Raspberry Pi Router Board for CM4 module (with two full-speed gigabit network ports, low cost, Wifi and working as a router with Openwrt)

CM4 Router Board is an expansion board based on the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4. It brings Raspberry Pi CM4 two full-speed gigabit network ports and the "RTL8111E" controller chip offers better performance, lower CPU usage, and higher stability for a long time of work compared with a USB network card.

Features

• Powerful chip: High-performance Gigabit ethernet controller RTL8111E chip, JXD 2111x G2406s chip as an isolation transformer
• Highly scalable with rich IO peripherals: Master-slave dual USB2.0, Micro-SD card slot, micro-HDMI interface, 5V DC Fan interface, etc
• User-friendly development environment: Provides OpenWRT open-source router system, compatible with Raspberry OS, Ubuntu Server, and other Raspberry Pi systems
• Controllable speed of fan: 5V DC Fan interface supports 5V cooling fan and also PWM protocol, which means you can control the speed of fan blades via PWM signal
• Multi-function: Build high-performance gateways, smart routers, and home IoT platforms, or used as a mini-NAS, wireless network bridge, or mini server

This CM Router Board is highly scalable with rich IO peripherals. There is a USB2.0 interface that can be connected to a USB flash driver, USB keyboard, printers, WIFI modules, etc. The standard HDMI interface can help you configure the device and display operating information conveniently. Moreover, the 5V DC Fan interface supports a 5V cooling fan and also the PWM protocol, which means you can control the speed of fan blades via a PWM signal.

An OLED(0.91 inches) screen that will help you to customize your Router Board's information display style. The board still retains the characteristic GPIO pin header of Raspberry Pi, which makes it applicable for connecting other hat boards such as Pi hats, sensors, PoE hat boards, cooling fans, etc.

Furthermore, the board supports a user-friendly development environment since it provides OpenWRT open-source router system. After a simple setup, it can be used as a router. It is also compatible with Raspberry OS, Ubuntu Server, and other Raspberry Pi systems, even you can make this router board a retro game machine at home.

The powerful performance of BCM2711 4 core 1.5GHz Cortex-A72 and the rich software support in the Raspberry Pi community make this board a solid foundation for building high-performance gateways, smart routers, and home IoT platforms. If you need multiple LAN network ports like common routers, it is recommended to use a gigabit switch to expand the network ports, which will not affect its Internet performance. It can also be connected to peripherals and used as a mini-NAS, wireless network bridge, or mini server which can be controlled via terminal.

What is a Router?

A router is a piece of hardware that connects a Local Area Network (LAN) to other networks. In most cases, this “other network” is known as a Wide Area Network (WAN), or none other than the Internet. The router is very much the “administrator” of this local network and plays an important role in managing connected devices. While their primary role is true to simply coordinate connections and forward data, routers are very much small computers themselves.

Why choose Raspberry Pi 4 for the home router？

1. Increase Network Bandwidth and Performance

While the Raspberry Pi is definitely weaker in comparison to a full-fledged desktop or laptop, its Broadcom CPU is certainly more than enough when it comes to network routing. Thus, a Raspberry Pi router will surely be a boost to your network and give you greater internet speeds!

2. Improve Network Security
With a Raspberry Pi Router, you’ll be able to choose from free, open-source operating systems like OpenWrt that are community reviewed and maintained for security!

3. Enjoy Additional Features
With the accompanying hardware and I/O, using a Raspberry Pi as a router grants you flexibility in adding more features.

Read this blog for more details.

Similar Routers that You might be interested in:

• Mini Router: it is a highly integrated router device with a case. It contains a dual Gigabit carrier board powered by the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 equipped with dual Gigabit Ethernet ports and dual USB 3.0 ports. Mini Router is ideal for soft router applications while keeping hardware to a minimum.
• Dual Gigabit Carrier Board: It features a variety of I/O peripherals such as MIPI CSI, MIPI DSI, micro-HDMI to connect displays/ cameras, and a standard 9-pin USB 3.0 header for more USB expansion, and a micro-SD card slot, and an FPC connector while maintaining a compact form factor!
• Dual Gigabit Ethernet NICs CM4 Carrier Board: This CM4 carried board is ideal for HTPC makers, Linux developers, software router enthusiasts, and the majority of regular Raspberry Pi users.

Use the board as a Router, you may need:

• Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Antenna Kit: A standalone AP is necessary to add. This Antenna Kit is certified for use with the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4. If a different antenna is used, then separate certification will be required, and this must be arranged by the end-product design engineer.
• Heat Sink Kit for Raspberry Pi 4B - Gold Aluminum and Copper Blocks: This is a three-piece aluminum heat sink kit and a copper heat sink for the main chip to cool the chip on the Raspberry Pi 4B.

Similar Mini Nas that You might be interested in:

• reComputer J1020- Edge AI Device with Jetson Nano module, Aluminium case, pre-installed JetPack System
• reComputer J2012 - Edge AI Device with Jetson Xavier NX 16 GB module, Aluminium case, pre-installed JetPack System
• reComputer J2021-Edge AI Device with Jetson Xavier NX 8GB module, 4xUSB, M.2 Key E & Key M Slot, Aluminum case, Pre-installed JetPack System

Similar Mini Server that You might be interested in:

• ODYSSEY - X86J4105 allows you to simply build Edge Computing applications with powerful CPU and rich communication interfaces.
• ZimaBoard 832 model is a low-cost single board server equipped with Intel Celeron N3450 Quad Core working distinguishingly as a 4T free charge cloud server or a 4K display media server.

Specification

Hardware Overview

Partlist