The Banana Pi BPI-R4 Lite targets the router board market as a mid-range solution that blends strong specifications with practical design. Powered by the MediaTek MT7987A (Filogic 850) quad-core Cortex-A53 processor, it delivers enough performance for both home setups and small business networking. The board integrates multiple wired and wireless options, flexible expansion interfaces, and a solid set of I/O features in a compact form factor.
Right out of the box, the BPI-R4 Lite stands out with 2GB of DDR4 RAM, 8GB of onboard eMMC flash, and a microSD slot for extra storage. Networking capabilities include standard RJ45 LAN ports along with higher-speed connections through a 2.5GbE WAN port and an SFP cage. Wireless connectivity expands further with support for WiFi 7 via an optional NIC module, while the M.2 Key-B socket enables 4G/5G integration.
We previously covered the Banana Pi BPI-F4 industrial board powered by the Sunplus SP7350 SoC for robotics and AIoT applications, as well as the Banana Pi BPI-F5 SBC based on the Allwinner T527. You can check those articles if you’re interested in related products.
Banana Pi BPI-R4 Lite Specifications:
The Banana Pi BPI-R4 Lite runs on a MediaTek MT7987AV (Filogic 850) quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor clocked at 2.0 GHz, paired with a network processing unit capable of handling up to 7.5 Gbps packet processing. The board ships with 2GB of DDR4 RAM, though the SoC supports up to 4GB, along with 8GB of eMMC flash and a microSD card slot for extra storage. Networking includes a 2.5GbE WAN port, a 2.5GbE SFP cage, and four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports routed through a MediaTek MT7531AE switch.
Wireless and cellular connectivity expand through dual mini-PCIe slots and an M.2 Key-B socket. One mini-PCIe slot offers PCIe 3.0 x2 lanes for a WiFi 7 NIC, while the other provides a USB 2.0 interface. The M.2 Key-B slot comes with a USB 3.0 interface for 4G LTE or 5G modules, tested with Quectel’s EC25, EM05, RM500U-CN, and RM520N-GL modems. Users also get three nanoSIM slots for flexible mobile networking.
The I/O set includes a USB 3.0 port, USB Type-C debug console, a 16-pin MikroBUS header supporting UART, I2C, SPI, PWM, and other interfaces, plus reset, WPS, and bootstrap switches. Additional features include an RTC battery holder, connectors for 12V and 5V fans, and support for optional PoE via an RT5400 module. Power can be supplied through a 12V DC barrel jack, a 2-pin connector, or up to 20V via USB Type-C PD.
Banana Pi provides OpenWrt images for the BPI-R4 Lite, built on the Linux 5.4 kernel and featuring support for MediaTek’s MP4.2 WiFi driver. The board allows users to configure the PCIe interface as either a full x2 lane or split into dual x1 lanes, depending on expansion needs for networking or wireless modules. While the WiFi driver source code is not fully open, prebuilt binaries are available for deployment, and full details are documented on the official wiki page.
Banana Pi BPI-R4 Lite with case (Available on youyeetoo on $16.85)
The Banana Pi BPI-R4 Lite (2GB DDR4, 8GB eMMC) is available from the official Banana Pi Shop for US$70. It can also be purchased through Youyeetoo starting at US$76.66, and from the official Banana Pi store on AliExpress for about US$88.42. Prices vary depending on the seller, and adding a WiFi 7 module or other expansion options will increase the overall cost.
Niladri Chowdhury