TL;DR
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A GitHub project called w1700k-sdr repurposes Gemtek W1700K and W1700K2 Wi-Fi 7 routers as wideband software-defined radio receivers. It says the routers can capture 14-bit complex IQ data at rates up to 320 Msps and stream it over 10 GbE to a Linux host for spectrum display or recording. The project requires replacing the router’s stock operating system, and its performance and hardware compatibility claims come from the project maintainers.
A GitHub project called w1700k-sdr says it can turn Gemtek’s W1700K and W1700K2 Wi-Fi 7 routers into wideband software-defined radio receivers, capturing up to 320 million complex samples per second and sending them to a Linux host over 10-gigabit Ethernet. The project provides custom router firmware and host software for viewing a live spectrum and waterfall, controlling the receiver, and recording its data.
According to its repository, the project uses the router’s MediaTek MT7996 radio to capture 14-bit in-phase and quadrature (IQ) samples, while the Airoha AN7581 system-on-chip streams the data over the router’s 10 GbE port. The receiver supports sample rates of 40, 80, 160 or 320 Msps across the listed radio bands. On the 2.4 GHz band, the project also describes a 640/2 mode that samples at 640 Msps and retains every other sample, with a stated flat range to ±155 MHz and folding of signals farther from the tuned frequency.
The maintainers say the MT7996 runs project-built firmware, including a ROM patch and radio-control components, rather than MediaTek firmware. They describe bringing the radio up from a cold start and controlling local-oscillator tuning, sample rate, capture, streaming, gain and filtering from the host. Their software can retune during a stream, and the repository lists an analog filter range of 20–320 MHz. Supported tuning ranges and frequency steps depend on the radio band and hardware unit.
On the router, radio data is moved into a 1 GiB ring buffer in system memory. The project says the kernel sends 8 KiB sections as UDP datagrams over 10 GbE and that, at 320 Msps, half the sections are packed to fit the link. On the Linux host, w1700k-stream receives the export and supplies samples to other programs through shared memory. A spectrum service provides a browser interface; the project describes a 262,144-point FFT and a rate of 100 spectra per second, while the example recording cited in the repository runs at 50 frames per second.
A Router as a Wideband Receiver
The project offers an alternative use for a specific class of Wi-Fi 7 router hardware: repurposing its radio and high-speed network connection for receiving and inspecting wide sections of radio spectrum. A 320 Msps stream can cover a broad frequency span at once, which may help users observe signals without repeatedly tuning a conventional narrowband receiver. The repository’s examples include views of the 2.4 GHz band and Wi-Fi activity in a 5 GHz range.
That capability comes with meaningful constraints. The device is not a plug-in peripheral running on its original software: installation replaces the stock operating system, and the project requires a 10 GbE connection from the router to a host with a compatible network interface. The maintainers also caution users not to connect an antenna port directly to sensitive test equipment without an attenuator. The setup is aimed at technically capable users willing to work with custom firmware, hardware cabling and Linux software, rather than ordinary router owners seeking a software-only feature.
The work also makes a complex radio platform more accessible for experimentation by publishing firmware, host tools, documentation and register references. Its claims could be useful to researchers and radio hobbyists, but the repository description is the source for the stated throughput and capabilities; it is not an independent performance evaluation.
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How the Router Is Reconfigured
The repository describes an end-to-end replacement system rather than a small modification to the router’s existing interface. Its components include a project-built Linux 6.18 system for the router, an MT7996 driver and custom radio firmware, plus host utilities for controlling the radio, receiving samples, showing a spectrum and recording data. The maintainers say the firmware brings the radio up from a cold power-on and that their register-level work was developed against traces of MediaTek firmware initialization.
Installation instructions call for a 3.3-volt USB serial adapter connected to the router console and Ethernet connections for installation and streaming. The repository says W1700K hardware revision 1.x and W1700K2 revision 2.1 are supported by the same images. It also warns that some W1700K2 units may contain a NAND flash variant that is supported in the code but has not been tested on a physical unit, and asks maintainers to obtain a raw dump before proceeding in that case.
“The whole 2.4 GHz band at 320 Msps, live.”
— The w1700k-sdr GitHub repository
Hardware and Performance Limits
The supplied material is a project description, not an independent review, so the maximum sample rates, sustained throughput and display performance have not been independently verified here. The repository gives example spectrum views and describes a 9.75 Gbit/s link reading in one display, but it does not establish how the system performs across different host computers, network cards, antennas or operating conditions.
Compatibility is also specific. The project names W1700K hardware revision 1.x and W1700K2 revision 2.1, but says one NAND variant found in some W1700K2 units has not been run on a physical device. Users should check the current installation and recovery documentation before modifying a unit. The source material does not provide independent confirmation of the receive-only behavior or explain whether later project updates will expand device support.
Installation and Project Updates
The next step for interested users is to review the repository’s installation, recovery and architecture documentation, confirm their router revision and NAND type, and check that they have the required 10 GbE host connection. The project instructs users to back up NAND and save radio calibration data during installation. Because the process replaces the stock operating system, users should understand the recovery steps before proceeding.
The repository includes a roadmap, but the supplied source material does not identify a scheduled release, independent test or specific upcoming milestone. Further updates may clarify hardware coverage and performance as maintainers test additional units. Until then, reported capabilities and safety behavior should be treated as project claims, and users should follow the maintainers’ cautions about sensitive equipment.
Key Questions
What does the project turn the router into?
It repurposes supported Gemtek W1700K and W1700K2 routers as software-defined radio receivers, with host software for spectrum viewing and recording.
What is the maximum sample rate described?
The repository lists 320 Msps of 14-bit complex IQ. It also describes a 640/2 mode on the 2.4 GHz band, which retains every other sample from a 640 Msps capture and has different frequency limitations.
Does it continue using the router’s stock operating system?
No. The project’s installation replaces the stock operating system with a custom system and firmware. The maintainers provide installation and recovery instructions.
What equipment is needed to stream the radio data?
The instructions call for a supported router, a Linux host, Ethernet cabling and a 10 GbE network interface for the IQ data link, along with a USB serial adapter for installation and console access.
Are the performance claims independently verified?
The figures in this article come from the project’s GitHub repository. The supplied material does not include independent testing of its throughput or performance across different setups.
Source: hn
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