6 ms·

OpenWrt in a WiFi card reader (2017)

147 points by infosecrf 9y ago

rahimnathwani 9y ago
Awesome! And this device is even cheaper in China (59 RMB, or about 10 USD, including domestic shipping): http://www.dwntme.com/h.Z0L1EYw http://www.dwntme.com/h.Z0L1EYw
- lsiebert 9y ago
  it's only about 12 dollars on aliexpress to the US, with most of that being shipping.
  - birdman3131 9y ago
    The DX link has apparently dropped to $9.91
  - rahimnathwani 9y ago
    Shipping from HK may be cheaper than you think.
send_computers 9y ago
Reminds me of these SD cards running Linux https://hackaday.com/2016/06/30/transcend-wifi-sd-card-is-a-tiny-linux-server/ https://hackaday.com/2016/06/30/transcend-wifi-sd-card-is-a-... Edit also, there was picture frames at one point with bluetooth that ran linux that were hacked, I made a video years ago, funny to look back on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEP0i1zteVM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEP0i1zteVM
netsharc 9y ago
I've been trying to do this for a while, OpenWRT runs but the performance is sub-optimal, maybe it's just me or my impatience (or I got a flaky device) but it freezes a lot.
- amq 9y ago
  I'm running OpenWrt / LEDE on various routers since 2011, and have the opposite experience.
- TheCowboy 9y ago
  You might have a flaky device and/or configuration. Some chipsets and devices aren't as stable, but OpenWrt usually maintains a good compatibility list.
robert_foss 9y ago
You could set up a little mesh network using them. Very cool.
samfisher83 9y ago
The main issue would be the antenna. Wifi's wavelength is 12cm.
- pjc50 9y ago
  .. which means that a quarter-wave antenna is 3cm, which looks like the metal thing just visible at top right of the PCB extending behind it. There are loads of devices with tiny WiFi antennae that work fine.
  - JorgeGT 9y ago
    Correct, better photo: https://www.hackup.net/wp-content/gallery/zsun-wifi-2/zsun13.jpg https://www.hackup.net/wp-content/gallery/zsun-wifi-2/zsun13...
- JonDav 9y ago
  There are very small wifi antennas out there. One of my favorites is a 3mmx4mm cube:http://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=active/0479480001_ANTENNAS.xml http://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=activ...
sspiff 9y ago
I use one of these running LEDE. For the original porting work done on OpenWRT, check this link: https://wiki.hackerspace.pl/projects:zsun-wifi-card-reader https://wiki.hackerspace.pl/projects:zsun-wifi-card-reader For more recent work done to get up-to-date LEDE builds running on the device, check https://forum.lede-project.org/t/supporting-zsun-wifi-card-reader-16mb-flash-64mb-ram-ar9331/2142 https://forum.lede-project.org/t/supporting-zsun-wifi-card-r...
- acidburnNSA 9y ago
  I heard LEDE and Openwrt just re-merged the other day.
  - sspiff 9y ago
    That's true, but the port work described in this post is older (predating the fork of LEDE and OpenWRT), and the latest work regarding these zsun devices are more recent (but they haven't been upstreamed into LEDE, and so haven't been merged back into OpenWRT, either). So the state of the art for these devices is a couple of months old LEDE builds.
tga 9y ago
If you want a small, USB-powered wifi device running OpenWRT, and you don't need the card reader, you might have a better time with a NEXX WT3020F[0]. [0] http://www.dx.com/p/NEXX-WT3020F-Portable-Mini-300Mbps-Wireless-WiFi-Router-80211-bgn-Repeater-Bridge-with-USB-Flash-Drive-White-916493691 http://www.dx.com/p/NEXX-WT3020F-Portable-Mini-300Mbps-Wirel...
ktta 9y ago
AliExpress link if someone wants it delivered in the US: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Smart-Expansion-ZSUN-Wifi-Card-Reader-Wireless-Adapter-Support-2TB-TF-SD-Card-Wireless-Storage-For/32833243622.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Smart-Expansion-ZSUN-Wifi-Ca...
userbinator 9y ago
In reference to the other discussion recently about whether there were still new big-endian machines being made... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16187939 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16187939 ....the SoC in this contains a Big-Endian MIPS core.
ohazi 9y ago
> the hardware supports multiple simultaneous wireless interfaces! This seems to be a somewhat rare feature... I might get one just to try this. Does anyone know of other cards that support something like this? Is there a difference between being able to associate with multiple APs and being able to host multiple APs (or some combination of both)?
askvictor 9y ago
Then there is the vocore2; cheaper and not a repurposed consumer device.
nine_k 9y ago
It seems like a very good alternative hardware for the same purposes as USB Armory, for a fraction of the price. I wonder how soon a nice security-oriented package set will emerge. I suppose the USB interface should work as a USB-connected NIC, offering https / ssh / u2f access to the host on the card.

147 points by infosecrf 9y ago

Awesome! And this device is even cheaper in China (59 RMB, or about 10 USD, including domestic shipping): http://www.dwntme.com/h.Z0L1EYw http://www.dwntme.com/h.Z0L1EYw

lsiebert 9y ago
it's only about 12 dollars on aliexpress to the US, with most of that being shipping.
- birdman3131 9y ago
  The DX link has apparently dropped to $9.91
- rahimnathwani 9y ago
  Shipping from HK may be cheaper than you think.

send_computers 9y ago

Reminds me of these SD cards running Linux https://hackaday.com/2016/06/30/transcend-wifi-sd-card-is-a-tiny-linux-server/ https://hackaday.com/2016/06/30/transcend-wifi-sd-card-is-a-... Edit also, there was picture frames at one point with bluetooth that ran linux that were hacked, I made a video years ago, funny to look back on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEP0i1zteVM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEP0i1zteVM

netsharc 9y ago

I've been trying to do this for a while, OpenWRT runs but the performance is sub-optimal, maybe it's just me or my impatience (or I got a flaky device) but it freezes a lot.

amq 9y ago
I'm running OpenWrt / LEDE on various routers since 2011, and have the opposite experience.
TheCowboy 9y ago
You might have a flaky device and/or configuration. Some chipsets and devices aren't as stable, but OpenWrt usually maintains a good compatibility list.

robert_foss 9y ago

You could set up a little mesh network using them. Very cool.

samfisher83 9y ago

The main issue would be the antenna. Wifi's wavelength is 12cm.

pjc50 9y ago
.. which means that a quarter-wave antenna is 3cm, which looks like the metal thing just visible at top right of the PCB extending behind it. There are loads of devices with tiny WiFi antennae that work fine.
- JorgeGT 9y ago
  Correct, better photo: https://www.hackup.net/wp-content/gallery/zsun-wifi-2/zsun13.jpg https://www.hackup.net/wp-content/gallery/zsun-wifi-2/zsun13...
JonDav 9y ago
There are very small wifi antennas out there. One of my favorites is a 3mmx4mm cube:http://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=active/0479480001_ANTENNAS.xml http://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=activ...

sspiff 9y ago

I use one of these running LEDE. For the original porting work done on OpenWRT, check this link: https://wiki.hackerspace.pl/projects:zsun-wifi-card-reader https://wiki.hackerspace.pl/projects:zsun-wifi-card-reader For more recent work done to get up-to-date LEDE builds running on the device, check https://forum.lede-project.org/t/supporting-zsun-wifi-card-reader-16mb-flash-64mb-ram-ar9331/2142 https://forum.lede-project.org/t/supporting-zsun-wifi-card-r...

acidburnNSA 9y ago
I heard LEDE and Openwrt just re-merged the other day.
- sspiff 9y ago
  That's true, but the port work described in this post is older (predating the fork of LEDE and OpenWRT), and the latest work regarding these zsun devices are more recent (but they haven't been upstreamed into LEDE, and so haven't been merged back into OpenWRT, either). So the state of the art for these devices is a couple of months old LEDE builds.

tga 9y ago

If you want a small, USB-powered wifi device running OpenWRT, and you don't need the card reader, you might have a better time with a NEXX WT3020F[0]. [0] http://www.dx.com/p/NEXX-WT3020F-Portable-Mini-300Mbps-Wireless-WiFi-Router-80211-bgn-Repeater-Bridge-with-USB-Flash-Drive-White-916493691 http://www.dx.com/p/NEXX-WT3020F-Portable-Mini-300Mbps-Wirel...

ktta 9y ago

AliExpress link if someone wants it delivered in the US: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Smart-Expansion-ZSUN-Wifi-Card-Reader-Wireless-Adapter-Support-2TB-TF-SD-Card-Wireless-Storage-For/32833243622.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Smart-Expansion-ZSUN-Wifi-Ca...

userbinator 9y ago

In reference to the other discussion recently about whether there were still new big-endian machines being made... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16187939 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16187939 ....the SoC in this contains a Big-Endian MIPS core.

ohazi 9y ago

> the hardware supports multiple simultaneous wireless interfaces! This seems to be a somewhat rare feature... I might get one just to try this. Does anyone know of other cards that support something like this? Is there a difference between being able to associate with multiple APs and being able to host multiple APs (or some combination of both)?

askvictor 9y ago

Then there is the vocore2; cheaper and not a repurposed consumer device.

nine_k 9y ago

It seems like a very good alternative hardware for the same purposes as USB Armory, for a fraction of the price. I wonder how soon a nice security-oriented package set will emerge. I suppose the USB interface should work as a USB-connected NIC, offering https / ssh / u2f access to the host on the card.