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A GitHub project called w1700k-sdr repurposes Gemtek W1700K and W1700K2 Wi-Fi 7 routers as wideband, receive-only software-defined radio receivers. It reports capturing 14-bit complex IQ data at up to 320 Msps and sending it to a Linux host over 10 GbE for spectrum display, recording and other processing; the project requires replacing the router’s stock software.
The open-source w1700k-sdr project says it can turn supported Gemtek W1700K and W1700K2 Wi-Fi 7 routers into wideband, receive-only software-defined radio receivers, capturing 14-bit complex IQ data at up to 320 million samples per second and streaming it to a Linux computer over 10 GbE. The approach gives researchers and radio enthusiasts a way to use the router’s MediaTek radio hardware for spectrum monitoring, recording and signal analysis, but installing it replaces the router’s stock operating system.
According to the project’s GitHub documentation, the system uses the router’s MediaTek MT7996 radio to capture raw IQ samples and its Airoha AN7581 system-on-chip to move the data. The project says its custom firmware initializes the radio from a cold start, controls tuning and gain, and streams data without using MediaTek firmware. Supported sample rates are 40, 80, 160 and 320 Msps across the listed bands; a further 640/2 mode is described for the 2.4 GHz band, with limitations on signals farther from the tuned frequency.
On the router, radio data is transferred through a DMA ring in system memory and sent in UDP datagrams over the 10 GbE port. The project says that at 320 Msps, half the data slices are packed to fit the link, while retaining the samples losslessly. A Linux host runs the stream service, which makes the IQ data available to multiple local consumers, and a spectrum application that displays a browser-based live spectrum and waterfall. The documentation describes a 262,144-point FFT and a rate of up to 100 spectra per second; the recording referenced in the project runs at 50 frames per second.
The software also supports tuning, band selection, gain and analog-filter controls, plus recording. Its optional “flatten” processing corrects roll-off from decimation in the sample stream. The project includes installation, recovery and return-to-stock tools, but users need a serial adapter, an Ethernet connection for installation, and a host with a compatible 10 GbE interface. The maintainers caution that a particular NAND chip found in some W1700K2 units is supported but has not been tested on a device.
A Router Becomes a Wideband Receiver
The project repurposes radio hardware already inside a Wi-Fi 7 router for a different job: wideband signal capture. At the stated 320 Msps rate, a receiver can monitor a broad span of spectrum at once rather than stepping through narrow frequency slices. That can be useful for observing wireless activity, comparing signals across a band or collecting data for later analysis. The documentation’s examples include views of activity across the 2.4 GHz band and multiple 5 GHz Wi-Fi channels.
The approach also illustrates how much the outcome depends on the full system, not just the radio chip. Moving high-rate IQ samples requires fast networking and host processing, and the project relies on a 10 GbE connection, custom firmware and Linux software to turn the router into a usable receiver. It is therefore not a plug-in feature for a stock router: installation changes the device’s software, and the required network hardware and setup make the project aimed at technically equipped users.
The project describes its firmware as receive-only and says it disables the MAC transmit path and does not run MediaTek transmit calibrations. That distinction matters for equipment use, though the repository’s statements are project claims rather than an independent safety certification. The maintainers also warn against connecting an antenna port directly to sensitive test equipment without attenuation.
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Custom Firmware Replaces Stock Software
The repository describes a complete software stack rather than a small application. It includes a patched Linux 6.18 system for the router, a driver and custom firmware for the MT7996 radio, host-side control and streaming programs, a browser spectrum interface, and a recording utility. The project says the firmware’s radio initialization was reconstructed by decoding register behavior against traces of MediaTek firmware; it says no MediaTek code or vendor firmware is required to build or run the system.
Installation requires access to the router’s serial console and a wired connection. The documentation says the installer backs up NAND and saves radio calibration data, and provides procedures for recovery and restoring stock software. It also warns that MediaTek ROM patches used on some devices since 2025 can permanently set an eFuse gate bit on first run. The project says its own ROM patch does not write that eFuse, but a device that has previously run MediaTek’s patch may already have the bit set.
“Our firmware is receive-only.”
— The w1700k-sdr project documentation
Hardware Tests and Limits Remain
The supplied project material does not include independent testing of the stated sample rates, data integrity, spectrum display or receive-only behavior. Performance figures and descriptions of the firmware are claims made by the project. The documentation says the 640/2 mode is available on the 2.4 GHz band but is flat only to ±155 MHz, with signals 160–320 MHz away folding into the captured range; users should not interpret that mode as an unrestricted 640 Msps capture.
Device compatibility also has a documented caveat: some W1700K2 units use a NAND variant that the maintainers say is supported but has not yet been run on a device. The source material does not establish how many units have this chip, whether installation succeeds consistently across hardware batches, or whether the project has been tested with a range of 10 GbE host adapters. It also does not provide an independent security review or a formal measurement of radio sensitivity.
Installation and Testing Ahead
The project’s next practical step for users is to build the software from its public sources, check the installation instructions for their router revision and connect the required serial and Ethernet hardware. The repository provides a test suite and describes how to install, start the radio, select a band, tune, adjust gain and view or record the stream. Because installation replaces the stock operating system, users should review the recovery instructions and back up device data before proceeding.
For the maintainers, further testing across hardware revisions and the less-tested NAND variant could clarify compatibility. Independent measurements of capture performance, signal response and transmission behavior would also help validate the project’s specifications. The supplied material does not announce a release schedule or a specific next milestone, so any additional testing or development remains dependent on updates to the repository.
Key Questions
Which routers does w1700k-sdr support?
The project lists the Gemtek W1700K hardware revision 1.x and W1700K2 hardware revision 2.1. Its documentation says both revisions use the same images, but notes a NAND variant in some W1700K2 units that has not been tested on a device.
What does 320 Msps mean in this project?
It means the receiver captures up to 320 million complex IQ samples per second, according to the project. The samples are streamed to a Linux host over 10 GbE for display, recording or other processing.
Can the modified router transmit?
The project says its firmware is receive-only, disables the MAC transmit path and does not run transmit calibrations. These are claims in the project documentation, not an independent certification; the maintainers also advise using an attenuator when connecting the antenna port to sensitive equipment.
Does installing the software keep the router’s normal firmware?
No. The project documentation says installation replaces the stock operating system. It provides backup, recovery and return-to-stock procedures, which users should review before installing.
What additional equipment is required?
The listed setup includes a 3.3-volt USB serial adapter, Ethernet for installation, and a host computer with a 10 GbE network interface connected to the router’s WAN port for the IQ stream. The host also needs the project’s software build dependencies.
Source: hn
