Skip to content
Tech News
← Back to articles

How I easily built my own Wi-Fi router with a Raspberry Pi - for Starlink and solar control

read original get Raspberry Pi 4 Kit → more articles
Why This Matters

Building a custom Wi-Fi router with a Raspberry Pi offers tech enthusiasts and consumers a cost-effective, highly customizable solution that can be tailored for off-grid use, such as connecting to Starlink or managing solar power systems. This approach highlights the versatility of Raspberry Pi devices in creating specialized networking equipment, empowering users to enhance security, install custom features, and reduce reliance on commercial routers.

Key Takeaways

I needed a wireless router that I could connect to Starlink or tether to a handset. So I built one. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.

ZDNET's key takeaways

Why buy a wireless router when you can build one?

This is a great way to highlight the power and versatility of the Raspberry Pi.

It's quite a cheap solution, but there are cheaper mobile options.

I needed a Wi-Fi router. I'm in the UK, so I'm not caught up in all that US FCC Wi-Fi router ban nonsense, but I needed a specific kind of router, one that I could use off-grid and act as a hub for my Starlink, control my solar power station, and such.

It needed to be small, draw a low amount of energy, and be customizable to my heart's content.

Also: This is the power backup setup I trust after years of testing - solar panels included

So I decided to build one. Not from scratch, mind you (I didn't feel like mining the ore to make the chips), but starting with one of my favorite bits of kit: the Raspberry Pi.

... continue reading