WayPonDEV Banana Pi WiFi 6 OpenWrt One Router Board - Developer

In this review the WayPonDEV Banana Pi WiFi 6 OpenWrt One router board is evaluated as a compact, developer-focused routing platform. It is best suited for makers, firmware developers and small homelab projects who need a true open source friendly board with WiFi 6 and expandable storage. The biggest reason to consider it is its combination of a MediaTek MT7981B routing SoC plus a separate WiFi 6 chipset and useful expansion ports, which together make it a flexible base for learning OpenWrt or building custom network appliances.

Key Features

• OpenWrt-first design: The board is designed as the first official development board for the OpenWrt community, which simplifies firmware experimentation and learning.
• Dual-band WiFi 6: A MediaTek MT7976C WiFi 6 chipset delivers modern dual-band wireless suitable for router-grade throughput and device density.
• Routing SoC and memory: The MT7981B SoC with dual Cortex-A53 cores, 1 GB DDR4 and 256 MB SPI NAND gives enough headroom for custom routing stacks and small network services.
• High-speed WAN port: An integrated 2.5 GbE WAN port plus a Gigabit LAN port allow faster uplink or WAN testing compared to standard gigabit-only boards.
• Expansion and storage: M.2 2230/2242 NVMe PCIe x1, USB 2.0 Type-A and mikroBUS expansion enable NAS experiments, add-on peripherals and IoT attachments.
• Peripheral support: Onboard GPIO, UART and PWM-capable interfaces suit IoT projects and custom embedded networking applications.

Who It's For

This board is aimed at tinkerers, OpenWrt contributors and networking hobbyists who want a small, well-documented platform for building custom routers, APs or NAS-adjacent projects. Its WiFi 6 radio and 2.5 GbE WAN make it useful for anyone testing multi-gig uplinks or developing firmware that needs modern wireless performance.

It is not aimed at users who want a plug-and-play consumer router with manufacturer support or guaranteed throughput for dozens of simultaneous clients out of the box. Those who need a polished, consumer-grade GUI and warranty-backed retail hardware should consider commercial routers instead.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• OpenWrt-first hardware with ready expansion options makes development and customization straightforward.
• Modern wireless thanks to WiFi 6 chipset combined with a capable routing SoC and 1 GB DDR4 RAM.
• Useful hardware features including 2.5 GbE WAN, M.2 NVMe slot and mikroBUS for add-ons.
• Good value for builders who need expandability rather than consumer polish.

Cons

• Build quality reports are mixed, so physical fit and finish may vary between units.
• Not targeted at non-technical users; setup and advanced configuration require OpenWrt familiarity.

Specifications

SoC	MediaTek MT7981B (Filogic 820)
WiFi Chipset	MediaTek MT7976C Dual-Band WiFi 6
Memory	1 GB DDR4 RAM
Storage	256 MiB SPI NAND + 16 MiB NOR, M.2 NVMe slot
Network Ports	1 x 2.5 GbE WAN, 1 x Gigabit LAN
Expansion	USB 2.0 Type-A, mikroBUS, GPIO, UART, PWM

Our Verdict

The WayPonDEV Banana Pi OpenWrt One is a strong choice for developers and makers who need a flexible, expandable WiFi 6 router board with modern I/O like 2.5 GbE and NVMe. It represents good value for projects that prioritize customization and hardware features, provided the buyer is comfortable with OpenWrt and occasional variations in build quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it ship with OpenWrt preinstalled?
Some units arrive with OpenWrt installed and documentation links are provided; users should check the seller listing or contact the store for current image status.

Can I add an NVMe SSD?
Yes, the board includes an M.2 2230/2242 NVMe PCIe x1 slot for external storage expansion.

Is it suitable for home users?
It is best for experienced users and developers; casual home users seeking plug-and-play simplicity should consider a consumer router instead.