Dave Taht via Cerowrt-devel <cerowrt-devel@lists.bufferbloat.net> wrote:
> https://www.cnx-software.com/2023/05/06/lichee-pi-4a-risc-v-sbc-raspberry-pi-4-th1520-processor/

} Sipeed has just started taking orders for the Lichee Pi 4A (8GB RAM + 8GB
} flash) for $119.00 on Aliexpress, and the 16GB RAM version is scheduled for
} next month. Additional information can be found on the product page.

It's quite a lot of computer.  The price is not great, but if it's a Gb/s
fq_codel box you want, then it's probably fine.  I don't really like the
small form factor as a home router, btw: the cables will be heavier than the
box, and it will all fall on the floor behind the TV, where it will gather
dust :-)
I'd want a big hunk of steel that would stay where I put it, and I'm okay if it
also dissipates some heat.


Five years ago, I built a dozen OrangePIZero's with two extra USB ethernets
in a 3D printed box.  So, a total of three ethernets.  I meant to build a
hundred of them.  The most complex topology one can build with two ethernets
is a circle.  Three ethernets opens one up to all sorts of trees, etc.
This was for RFC8994 testing.   So I continue to look for ~$20 boxes that
could easily do more than two ethernets.  I don't need high speed, but it's
nice to have. I do need auto-MDX, which GbE PHYs all offer.  One reason I
didn't proceed was that I still haven't gotten beyond what I can do in
VMs. (i.e. my software is not ready)
At the time, OpenWRT did not do well with the various switch-port extensions
that got one 4-5 ethernets: they were will custom jobs, but now they are
mostly all do DSA, so a 12-port Zyxel would seem to satisfy my needs.

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