I’m already confused. Banana pi bpi-r4 is only compatible with Banana Pi BPI-R4 Wifi 7 Module or can it accommodate an AsiaRF module with 14 antennas? Are they compatible?
And one more question, the firmware selector openwrt displays banana pi bpi-r4 and banana pi bpi-r4 2.5ge, is this another version of banana? I ordered Banana Pi BPI-R4 from aliexpress ()https://aliexpress.ru/item/1005006993893597.html?spm=a2g2w.orderdetail.0.0.e3384aa6y2YgWc&sku_id=12000038982259922, which version of openwrt should I install?
Afair the asiarf uses m.2 where bpi module uses mPCIe connectors,so not compatible.
AsiaRF AW7915 and AW7916 modules are available with either M2 or mPCIe connectors.
The spacing between the connectors and the pinout might not be the same. At least no one on the forum have reported that the AsiaRF board works with the BPI-R4.
I know the BPI-R4 board has a combined connector for 2 mPCIe interfaces, but I thought a single mPCIe connector would be a standard pinout and size.
In this thread https://forum.banana-pi.org/t/bpi-r4-building-with-asiarf-7916-need-help/17389/21 people are reporting the AsiaRF card will fit in the mPCIe slot and are recognized.
I have not tested an AsiaRF card myself.
i guess they talking about the wifi6e cards (single pcie), no dual connector like the bpi wifi7 card…the bpi board is mt7996 with 2 frontends
i know that asiarf also had a mt7996 wifi7 card, this is what i’m talking about, but did not know if it has also an mpcie variant and if the space between connectors will fit r4
Yeah I thought it was the WiFi 7 board since we are in the WiFi 7 module thread. The 7916 works at least the official docs says so.
Of course, I understand that the BE19000 module is being developed, but I would like to know the details. This silence is just killing me. It’s as if everyone forgot about this module
Hi, Is there any news about the OpenWrt mainline support for the BPI-BE14 for the R4? Any idea about when shall we expect it?
The firmware is currently testing state and cannot be added to openwrt due to missing license. But you can fork the main project and add it by yourself
May I ask which license are you referring?
I try to explain, but I’m a laiman:
Banana Pi has their own special openwrt Version (I think this is what frank means with “main project”) The driver should be developed by Mediatek & Banana Pi.
But people like frank-w and Dangowrt working on the official Openwrt. Because this is open source, you can not add a driver from someone else and publish it without permission. As I understand it right the wifi 7 driver has to be integrated in linux (OpenWrt is based on Linux). This is the “problem”!
It is a bit confusing, because we are on the banana Pi forum. But it makes sense, because the Banana PI openwrt version is limited in other ways … .
→ hoping this is correct? 
Yes, understandeble → you have to see this from a “popcorn perspective” 
.
If you followed the information about the BE14 board → the silence about BE19 makes sense.
For BE14 the pictures are out like for BE19. But than they had to redesign the BE14 board. I assume this will also happend for BE19.
There are even people who can not joke about their mistakes in a private context. Because they don’t want make fun about themselves … .
Anyway, we have a private perspective on this topic. But for Banana PI it is about their business reputation. They don’t want to embarrass your company!
I also would like to have more information about the NIC’s and drivers. And I want more people from banana PI in the chat rooms and … but it seems like we have to live with that what we get, so waiting go’s on
So it turns out that the R4 snapshots posted on the openwrt website do not have a wifi 7 driver? Then how do people use BE14? Where do they get the openwrt firmware with the proprietary wifi 7 driver from mediatek?
It’s also a little confusing that the BE14 is now being more actively developed, it’s already on sale, despite the fact that the vote showed that people are more interested in the BE19
This is the OpenWrt version from banana PI:
OpenWrt firmware download:
https://firmware-selector.openwrt.org/?version=SNAPSHOT&target=mediatek%2Ffilogic&id=bananapi_bpi-r4
Yes, but this is no democracy and it is history (because they decided for BE14 first).
For me it looks like a good chance for a BE19 board … future will show
Thanks, In general, in this case, how important is it for wifi 7 for R4 to have an open driver? I mean, is there any advantage from an open driver in Linux over a proprietary one from Mediatek, besides the openness of the code itself?
Sorry if I’m bothering you with my amateurish questions, I saw in the list of R4 firmwares a version with RJ 2.5Gb, i.e. In this firmware, SFP is disabled and one of the RJ ports becomes 2.5Gb? Can it be installed on a standard R4 without any manual modifications? It’s strange that it is listed below the oldest firmware versions, is this version ever updated?