3: As a consumer, NVME drives are an off the shelf easy to source item. All of the storage cases you specify are better served by a 'full server', even if that is a desktop device running 'x86_64' OpenWRT.
8: RTC is SURPRISINGLY very important for E.G. Initial TLS / HTTPS connections and bootstrapping secure connections. It's also a serious quality of life aspect that doesn't cost that much to add. Surely you've seen the hell caused by Microsoft's attempts to fix this problem wreaking havoc with connection failures.
5: I suspect that was more to fit the form factor of an existing off the shelf case, and dangling a dumb-switch off the internal port is a reasonable option. This is annoying but I understand the reasons and tradeoffs.
I see using this device as a router for E.G. grandma's / friend / other family. Where someone tech literate buys the thing that does 99.9% of the desired work for a lot less headache and that you know will see updates because it's supported from day 0 by OpenWRT / the community.
Wifi 6E, with the upper band frequencies, might be enough to convince me to get it too.
3: True. x86 would be better, but that doesn't mean that NVME is of any use on a router like that. Like I said: it's too fast and too expensive at any size compared to alternatives. And not easy removable.
8: I'm not aware of any problems. Why would TLS and HTTPS not work? AFAIK, when NTP is not yet up, OpenWrt sets system time to the timestamp of the most recent saved file. That is good enough not to run into "certificate not yet valid" situations. And what HTTPS and TLS are you talking about? DNS over <something> won't work until WAN is up. When WAN is up, NTP is up too.
5: I don't. What good is a slow cheap router if I need another device next to it? Might as well put an old laptop/desktop as router instead.
Lots of routers are supported by OpenWrt, until they aren't. I already mentioned mwlwifi - they were the best routers, most recommended, until that driver was abandoned. Soldered wifi from another manufacturer won't change the situation. Works today; crashes tomorrow.
8: RTC is SURPRISINGLY very important for E.G. Initial TLS / HTTPS connections and bootstrapping secure connections. It's also a serious quality of life aspect that doesn't cost that much to add. Surely you've seen the hell caused by Microsoft's attempts to fix this problem wreaking havoc with connection failures.
5: I suspect that was more to fit the form factor of an existing off the shelf case, and dangling a dumb-switch off the internal port is a reasonable option. This is annoying but I understand the reasons and tradeoffs.
I see using this device as a router for E.G. grandma's / friend / other family. Where someone tech literate buys the thing that does 99.9% of the desired work for a lot less headache and that you know will see updates because it's supported from day 0 by OpenWRT / the community.
Wifi 6E, with the upper band frequencies, might be enough to convince me to get it too.