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Voltarum OpenWRT buyers guide

Banana Pi · Released 2024

Banana Pi BPI-R4

Banana Pi BPI-R4

Photo: OpenWrt wiki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized

OpenWrt compatibility
Fully supportedup to 25.12.6
Our recommendation
Advanced Users Only

A router board with two 10G SFP+ cages and 4 GB RAM; superb for multi-gig, but you assemble it yourself.

CPU
4-core · 1.8 GHz · ARM 64-bit
RAM / Flash
4 GB / 8 GB
Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi
Fastest port
10 GbE

Tested by us: No. Specifications and compatibility independently researched from manufacturer and OpenWrt documentation.· Last reviewed Oct 10, 2026

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Quick answers

Does it support OpenWrt?
Yes, with official images since OpenWrt 24.10.0; latest release with images: 25.12.6.
Is installation easy?
Moderate. Write the SD card image, boot from it using the boot-selection switches, then install to the internal storage.
Is it powerful enough for WireGuard?
WireGuard suitability: Excellent. Benchmark not yet tested.
Does it have enough RAM and flash?
4 GB RAM, 8 GB flash. Plenty of room for VPN, SQM, ad blocking and extra packages.
Does it have 2.5 GbE?
Yes: 2× 10 GbE.
Would we buy it today?
Yes for multi-gig enthusiasts who enjoy building their own router. Not for a plug-and-play setup.Opinion
What should I buy instead?
Consider FriendlyElec NanoPi R6S, GL.iNet Brume 2. See Alternatives below.Opinion

Overview

Editorial opinion

The BPI-R4 is a bare router board built on MediaTek's Filogic 880 (MT7988A) with four Cortex-A73 cores, two 10 Gbit SFP+ cages and four gigabit ports. It has official OpenWrt support.

It is not a consumer product: you need a case, a power supply, SFP+ modules and, for Wi-Fi, a separately sold Wi-Fi 7 card. Installation starts from an SD card.

OpenWrt compatibility

Factual data
Synced Oct 21, 2026
OpenWrt support
Fully supported
Support status
Current stable release
First release with images
24.10.0
Latest release with images
25.12.6
Snapshot only
No
Target
mediatek/filogic
Build profile
bananapi_bpi-r4
OpenWrt device page ↗Download in Firmware Selector ↗

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 MT7988A (Filogic 880)
CPU architecture
ARM 64-bit (aarch64)
CPU cores
4
CPU clock
1.8 GHz
RAM
4 GB
Flash storage
8 GB eMMC
Expandable storage
microSD slot, M.2 slot for NVMe
USB
1× USB 3.2

Source: docs.banana-pi.org

Network and Wi-Fi

Factual data
Wired
Ethernet ports
6
Layout
2× 10G SFP+ + 4× 1 GbE
WAN speed
10 GbE
LAN speed
10 GbE
Multi-gig ports
2× 10 GbE
VLAN support
Yes
Wireless
Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi
Standards
—
2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz
No / No / No
Max wireless speed
—
Radios
—
Wi-Fi chipset
—
Antennas
None (optional Wi-Fi 7 card sold separately)

Installation difficulty

Editorial opinion
Installation difficulty
Moderate
Usual method
Write the SD card image, boot from it using the boot-selection switches, then install to the internal storage.
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
SQM (bufferbloat control)Excellent
Access point useNot assessed
MeshNot assessed

VPN performance

Factual data
WireGuard throughput
Benchmark not yet tested
OpenVPN throughput
Benchmark not yet tested
WireGuard suitabilityExcellent
OpenVPN suitabilityGood

Suitability ratings are our estimate from the CPU and architecture, not measurements. See the methodology.

Pros and cons

Editorial opinion

Pros

  • Two 10G SFP+ cages
  • Fast quad-core Cortex-A73 CPU and 4 GB RAM
  • Official OpenWrt support

Cons

  • Bare board: case, power supply and SFP modules extra
  • No Wi-Fi without an add-on card
  • Installation via SD card and boot switches

Editorial scores

Editorial opinion
Overall
7.8 / 10
OpenWrt friendliness
8.0 / 10
Ease of installation(higher is easier)
5.0 / 10
Performance
9.5 / 10
VPN performance
9.5 / 10
Value
8.0 / 10

Where to buy

Other regions (3)

Typical street price around $110 (editorial reference, not a live price). Prices are shown only if updated in the last 24 hours and may change; the retailer’s price at checkout applies. We may earn a commission from these links at no cost to you. Affiliate disclosure

Alternatives

Editorial opinion
FriendlyElec NanoPi R6S
FriendlyElec NanoPi R6S8.2
Fully supportedRecommended

No Wi-Fi · 8 GB RAM · 2.5 GbE · ~$130

A tiny wired router with an 8-core RK3588S, 8 GB RAM and two 2.5 GbE ports; plenty of power for VPN and SQM.

Compare side by side →
GL.iNet Brume 2 (GL-MT2500)7.6
Fully supportedRecommended

No Wi-Fi · 1 GB RAM · 2.5 GbE · ~$89

A small wired VPN gateway with a 2.5 GbE WAN port, 1 GB RAM and 8 GB eMMC; no Wi-Fi.

Compare side by side →
GL.iNet Flint 2
GL.iNet Flint 2 (GL-MT6000)9.2
Fully supportedHighly Recommended

Wi-Fi 6 · 1 GB RAM · 2.5 GbE · ~$159

The easy pick for a main OpenWrt router: fast quad-core CPU, 1 GB RAM, two 2.5 GbE ports and painless installation.

Compare side by side →

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