Hi and thanks. Do you have a release for BPi-R4-PRo 4E (4 Gbytes) please?
I have looked but can't find anything...
@radiomean Thanks for your interest, and sorry for the slightly disappointing answer! I don't have a BPI-R4 Pro 4E image, unfortunately. The reason is simple: I only publish images that I can actually flash and verify on hardware I have in front of me — right now that's the standard BPI-R4 and the BPI-R4 Pro 8X.
The Pro 4E is a genuinely different board — a different switch (no MaxLinear), different layout, its own RAM and peripherals — so my Pro 8X image isn't a fit for it either. Without a 4E here to build against and test on, I can't responsibly put out an image that might leave your board unable to boot.
If a Pro 4E ever finds its way to my desk, I'll gladly add it to the build matrix. Thanks again for checking out the project!
OK, never mind. Thanks for the reply, even if disappointing! It's proving difficult to find many images for my 4E.
Cheers!
Hi again, I do have a BPi-R4 (standard) and I've installed your firmware on it, and it seems good, many thanks! I assume from your previous reply that you don't have a BPi-R4 lite image as you sadly don't have one of them?
Thanks anyway...
Good afternoon @KFO. Let's start from scratch. Did you download the latest image created by our friend @wozi? Format the SD card correctly, as the problem lies there. Format it like this.
I'm attaching screenshots of a Banana Pi R4 with 8GB of RAM in eMMC, plus an extra 7GB for downloading whatever I want.
Then follow the steps to install it on the NAND and the eMMC or NVMe, and it works perfectly. I'm attaching some screenshots.
I'm also attaching some screenshots of a Banana Pi Pro 8X NVMe with a Mullvad VOPN at 2500km and 1500km from my house.
without VPN
with VPN 2,500km from my house germany
france
It works impressively well.
Regards.
For this router, I've used microSD cards: 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB.
For the Banana Pi Pro 8x, only the 64GB version works; Any lower version will not work
Here are some photos of the Banana Pi Pro 8x NVMe drive.
This is how my home network is set up:
main network
It distributes bandwidth via an active DAC cable to an 8-port 10 Gbps main switch, through three other active DAC cables (the best option for low latency and noise immunity) to the rest of the house..
The dedicated SFP+ LAN port connects via an active DAC cable and a public IP address to the main home switch.
VPN Zone (Port 0): A SZBOX Ryzen 5 6600H mini PC running LibreELEC benefits from a dedicated port routable by WireGuard. With a 2.5 Gbps network card, I have more than enough bandwidth for local streaming at very high bitrates or remote media servers.
Additionally, I have the 5 GHz band with a public IP address and the 6 GHz band with a VPN.
Finally, three DAC cables come out of the main switch, one of them connected to my son, who works as an IT specialist. His computer is an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, combined with the powerful AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, which offers exceptional performance in both processing and advanced AI and graphics rendering tasks.
Connected to his own OpenWRT switch, which in turn is connected to a 10 Gbps Xiaomi BE10000 Pro router with Docker and a separate 32TB NAS (unrelated to his router), it creates a high-performance subnet that doesn't interfere with the rest of the house. It gives me 2TB for my builds, whereas before I was compiling for 4GB and 8GB Banana Pi R4s and Banana Pi Pro 8Xs, using forks and day-driven methods for the past two years. I have everything saved in tar.zst files and I also keep a backup of all my GitHub repositories
The youngest member of the family, with a Ryzen 9 5900X, a Radeon 6600XT, and 64GB of RAM, enjoys another Banana Pi Pro 8X in his room with an active Cabal DAC connected from the switch to the Banana Pi's WAN port, allowing him to experiment independently at the network level.
And finally, there's me, the weakest link in the house: with a Ryzen 7 5700X, the classic RX 580, and another 64 GB of DDR4 RAM, I have an extremely stable environment for managing the network topology. I also have my own Banana Pi R4 8G connected via an active DAC cable, configured with a VPN, always connected to all ports and via Wi-Fi.
I also have a Xiaomi BE19000 Pro with 6G, which receives a true symmetrical 2 GHz connection on the 6G band from the same location as the Banana Pi Pro 8X router, all the way to my son's room, with two 10 cm brick walls in between. Furthermore, the same Wi-Fi card used in the Banana Pi tests will be used for their new Qualcomm FastConnect 7800 Wi-Fi 7 High Band Simultaneous (HBS) Network Adapter.
I am currently waiting for the new BE14000 to perform the following: # Wi-Fi 7 Comparison in a Real-World Environment (BPI-R4-Pro-8X vs. New Card vs. Xiaomi BE19000 Pro) ## Objective This comparison measures **whether the new card truly improves** (noise, range, and performance) or if the change is primarily mechanical/thermal. Three scenarios will be evaluated: 1. **BPI-R4-Pro-8X + previous generation card** (baseline) 2. **BPI-R4-Pro-8X + new and corrected card** 3. **Xiaomi BE19000 Pro** (commercial reference) --- ## Test Environment - Real home environment (no anechoic chamber) - Fixed test distance/point - **Two standard brick walls (~10 cm)** - Test client: **Same equipment and same card in all tests** - Bands evaluated: 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz / 6 GHz (where applicable) - Country/standard: ES > Important: Do not change multiple components simultaneously. > First, measure the baseline, then change only the card, and finally compare it with the Xiaomi. --- ## Rules for a Fair Test - Same client and drivers - Same physical location of the router and client - Same channel/bandwidth (if possible) - Same power settings - Same time zone (to minimize interference from neighbors) - No simultaneous downloads on the local network - Repeat each test at least 3 times and report the average --- ## Target Configuration by Band (Recommended) - 2.4 GHz: Fixed channel (1/6/11), bandwidth 20/40 depending on the environment - 5 GHz: Fixed channel, not saturated, bandwidth 80/160 depending on stability - 6 GHz: Fixed channel, bandwidth 160/320 depending on client compatibility - Security: WPA3 (same in all scenarios) - MLO: Same mode in all tests (enabled or disabled, but consistent) --- ## Metrics to Record ### 1) RF / Link - RSSI (dBm) - Signal-to-Noise Ratio (dB) - Noise Level (dBm) - MCS / NSS - TX/RX Physical Speed ### 2) Throughput - Download with `iperf3` (client receives) - Upload with `iperf3` (client sends) - Speed Test (for additional reference only) - Latency and Jitter under Load ### 3) Stability - Link Drops/Reconnections - Performance Variation (Consistency) - Radio Temperature under Load (10 min) --- ## Test Procedure 1. Restart the router and the client. 2. Wait 3 to 5 minutes for a stable connection. 3. Verify the channel, bandwidth, and power. 4. Measure RSSI, SNR, and PHY. 5. Run `iperf3` (3 passes per direction, 60 s each). 6. Perform a ping test under load (latency/jitter). 7. Record the temperature. 8. Repeat the process on all three bands (if applicable). 9. Repeat the entire process for each scenario (old/new/Xiaomi). --- ## Commands to Use ### On the LAN server (e.g., on the router or a wired host) ```bash iperf3 -s ``` ### On the client (download to the client) ```bash iperf3 -c <SERVER_IP_ADDRESS> -P 4 -t 60 ``` ### On the client (upload from the client) ```bash iperf3 -c <SERVER_IP_ADDRESS> -P 4 -t 60 -R ``` ### Baseline latency ```bash ping -c 50 1.1.1.1 ``` ### Latency under load (while iperf3 is running) ```bash ping -i 0.2 -c 100 1.1.1.1 ``` --- ## Results Template | Scenario | Band | Channel/Width | RSSI | SNR | PHY TX/RX | iperf3 Download (Mbps) | iperf3 Upload (Mbps) | Average Ping (ms) | Jitter | Radio Temperature | |---|---|---|---:|---:|---|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:| Pro8X + old card | 6 GHz | CH / XXX MHz | | | | | | | | | | Pro8X + new card | 6 GHz | CH / XXX MHz | | | | | | | | | | Xiaomi BE19000 Pro | 6 GHz | CH / XXX MHz | | | | | | | | | > Repeated table by band (2.4 / 5 / 6). -- ## Conclusion Criteria (Buy/Don't Buy) A new card will be considered a **real improvement** if, at the same point: - performance increases steadily (not just at peak), - the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improves or noise sensitivity decreases, - MCS/NSS performance is better maintained, - and latency/stability does not worsen. If only the temperature improves, but RF performance/throughput does not, then the change is primarily thermal/mechanical. - ## Current Status (before final comparison) - Benchmark test with a first-generation card. - New card pending direct A/B testing. - Xiaomi BE19000 Pro used as an external reference. - ## Final Note I will publish all raw results (without manipulation). (some), with complete methodologies and tables, so that everyone can decide with data whether it is worth buying.
Have a good Sunday!
2 Likes
@woziwrt i need eprom 00 patch applied version.
@bruda
Dude nice to see you again after a long time ,
First of all I tried the itb (system upgrade but it didn't work) and I used SD Formater to format my SD card ,
Good afternoon @KFO, equally,
In the end, he managed to get it working anyway, in case it doesn't work for you.
Try the rescue image if it doesn't work for you.
Regards
@woziwrt Hi! Thanks for your work on the BPI-R4 firmware. Could you please provide the EEPROM-patched version of the firmware for the Banana Pi BPI-R4 (4GB RAM)? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!
Good morning! What a pleasant surprise I had today! I just received the complete kit.
As soon as my family allows, since I'm the last one in the band, I'll do what I promised.
Have a good day!
I am currently waiting for the new BE14000 to perform the following:
# Wi-Fi 7 Comparison in a Real-World Environment (BPI-R4-Pro-8X vs. New Card vs. Xiaomi BE19000 Pro)
## Objective
This comparison measures **whether the new card truly improves** (noise, range, and performance) or if the change is primarily mechanical/thermal.
Three scenarios will be evaluated:
1. **BPI-R4-Pro-8X + previous generation card** (baseline)
2. **BPI-R4-Pro-8X + new and corrected card**
3. **Xiaomi BE19000 Pro** (commercial reference)
---
## Test Environment
- Real home environment (no anechoic chamber)
- Fixed test distance/point
- **Two standard brick walls (~10 cm)**
- Test client: **Same equipment and same card in all tests**
- Bands evaluated: 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz / 6 GHz (where applicable)
- Country/standard: ES
> Important: Do not change multiple components simultaneously.
> First, measure the baseline, then change only the card, and finally compare it with the Xiaomi.
---
## Rules for a Fair Test
- Same client and drivers
- Same physical location of the router and client
- Same channel/bandwidth (if possible)
- Same power settings
- Same time zone (to minimize interference from neighbors)
- No simultaneous downloads on the local network
- Repeat each test at least 3 times and report the average
---
## Target Configuration by Band (Recommended)
- 2.4 GHz: Fixed channel (1/6/11), bandwidth 20/40 depending on the environment
- 5 GHz: Fixed channel, not saturated, bandwidth 80/160 depending on stability
- 6 GHz: Fixed channel, bandwidth 160/320 depending on client compatibility
- Security: WPA3 (same in all scenarios)
- MLO: Same mode in all tests (enabled or disabled, but consistent)
---
## Metrics to Record
### 1) RF / Link
- RSSI (dBm)
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio (dB)
- Noise Level (dBm)
- MCS / NSS
- TX/RX Physical Speed
### 2) Throughput
- Download with `iperf3` (client receives)
- Upload with `iperf3` (client sends)
- Speed Test (for additional reference only)
- Latency and Jitter under Load
### 3) Stability
- Link Drops/Reconnections
- Performance Variation (Consistency)
- Radio Temperature under Load (10 min)
---
## Test Procedure
1. Restart the router and the client.
2. Wait 3 to 5 minutes for a stable connection.
3. Verify the channel, bandwidth, and power.
4. Measure RSSI, SNR, and PHY.
5. Run `iperf3` (3 passes per direction, 60 s each).
6. Perform a ping test under load (latency/jitter).
7. Record the temperature.
8. Repeat the process on all three bands (if applicable).
9. Repeat the entire process for each scenario (old/new/Xiaomi).
---
## Commands to Use
### On the LAN server (e.g., on the router or a wired host)
```bash
iperf3 -s
```
### On the client (download to the client)
```bash
iperf3 -c <SERVER_IP_ADDRESS> -P 4 -t 60
```
### On the client (upload from the client)
```bash
iperf3 -c <SERVER_IP_ADDRESS> -P 4 -t 60 -R
```
### Baseline latency
```bash
ping -c 50 1.1.1.1
```
### Latency under load (while iperf3 is running)
```bash
ping -i 0.2 -c 100 1.1.1.1
```
---
## Results Template
| Scenario | Band | Channel/Width | RSSI | SNR | PHY TX/RX | iperf3 Download (Mbps) | iperf3 Upload (Mbps) | Average Ping (ms) | Jitter | Radio Temperature |
|---|---|---|---:|---:|---|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:|
Pro8X + old card | 6 GHz | CH / XXX MHz | | | | | | | | |
| Pro8X + new card | 6 GHz | CH / XXX MHz | | | | | | | | |
| Xiaomi BE19000 Pro | 6 GHz | CH / XXX MHz | | | | | | | | |
> Repeated table by band (2.4 / 5 / 6).
--
## Conclusion Criteria (Buy/Don't Buy)
A new card will be considered a **real improvement** if, at the same point:
- performance increases steadily (not just at peak),
- the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improves or noise sensitivity decreases,
- MCS/NSS performance is better maintained,
- and latency/stability does not worsen.
If only the temperature improves, but RF performance/throughput does not, then the change is primarily thermal/mechanical.
-
## Current Status (before final comparison)
- Benchmark test with a first-generation card.
- New card pending direct A/B testing.
- Xiaomi BE19000 Pro used as an external reference.
-
## Final Note
I will publish all raw results (without manipulation).
(some), with complete methodologies and tables, so that everyone can decide with data whether it is worth buying.