This guide describes v1.5.0-rc1, a release candidate for users to try before the final release. Keep a backup and a way to reinstall before using it on a network you depend on. Available ports, Wi-Fi bands and mobile connections depend on your board and installed hardware.
Images are provided for BPI-R4, BPI-R3, BPI-R4-Lite, BPI-R3-Mini, OpenWrt One, BPI-R4-Pro 8X and BPI-R4-Pro 4E. Always use the exact model’s download. R4-Pro 4E is experimental; do not use an 8X image on it. On 4E, the WAN copper and SFP connections are alternatives selected at startup, not two simultaneous WAN ports. Copper is the default. They do not switch automatically when a cable is inserted. Firmware rollback is not available on 4E in this release.
After installation, connect a computer to a LAN port and open
https://192.168.100.1. Complete the setup wizard and choose your administrator
and Wi-Fi passwords. The interface offers English and Chinese, light and dark
themes, and layouts for computers and phones.
Find the product version in Home → System or at the top of System.
For this release it is BpiRouter v1.5.0-rc1. The separately listed OpenWrt
version is not the BpiRouter product version. If the version is unknown, do not
assume which release is installed.
| Page | What you can do |
|---|---|
Home |
See Internet status, traffic, connected devices, Wi-Fi and router resource use. |
Network |
Configure Internet connections, LAN addressing, Wi-Fi, mobile modules, USB sharing, Multi-WAN and WAN bandwidth shaping. |
Devices |
Identify connected devices, give them names, and allow or block their access. |
Segments |
Set up separate Guest and IoT Wi-Fi networks, their access rules and shared bandwidth limits. |
Advanced |
Configure DNS filtering, access schedules, port forwarding, firewall rules, VPN and dynamic DNS; use network diagnostics. |
System |
Change the router name, time and password; back up or restore settings, manage firmware, reboot or reset the router. |
Users |
Manage administrator, operator and read-only accounts. Administrator access is required. |
In Network, choose the Internet connection and supply the details required by your provider. Wired connections include automatic addressing, a fixed address and PPPoE. IPv6 requires support from the provider and connected devices. You can also use a compatible mobile module or a phone with USB tethering enabled.
Edit a Wi-Fi network to change its name, password and radio settings. Only the bands fitted to your board are available. Channel and 6 GHz availability depend on your country setting and client support. Changing Wi-Fi settings can disconnect wireless clients; use a wired connection when making these changes.
For mobile Internet, this release supports compatible Quectel QMI and NCM modules, not MBIM. Network availability and 4G/5G operation depend on the module, SIM, antenna, provider and coverage. SIM hot-swapping is not supported. Power off the router before changing an internal module’s SIM. Unplug an external USB dongle before changing its SIM, then reconnect it. Do not repeatedly remove just the SIM while the module is powered.
Use Network → Multi-WAN to select participating connections and choose failover or load balancing. Failover uses an alternative connection when the preferred one fails. Load balancing shares connections across multiple lines; it does not promise the sum of their speeds for a single download.
Network → WAN bandwidth shaping: optionally enable SQM for each WAN and enter its download and upload rates. Use the offered presets or your measured line rates; a setting slightly below the available rate helps reduce delays when the connection is busy. It is off by default. In failover mode, shaping follows the active WAN. It cannot be used with load balancing.
Segments → Guest / IoT: set separate upload and download limits for each network. Each limit is shared by all devices in that segment, not assigned to every device individually. A value of zero means no limit in that direction. These limits can be used with Multi-WAN load balancing.
Per-device and per-protocol bandwidth limits are not available in this release.
In Segments, enable Guest or IoT, choose a Wi-Fi radio, and set the network name and password. These networks share the board’s existing Wi-Fi radios; they do not need an extra Wi-Fi adapter. Review Internet access, local-network access and device-isolation settings before saving. Each enabled segment needs at least one Wi-Fi network.
In Devices, use Allow or Block to change a device’s access. A device name or address is a management aid, not proof of who is using it. Access schedules and DNS filtering are available in Advanced; DNS filtering cannot block every application or every way of reaching a website.
In Advanced, administrators can import a WireGuard or OpenVPN client configuration to connect to a VPN, configure a VPN server and create client configurations. Remote access requires a reachable Internet address and suitable provider/network settings; a VPN server cannot bypass a provider’s restrictions on incoming connections.
Dynamic DNS associates a domain with your changing Internet address. Choose DuckDNS, No-IP, Dynu, Cloudflare or FreeDNS and fill in the credentials requested for that provider. Requesting an update does not guarantee provider acceptance; check the domain before relying on it for remote access. Dynamic DNS does not make an otherwise unreachable connection reachable.
Only expose services you intend to make public when configuring port forwarding or firewall rules. Keep an alternative way to access the router while changing network access settings. If a confirmation countdown appears, confirm only after checking that the connection still works.
Download a settings backup from System before significant changes. Backups may contain passwords and keys: store them privately and do not send them with a support request. Firmware updates, settings restore and factory reset are administrator operations. A factory reset removes your settings.
For v1.5, install from the matching installation media rather than upgrading an older or another vendor’s firmware in place. Follow the [installation guide](INSTALLATION.md); an upgrade image is not initial installation media.
For product support, contact [Banana Pi] or use its [official forum]. Provide your exact board model, product version, the action you took and the message shown. Never send passwords, tokens, private keys or SIM identifiers.