Banana Pi · Released 2022
Banana Pi BPI-R3
Photo: OpenWrt wiki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized
- OpenWrt compatibility
- Fully supportedup to 25.12.6
- Our recommendation
- Advanced Users Only
A Filogic 830 router board with 2 GB RAM, onboard 4×4 Wi-Fi 6, five gigabit ports and two 2.5 Gbit SFP cages.
- CPU
- 4-core · 2.0 GHz · ARM 64-bit
- RAM / Flash
- 2 GB / 8 GB
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6
- Fastest port
- 2.5 GbE
Tested by us: No. Specifications and compatibility independently researched from manufacturer and OpenWrt documentation.· Last reviewed Oct 10, 2026
Quick answers
- Does it support OpenWrt?
- Yes, with official images since OpenWrt 23.05.0; latest release with images: 25.12.6.
- Is installation easy?
- Moderate. Boot from an SD card using the boot switches, then install to SPI-NAND or NOR and from there to eMMC.
- Is it powerful enough for WireGuard?
- WireGuard suitability: Excellent. Benchmark not yet tested.
- Does it have enough RAM and flash?
- 2 GB RAM, 8 GB flash. Plenty of room for VPN, SQM, ad blocking and extra packages.
- Does it have 2.5 GbE?
- Yes: 2× 2.5 GbE.
- Would we buy it today?
- Yes for tinkerers who want lots of RAM and SFP; buyers wanting a finished product should pick a Flint 2.Opinion
- What should I buy instead?
- Consider Banana Pi BPI-R4. See Alternatives below.Opinion
Overview
Editorial opinionThe BPI-R3 is a router board rather than a finished product: quad-core Filogic 830, 2 GB of RAM, eMMC, NAND and NOR storage, onboard Wi-Fi 6, five gigabit ports and two SFP cages that run at up to 2.5 Gbit/s.
You need a case, power supply and antennas, and installation starts from an SD card. The newer Banana Pi BPI-R4 adds 10 Gbit SFP+ but has no onboard Wi-Fi.
OpenWrt compatibility
Factual data- OpenWrt support
- Fully supported
- Support status
- Current stable release
- First release with images
- 23.05.0
- Latest release with images
- 25.12.6
- Snapshot only
- No
- Target
mediatek/filogic- Build profile
- bananapi_bpi-r3
- Install methods (OpenWrt wiki)
- SD card
- Recovery methods (OpenWrt wiki)
- JTAG,SD card,U-Boot TFTP recovery,U-Boot TFTP + serial recovery,see devicepage
Source: official OpenWrt build data and Table of Hardware, data as of Oct 20, 2026, 11:45 AM UTC.
Hardware specifications
Factual data- SoC
- MediaTek MT7986A (Filogic 830)
- CPU architecture
- ARM 64-bit (aarch64)
- CPU cores
- 4
- CPU clock
- 2.0 GHz
- RAM
- 2 GB
- Flash storage
- 8 GB eMMC (+ NAND and NOR)
- Expandable storage
- microSD slot, M.2 slot
- USB
- 1× USB 3.0
Source: wiki.banana-pi.org
Network and Wi-Fi
Factual data- Ethernet ports
- 7
- Layout
- 5× 1 GbE + 2× 2.5 Gbit SFP
- WAN speed
- 2.5 GbE
- LAN speed
- 2.5 GbE
- Multi-gig ports
- 2× 2.5 GbE
- VLAN support
- Yes
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6 · 2.4 / 5 GHz
- Standards
- 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
- 2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz
- Yes / Yes / No
- Max wireless speed
- —
- Radios
- 2
- Wi-Fi chipset
- MediaTek MT7975N / MT7975P (4×4)
- Antennas
- Not included (external connectors)
Installation difficulty
Editorial opinion- Installation difficulty
- Moderate
- Usual method
- Boot from an SD card using the boot switches, then install to SPI-NAND or NOR and from there to eMMC.
- Recovery difficulty
- Easy
- Recovery method
- Boot again from an SD card.
Our rating of how hard a first installation and an unbrick are for someone comfortable with a web interface. Always follow the official device page for exact steps.
Performance
Factual data- NAT routing throughput
- Benchmark not yet tested
- SQM (cake) shaping limit
- Benchmark not yet tested
VPN performance
Factual data- WireGuard throughput
- Benchmark not yet tested
- OpenVPN throughput
- Benchmark not yet tested
Suitability ratings are our estimate from the CPU and architecture, not measurements. See the methodology.
Pros and cons
Editorial opinionPros
- 2 GB RAM and 8 GB eMMC
- Onboard 4×4 Wi-Fi 6
- Two 2.5 Gbit SFP cages
- Many ways to recover
Cons
- Bare board: case, power supply and antennas extra
- Installation via SD card and boot switches
- No multi-gig RJ45 ports
Editorial scores
Editorial opinion- Overall
- 7.4 / 10
- OpenWrt friendliness
- 8.5 / 10
- Ease of installation(higher is easier)
- 5.5 / 10
- Performance
- 8.5 / 10
- VPN performance
- 8.5 / 10
- Value
- 8.0 / 10
Where to buy
- Check price at Amazon (opens in a new tab)AmazonCheck availability
- Check price at AliExpress (opens in a new tab)AliExpressCheck availability
Other regions (3)
- Check price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab)Amazon UKUnited Kingdom · Check availability
- Check price at Amazon España (opens in a new tab)Amazon EspañaSpain · Check availability
- Check price at Amazon Deutschland (opens in a new tab)Amazon DeutschlandGermany · Check availability
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Alternatives
Editorial opinion
Related guides
Start with how to install OpenWrt or browse all OpenWrt guides.