Slashdot Mirror
High-Security, Open-Source Router is a Hit on Indiegogo (Video)
The device is called the Turris Omnia, and its Indiegogo page says it's a "hi-performance & open-source router." Their fundraising goal is $100,000. So far, 1,191 backers have pledged $248,446 (as of the moment this was typed), with 49 days left to go. They've shipped 2,000 pieces so far but, says interviewee Ondej Filip, "95% of them are in the Czech Republic."
This is not only an open-source project, but non-profit as well. A big motive for it is heightened security, as the interview (and transcript) make clear. It's also apparent that the hardware here is overkill for a router; it can run a complete Linux distro, no problem, so it can function as a server, not just as a router. Interested? You might want to put a reservation in soon. This isn't the cheapest router (or even server) out there, but a lot of people obviously think a Turris Omnia, with its crypto security, automatic updates, and server functions would be nice to have.
This is not only an open-source project, but non-profit as well. A big motive for it is heightened security, as the interview (and transcript) make clear. It's also apparent that the hardware here is overkill for a router; it can run a complete Linux distro, no problem, so it can function as a server, not just as a router. Interested? You might want to put a reservation in soon. This isn't the cheapest router (or even server) out there, but a lot of people obviously think a Turris Omnia, with its crypto security, automatic updates, and server functions would be nice to have.
Did y'all just make that up? It doesn't say it on the page just that the default config is "secure" with no mention of what that means. Maybe it's in the video? A router with powerful hardware sounds great but the extra features don't scream "security" to me with built in servers and smartphone app administration.
10W is quite a bit for an idling home router, no 802.11ac, no SFP for fiber connections. I'll stay with Mikrotik RB2011.
The router comes with an integrated face system for routing networks with ease.
Or the company whichever goes up (or just fucks off for something better to do) in smoke first.
Is this router based on Linux, or one of the BSDs? How good is its IPv6 support, and does it have any IPv6 specific security features, such as not automatically assigning IP addresses to anything that may just be loitering about in the vicinity of the network?
What exactly is the hardware that this router is based on? Maybe it's not the cheapest, but I'd like to get an idea about whether the firepower of this router is worth it.
I have my doubts. High power dual core arm with PC like performance? So much power it's waste using it just as router and they suggest server?
If you want a secure router just use pfsense.
"In order to participate in the project, the user is required to commit to using the Turris router as the main internet gateway for his network for a specified period of time, and not to intervene in collection of data." NO THANKS
High Security? Only time can tell. Until the router has been out in the wild for a bit and people have had a chance to look for vulnerabilities, it's impossible to say whether or not the router is actually secure. It's similar to the "Blackphone" which was touted for people who wanted a very secure phone. Once they released it, they found all sorts of security problems with it.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
To place an x86 or x64_86 compatible device running ANYTHING on your edge. Sounds like you're WANTING to get hacked...
Right now there appear to be major issues with this router. I'm not convinced we'll get access to the complete set of code needed to operate it and without that you can't begin to talk about real security. If you can't examine the code you don't know what its really doing- or might do at some future date. Yes- you can examine the network traffic- but it isn't necessarily transmitting or acting maliciously all the time. It might require knocking on the router to even begin acting maliciously.
Right now there are few combinations of chipsets that we can begin to depend on in designing a secure router. There is hope I think with this router as there are people who are pushing to get code released behind the scenes. However it doesn't appear to be there yet.
Great. So maybe this thing really is pretty secure out of the box. But if your going to stick something that capable\configurable on a business LAN, it is inevitable that some junior admin will be assigned to set it up and in the process create a gaping security hole. I have seen it happen on lesser devices. A secure router should have a limited set of well documented functions, not the ability to run Sendmail.
Brought to you by Carl's Junior.
Any news on OpenVPN support or USB downloading? ie a download client for downloading torrent, web and NZB files. :)
Great to see an open-source project for the router side of the network
Thanks.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
Uh, more powerful, capable and upgradeable plus much faster security updates to firmware and OS? Hardware sourced by a local nonprofit and not a lobbyist-funding zaibatsu? Less work for a non-technical type to set up?
Oh, right, what was I thinking! I actually read the article! Sorry... I'm new here.
Um, screw this guy! How dare he make people happy by working on something useful! He sucks!
gateway is never server
The problem PFSense has as compared to consumer routers is that running on normal Intel CPUs it needs more CPU power (and thus cost) to be able to forward a given amount of traffic. Plus all the NICs and such are separate silicon. Boradcom makes little all-in-one chips that have a couple of ARM cores that have acceleration for routing and so on. Also they have things like an ethernet switch and ethernet PHYs on the chip so they needn't be added. Have a look at a BCM4709A for an example that is popular in routers.
PFSense is good but it is not the most economical thing if you are talking features matching a consumer router, meaning gig routing, multiple ports, and wifi, you can have your costs go up a fair bit. Particularly if you also then want it to be fairly small and low power. If you hop over to PFSense's site it would cost about $575 for a SG-2440 with WiFi which would give features roughly on par with a consumer router.
While I'd much rather have that over a consumer router, a consumer router is in fact what I have because I didn't want to spend a ton of money for a home router.
It seems like Indiegogo is where tech projects go when they cant meet the criteria of Kickstarter (e.g. having a working prototype). Putting money into optimistic (but plausible) tech projects on Kickstarter seems a lot like betting, but putting money into the same on Indiegogo seems like burning money.
Over-spec'd != Secure ...
Secure = Many Things + Long Term Support
This is just a mini solid state PC running Linux, and a crippled distro at that.
You are all cows. Cows can't escape. Mooo! Mooo! Moo cows Mooo! moo say the cows. YOU NON-ESCAPING COWS!!!
I don't think 1GB & dual-core ARM is going to cut it for respectable NAS performance. That's pretty much what older versions of the LaCie NAS had under the hood and the performance was lame.
And they'd better get the security right. Nothing like having someone root your router AND have access to your porn stash in one hack.
Pain is merely failure leaving the body
No it's not a scam. As pointed out by other posters, the company behind this is CZ.NIC, the administrator of the .CZ top level domain. As a nonprofit, they have done extensive work on this, in large part as enthusiastic volunteers who are at the same time serious professionals. It's about as much scam as this "Android OS" which is just normal phone hardware with Linux installed on it :)
So when it arrives in the US, the box will be secured with tape that reads "This device was definitely not tampered with by any US TLA. Nope, nosirree bob. Nothing to see here."
Does it have a jtag header so you can reflash in case you brick?
I've run a Turris (predecessor/prototype of Omnia) for a few months now and am very happy with it. Hardware is robust and software is OpenWRT with pushed updates & various mods. All the hardware and all the software is open. I've ordered an Omnia.
I guess you folks didn't get the memo - the Internet doesn't like Flash. But even at a laptop which has Flash, the video still doesn't load.
Would you like help hosting the video?