Regarding the Flint 2 GL-MT6000 router by GL.iNet received May 1, 2025
I have a Netgear CM600 cable modem (also purchased on Amazon IIRC) and 300/10 Mbit cable service feeding the Flint 2.
After the very sad demise of the IQRouter company, I knew I couldn't be without a full featured OpenWRT based router that could handle SQM and Cake without choking and that would give me access to all those settings I was reading about on the internet. I wanted those A+ bufferbloat scores that the IQRouter gave me even if I had to wade through millions of misleading and obsolete configuration posts.
The training wheels have come off and the Flint 2 has delivered.
On the hardware side:
The hefty passive heatsink inspires confidence because routers heat up under heavy load which can cause intermittent performance issues. The antennas can't swivel to the side unlike my stone age routers that you could rotate into a rabbit ears position. It appears this generation they are meant to stay parallel, likely for beamforming purposes.
On the operating system and software side:
If you're confronting the full fat OpenWRT for the first time like me then the slick Netdata monitor console which you can install, plus the preinstalled systemwide AdGuard ad blocking and VPN that can be turned on or off by clicking a button will make you feel satisfied. You can run a multimedia server, Tailscale for remote access and other stuff I didn't know I needed is built in and made easy.
I can finally get a decent port forward for QBittorrent.
WiFi coverage is as good or better than my last router although I don't have any WiFi 6 devices to test that band. The Flint 2 does have DFS bands on 5G WiFi that I didn't know existed. My cell phone sees those bands but my 4K Firestick doesn't. If you live in an apartment building then you will appreciate those DFS bands because not as many of your neighbors will have access to them, so less interference.
There is a new GL.iNet firmware version in the works which is great to know, and anyway you can put vanilla OpenWRT on the device so obsolescence is not an issue. Their product release schedule is impressive too which gives me confidence in this company.
Customer support was excellent. I contacted them about a mistake I had made which was not their responsibility and that was entirely their prerogative to dismiss yet they handled it with aplomb.
Research indicates this is a good value router too, but don't buy on impulse if you know what I mean.
In summary, if you've done your research, and this router is on your list of candidates, then I can recommend it.
This review was written without the assistance of any AI, and ignoring all my browser's grammar autosuggestions to add more commas. I left out some hyphens too that the browser missed. Stupid browser.
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