STATUS //
Active
PLATFORM //
TP-Link Archer AX23 v1
OpenWrt
LuCI
CAKE SQM
LAST UPDATED //
July 2026
Firelink is the routing and wireless layer for the home network.
A TP-Link Archer AX23 v1 running OpenWrt replaced the ISP gateway as
the primary router while the Bell gateway remains upstream for service
compatibility.
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.
This was added to reduce latency under load rather than to maximize the
largest possible benchmark number. The practical 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 network clients.
Local home.arpa names provide clean access to private services without
publishing internal services 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 design keeps the ISP gateway isolated from normal client traffic
while retaining compatibility with the existing connection.