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The concern of my question is about router security via updates.

I used to have various Modem/Routers (eg. Belkin, TpLink, etc.) over the years to connect to my ISPs. All followed the same pattern: Manufacturer supported them well at the beginning, the devices were receiving regular updates, then some years later they were reaching end-of-life and there were no more updates.

Also, I want to change the way things are connected at home.
Instead of having every device connected directly to the Modem/Router, I want to have everything connected to a Router (To-be-purchased), and then have that Router bridged to the Modem provided by the ISP.

So the question is:
Could you please suggest any Router devices which receive regular long-term updates for many years? The longer the better.

(FYI I have looked into Mikrotik, OpenWrt but I don't know for how long they provide updates. Also, I wouldn't mind purchasing a business-oriented device if it suits my needs)

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Mikrotik support regular updates and upgrades for thier RouterOS for very long time https://mikrotik.com/download/changelogs

All Mikrotik routers have the same RouterOS, only license differ. SOHO\Home grade routers have builtin L4 license https://help.mikrotik.com/docs/display/ROS/RouterOS+license+keys

For example Mikrotik RB751U-2HnD bought 13.01.2014 (https://mikrotik.com/product/RB751U-2HnD). I have updates for it's RouterOS v6 until now (almost 10 years since v6.0 release) and I can upgrade it to newer v7 and get updates further.

Any router on which you can install OpenWrt https://openwrt.org/supported_devices
https://openwrt.org/toh/start

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  • Thanks for completing your answer here. I just got back from work and saw they deleted all comments in the original question! So if you wrote anything after your first comment then I missed it. superuser.com/questions/1739623/…
    – Korina
    Commented Aug 30, 2022 at 17:40
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    While MikroTik has a user-friendly UI for the basic stuff, it's important to note that their advanced setup which unlocks the full potential of these devices requires really good understanding of networking or at least willingness to experiment. Also MikroTik's WiFi isn't best in class and they don't support fast roaming, so building a mesh is a no-go. Regarding OpenWrt: everything I wrote about MikroTik's complexity, but twice as obscure, there's no simplified UI and you can brick a router while installing it. Both are great, but not for everyone.
    – gronostaj
    Commented Aug 30, 2022 at 18:43
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Its a bit of a "frame challenge" but if you want longevity over power efficiency, don't buy a consumer router. Get an X86 box with at least two ports - I think the N5150s are the current darling and give you multigig ports, but I've been running this since 2018 on a customised ubuntu linux build with multiple ethernet ports.

Since its a generic machine, you basically get updates forever (or as long as the project you're using for the router backend is supported). They don't do wifi as well as as a dedicated AP or router but that's heavily on the hardware end.

There's many router centric distros you can use - Vyatta, and pfsense come to mind - but quite a few support x86 based boxen. I split off my APs for various reasons, and honestly, I've not found a wifi AP I'm delighted with but for a router, I like this option.

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  • Thanks for the answer. I think a customized linux would be a bit too much for me at the moment. However, it looks like OpenWRT can be installed on various x86 devices openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/installation/openwrt_x86
    – Korina
    Commented Sep 2, 2022 at 7:53
  • as can pfsense or opensense. Its essentially a platform that dosen't change, or more precisely constantly is expected to change, so the hardware is almost perpetually in support. ...I forgot to mention the router OSes... didn't I. I'll edit
    – Journeyman Geek
    Commented Sep 2, 2022 at 8:39

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