I’m trying to make my first server (Immich + Navidrome + Nextcloud running on Debian, will use WireguardVPN for remote access), but my crappy XFinity router (XB7) just won’t port forward at all to my server machine. I’ve tried so many things to make it work, so the best thing I can do now is buy my own router so that I can just use the Xfinity router as a bridge. Do you guys have recommendations for a secure, customizable enough, and long-distance router good for 6 people?
You can get dirt cheap routers on eBay (like $30, for Tp-Link) that have active support on OpenWrt. Great little devices to get you started and if it won’t be enough you will know more / what you need to upgrade.
However if your XB7 isn’t doing / allowing port forwarding, you will still needed that for things to work.
I second the recommendation for TP-Link running OpenWRT (that’s the important part).
I’ve been using a few Archer C7s for going on a decade at this point. (So long that they went from “OpenWRT” to “LEDE” to back to “OpenWRT”, LOL!) They’ve been working fine that whole time, and the only thing that annoys me about them is that they’re a funny shape instead of being rack-mountable.
Beware! Now there’s a hardware revision for a TP-Link router (I think the C7) that is not supported by OpenWrt and never will