The Turris open router project
turris.cz
turris.cz
No-profit or not, I'm not sure how many people would like this feature.
Neither in their site nor in what documentation they have does it appear to say how can you disable data collection and or updates so it seems that to get the designed functionality of this router you have to use their software which collects data and allows them some level of remote access that can manipulate the configuration of the device.
Now I'm not saying that they have any nefarious intentions this isn't any different than a signature update for your AV, or system updates but it just doesn't sound like it's the best approach for a device that is supposed to be an "open" platform which operates like entry-level enterprise grade edge network appliances.
Automatic updates and collection should be on an explicit opt-in premise and not implicitly enabled on all devices, I understand that they need to collect traffic in order to identify new attacks but as far as threats to SOHO/SMB/SME users go that might use their software and are unlikely to be targeted by an overly sophisticated attack (which most likely will not be detected in the first place) running even a small scale traffic collection operation using local chapters of organizations like OWASP and IEEE, academic institutions and willing participants should be more than sufficient.
From the homepage...
"the user is required to commit to using the Turris router as the main internet gateway for his network for a specified period of time, and not to intervene in collection of data."
Doesn't look like they will give you the option to disable data collection.
Users should be in control of the data that leaves their router. I'd much rather see a 'Turris app' being built for OpenWRT routers, that would allow users could control what information gets sent through it. OpenWRT is effectively just a specialist Linux distro so from a software perspective it wouldn't be too hard to build a distributed firewall app for it.
Also, a SIM card slot? Me gusta, if it has LTE support - unfortunately it ain't mentioned in the specs.
It works pretty damn well and it's seamless as long as you can get a true IPv4 address over your cellular connection and not some piss poor NAT.
The only routers I've seen with an external antenna are those that are designed to be put in data centers (you coax it to an external source just like you would for GPS antennas for DC grade NTP appliances) or hardened routers mostly for military or heavy industrial use that might be put in a mobile data center (tricked out shipping containers and the like) which is either shielded by design or by circumstance.
The dongle i have gets about 60mbits, my phone gets a bit under 50, and BTW it technically has an external antenna connector (most dongles do btw, it's a trade secret ;) shh) with a micro BNC connector they often used for testing some dongles have it as a feature but virtually all of them (I have yet to see one, I've seen one with unpupulated BNC slot but others from the same make and model had it so i think it was a production goof than a design choice) will either have them built-in on the PCB or an unpopulated slot for one.
Here is an example of an off the shelf 3G dongle go down to the PCB layout you can see the mini/micro BNC connector in the right image in the top left corner.
http://www.3g-modem-wiki.com/page/ZTE+K3565-Z+(Vodafone)
So get a dongle strip it out of the casing find the BNC port, get one of these http://i47.tinypic.com/2rr9av8.jpg and you're golden, if you want to work for your gold star then either cut/mill or my favorite use that soldering iron and carve a hole/slot for you to push the cable through or if you really want to make it skookum 3D print your own casing and you got your external antenna.
P.S. Feel free to name your 1st born after me.
This project at least has open-ness from the beginning, it might shift the market a bit if they ever sell their routers public.
If you want to spend 1000$ or so you can build your own dedicated PFsense router, for a bit less you can build an x86 OpenWRT machine or go for one of the oWRT / DD-WRT boards but they aren't cheap either.
If you want to get rid of the software well then find a router with OpenWRT/DD-WRT support many SOHO/CPE routers are supported, it won't help you against bugs or broken software but at least it as backdoor free as it can be.
I actually found that many home routers come with pretty much over kill CPU's these days, their choice of the wireless BBP is often questionable and if it doesn't come on a mini-PCIe or a SODIMM type interface then you are stuck with them.
FRITZ!Box btw has always shit (also crappy/backdoored through their own choice of software) and the USB thing isn't unheard off many USB ports on routers are slow not because of the CPU but because of the USB controller they are using, heck new phones still come with USB 2.0 speeds as far as OTG/PC connection goes even if they come with nifty USB Type C connectors.