Questions regarding Banana BPI R4 (Wifi/4G/LTE)

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

Hello,
actually i'm doing my first steps with OpenWrt with the aim replacing my Fritzbox 6850.
So i'll need a modem with 4G/LTE and Wifi 2GHZ and 5 GHz.
As hardware i've choosen a Banana BPI-R4, a Quectel EC25-EC(MPCIE) and a RTL8822CE Module (MPCIE)....and here i've already got my first problem:
I've installed the 2 packages needed and card can be configured with Luci. But there is only one radio available (5GHZ) - no 2GHZ available. Why? Am i doing something wrong, or is this maybe a compatibility issue? Does it make sence switching to a AX200HMW module?
...and also the EC25-EC "refuses" to work. tried to install im QMI mode first: everything worked well, but connection to provider was refused. then i tried it with modemmanager: connection worked well, but was not stable...and isn't modemmanager outmoded? should i maybe switch to a EM05-G (m.2)?
has maybe someone a good running config for the BPI-R4?

2

One radio one band at a time.
Longer explanation in System on Futro PC with mPCIe Card: Only one Radio?.

It would solve your 2.4 problem, since it doesn't do AP on 5.

3

hmm, as there are two mpcie slots available - does this mean i could use two identical 8822 modules, one for 2.4 GHZ and one for 5?
...and LTE can be covered with the EM05-G in the m.2 slot?
...and no 5GHz with the AX200HMW? why, its also dual band.

4

Because Intel doesn't support it.

5

thx...
regarding the banana modul BPI-R4-NIC-BE14: do i understand this correctly, that its able to do AP 2.4, 5 and 6 in in parallel

6

Might be worth reading - [Banana BPI-R4] Wifi7 status.

TLDR, don't buy it.

7

ok, one small step forward - 2 8822 cards are working well, but i'm not able to get the m.2 EM05G to work.
Think it's a driver issue (cause of Driver=(none)):

T:  Bus=01 Lev=02 Prnt=02 Port=00 Cnt=01 Dev#=  4 Spd=480  MxCh= 0
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=ef(misc ) Sub=02 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=2c7c ProdID=030a Rev= 2.00
S:  Manufacturer=Quectel
S:  Product=Quectel EM05-G
C:* #Ifs= 3 Cfg#= 1 Atr=a0 MxPwr=500mA
A:  FirstIf#= 0 IfCount= 2 Cls=02(comm.) Sub=0e Prot=00
I:* If#= 2 Alt= 0 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=(none)
E:  Ad=82(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS=  10 Ivl=32ms
E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
E:  Ad=01(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
I:* If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=02(comm.) Sub=0e Prot=00 Driver=(none)
E:  Ad=84(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS=  64 Ivl=32ms
I:* If#= 1 Alt= 0 #EPs= 0 Cls=0a(data ) Sub=00 Prot=02 Driver=(none)
I:  If#= 1 Alt= 1 #EPs= 2 Cls=0a(data ) Sub=00 Prot=02 Driver=(none)
E:  Ad=83(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
E:  Ad=02(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms

thought quectel driver "kmod-usb-net-qmi-wwan" should be the correct ones...am i wrong?

8

this is MBIM

9

The BPI-R4 is awesome as a wired router. Dirt cheap and very fast with hardware offloading.

For WiFi, you're probably better off with separate APs. :slightly_smiling_face:

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