Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 18:23 Post subject: GeeekPi Raspberry Pi CM4 Router Board
I just saw this and thought how cool this might be.
This board will turn a RPi4 compute module into a router. Price is right too at $40, plus the RPi4 compute module CM4 of course. If this could run DDWRT, I would order this today. OpenWRT is supported however. It includes two GB ports which should be plenty sufficient for most jobs and a tiny display for status info. Looks to be very expandable. What do you all think?
Good point, about buying two. I went ahead and ordered both the router board and the CM4. I'll play around with it for a month or so and see how worthy I think it can be before sending the BIG GUY (BS, not Joe) one.
Regarding Realtek, I don't mind Realtek. After all, they were one of the first network companies to support OSS drivers. _________________ Linksys EA8500 (Internet Gateway, AP/VAP) - DD-WRT r53562
Features in use: WDS-AP, Multiple VLANs, Samba, WireGuard, Entware: mqtt, mlocate
Netgear R7800 (WDS-AP, WAP, VAP) - DD-WRT r53562
Features in use: multiple VLANs over single trunk port
Linksys EA8500 WDS Station x2 - DD-WRT r53562
Netgear R6400v2 WAP, VAP 2.4ghz only w/VLANs over single trunk port.
OSes: Fedora 38, 9 RPis (2,3,4,5), 20 ESP8266s: Straight from Amiga to Linux in '94, never having owned a Windows PC.
Ubuntu server platform is an easier task than bothering with OpenWRT on these, depending on what exactly you wish to do with it aside from a basic router. I think the hesitance related to RealTek in respect to DD-WRT is that devices with a RealTek switch generally do not support VLAN functionality. _________________ "The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep." - Robert Frost
"I am one of the noticeable ones - notice me" - Dale Frances McKenzie Bozzio
Ubuntu server platform is an easier task than bothering with OpenWRT on these, depending on what exactly you wish to do with it aside from a basic router. I think the hesitance related to RealTek in respect to DD-WRT is that devices with a RealTek switch generally do not support VLAN functionality.
Oh, VLAN functionality would be a must. This is not good.
Anyway, the router board showed up this morning, but the CM4 has not yet shipped. I will find something to do with it regardless. Maybe I will put Home Assistant on it instead since it may not support VLANs. It might even be possible that while the realtek port doesn't, the built in one does, as it does on a regular RPi4, in which case I would use the built in port as the LAN w/VLANs.
I won't know until the CM4 gets here, and it could be a while, as it's coming from Canada.
EDIT: The specs for the Realtek RTL8111E, which is the port on the Router board says full VLAN support, so I think we all good.
Well I finally got the package delivered from Canada today, which was suppose to be a CM4. However, it was the CM4 I/O Expansion board. Not sure how I fscked that one up but it was most certainly my fault. Anyway, I tried to re-order the CM4 and they are apparently made of pure unobtainium. Not one to be found on this side of the Atlantic or the Pacific for that matter. Ugh! A few places said not available until March of 23. Jeeze! _________________ Linksys EA8500 (Internet Gateway, AP/VAP) - DD-WRT r53562
Features in use: WDS-AP, Multiple VLANs, Samba, WireGuard, Entware: mqtt, mlocate
Netgear R7800 (WDS-AP, WAP, VAP) - DD-WRT r53562
Features in use: multiple VLANs over single trunk port
Linksys EA8500 WDS Station x2 - DD-WRT r53562
Netgear R6400v2 WAP, VAP 2.4ghz only w/VLANs over single trunk port.
OSes: Fedora 38, 9 RPis (2,3,4,5), 20 ESP8266s: Straight from Amiga to Linux in '94, never having owned a Windows PC.
I was going to write that the board is of little use to you if you can't buy a CM4 but since you said you could order one - I didn't write anything about it.
EDIT: I was going to return the CM4 IO Expansion board, but for as little as I paid for it ($35) I will just keep it and buy two CM4s once they become available again.
EDIT2: I found a 2GB/8GB model on ebay for $85, so I ordered it. Should be here by Friday. _________________ Linksys EA8500 (Internet Gateway, AP/VAP) - DD-WRT r53562
Features in use: WDS-AP, Multiple VLANs, Samba, WireGuard, Entware: mqtt, mlocate
Netgear R7800 (WDS-AP, WAP, VAP) - DD-WRT r53562
Features in use: multiple VLANs over single trunk port
Linksys EA8500 WDS Station x2 - DD-WRT r53562
Netgear R6400v2 WAP, VAP 2.4ghz only w/VLANs over single trunk port.
OSes: Fedora 38, 9 RPis (2,3,4,5), 20 ESP8266s: Straight from Amiga to Linux in '94, never having owned a Windows PC.
personally, I would not buy a CM4 with eMMC.
With the module you can not use the SD card reader of the board. (the pins are not wired)
And if the eMMC is worn out you can only boot from USB.
Here is the written data volume on one of my SD cards:
Lifetime writes: 4262 GB
I didn't want one with eMMC either but that was all that was available for a not very overly exaggerated price. Both the router board and the CM4 I/O expansion have MicroSD slots so I am hopeful these will work. _________________ Linksys EA8500 (Internet Gateway, AP/VAP) - DD-WRT r53562
Features in use: WDS-AP, Multiple VLANs, Samba, WireGuard, Entware: mqtt, mlocate
Netgear R7800 (WDS-AP, WAP, VAP) - DD-WRT r53562
Features in use: multiple VLANs over single trunk port
Linksys EA8500 WDS Station x2 - DD-WRT r53562
Netgear R6400v2 WAP, VAP 2.4ghz only w/VLANs over single trunk port.
OSes: Fedora 38, 9 RPis (2,3,4,5), 20 ESP8266s: Straight from Amiga to Linux in '94, never having owned a Windows PC.
personally, I would not buy a CM4 with eMMC.
With the module you can not use the SD card reader of the board. (the pins are not wired)
And if the eMMC is worn out you can only boot from USB.
Here is the written data volume on one of my SD cards:
Lifetime writes: 4262 GB
I didn't want one with eMMC either but that was all that was available for a not very overly exaggerated price. Both the router board and the CM4 I/O expansion have MicroSD slots so I am hopeful these will work.
Joined: 31 Jul 2021 Posts: 2146 Location: All over YOUR webs
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 15:57 Post subject:
This is kinda expensive proposition (for me anyway), the compute module is a rpi4 B+ essentially and like for like the price of the module is insanely more with less.
There are cheaper ways to build a router from scratch with more ports and better cpus, but OK, as a learning project its interesting at least.
Why do you need a Compute module? Dont you already have a RPI4?
Unless youre trying to make some sort of home made satellite..
Actually I have 4 RPi4s, but they only have one network interface. With the addition of the router board, I will have two network interfaces which I would assume would work much better than having a USB based network adaptor. I am hoping this will run OpenWRT very well and who knows, in the future, maybe even ddwrt. If not, I will replace one of my RPi4s which is running Home Assistant presently. This will allow me to assign my IoT network to one NIC and my normal network to the other. I am doing this presently with a USB network adapter, which is less than ideal. I am aware that I could do the same with VLANs but have not bothered to set it up.
Besides, I love playing with hardware and this router board really has me intrigued. Excited to try it out. Also, one cool thing about the CM4 I/O expansion board, it has a PCIe slot so a dual or quad NIC card could theoretically be added. _________________ Linksys EA8500 (Internet Gateway, AP/VAP) - DD-WRT r53562
Features in use: WDS-AP, Multiple VLANs, Samba, WireGuard, Entware: mqtt, mlocate
Netgear R7800 (WDS-AP, WAP, VAP) - DD-WRT r53562
Features in use: multiple VLANs over single trunk port
Linksys EA8500 WDS Station x2 - DD-WRT r53562
Netgear R6400v2 WAP, VAP 2.4ghz only w/VLANs over single trunk port.
OSes: Fedora 38, 9 RPis (2,3,4,5), 20 ESP8266s: Straight from Amiga to Linux in '94, never having owned a Windows PC.