TL;DR
Get the latest gadgets delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
An open-source GitHub project uses custom firmware to turn Gemtek W1700K and W1700K2 Wi-Fi 7 routers into wideband, receive-only software-defined radio receivers. It reports capturing 14-bit IQ data at up to 320 Msps and sending it over 10 GbE to a Linux host for live spectrum display and recording. The project requires replacing the router’s stock operating system and specialized network hardware; independent validation and broader hardware compatibility are not established in the supplied report.
A new open-source GitHub project repurposes the Gemtek W1700K and W1700K2 Wi-Fi 7 routers as wideband software-defined radio receivers, with the project reporting capture of 14-bit complex IQ data at rates up to 320 million samples per second. Custom firmware runs the router’s MediaTek radio, while an Airoha-based system-on-chip sends data over a 10-gigabit Ethernet connection to a Linux host for live spectrum viewing and recording.
The project says its receiver can tune across supported 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands, with selectable sample rates of 40, 80, 160 or 320 Msps. Its reported 2.4 GHz demonstration captures the band at 320 Msps and displays a live spectrum and waterfall in a browser. The software also offers controls for tuning, gain, filtering and band selection; the project describes retuning during an active stream.
On the router, the MediaTek MT7996 radio produces raw 14-bit IQ samples, which are moved by DMA into system memory. The project says its firmware packs data on the router’s radio cores when needed to fit the 10 GbE link; at 320 Msps, it reports a link rate of 9.75 Gbit/s, with half the data slices packed. The host software distributes the received stream to applications, including a spectrum display and a recorder.
The repository describes a 262,144-point FFT spectrum view operating at up to 100 frames per second, though the recording cited in the report runs at 50 frames per second. An optional “flatten” correction adjusts the decimation roll-off in the sample stream. These performance figures and capabilities are reported by the project; the supplied material does not include independent test results.
A Router Becomes a Wideband Receiver
The project points to a different use for hardware built around Wi-Fi radios: with custom firmware and host software, compatible routers can serve as wideband measurement receivers rather than ordinary network equipment. The reported sampling rate and 10 GbE transport let the system deliver a large stream of radio data to a computer for inspection, recording or further processing.
That does not make the router equivalent to a general-purpose laboratory instrument. Its usable range, front-end filtering, tuning and performance depend on the particular radio hardware and firmware, and the supplied report does not provide independent measurements of sensitivity, dynamic range or accuracy. For technically equipped users, the immediate significance is that the project publishes an end-to-end implementation—from radio initialization and data transport to browser-based display—using a specific off-the-shelf platform.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Custom Firmware Replaces Stock Software
The project targets W1700K hardware revision 1.x and W1700K2 revision 2.1. Its repository includes a replacement software stack for the router and host tools. The maintainers say the radio firmware is built from the repository and does not use MediaTek firmware; they describe decoding the vendor initialization sequence and register behavior to bring the radio up from a cold start.
Installation is not a plug-in software update. The documented process replaces the router’s stock operating system and calls for a USB serial adapter, an Ethernet connection for installation, and a separate 10 GbE network connection to the host for streaming. The guide says it backs up the router’s NAND and saves radio calibration data. Some W1700K2 units may contain a NAND variant that has not been tested on a physical unit, and the project warns users about that case.
“The MT7996 runs only our own firmware: a ROM patch, WM and WA built from this repository, with no MediaTek code.”
— The project’s GitHub report
Hardware Limits and Safety Caveats
The supplied report does not include an independent evaluation of the project’s sampling, tuning or spectrum accuracy, or comparative measurements of receiver sensitivity and dynamic range. Its stated performance should be treated as the maintainers’ claims until tested by others. The report also does not establish how the system performs across every supported router unit or under sustained operation.
The maintainers explicitly say one NAND variant found in some W1700K2 routers has support in the code but has not been run on a unit, and request a raw dump from affected devices. They caution against connecting an antenna port directly to a sensitive instrument without attenuation. The supplied material does not report any external safety review or certification.
Installation, Testing and Project Development
The project’s next steps are described in its installation guide, architecture document and roadmap, rather than as a dated release schedule. Users with supported hardware can build the software, install the replacement system and connect a host with a 10 GbE interface; the repository also provides tests and recovery instructions. The first radio startup is reported to take about two seconds.
Further evidence will depend on additional testing across router revisions, NAND variants and operating conditions, as well as independent checks of the claimed data rates and receiver performance. The maintainers also request information about the untested NAND variant. No timeline for future releases or wider device support is given in the supplied report.
Key Questions
Which routers does the project support?
The repository names the Gemtek W1700K hardware revision 1.x and W1700K2 revision 2.1. It says both revisions use the same images, but notes that one NAND variant found in some W1700K2 units has not been tested on a physical device.
What does 320 Msps mean in this project?
It is the reported sampling rate: 320 million complex IQ samples per second. The project says the router captures 14-bit IQ data and streams it over a 10 GbE connection to a Linux host.
Can the receiver transmit Wi-Fi signals?
The maintainers describe the firmware as receive-only, say the MAC transmit path remains disabled and state that their firmware does not run MediaTek’s transmit calibrations. This is the project’s description of its software behavior, not an independent certification.
What equipment is needed to try it?
The installation instructions call for a supported router, a 3.3-volt USB serial adapter, Ethernet for installation and a host with a 10 GbE network interface for the radio stream. The process replaces the stock operating system, so it is not a routine configuration change.
Has the reported performance been independently verified?
No independent test results are included in the supplied material. The figures for sample rate, spectrum processing and network throughput are reported by the project’s maintainers; outside validation remains unclear.
Source: hn
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
