Turn an $11 microSD card reader into a WiFi router

The Zsun WiFi Card Reader is a tiny, low-cost microSD card reader that sells for between $11 and $15 (or a few dollars more if you wish to order from AMazon as an alternative of from a Chinese retailer).

You can plug the card reader into the USB port of your pc, however because the identify suggests, it additionally helps WiFi — which lets you entry microSD playing cards even for those who’re utilizing a cellphone or pill that doesn’t have a card reader.

But a group of Polish hackers discovered a technique to do one thing else with the Zsun card reader: turn it into a tiny WiFi router.

Basically the hack includes changing the firmware of the Zsun card reader with a customized model of OpenWRT, an open supply Linux distribution designed for routers and different embedded gadgets.

Once you’ve turned the gadget into a router you can use it to attach gadgets on the go by creating a moveable native community, join a few gadgets to create a mesh community, or the rest you can consider doing with a low-cost, tiny wi-fi router. Connect the USB port to a moveable energy financial institution and you’ll even use it when it’s not plugged into a laptop computer or a wall jack.

The card reader has an Atheros AR9331 processor, 64MB of RAM, 16MB of SPI flash storage, and a card reader, so it’s not precisely going to be probably the most highly effective router accessible. But it might be one of many smallest and most cost-effective.

On the opposite hand, putting in OpenWRT on the Zsun card reader is type of difficult, however you’ll find detailed directions at the project’s Wiki page. The most foolproof strategies contain some {hardware} hacking, however there are some software-only options… it’s simply that they’re very dangerous and if one thing goes fallacious you can kill the gadget.

Update: As Sai Guatam points out within the feedback beneath, if all you need is a pocket-sized USB WiFi router or hotspot, you’ll find lots for around $5 – $15. But these fashions don’t essentially help OpenWRT, which supplies you extra management over the settings and efficiency of a router than the inventory firmware normally does.

Update 2: Actually… Woot is promoting a Buffalo WMR-300 AirStation journey router for just $15 as of January 26th, and there is a version of OpenWRT for that device.

by way of CNX-Software