Banana Pi BPI-R4 Lite Released with MediaTek MT7987A and Wi-Fi 7 Support

The Banana Pi team has launched the BPI-R4 Lite, a smart router board powered by the MediaTek MT7987A processor. It supports Wi-Fi 7 and offers multiple high-speed interfaces, targeting applications such as internet service routers, wireless repeaters, home gateways, NAS devices, and 4G or 5G connectivity.

The board is powered by the MediaTek MT7987A quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor and comes with 2GB of DDR4 memory, with support for configurations up to 4GB. It includes 8GB of eMMC storage, complemented by 256MB of SPI-NAND flash, 32MB of SPI-NOR flash, and a microSD card slot for further expansion.

Networking interfaces include a 2.5G SFP port, a 2.5G RJ45 WAN port with optional PoE support, and four 1G RJ45 LAN ports, offering both high-speed backbone connections and flexible local networking options.

For expansion, the BPI-R4 Lite provides an M.2 Key-B slot with USB 3.0 for 4G and 5G modules, along with two miniPCIe slots. One slot supports PCIe 3.0 with a two-lane interface for Wi-Fi 7 network cards such as the BPI-R4-NIC-BE14, while the other uses a USB 2.0 connection. Additional connectivity comes from a USB 3.0 port, a USB Type-C debug console, and two 8-pin MikroBUS headers for application development.

The MediaTek MT7987A integrates a 2.5GbE port, two HSGMII/SGMII interfaces, PCIe 3.0 lanes, and USB 3.2 Gen1. Its USB 3.2 port shares an interface with one of the HSGMII/SGMII channels, allowing only one to operate at a time. Together with its companion chip, the MT7987A enables Wi-Fi 7 functionality for next-generation wireless deployments.

The board measures 100.5 by 148 millimeters, weighs 250 grams, and is powered through a 12‑volt, 5.2‑ampere DC input. It includes reset, WPS, and boot selection buttons, along with power and RJ45 status LEDs.

Optional accessories include a dedicated case, heat sink, 4G and 5G modules, and Wi-Fi 7 NICs such as the BPI-R4-NIC-BE14. Software support is available through OpenWrt and Ubuntu 22.04, with the current kernel version at 5.4. MediaTek provides vendor SDK images for the Wi-Fi 7 NICs, though only prebuilt images are distributed since the driver source code remains closed.

Specifications for the Banana Pi BPI-R4 Lite

• Memory / Storage:
  • 2GB DDR4 RAM (supports up to 4GB)
  • 8GB eMMC flash
  • 256MB SPI-NAND flash
  • 32MB SPI-NOR flash
  • MicroSD (TF) card slot for storage expansion
• Networking:
  • 1× 2.5G SFP port
  • 1× 2.5G RJ45 WAN port (PoE supported with optional module)
  • 4× 1G RJ45 LAN ports
  • Supports Wi-Fi 6 / Wi-Fi 7 (via expansion NIC)
• Expansion:
  • 1× miniPCIe slot with PCIe 3.0 (2-lane) for Wi-Fi 7 NIC
  • 1× miniPCIe slot with USB 2.0 interface
  • 1× M.2 Key-B slot with USB 3.0 for 4G/5G modules
  • 2× 8-pin MikroBUS headers (UART, I2C, SPI, PWM support)
• USB:
  • 1× USB 3.0 port
  • 1× USB Type-C debug console
• Other Features:
  • Reset button
  • WPS button
  • Boot switch
  • Power LED and RJ45 status LEDs
• Power:
  • 12V / 5.2A DC input
• Mechanical:
  • Dimensions: 100.5 × 148 mm
  • Weight: 250 g

Further Information

The Banana Pi BPI-R4 Lite development kit is currently priced at $86.43 on Youyeetoo. A bundled kit including the BPI-R4 Lite and the Wi-Fi 7 BE14 NIC is available for $161.71.