They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, and apparently that’s true for wireless routers, too. Underneath its unassuming exterior beats an open source heart

The Turris Omnia is different from most other routers in a number of ways. The biggest — and coolest — is that it ships with an OpenWrt-based OS that lets you hack it to do just about anything you could do with a desktop Linux system. Use the integrated virtual server for anything you want, like an OwnCloud or Tonido instance or an encrypted chat host.

Another is that it’s being developed by a non-profit organization. CZ.NIC is behind the Turris Omnia. They’re in charge of the .CZ TLD, and they’re big proponents of open source. They also know a thing or two about network security, and have been helping keep the Czech Republic safe from cyberthreats since 2011.

A standard UBS port allows you to connect an external hard drive for easy network attached storage, or you can plug in a USB Internet stick to use as a failover connection. The Omnia even has an integrated SFP connector so that you can directly connect a fiber optic cable. There’s no need for a separate box.

Unlike most routers on the market, the Turris Omnia is almost fully open source. There will only a single binary blob for WiFi; everything else will be covered by the CERN Open Hardware License. And like Google’s OnHub routers, they’ll pull down updates automatically to keep your network as secure as possible.

Not only has the Omnia already surpassed its original funding goal — a relatively modest $100,000 — but they’ve also passed several of their stretch goal milestones, too. Cz.nic has secured enough pledges to produce the router in multiple colors, to develop a mobile app for easy control and programming, and Raspberry Pi support so you can integrate the Omnia with your Pi-based IoT projects. They’re also closing in on a parental control goal, too.

Source: Geek.com