Banana Pi BPI-R3
295,00 € INCL. VAT
- Open source router board for OpenWrt, firewall, VPN and Wi-Fi 6 access point
- MediaTek Filogic 830, 2 GB DDR4, Wi-Fi 6 4×4, two 2.5 GbE SFP
- Five Gigabit ports, M.2 NVMe, mini PCIe, 12 V 2 A power supply
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- Description
Description
Banana Pi BPI-R3: open source Wi-Fi 6 router with two 2.5 GbE SFP ports
The Banana Pi BPI-R3 is a router board designed for OpenWrt around the MediaTek MT7986 SoC (Filogic 830). It combines 4×4 Wi-Fi 6 on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, five Gigabit Ethernet ports, two 2.5 Gbit/s SFP cages, 2 GB of DDR4, 8 GB of eMMC and M.2 and mini PCIe slots. It is the ideal base for building a router, firewall or home gateway that is entirely under your control.
Highlights
- Dual-band 4×4 Wi-Fi 6 : MT7975N for 2.4 GHz and MT7975P for 5 GHz, up to 6 Gbit/s combined according to MediaTek.
- Two 2.5 GbE SFP for a fibre connection or a fast link to a switch.
- Five Gigabit Ethernet ports via the MT7531 switch.
- Hardware acceleration of Wi-Fi and routing built into the Filogic 830.
- Four boot media : SPI NOR, SPI NAND, eMMC or microSD, selected by switches.
- M.2 M-key PCIe for an NVMe SSD, and mini PCIe (via USB) for a cellular module.
Technical specifications
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| SoC | MediaTek MT7986 (Filogic 830), 4 x Cortex-A53 up to 2 GHz |
| Memory | 2 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 8 GB eMMC, 128 MB SPI NAND, microSD |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 4×4 2.4 GHz (MT7975N) + 4×4 5 GHz (MT7975P) |
| Ethernet | 5 x 10/100/1000 Mbit/s |
| SFP | 2 x 2.5 GbE SFP |
| Extension | 1 x M.2 M-key (PCIe), 1 x mini PCIe (via USB) |
| USB | 1 x USB 3.0 host, 2 x USB on header |
| GPIO | 26 pins (UART, I2C, SPI, PWM, I2S) |
| Buttons | Reset, WPS, boot selector |
| Power supply | 12 V / 2 A via DC jack |
| Dimensions / weight | 148 x 100.5 mm, 200 g |
Which one should you choose?
| Model | SoC | Fast ports | Wi-Fi | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BPI-R3 | MT7986, 4 x A53 | 2 x 2.5G SFP + 5 x 1G | Built-in 4×4 Wi-Fi 6 | Complete all-in-one router |
| BPI-R4 | MT7988A, 4 x A73 | 2 x 10G SFP+ + 4 x 1G | Wi-Fi 7 via module | 10G fibre, professional networking |
| BPI-R3 Mini | MT7986A, 4 x A53 | 2 x 2.5 GbE RJ45 | Built-in Wi-Fi 6 | Compact 2.5G router |
| Banana Pi OpenWrt One | MT7981B, 2 x A53 | 1 x 2.5G + 1 x 1G RJ45 | Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 | Official OpenWrt board |
The BPI-R3 offers the most ports and built-in Wi-Fi. The BPI-R4 targets 10 Gbit/s; the R3 Mini and the OpenWrt One are suitable when two ports are enough.
Compatibility and pitfalls
- No video output : the board is managed over the network or via the serial port.
- 26-pin GPIO : this is not the 40-pin header of Raspberry Pi boards, HATs do not fit.
- PoE : not available on the standard version, offered only on a customised version according to Banana Pi.
- SFP modules : the cages are fixed at 2.5GBase-X, without insertion detection. Banana Pi has validated in particular the SFP-2.5G-T-R-RM (copper) and the SFP-2.5G-BX (fibre); the BPI-R4's 10G modules are not suitable.
- Heat : the SoC and the 4×4 Wi-Fi generate heat; a ventilated or heat-dissipating metal case is recommended for 24/7 use.
Recommended accessories
- The metal case for Banana Pi BPI-R3, designed for its connectors and antennas.
- L'Banana Pi 12 V 2 A power supply : 12 V / 2 A, the value specified for the BPI-R3.
- The 2.5G copper SFP module for BPI-R3 to add a 2.5 Gbit/s RJ45 port in an SFP cage.
- A CAT6 RJ45 Ethernet cable for each wired link.
Uses and projects
- Main OpenWrt router behind an ISP box or a fibre ONT.
- Firewall and VPN (WireGuard, OpenVPN) for remote working.
- Wi-Fi 6 access point high density.
- Mini NAS with an NVMe SSD on the M.2 port.
- Backup 4G router with a mini PCIe modem (Banana Pi mentions the Quectel EC25E).
For configuration, our OpenWrt tutorial on Banana Pi largely applies to the R3, and the Banana Pi page brings together the whole networking range.
Frequently asked questions
Is the BPI-R3 compatible with OpenWrt?
Yes, that is its purpose: Banana Pi publishes OpenWrt images and the board is supported by the community.
Which power supply for the BPI-R3?
12 V / 2 A via DC jack, according to the official datasheet.
Which SFP modules should I use?
2.5GBase-X modules, such as the SFP-2.5G-T-R-RM validated by Banana Pi for the BPI-R3.
Can you add an SSD?
Yes, via the M.2 M-key PCIe slot.
Does the BPI-R3 have an HDMI output?
No, it is managed via the OpenWrt web interface, SSH or the serial port.
What is the difference with the BPI-R3 Mini?
Same SoC family, but the R3 Mini is limited to two 2.5 GbE RJ45 ports, without the five Gigabit ports or the SFP cages.
The BPI-R3 is the most complete open source Wi-Fi 6 router in the 2.5G range. At MonRaspberry, you buy official, tested products, shipped from our stock based in France within 24/48 h after receipt of payment, with free pickup point delivery on orders of €200 or more, returns within 14 days (with return authorization) and payment by Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
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