A Wi-Fi 7 router is hiding an unusually powerful software-defined radio. The Gemtek W1700K, powered by MediaTek radio hardware, can be converted into a wideband receiver that sends raw in-phase and quadrature data to a Linux computer for live spectrum analysis.
The project, published by h0m3us3r on GitHub and highlighted by Hackaday, replaces the router’s normal software stack with custom firmware and host tools. The MediaTek MT7996 platform captures 14-bit IQ samples at rates up to 320 Msps, while the router’s Airoha AN7581 system-on-chip handles the demanding task of moving that data across its 10-gigabit Ethernet interface. Independent coverage from RTL-SDR.com describes the result as a major step up from the roughly 80 Msps ceiling of the earlier ESP32-based SDR experiment.
Unlike an ordinary Wi-Fi adapter, the modified router is not limited to preset wireless channels. The project documentation says users can tune across the supported radio ranges, select sample rates of 40, 80, 160, or 320 Msps, adjust gain, and apply filters spanning roughly 20 to 320 MHz. Depending on the hardware fitted to a particular W1700K variant, the receiver can cover the 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz regions.
The bandwidth is the eye-catching part. At 320 Msps, the system can expose an enormous slice of spectrum at once, and the included browser-based tool renders it as a live waterfall using a 262,144-point FFT. The radio’s DMA engine writes into a large memory ring, after which the system sends data in UDP packets over 10GbE. The repository also includes a stream receiver and recorder, allowing other Linux software to consume the IQ data rather than relying only on the supplied web interface.
This is not a casual firmware update. Installation requires console access through a 3.3-volt USB serial adapter, a compatible Ethernet setup, and a host equipped for 10GbE. The project warns that installing it replaces the stock operating system; restoring the original software requires a raw NAND writer, and the developers recommend backing up the router’s NAND before proceeding. Users should also avoid connecting an antenna port directly to sensitive test equipment without suitable attenuation. The project documentation further emphasizes that its firmware is receive-only, with transmission disabled and MediaTek’s transmit calibration routines omitted.
For radio hackers, the W1700K is compelling because it turns surplus networking hardware into a serious spectrum instrument rather than merely repurposing a Wi-Fi dongle. It also illustrates how much capable radio silicon is shipped with functionality hidden behind vendor firmware. The next challenge is accessibility: the hardware, installation risks, and 10GbE requirements currently make this a specialist project, but continued reverse engineering could make router-based SDRs an increasingly practical alternative to dedicated receivers.
