> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://articles.akadata.co.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Banana Pi BPI-R4: Real-World Wi-Fi 7 Performance - URL: https://articles.akadata.co.uk/banana-pi-bpi-r4-real-world-wi-fi-7-performance/ - Published: 2025-07-17T05:52:24.000Z - Updated: 2025-07-17T06:20:04.000Z - Author: AKADATA ### Introduction The Banana Pi BPI-R4 is marketed as a next-generation single-board router with support for Wi-Fi 7, dual 10GbE SFP ports and Quad Port Switch, 1GbE/2.5GbE(when supported) per port with Switch fabric, and a quad-core ARM architecture and 8GB Ram. But can it really deliver the speeds modern networks demand? We tested it using OpenWrt and standard tools like `iperf3` to see what this little powerhouse can actually do. --- ### Setup Overview - **Device**: Banana Pi BPI-R4 - **Firmware**: OpenWrt - **Wireless Config**: Dual-band AP (2.4GHz and 5GHz enabled) - **Client**: Intel AX211 on a system powered by i9-13900K (Homer) - **Distance**: <2 meters line of sight (for peak throughput test) - **Heat Dissipation**: Custom heatsink with fan and Peltier module (for thermals under load) --- ### 5GHz Performance – Fast Enough to Raise Eyebrows At 160MHz channel width on 5GHz, using HE-MCS 11 (Wi-Fi 6E / 7 standard), the link showed: ``` SSID: OpenWrt-5g freq: 5180 MHz (Channel 36) rx bitrate: 2401.9 MBit/s signal: -33 dBm ``` Using `iperf3`, the real-world throughput reached: ``` 1.14 Gbits/sec (TX) 1.06 Gbits/sec (RX) ``` This wasn't just theoretical. The data flow was consistent and stable: ```homer director@homer:/srv/tftp$ iperf3 -c 192.168.1.1 Connecting to host 192.168.1.1, port 5201 [ 5] local 192.168.1.229 port 46952 connected to 192.168.1.1 port 5201 [ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr Cwnd [ 5] 0.00-1.00 sec 136 MBytes 1.14 Gbits/sec 0 2.61 MBytes [ 5] 1.00-2.00 sec 132 MBytes 1.11 Gbits/sec 0 2.05 MBytes [ 5] 2.00-3.00 sec 125 MBytes 1.05 Gbits/sec 0 2.34 MBytes [ 5] 3.00-4.00 sec 126 MBytes 1.06 Gbits/sec 0 2.20 MBytes [ 5] 4.00-5.00 sec 131 MBytes 1.10 Gbits/sec 0 2.52 MBytes [ 5] 5.00-6.00 sec 127 MBytes 1.06 Gbits/sec 0 1.97 MBytes [ 5] 6.00-7.00 sec 123 MBytes 1.03 Gbits/sec 0 2.80 MBytes [ 5] 7.00-8.00 sec 134 MBytes 1.13 Gbits/sec 0 1.94 MBytes [ 5] 8.00-9.00 sec 123 MBytes 1.03 Gbits/sec 0 1.55 MBytes [ 5] 9.00-10.00 sec 127 MBytes 1.06 Gbits/sec 0 2.88 MBytes - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr [ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 1.25 GBytes 1.08 Gbits/sec 0 sender [ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 1.23 GBytes 1.06 Gbits/sec receiver ``` > ⚡️ **“Oh my, this is fast.”** These speeds outperformed the Eero Max 7 tested in the same environment. ```bpi-4 ' root@OpenWrt:/usr/local/src/openwrt# iperf3 -s ----------------------------------------------------------- Server listening on 5201 (test #1) ----------------------------------------------------------- Accepted connection from 192.168.1.229, port 35168 [ 5] local 192.168.1.1 port 5201 connected to 192.168.1.229 port 35172 [ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate [ 5] 0.00-1.00 sec 24.1 MBytes 202 Mbits/sec [ 5] 1.00-2.00 sec 25.2 MBytes 212 Mbits/sec [ 5] 2.00-3.00 sec 24.7 MBytes 207 Mbits/sec [ 5] 3.00-4.00 sec 25.5 MBytes 214 Mbits/sec [ 5] 4.00-5.00 sec 25.9 MBytes 217 Mbits/sec [ 5] 5.00-6.00 sec 25.6 MBytes 214 Mbits/sec [ 5] 6.00-7.00 sec 23.8 MBytes 200 Mbits/sec [ 5] 7.00-8.00 sec 25.9 MBytes 217 Mbits/sec [ 5] 8.00-9.00 sec 25.7 MBytes 216 Mbits/sec [ 5] 9.00-10.00 sec 24.5 MBytes 205 Mbits/sec [ 5] 10.00-10.00 sec 174 KBytes 372 Mbits/sec - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate [ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 251 MBytes 211 Mbits/sec receiver ----------------------------------------------------------- Server listening on 5201 (test #2) ----------------------------------------------------------- Accepted connection from 192.168.1.229, port 60652 [ 5] local 192.168.1.1 port 5201 connected to 192.168.1.229 port 60662 [ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate [ 5] 0.00-1.00 sec 24.0 MBytes 201 Mbits/sec [ 5] 1.00-2.00 sec 23.4 MBytes 197 Mbits/sec [ 5] 2.00-3.00 sec 24.8 MBytes 208 Mbits/sec [ 5] 3.00-4.00 sec 25.1 MBytes 210 Mbits/sec [ 5] 4.00-5.00 sec 25.3 MBytes 212 Mbits/sec [ 5] 5.00-6.00 sec 25.6 MBytes 215 Mbits/sec [ 5] 6.00-7.00 sec 24.4 MBytes 205 Mbits/sec [ 5] 7.00-8.00 sec 25.4 MBytes 213 Mbits/sec [ 5] 8.00-9.00 sec 25.2 MBytes 211 Mbits/sec [ 5] 9.00-10.00 sec 25.6 MBytes 215 Mbits/sec [ 5] 10.00-10.01 sec 223 KBytes 198 Mbits/sec - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate [ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 249 MBytes 209 Mbits/sec receiver ----------------------------------------------------------- Server listening on 5201 (test #3) ----------------------------------------------------------- Accepted connection from 192.168.1.229, port 46950 [ 5] local 192.168.1.1 port 5201 connected to 192.168.1.229 port 46952 [ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate [ 5] 0.00-1.00 sec 117 MBytes 984 Mbits/sec [ 5] 1.00-2.00 sec 129 MBytes 1.08 Gbits/sec [ 5] 2.00-3.00 sec 122 MBytes 1.02 Gbits/sec [ 5] 3.00-4.00 sec 128 MBytes 1.08 Gbits/sec [ 5] 4.00-5.00 sec 129 MBytes 1.08 Gbits/sec [ 5] 5.00-6.00 sec 131 MBytes 1.09 Gbits/sec [ 5] 6.00-7.00 sec 124 MBytes 1.04 Gbits/sec [ 5] 7.00-8.00 sec 129 MBytes 1.08 Gbits/sec [ 5] 8.00-9.00 sec 125 MBytes 1.05 Gbits/sec [ 5] 9.00-10.00 sec 127 MBytes 1.06 Gbits/sec [ 5] 10.00-10.01 sec 788 KBytes 1.20 Gbits/sec - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate [ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 1.23 GBytes 1.06 Gbits/sec receiver ----------------------------------------------------------- Server listening on 5201 (test #4) ----------------------------------------------------------- ``` --- ### Local same host bandwidth ``` root@OpenWrt:~# iperf -c 192.168.1.1 ------------------------------------------------------------ Client connecting to 192.168.1.1, TCP port 5001 TCP window size: 3.51 MByte (default) ------------------------------------------------------------ [ 3] local 192.168.1.1 port 32950 connected with 192.168.1.1 port 5001 [ ID] Interval Transfer Bandwidth [ 3] 0.0-10.0 sec 19.5 GBytes 16.8 Gbits/sec root@OpenWrt:~# iperf -c 192.168.1.1 ------------------------------------------------------------ Client connecting to 192.168.1.1, TCP port 5001 TCP window size: 3.51 MByte (default) ------------------------------------------------------------ [ 3] local 192.168.1.1 port 53624 connected with 192.168.1.1 port 5001 [ ID] Interval Transfer Bandwidth [ 3] 0.0-10.0 sec 19.8 GBytes 17.0 Gbits/sec ``` ### 2.4GHz: Functional, but Not Spectacular While not the headline act, 2.4GHz performance stayed stable. The focus, however, remains on modern 5GHz and future 6GHz connectivity. ```ax211 director@homer:~$ iperf3 -c 192.168.1.1 Connecting to host 192.168.1.1, port 5201 [ 5] local 192.168.1.229 port 27880 connected to 192.168.1.1 port 5201 [ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr Cwnd [ 5] 0.00-1.00 sec 31.5 MBytes 264 Mbits/sec 0 865 KBytes [ 5] 1.00-2.00 sec 25.1 MBytes 211 Mbits/sec 0 820 KBytes [ 5] 2.00-3.00 sec 25.8 MBytes 216 Mbits/sec 0 732 KBytes [ 5] 3.00-4.00 sec 25.5 MBytes 214 Mbits/sec 0 738 KBytes [ 5] 4.00-5.00 sec 24.9 MBytes 209 Mbits/sec 0 549 KBytes [ 5] 5.00-6.00 sec 25.5 MBytes 214 Mbits/sec 0 614 KBytes [ 5] 6.00-7.00 sec 24.5 MBytes 206 Mbits/sec 0 865 KBytes [ 5] 7.00-8.00 sec 29.2 MBytes 245 Mbits/sec 0 848 KBytes [ 5] 8.00-9.00 sec 23.0 MBytes 193 Mbits/sec 0 611 KBytes [ 5] 9.00-10.00 sec 26.6 MBytes 223 Mbits/sec 0 925 KBytes - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr [ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 262 MBytes 219 Mbits/sec 0 sender [ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 254 MBytes 213 Mbits/sec receiver iperf Done. ``` ```bpi-4 ----------------------------------------------------------- Server listening on 5201 (test #7) ----------------------------------------------------------- Accepted connection from 192.168.1.229, port 46836 [ 5] local 192.168.1.1 port 5201 connected to 192.168.1.229 port 46848 [ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate [ 5] 0.00-1.00 sec 18.7 MBytes 157 Mbits/sec [ 5] 1.00-2.00 sec 21.3 MBytes 179 Mbits/sec [ 5] 2.00-3.00 sec 22.2 MBytes 186 Mbits/sec [ 5] 3.00-4.00 sec 22.1 MBytes 186 Mbits/sec [ 5] 4.00-5.00 sec 24.9 MBytes 209 Mbits/sec [ 5] 5.00-6.00 sec 25.4 MBytes 213 Mbits/sec [ 5] 6.00-7.00 sec 25.8 MBytes 217 Mbits/sec [ 5] 7.00-8.00 sec 25.9 MBytes 218 Mbits/sec [ 5] 8.00-9.00 sec 24.4 MBytes 205 Mbits/sec [ 5] 9.00-10.00 sec 25.1 MBytes 210 Mbits/sec [ 5] 10.00-10.06 sec 1.48 MBytes 210 Mbits/sec - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate [ 5] 0.00-10.06 sec 237 MBytes 198 Mbits/sec receiver ----------------------------------------------------------- ``` --- Some of the readings below are simply not correct, using the MediaTek OpenWRT 22.02 firmware the speed amazing the drivers slowly getting there. ![](https://articles.akadata.co.uk/content/images/2025/07/image-30.png) ### Connecting Across Subnets – Worker vs Router Even when crossing from AP → router → upstream system (worker), performance remained solid: ``` iperf3 between Homer and Worker (via AP): TX: 1.08 GBytes @ 929 Mbit/sec RX: 1.07 GBytes @ 915 Mbit/sec ``` This confirms that even in routed, non-bridged configurations, the BPI-R4 maintains near-gigabit throughput. ``` BusyBox v1.33.2 (2023-11-01 06:15:09 UTC) built-in shell (ash) _______ ________ __ | |.-----.-----.-----.| | | |.----.| |_ | - || _ | -__| || | | || _|| _| |_______|| __|_____|__|__||________||__| |____| |__| W I R E L E S S F R E E D O M ----------------------------------------------------- OpenWrt 21.02-SNAPSHOT, unknown ----------------------------------------------------- root@OpenWrt:~# iw dev phy2-ap0 info Interface phy2-ap0 ifindex 27 wdev 0x200000003 addr 00:02:55:66:83:d4 ssid OpenWrt-6g type AP wiphy 2 channel 37 (6135 MHz), width: 320 MHz, center1: 6265 MHz txpower 12.00 dBm multicast TXQ: qsz-byt qsz-pkt flows drops marks overlmt hashcol tx-bytes tx-packets 0 0 455 0 0 0 0 77059 460 root@OpenWrt:~# iw dev phy1-ap0 info Interface phy1-ap0 ifindex 26 wdev 0x100000003 addr 00:01:55:66:83:d4 ssid OpenWrt-5g type AP wiphy 1 channel 36 (5180 MHz), width: 160 MHz, center1: 5250 MHz txpower 23.00 dBm multicast TXQ: qsz-byt qsz-pkt flows drops marks overlmt hashcol tx-bytes tx-packets 0 0 72 0 0 0 0 14113 73 root@OpenWrt:~# iw dev phy0-ap0 info Interface phy0-ap0 ifindex 25 wdev 0x3 addr 00:00:55:66:83:d4 ssid OpenWrt-2g type AP wiphy 0 channel 1 (2412 MHz), width: 20 MHz, center1: 2412 MHz txpower 27.00 dBm multicast TXQ: qsz-byt qsz-pkt flows drops marks overlmt hashcol tx-bytes tx-packets 0 0 404 0 0 0 0 72229 407 root@OpenWrt:~# ``` --- ### 📱 6GHz Test: Smartphone Surges Ahead While the 5GHz results on a desktop were already impressive, testing with a modern smartphone brought shocking performance: (S25 ULTRA) ### Mobile 6GHz Test – Peak Wireless at Home Testing from a modern Android handset over 6GHz at \~8-10 meters: 📱 **iperf3 (Phone → BPI-R4)** ``` Max: 4.51 Gbps Avg: 1.95 Gbps Min: 0.94 Gbps ``` This shows the AX-ready client ramping up beyond 4 Gbps before settling around 2 Gbps with real-world distance. No trickery—this was sustained upload throughput with distance attenuation and thermal load. ![](https://articles.akadata.co.uk/content/images/2025/07/image-27.png) - **Initial Upload Speed (at \~2m)**: **Over 4 Gbit/sec** burst - **Distance (\~8–10m)**: Speed reduced to around **300 Mbit/sec** ![](https://articles.akadata.co.uk/content/images/2025/07/image-28.png) This massive dropoff highlights the physics of 6GHz — ultra-fast at close range, but highly sensitive to obstacles and distance. Yet the fact remains: **4Gbps is achievable** with a client that supports it. > 📊 *This outperformed not just the Banana Pi's own 5GHz numbers, but also left the Eero Max 7 in the dust in the same room.* These figures were achieved without tuning, there was however a pelter heat sink sitting on the upside down BPI-4 over the BE1400 Radios, and without firmware patches for 6GHz. ![](https://articles.akadata.co.uk/content/images/2025/07/image-29.png) ``` root@OpenWrt:~# iw reg get global country GB: DFS-ETSI (2400 - 2483 @ 40), (N/A, 20), (N/A) (5150 - 5250 @ 80), (N/A, 23), (N/A), NO-OUTDOOR, AUTO-BW (5250 - 5350 @ 80), (N/A, 20), (0 ms), NO-OUTDOOR, DFS, AUTO-BW (5470 - 5730 @ 160), (N/A, 26), (0 ms), DFS (5725 - 5850 @ 80), (N/A, 23), (N/A), NO-OUTDOOR (5925 - 6425 @ 160), (N/A, 23), (N/A), NO-OUTDOOR (57000 - 71000 @ 2160), (N/A, 40), (N/A) root@OpenWrt:~# iw reg set US root@OpenWrt:~# iw reg get global country US: DFS-FCC (902 - 904 @ 2), (N/A, 30), (N/A) (904 - 920 @ 16), (N/A, 30), (N/A) (920 - 928 @ 8), (N/A, 30), (N/A) (2400 - 2472 @ 40), (N/A, 30), (N/A) (5150 - 5250 @ 80), (N/A, 23), (N/A), AUTO-BW (5250 - 5350 @ 80), (N/A, 24), (0 ms), DFS, AUTO-BW (5470 - 5730 @ 160), (N/A, 24), (0 ms), DFS (5730 - 5850 @ 80), (N/A, 30), (N/A), AUTO-BW (5850 - 5895 @ 40), (N/A, 27), (N/A), NO-OUTDOOR, AUTO-BW (5925 - 7125 @ 320), (N/A, 12), (N/A), NO-OUTDOOR (57240 - 71000 @ 2160), (N/A, 40), (N/A) ``` ### Next Steps: 6GHz and Mesh Expansion The BPI-R4 supports Wi-Fi 7 including 6GHz. While current firmware requires tweaking, the hardware is ready. Planned: - Tune and enable 6GHz AP mode reliably - works a treat on the phone, not so with Arch - Deploy mesh networking using BATMAN-adv - Add second and third nodes for full-site mesh testing --- ## ⚠️ Regional Limitations – The GB Regdom Trap As testing progressed, one obstacle surfaced: regulatory domain enforcement. When operating under the **default US regulatory domain**, all was well—160MHz channels on 5GHz and full 6GHz access. But the moment we issued: ``` iw reg set GB ``` ...everything collapsed. Speeds dropped, channels vanished, and the 6GHz band became unusable. Not just 6GHz—**2.4GHz and 5GHz also vanished**. This isn’t the fault of the hardware. It's a known limitation with **`wireless-regdb`** and **OpenWrt’s regdb signature enforcement**, which disables 6GHz in most countries unless the firmware and regdb are properly signed and recognised. > ✍️ A custom kernel will be compiled that bypasses this restriction—not to cheat, but to restore *lawful* access to bands that are available under GB regulations but poorly represented in upstream databases. 📚 Related: [When the Kernel Turns Against You](https://articles.akadata.co.uk/when-the-kernel-turns-against-you-linux-freedom-of-choice/) ``` root@OpenWrt:~# iw reg get global country GB: DFS-ETSI (2400 - 2483 @ 40), (N/A, 20), (N/A) (5150 - 5250 @ 80), (N/A, 23), (N/A), NO-OUTDOOR, AUTO-BW (5250 - 5350 @ 80), (N/A, 20), (0 ms), NO-OUTDOOR, DFS, AUTO-BW (5470 - 5730 @ 160), (N/A, 26), (0 ms), DFS (5725 - 5850 @ 80), (N/A, 23), (N/A), NO-OUTDOOR (5925 - 6425 @ 160), (N/A, 23), (N/A), NO-OUTDOOR (57000 - 71000 @ 2160), (N/A, 40), (N/A) root@OpenWrt:~# iw reg set US root@OpenWrt:~# iw reg get global country US: DFS-FCC (902 - 904 @ 2), (N/A, 30), (N/A) (904 - 920 @ 16), (N/A, 30), (N/A) (920 - 928 @ 8), (N/A, 30), (N/A) (2400 - 2472 @ 40), (N/A, 30), (N/A) (5150 - 5250 @ 80), (N/A, 23), (N/A), AUTO-BW (5250 - 5350 @ 80), (N/A, 24), (0 ms), DFS, AUTO-BW (5470 - 5730 @ 160), (N/A, 24), (0 ms), DFS (5730 - 5850 @ 80), (N/A, 30), (N/A), AUTO-BW (5850 - 5895 @ 40), (N/A, 27), (N/A), NO-OUTDOOR, AUTO-BW (5925 - 7125 @ 320), (N/A, 12), (N/A), NO-OUTDOOR (57240 - 71000 @ 2160), (N/A, 40), (N/A) ``` ### Verdict So Far The Banana Pi BPI-R4 BE1400 does very much impress. With OpenWrt, it becomes a flexible and performant wireless access point, exceeding expectations. Real throughput of over **1 Gbps** via wireless is no longer reserved for enterprise gear. > When a £100 radio coupled with the BPI-4 outpaces proprietary Wi-Fi 7 mesh units—something’s changing. Stay tuned as we push it harder, test mesh performance, and unleash 6GHz. --- 📍 Article maintained by [AKADATA LIMITED](https://articles.akadata.co.uk/)