Hotspot vs Home Router?

[deleted]

Which one is more secure and private for Internet at Home?

GrapheneOS Second Phone as Hotspot with Sim-Card (via USB-Tethering)
Home Router (I did read from GrapheneOS that they have bad Security but don't track because it is only Home)

Probably9857

[deleted] Which one is more secure and private for Internet at Home?

If security and privacy are your only criteria, I think a GrapheneOS phone is the hands-down winner.

However...from an engineering perspective, phones make bad routers. The hardware was just not designed for that use.

If you only mean handling internet for your primary phone, without connecting the primary phone directly to an untrusted network, that should be fine.

If you mean using a phone to handle all your home internet traffic, that is probably not going to work very well.

Hb1hf

[deleted] (I did read from GrapheneOS that they have bad Security

If we read the same thread, the GrapheneOS account was talking about people who take "mobile hotspots" on the road instead of using their own phones, as a way to hide the IMEI. They were not talking about substituting home routers. If I remember correctly, of course.

Having a phone as home router is impractical for many reasons: mobile plans have limited monthly data, low wifi range, only one usb port, so you may not be able to keep it charging 24/7 while connecting an Ethernet donlge to connect to an AP, or have a real router act as wifi extender - in which cases you'd still need regular routers anyway.

JPN_Tales

It is unfortunate that GrapheneOS does not have a VPN hotspot feature.

[deleted]

JPN_Tales But I can use VPN in primary Phone while connecting to the Hotspot or not?

graphson

If you're thinking about security and privacy, I'd lean towards using your GrapheneOS phone as a hotspot. It gives you more control over your settings, and you can really tailor things to keep your data safe. I’ve found home routers can be a bit iffy if they’re not set up right, and even though they don’t track you like some services do, they can still be vulnerable to attacks. Personally, I feel more comfortable managing my phone’s hotspot because I know what I’m allowing and what I’m keeping private.

[deleted]

graphson So only use Second Graphene Phone for Internet always without Home Routers?

JPN_Tales

[deleted]
I have a custom ROM with VPN sharing on my Pixel 5 and use my Pixel 8 with Graphene OS using the VPN hotspot on my Pixel 5 when I am out and about.
At home, I use an OpenWRT router with a properly built firewall.
A modern OpenWRT with a well-configured firewall is very secure.

[deleted]

Hb1hf I agree but i remember reading about awful Security of Consumer Routers.

Limited? In my Country there is unlimited Data...And no I meant to connect it via USB Tethering to the Second Graphene Phone.

Hb1hf

[deleted] I agree but i remember reading about awful Security of Consumer Routers

Well, yes, but flashing openwrt in your router should address your concerns. You wouldn't have anything near the same level of physical security as a GOS phone but that should not be a big worry unless your threat model includes the police breaking into your house, hacking into your router and leaving it there.
And the online security might even be better since you can have an actual firewall, a guest network, maybe even separate vlans...

[deleted] In my Country there is unlimited Data

Yay!

[deleted] And no I meant to connect it via USB Tethering to the Second Graphene Phone.

No, I mean, the phone/router's wifi probably won't reach every room in your house, so you'd need an actual wifi router either acting as an Access Point (connected to your phone via Ethernet, hence the Ethernet usb dongle) or as a wifi repeater.

missing-root

There are ethernet to usb-c dongles

With a special combined dongle that also has USB-C-PD, and a modem to connect directly to the internet, this could work.

But as said, there are issues.

I personally use a Turris MOX router. 64bit ARM, openWRT based fully FOSS OS, DNSSEC, 4 separate wifis to isolate clients, wireguard server, other software available too.

GrapheneOS is a client OS, not a router or server

Hb1hf

missing-root special combined dongle that also has USB-C-PD

Your reply got me looking into it and omg, yes you're right, there are 37-in-1 dongles nowadays with PD (power delivery) and Ethernet, plus USB-A and USB-C ports, HDMI, SD card, VGA, PS/2, DA-15, connectors to solar panel, security cameras, TV satellite dish, a charger for your EV...
OK, everything after SD card may be a joke, but you can definitely have your phone both charging and connected to a router via and Ethernet cable.

DeletedUser87

Hb1hf maybe someone should try this with PoE - it might actually work (though I doubt it).
Edit: seems like it actually does work (link is only for demonstration purposes)

Hb1hf

DeletedUser87 yes! Before your edit I went looking too, and apparently there are a few "PoE to USB-C" products

missing-root

The question is if this works when not using any router, just a modem (like a fiber one) and a phone