Banana Pi BPI-R4 Lite – Budget-Friendly Router Board with OpenWrt, 2.5G WAN and Wi-Fi 7 Support

The Banana Pi is working on the BPI-R4 Lite, a cost-effective router board designed for home networking, small offices, and educational projects. It features a MediaTek MT7987A quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor, 2GB DDR4 RAM (supports up to 4GB), 8GB eMMC flash, and multiple storage options, including 256MB SPI NAND, 32MB SPI-NOR flash, and a microSD card slot. For connectivity, it includes 1x 2.5G SFP, 1x 2.5G RJ45 WAN port (PoE support), 4x 1G LAN ports, 1x USB 3.0 slot, an M.2 Key-B slot for 5G modules, and mini PCIe 3.0 slots for Wi-Fi 7 NICs.

The board supports 2x 8-pin MikroBUS headers, allowing easy expansion for various applications. While it lacks the 10G SFP+ ports and an M.2 NVMe slot found in the standard BPI-R4 model, it remains a solid choice for users needing affordable, open-source networking hardware. The addition of a Type-C UART Debug Console simplifies debugging and recovery, Ideal for OpenWrt-based applications. This board is perfect for custom network infrastructure, IoT projects, and small-scale enterprise setups, offering strong performance at a lower price than its predecessor, the BPI-R4.

Previously, Banana Pi introduced some router-based boards, including the BPI-W3, the BPI-W2, the BPI-M7, and others. If this topic interests you, feel free to check those out.

Banana Pi BPI-R4 Lite Router Board Specifications:

• SoC:
  • MediaTek MT7987A quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor
• Memory:
  • 2GB DDR4 RAM (SoC supports up to 4GB)
• Storage:
  • 8GB eMMC flash
  • 256MB SPI NAND flash
  • 32MB SPI-NOR flash
  • 1x microSD card slot
• Networking:
  • 1x 2.5GbE SFP
  • 1x 2.5 GbE RJ45 WAN port (PoE support with optional module)
  • 4x 1GbE RJ45 LAN ports
  • 3x Nano Sim Slot
• USB:
  • 1x USB 3.0 port
  • 1x USB Type-C Debug Console
• Expansion:
  • 1x M.2 Key-B slot (USB 3.0) for 5G modem
  • 1x mini PCIe slot (PCIe 3.0 x2) for Wi-Fi 7 NIC (option: 2x mini PCIe with PCIe 3.0 x1)
  • 1x mini PCIe slot (USB 2.0)
  • 2x 8-pin MikroBUS headers
  • XH-4-pin connector (5V/12V output)
• Misc:
  • mini PCIw slot 12V LED
  • WPS Key
  • Reset key
  • RTC Battery Connector
  • Compact design with optional Wi-Fi 7 NIC expansion
• Power:
  • 12V DC
  • 20V via Type-C PD Charger
  • mini PCI slot 12V On/Off
• Dimension: 100.5 x 148mm

The Banana Pi BPI-R4 Lite is designed to work with OpenWrt, offering a flexible and customizable open-source networking solution, with support for extensive packages, security updates, and advanced configurations.

One important design aspect is the mini PCIe slot configuration. The current plan features two mini PCIe slots, each with a single PCIe lane. However, to accommodate high-speed Wi-Fi 7 cards like the BE14, a specialized setup has been proposed, enabling direct installation without the need for an adapter.

Since access point Wi-Fi modules are generally larger and consume more power, the team has opted to keep mini PCIe as the primary form factor. While M.2 A+E cards like the MT7925 and QCNCM865 are commonly used for STA applications, discussions are ongoing about adapter solutions for specific needs.

Pricing and availability details have yet to be disclosed at the time of this writing. For development updates and discussions, visit the Banana Pi forum.

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