Summary
- This mini Linksys WRT-54G alarm clock brings 2000s router nostalgia to your bedside.
- It uses a Seeed XIAO ESP32-S3 with Wi‑Fi, an external antenna, a custom carrier board, and a button.
- 3D-printed enclosure and full BOM/guide available on the creator’s blog to build your own.
There’s something really cute about retro hardware that has been shrunk down. Even as a set piece, they can be great little reminders of how far we’ve come with tech. However, miniaturised gadgets that now serve another purpose are even cooler, such as this alarm clock that’s based on the classic Linksys WRT-54G router.
This router-shaped alarm clock brings a bit of the 2000s into your bedroom
It’s so cute, you won’t want to smash it when it goes off in the morning
Credit: Glen Akins
As spotted by Hackster, this cool project was the idea of Glen Akins, who wrote about their new build on their Biker Glen blog. The blog post goes into detail as to how the Linksys WRT-54G router shaped the early days of internet use (including a design based around stacking Linksys products atop one another) before jumping into the design process of a router-shaped alarm clock.
The actual enclosure wasn’t too tricky; Akins just had to translate the shell into a 3D-printable form. Getting the hardware bits in place was the complex part, and Akins made some smart decisions with this device:
“My router clock uses a Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-S3 development board to control everything. It has Wi-Fi and a connection for an external antenna and is programmable using the Arduino development environment. I built a small carrier board to mount the XIAO board on the rear panel of the enclosure and add a +5V QWIIC interface and a connector for a button to the XIAO board. I also built a small board with a single button on it.”
Yes, this clock has Wi-Fi capabilities, and before you ask, yes, the antennae on the router clock are where it gets a signal from. It’s little touches like that that make this project really delightful. If you’d like to see one get made, peruse the full bill of materials, and follow a guide to make your own, head over to the Biker Glen blog for all the relevant information.
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