Impact of Using OpenWrt on the Security of Network Routers

Network routers, due to their critical role in communication infrastructure, are prime targets for cyberattacks such as DDoS, intrusion, and spoofing. This study investigates the impact of OpenWrt ۲۴.۱۰, an open-source operating system, on router security compared to RouterOS ۷.۱۶, MikroTik’s proprietary operating system, on the MikroTik hAP ac۲ device. Data were extracted from Prajapati and Patel (۲۰۲۳) and OpenWrt Project reports (۲۰۲۴). Results indicate that OpenWrt outperforms RouterOS with an ۸۲% DDoS mitigation rate, ۹۲% intrusion detection rate, and ۱.۸-second threat detection time, compared to RouterOS’s ۵۰%, ۶۵%, and ۴.۰ seconds, respectively. This superiority is attributed to OpenWrt’s nftables firewall, WPA۳ support, IDS/IPS tools, robust encryption, advanced authentication, and comprehensive logging. However, OpenWrt consumes more resources (۷۲% CPU, ۱۲۵ MB RAM) than RouterOS (۵۵% CPU, ۹۵ MB RAM) and requires technical expertise. Comparative tables cover key security aspects such as encryption, authentication, and attack resilience. The study suggests OpenWrt is suitable for enterprise networks prioritizing high security, provided technical teams are trained and user-friendly interfaces are developed. Future research could explore other MikroTik models and real-world networks.

کلیدواژه ها:

OpenWrt ، RouterOS ، Network Security ، MikroTik ، Firewall ، WPA۳ ، IDS/IPS