
OpenWrt in a WiFi card reader (2017) - infosecrf
https://phasenoise.livejournal.com/1500.html
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send_computers
Reminds me of these SD cards running Linux

[https://hackaday.com/2016/06/30/transcend-wifi-sd-card-
is-a-...](https://hackaday.com/2016/06/30/transcend-wifi-sd-card-is-a-tiny-
linux-server/)

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)

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userbinator
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.

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tga
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-
Wirel...](http://www.dx.com/p/NEXX-WT3020F-Portable-Mini-300Mbps-Wireless-
WiFi-Router-80211-bgn-Repeater-Bridge-with-USB-Flash-Drive-White-916493691)

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sspiff
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-r...](https://forum.lede-project.org/t/supporting-zsun-wifi-card-
reader-16mb-flash-64mb-ram-ar9331/2142)

~~~
acidburnNSA
I heard LEDE and Openwrt just re-merged the other day.

~~~
sspiff
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.

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rahimnathwani
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
it's only about 12 dollars on aliexpress to the US, with most of that being
shipping.

~~~
birdman3131
The DX link has apparently dropped to $9.91

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ohazi
> 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)?

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netsharc
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.

~~~
TheCowboy
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.

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

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

------
nine_k
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.

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samfisher83
The main issue would be the antenna. Wifi's wavelength is 12cm.

~~~
pjc50
.. 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
Correct, better photo: [https://www.hackup.net/wp-content/gallery/zsun-
wifi-2/zsun13...](https://www.hackup.net/wp-content/gallery/zsun-
wifi-2/zsun13.jpg)

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

