STATUS //
Active
PLATFORM //
TP-Link Archer AX23 v1
OpenWrt
LuCI
CAKE SQM
LAST UPDATED //
July 2026
Firelink handles routing and wireless for my home network.
A TP-Link Archer AX23 v1 running OpenWrt replaced the ISP gateway as
the primary router. Bell's gateway still sits upstream because their
setup still requires it in the chain.
ROLES //
Main router
Main wireless access point
DHCP server
Local DNS integration
Static device reservations
Firewall
Traffic shaping
NETWORK DESIGN //
Bell gateway
|
v
Firelink / OpenWrt
|
+-- wired devices
+-- wireless devices
+-- Nexus homelab
The Bell gateway's wireless network is disabled. Firelink provides a
single unified wireless network across the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios.
SQM //
Smart Queue Management uses CAKE on the WAN connection.
I added it to reduce latency under load, not to chase the largest
possible benchmark numbers. The result is a noticeably more responsive
connection during simultaneous downloads and uploads.
DNS //
Firelink advertises Nexus and AdGuard Home as the normal DNS resolver
for all devices on the network.
Local home.arpa names provide clean access to private services without
publishing them or relying on public DNS.
SECURITY //
Administrative access is restricted to the LAN.
WAN input and forwarding remain rejected by default.
Router services do not listen on the upstream WAN interface.
Nexus has no public port forwards.
Configuration backups are created after durable network changes.
The setup keeps routing, wireless, DNS, and firewall control on Firelink
while retaining compatibility with Bell's proprietary hardware.