BPI R4 and BE14 WiFi 7 unfortunate combo?

Banana Pi Router design BPI-R4/BPI-R4 Pro(MT7988)
1

Hello guys,

I watched this video and decided to go with R4 instead of R3

Found out that wi-fi module is separate so I ordered BE14.

After couple of days I stumbled here and read about BE14 issues and got recommendation to return it.

Can I get something decent from this setup for daily use with latest stable OpenWrt? Even on 6g or 5g?

Is it going to be better in the future with software patches? Or this module is simply bad?

2

First of all:

→ I didn’t find the video very helpful! If there’s “cool” background music, you’re likely being manipulated!

That said, the video mentioned that this is a development board. But it also claimed that “… everything works” :face_vomiting:

The R3 and R4 have higher noise (among other issues) because the Wi-Fi chips are not shielded. But if you read the comments for BE14 it is more complex topic … :see_no_evil:

Wi-Fi 7 topic:

→ Wi-Fi 7 and the MT7988(A) are still under active (mainline?) development.

→ That’s why you don’t see many Wi-Fi 7 routers on the list of supported openwrt devices.

Linux 6.16 Release: (latest)

Wi-Fi – MediaTek (mt76)

  • Wi-Fi 7 improvements
  • Implemented support for MT7990

MT7988(A)

  • Support for SPI controllers was added (SoC + BPI-R4)
  • Support for XSPHY, USB, and PCIe2 was added as well
  • Fan and cooling maps were added for the BPI-R4 machine

New device:

  • Added Banana Pi R4 2G5 machine variant

You can:

→ look for AsiaRF AW7915 or AW7916

→ later consider the AW7990

→ check OpenWrt two

→ or BPI BE19

→ Or just buy an OpenWrt-supported Wi-Fi 6/7 router?

4

Open-source DIY wireless routers are basically a joke. No matter what setup you go with or what new products come out, they’re never going to match the speed and stability of retail routers made for everyday users. The main reason? Chip makers care more about profits and protecting their IP, so true open-source support is never going to happen. If you really want to mess around with OpenWrt, just get a router that officially supports it. Don’t get tricked by development boards that look great on paper.

5

First I was planning to get a router that supports OpenWrt, while searching I found R3 and after the above video said to myself why not R4 haha.

Everything is already shipped so we will see…if I can get a refund for the module, maybe I’ll buy that AsiaRF.

Anyways thank you guys, that was a cold shower :smiley: