Thank You to our
Official Partners and Year-Round Co-Sponsors
Isolate your smart lightbulbs, cameras, and cheap IoT devices onto an entirely separate virtual network. If a smart plug gets hacked, the attacker cannot access your personal computer or network-attached storage (NAS).
Built-in network-wide ad blockers (like AdGuard Home or Pi-hole alternatives), secure DNS configurations, and isolated Guest VLANs.
Let’s look at the pros and cons of switching from stock to third-party firmware like OpenWrt to determine if it’s truly "better" for your setup. What Does Custom Firmware Offer? archer ax10 custom firmware better
Stock firmware is built for simplicity—plug it in and forget it. Custom firmware (like OpenWrt) is built for control. Here are the main benefits:
OpenWrt developers have made it clear that "this features a broadcom chipset which is (and the devs say will never be) not supported by OpenWRT". A forum moderator reiterated, "ax10 (bcm6750) and ax23 (mt7621a) have nothing in common, it's safe to assume that the ax10 will never be supported (Broadcom SOC and -wireless)". You cannot simply download the OpenWrt firmware selector and flash this device like you would with a MediaTek or Qualcomm router. Isolate your smart lightbulbs, cameras, and cheap IoT
Stock firmware won't run WireGuard (too heavy for the CPU), but it supports L2TP.
If you love to tweak your network, need advanced VPN capabilities, want superior QoS control, or are simply curious about how your hardware works, custom firmware can make the Archer AX10 a significantly more powerful device. Getting Started (If You Choose to Proceed) Let’s look at the pros and cons of
Asuswrt-Merlin is completely incompatible as it targets ASUS hardware. DD-WRT does not offer an official, stable build for the AX10 that improves upon the stock experience without sacrificing stability.
"Better" depends on your risk tolerance.
Furthermore, you gain access to software like for lightning-fast VPN connections. Wireguard "the stock firmware doesn't support". With OpenWrt running on the kernel, you can install it instantly. VLANs become fully configurable on the switch chip "at will, which was not certainly the case with the default stock firmware".
The allure of custom firmware is the promise of liberation from vendor limitations. For the TP-Link Archer AX10, that promise remains partially unfulfilled. OpenWrt provides a powerful, flexible operating system, but at the cost of the router’s primary selling point: its fast, stable Wi-Fi 6 connection. “Better” is not a property of the firmware itself, but of the alignment between the firmware’s capabilities and the user’s needs. For the enthusiast willing to experiment and sacrifice speed for control, OpenWrt offers a glimpse of greatness. For everyone else, the stock firmware is not only adequate—it is currently the superior choice. Proceed with caution, keep a backup router on hand, and always, always read the latest forum posts before flashing.