Written 22 Aug 2026. Specs from the maker pages linked below. Prices from those stores. I haven't used these.
Living-room router as an AP when the closet has no PoE yet: Flint 2 (GL-MT6000)
Barrel plug on the desk or shelf. Don't buy a PoE splitter for it.
This is distinct from Cudy AP3000. Flint 2 is a desk or shelf router that also makes a better AP than a ceiling puck you cannot power. For a bench under the switch, or a house that still has no PoE run, that is the honest use. The moment you want a ceiling puck on 802.3at, buy the Cudy.
Maker specs: MediaTek quad-core 2.0 GHz, DDR4 1 GB / eMMC 8 GB, Wi-Fi 6 AX6000 (1148 + 4804), 1× 2.5G WAN, 1× 2.5G WAN/LAN, 4× 1G LAN, USB 3.0. Power input DC5521 12 V / 4 A. Consumption listed under 20 W. Official OpenWrt ToH exists.
What to buy
| Box | What it is | Street, 22 Aug 2026 | Buy if |
|---|---|---|---|
| GL-MT6000 (Flint 2) | AX6000 router / AP. 2× 2.5G + 4× 1G. Official OpenWrt. 12 V / 4 A barrel. No PoE. | GL.iNet US warehouse $169.99. Amazon B0CP7S3117 is live; I didn't capture a clean US Amazon street this pass, and I won't invent one. | Shelf or bench. You want OpenWrt and 2.5G copper before you pull PoE cable. |
| Cudy AP3000 | Ceiling AP, 2.5G PoE-in, 12 W, in-tree OpenWrt 24.10.x. | Amazon $69.90. | You already have PoE. Cudy note. |
The 2.5G ports want a non-PoE 2.5G switch if the NAS is already there. That list is best 2.5G switch for a closet lab. When you later add ceiling APs, power them from a small PoE brick, not from this router. See cheap PoE for two APs.
Skip
Skip a PoE splitter. Skip calling this a ceiling AP. Skip paying a Wi-Fi 7 tax for a box you will sit next to a 1G ISP. Skip used Ruckus.
Sources
GL.iNet Flint 2 (US warehouse $169.99 this pass). Amazon B0CP7S3117. OpenWrt ToH GL-MT6000.