GL.iNet Flint 2 vs Linksys E8450
Side-by-side facts with the differences marked. A spec advantage is not a verdict: what matters depends on your connection, your space and what you run on the router.
Fully supported
Photo: OpenWrt wiki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized
Fully supported
Photo: OpenWrt wiki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized
| Factual data | GL.iNet Flint 2 (GL-MT6000) Highly Recommended | Linksys E8450 Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OpenWrt | ||
| Support | Fully supported | Fully supported |
| Status | Current stable release | Current stable release |
| Supported since | 23.05.3 | 22.03.0 |
| Latest release | 25.12.6 | 25.12.6 |
| Installation | Easyeasier | Moderate |
| Warnings | None |
|
| Hardware | ||
| SoC | MediaTek MT7986A (Filogic 830) | MediaTek MT7622BV |
| Architecture | ARM 64-bit (aarch64) | ARM 64-bit (aarch64) |
| CPUBased on core count × clock speed within the same architecture, not a benchmark. | 4 cores @ 2.0 GHzmore CPU | 2 cores @ 1.35 GHz |
| RAM | 1 GBmore RAM | 512 MB |
| Flash | 8 GBmore flash | 128 MB |
| USB | 1× USB 3.0 | 1× USB 2.0 |
| Network | ||
| Fastest port | 2.5 GbEfaster Ethernet | 1 GbE |
| Multi-gig ports | 2× 2.5 GbEmore multi-gig | None |
| Ethernet ports | 6 | 5 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 · AX6000 · 2.4 / 5 GHz | Wi-Fi 6 · AX3200 · 2.4 / 5 GHz |
| Max wireless (theoretical) | 6.0 Gbps | 3.2 Gbps |
| VLAN | Yes | Yes |
| Suitability (our estimate) | ||
| WireGuard | Excellent | Good |
| OpenVPN | Good | Fair |
| SQM | Excellent | Good |
| Travel router | No | No |
| Editorial | ||
| Overall score | 9.2 | 7.6 |
| Typical price | ~$159 | ~$100 |
| Where to buy | Retailers → | Retailers → |
▲ marks the router with the advantage on that line. Prices are editorial references, not live prices.
Editorial opinionOur take
The E8450 earned its reputation, but the Flint 2 is the modern equivalent: easier to install, more memory, faster CPU and 2.5 GbE. Buy the E8450 only if it is much cheaper.