNS service setup, etc.

The all-new Netgear Nighthawk R8000 X6 comes with tri-band WiFi, excellent data rates, and powerful hardware, making it the best router to flash Tomato firmware. Besides, it positions itself as an upgrade over its older model, R7000, in terms of hardware specifications, bendwise speeds, and overall performance.

When installed high-end Tomato build, this premium router can separate connections. I could set up certain websites to be accessed through a VPN while others are connected through the IP address provided by my local ISP. Besides, an inbuilt ReadySHARE technology helped me wirelessly access and share a USB hard drive through the available USB ports.

Now, as far as security is concerned, R8000 boasts updated security to protect your network from unwanted threats alongside WPA2/Enterprise encryption. There is also support for both Network Address Translation (NAT) and Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewalls. You can easily toggle through the security features through the Nighthawk app or web browser.

R8000 is a powerful device that boasts tri-band support that works harmoniously with the latest hardware. The best thing about a tri-band is it manually allots bandwidth amongst its available channels and prevents older devices from slowing down the network for newer ones. So, looking at a maximum throughput of 3.2 Gbps, I paired it with a 1 Gbps Xfinity plan.

At 5 feet, the router could deliver a maximum download throughput of 960 Mbps for the 5GHz band and 195 Mbps for uploads. And for 30 feet, respective speeds stayed at around 750 Mbps and 125 Mbps. For the lower frequency band, upload and download speed values were 550 Mbps and 85 Mbps.

The device passed my saturation test when I played UHD movies on Netflix, watched a show on my PC, and listened to Internet radio while sending data over email. Still, I had enough throughput to play Valorant at 144 fps.

Netgear R8000 boasts a 6 antenna setup that can take up your signals to 2,500-2,800 Sq Ft. So you can install this router in your average workspace or residential settings without worrying about network drops or latencies. Apart from that, features like Beamforming+, Dynamic QoS, and others let you connect on over 25 devices without any network clunkiness or hiccups.

Regarding wired connectivity, 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports provide an additional option to create a wireless backhaul. You can connect your bandwidth-hogging devices like gaming consoles, laptops, and others to further boost the speeds. Besides, you can connect your non-networking devices with 2 USBs for faster data transfer.

Linksys WRT3200ACM boasts the fastest processors available to routers compatible with any open-source firmware and is often advertised for users looking to customize their firmware. Besides, the device boasts high-wireless speeds and a decent antenna setup to sheath your workspace with a strong connection, which makes it a decent upgrade over WRT1900AC.

The main selling point of this router is the support for Open source firmware. As the device is in-built with this kind of compatibility, Tomato firmware should be more stable compared to other routers. With a feature like VPN-passthrough, you can access any website without revealing your IP address, with increased speeds.

Linksys WRT3200ACM is a powerful router compatible with Tomato and other open-source firmware. In terms of wireless capabilities, you get 802.11ac features, including beamforming and MU-MIMO streaming, which contribute massively to overall speeds and performance.

The Asus RT-AC68U is a decently powerful Tomato-supported router that boasts some practical and functional specs to make it a viable choice. With features like 802.11ac wireless standard, and decent coverage with 3 powerful antennas, the router has matured significantly since RT-AC66U was released. Its hardware and firmware suitability make it a viable purchase for users who love customizations.

As mentioned in the spec sheet, RT-AC68U is compatible with open-source firmware like Tomato and DD-WRT. So, I installed Tomato on this router and was surprised with the results I obtained. Be it more user-friendliness than the stock firmware or better VPN support, it has got it all.

As for security, the router supports WPA/WPA2 personal and enterprise security standards. So you can work on your devices without worrying about compromising your personal or sensitive data. Besides, all configurations are manageable through the webpage or user-friendly Asus Wi-Fi app.

Now coming to the coverage, the device has almost scored ten pointers in this respect. The router supports AiRadar technology for delivering strong connections across a large distance and connected devices. Besides, the inclusion of AiMesh technology allows you to connect with other compatible Asus routers to create a flexible and powerful mesh network.

Asus RT-AC68U has a decent arrangement of ports with 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports. You can connect your networking and non-networking devices to the router to boost your speeds by a few Mbps. Besides, the USB ports allow faster data transfer in any connected device.

Overall, RT-AC68U is a value ASUS router that works with Tomato firmware. It shines well in 802.11ac mode and beats all corners. Its excellent and simple interface lets novices use it in their homes without needing to call upon a techie. Despite these features, it lags behind my previous recommendations regarding overall speed and performance.

Next on my list is a smart Wi-Fi router with 802.11ac Wi-Fi 5 support and 3 high-performance antennas that provide unprecedented near-band speeds and throughput. Besides, several advanced security features are encased in this device, making your home network more secure than ever.

However, being loaded with stock firmware, it might take time to complete the installation process. It took me around 2 hours, and the process seems complicated, so I suggest leaving the task to experts.

Other than that, basic and premium upgradable security features like SPI firewall and WPA/WPA2 encryption can safeguard your home network easily. Besides, you can pay a monthly subscription fee to get upgraded features like weekly scans, preventing virus infestation and external attacks.

In my speed tests, the router performed well and offered the fastest speeds at close range. When used with a 500 Mbps Xfinity internet plan at a close range, download and upload speeds are sustained at 430 Mbps and 75 Mbps, respectively. On the other hand, taking the device away from the router got me speeds at around 185 Mbps and 25 Mbps on a similar 5GHz band.

Measuring the speeds at 2.4GHz got me around 145 Mbps and 15 Mbps for downloads and uploads, respectively. The overall throughput in close range was stellar, but there were visible lags when devices were placed far away from the router.

Linksys EA6900 presents a decent setup of ports with 1 Gigabit WAN and 4 Gigabit LAN ports on its rear panel. So, plugging in my Dell laptop to the router got me speeds at around 510 Mbps for downloads and 90 Mbps for uploads, which allowed me to download Gigabits of files within seconds.

Last but not least, presenting one of the most value-based Tomato routers, Netgear R7000. Despite dating back a few years, with 802.11ac Wi-Fi 5 standard and other technologies, the router is still valid. Besides, there are other functional and helpful features like enhanced QoS and excellent 5GHz speeds that can take up your heavy-duty tasks.

The Tomato firmware router offers numerous options for security-conscious customers. Alongside its built-in DDoS protection, domain filtering and parental control settings are on offer. Besides, if you need advanced security options, consider subscribing to Netgear armor 2.0.

Despite being a budget-friendly device, coverage is the strong point of this Tomato-recommended router, courtesy of 3 powerful antennas and a feature called Beamforming+. With this technology, the router can direct strong wireless signals to devices with improved throughput.

Netgear R7000 offers a decent selection of ports, including 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports, a USB 3.0, and a USB 2.0 port. The unique aspect of the USB port is the inclusion of a ReadyShare printer feature which allows you to wirelessly access and share a USB hard drive. This makes up for convenient sharing over multiple devices sitting anywhere.

There are many things to like about this Nighthawk router, including its excellent throughput, multiple customizations with Tomato firmware, and featured USB ports. However, many things could have been improved, including slower 2.4GHz speeds, better security features, and length reboots. This makes the router earn 3 out of 5 stars and a final position on my list.

Firstly, The list below is a work in progress and it has not been maintained in a long time; Neither has the router database that pointed you to this section - neither are updated regularly. The builds that are suggested in this list, or the router database, may actually be really bad builds for your router hardware and cause a lot of issues.

PLEASE, use the following links on the "beta" FTP/HTTPS site to see if you can find your hardware.From there, go to the Forums to read about specific beta builds and see how they work for a particular piece of router hardware.Please, don't be afraid to perform a search first - either on the specific hardware forum or your preferred search engine. A lot of the questions you may have are likely, and easily, find-able if you use something like duckduckgo.com or google.com and use "DD-WRT" in quotes with the word AND (in uppercase) plus your hardware or issue to perform your search.

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