In fact, there are so many choices of export equipment, ranging from tens of dollars to thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. The choices are varied according to each person's needs. Therefore, this article is written based on my personal needs. Ultimately, everyone must make choices based on their actual needs.

My requirements are summarized as follows:

1. Support multiple dial-ups (this is the most basic requirement, because my broadband can support 3 dial-ups~)

2. Support flexible flow control and diversion settings (with multiple dial-ups, this requirement naturally arises)

3. Dynamic domain name client (at least supports Alibaba Cloud DNS, Tencent Cloud DNS, CloudFlare)

4. Support virtual machines and docker (optional, best support)

5. Support udpxy (for unlimited viewing of iptv)

6. The DHCP mode of the WAN port supports option 60 and option 61 (the authentication methods of IPTV in different regions are different. If it is PPPoE authentication, this is not required)

7. IPv6 (In fact, there are many more functions to this, but I won’t mention them here for now)

8. No need for wifi function (I use a separate set of wireless mesh equipment)

9. Stable and trouble-free (if it is to be used as an export device for a data center, stability is the first priority)

The previous 8 points have basically ruled out normal home broadband routers, so my only choice is soft routers. I have tried openwrt/lede, but I am not used to the configuration logic, and installing plug-ins is also a hassle. The main export device is not suitable for frequent tinkering. Stability is the first priority (so I use a separate router as the upper router to realize other functions), and finally I chose Aikuai.

In fact, for those who don't have a public IP at home, the requirements for the main router are not too high: as long as it is stable and supports IPv6, other functions can be achieved by "bypass routing". Of course, I don't recommend the "bypass routing" method (from a professional point of view, there is no such concept at all), but from the perspective of applicability, the "bypass routing" method is indeed the most convenient, but the most convenient is not necessarily the best.

So which way of using it do I think is the best? You can refer to the article:Discussion on the best deployment scheme of soft router series iQuick+openwrt (goodbye, bypass router).

Due to my profession, when I was doing pre-sales, the products I sold included the link load function, so I had a comparison in my mind. In this respect, AiKuai can be considered very powerful in the export link load area, and the most important thing is that it completely fits the national conditions (I used to sell foreign brands, and there were always problems with local conditions). Although I don’t use other functions, they can be said to be very comprehensive. The most important thing is that the free version provides these functions, and the free version can also open cases (it depends on whether you are afraid or not), so I finally chose AiKuai.

But what are the disadvantages of iQuick? First, it is not suitable for people who like to tinker. After all, you cannot customize the installation of plug-ins, and the virtual machine and docker functions are weak. If you need new functions, you can only wait for upgrades. Second, iQuick is a product of a formal enterprise, so don't expect some functions. So if you want one device to realize all functions, then iQuick is not suitable. Therefore, many netizens on the Internet use iQuick with virtual machines and other soft routers to bypass them.

In the end, my solution was to use a single hardware device with iQIYI as the main router and an ASUS AC86U as the upper router (not the intranet bypass router). (For a detailed description of iQIYI functions, see:iKuai Soft Router Series The most powerful multi-dial soft router: iKuai).

In addition: I have made preparations for both scenarios. In addition to the AC86U in service, I have also built openwrt in the form of a virtual machine as a backup for the upper-level router, so that there will be redundancy even if the AC86U fails.

For related articles about openwrt, see:OpenWrt soft router series PVE deployment OpenWrt (23.05.2) detailed tutorial,OpenWrt soft router series must-install software 3 swordsmen: openclash+sftpserver+tailscale installation tutorial,Discussion on the best deployment scheme of soft router series iQuick+openwrt (goodbye, bypass router).