Be prepared for your router to not work until you figure out how to set stuff up. So hopefully this isn’t your only router. I converted a router to OpenWRT and my knowledge of networking was super basic. It was very confusing but I did get it working in a few days. However, I couldn’t get some things working like a VPN or updating without wiping all my settings. OpenWRT is router firmware, not NAS software. You’ll need to run something like CasaOS, OpenMediaVault, TrueNAS, etc for that.

This website is a great starting point for router configurations: https://routersecurity.org/#StartHere

Thank you. That’s incredibly insightful. When I get the cash I’ll setup a PiHole

Fair

That’s a good point

Why would someone pick PiHole over say a customized NextDNS on your router?

This is really neat. I’ll be trying it out for sure

In RetroArch you can go to core settings I believe and check the bios files. It’ll give a checkmark if you have it and give the MD5 hash

I did. Not nearly enough to manage my own router unfortunately

Following a guide on how to make something is different than understanding what you’re doing. By all means go for it. I think if you want to enjoy self hosting, skip to that part and come back to creating a router in the future.

Trying to create a router yourself is complicated. I knew nothing about it and installed OpenWRT onto a Netgear router and was unprepared. I ended up effectively taking a YouTube crash course trying to understand so many new networking terms and more. I got it working but any small tweaks could cause issues as I didn’t fully understand what I was doing. I bought a GL.iNet Flint 2 and have been super happy with it. Save yourself a headache, get a good router like that and start having fun running things on a RPi.

On an average PC probably RPCS3 (PS3) and CEMU (Wii U) will run okay.

I know Batocera (which is primarily for retro gaming) has a way to launch Steam games. I wondered myself if there was a way to connect GoG too

You can use the Polycentric protocol on Grayjay, though I doubt any creators actually read it.

I’d suggest taking a look at RetroGameCorps videos or written guides

I also enjoy Lemuroid but having a dedicated DMG with physical buttons beats a touchscreen. Watch and read articles from RetroGameCorps on how to setup these devices. For something simple I have been enjoying my Miyoo Mini + with MinUI.