Banana Pi BPI-R4 Pro router board adds 10GbE ports, WiFi 7, and 8GB RAM

Banana Pi BPI-R4 Pro WiFi 7 router board with 10GbE LAN

Banana Pi has recently announced an upgraded version of the earlier BPI-R4, the BPI-R4 Pro, a MediaTek Filogic 880 (MT7988A) based high-performance router board with 10GbE and WiFi 7 support. Designed for professional and enterprise users who need fast wired and wireless connectivity, multiple expansion options, and routing or NAS capabilities.

The board comes with 8GB DDR4 RAM, 8GB eMMC storage, and 256MB SPI NAND flash, along with a microSD slot for extra storage. Networking options include two 10GbE SFP+ cages/RJ45 combos, four 2.5GbE RJ45 ports, and two Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, managed via Aeonsemi and MaxLinear controllers. Expansion options include M.2 Key-B and two M.2 Key-M slots supporting NVMe SSDs and 4G/5G modules, plus dual mini PCIe slots for WiFi 7 NICs.

Banana Pi BPI-R4 Pro Hardware Overview (Top)

BPI-R4 Pro Hardware Overview (Bottom)

Banana Pi BPI-R4 Pro Specifications

• SoC: MediaTek Filogic 880 (MT7988A) quad-core Arm Cortex-A73 @ 1.8GHz with TOPS (Tunnel Offload Processor System)
• System Memory: 8GB DDR4
• Storage: 8GB eMMC flash, 256MB SPI NAND flash, microSD card slot
• Networking:
  • 2x 10GbE SFP+ cages multiplexed with adjacent 10GbE RJ45 ports (Aeonsemi AS21010P controllers)
  • 4x 2.5GbE RJ45 ports (MaxLinear MxL86252C switch)
  • 1x Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port
  • 1x Gigabit Ethernet via FPC connector
• USB: 1x USB 3.2 port, 1x USB 2.0 port
• Expansion:
  • 3x M.2 Key-B slots (USB 3.2 interface) for 4G/5G LTE modules
  • 2x M.2 Key-M slots (PCIe 3.0 x1) for NVMe SSDs
  • 2x mini PCIe slots (PCIe 3.0 x2) for WiFi 7 NICs
  • 26-pin GPIO header
• Debug: USB Type-C debug console
• Buttons & Indicators: Reset, WPS, 8x LEDs, cellular module LEDs, external LED FPC connector
• Other Features: RTC battery connector, bootstrap switch, 4-pin PWM fan connector
• Power Supply:
  • 12V/24V via 5.5/2.1mm DC jack
  • 20V DC via header or USB Type-C
  • Optional PoE module (RT5400)
  • 4-pin 5V/12V output, 2-pin 20V output connector
• Dimensions: 194 x 134 mm

In terms of softwer support the Banana Pi BPI-R4 Pro supports OpenWrt MTK and Debian 12, with mainline OpenWrt expected later. Current documentation mostly covers hardware info and kernel links, but system images should be added soon. It can run as a router, NAS, or edge device once software support improves.

The Pi BPI-R4 Pro can be purchsed on the BPI shop for $165. Its also avilabe on AliExpress for $214.00 without the WiFi 7 module, and the price goes up to $311 for the version with a Wi-Fi 7 module and antenna.