Disclosure: Some links on this page are monetized by the Skimlinks, Amazon, Rakuten Advertising, and eBay, affiliate programs, and Liliputing may earn a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on those links. All prices are subject to change, and this article only reflects the prices available at time of publication.
The R86S mini PC is a compact computer designed for networking applications. For example you could use it as firewall, network-attached storage device or media server, or as a general-purpose computer.
Powered by a 10-watt Intel Jasper Lake quad-core processor and available with up to 16GB of RAM, the pocket-sized computer has three 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports. But you can also opt for a slightly taller model that comes with an two 10 Gbps Ethernet ports. The R86S is available from several AliExpress sellers with prices starting at around $255.
Entry-level models have an Intel Celeron N5105 processor, 8GB of RAM, no wireless card, and just three 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports. But you can pay extra for models with up to a Pentium N6005 processor, 16GB of RAM, WiFi 6 + Bluetooth, and five Ethernet ports (2 x 10 Gbps + 3 x 2.5 Gbps).
Note that while all models are pretty compact, systems with the additional Ethernet ports are a little taller. Here are the configuration options available:
- GW-R86S-P1: Celeron N5105/8GB RAM/3 x 2.5 Gbps Ethernet
- GW-R86S-P2: Celeron N5105/16GB RAM/3 x 2.5 Gbps Ethernet
- GW-R86S-P3: Pentium N6005/16GB RAM/3 x 2.5 Gbps Ethernet + WiFi 6 & Bluetooth
- GW-R86S-G1: Celeron N5105/8GB RAM/3 x 2.5 Gbps Ethernet + 2 x 10 Gbps Ethernet
- GW-R86S-G2: Celeron N5105/16GB RAM/3 x 2.5 Gbps Ethernet + 2 x 10 Gbps Ethernet
- GW-R86S-G3: Pentium N6005/16GB RAM/3 x 2.5 Gbps Ethernet + 2 x 10 Gbps Ethernet + WiFi 6 & Bluetooth
P-series models measure 119 x 79 x 27.5mm (4.7″ x 3.1″ x 1.1″) and weigh 360 grams (13 ounces), while G-series versions are 41mm (1.6 inches) tall and weigh about a pound.
All models have 128GB of eMMC storage as well as microSD card readers and M.2 slots that can be used for an optional PCIe NVMe SSD. But as ServeTheHome discovered when reviewing the R86S, you can also use the 10 Gbps Ethernet ports for high-speed storage.
Unfortunately while storage can be upgraded, the DDR4-2933 memory cannot – memory is soldered to the mainboard. So if you think you might need 16GB, then you should buy a model that comes with it pre-installed. And if you think you might need more than that, then you should probably look elsewhere.
Other features include two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, an HDMI 2.0 port, and a 12V DC power jack. The system has a fan for active cooling, so don’t expect silent operation.
The system should be able to run a wide variety of operating systems including Windows, Ubuntu (and other desktop or server GNU/Linux distributions) and more purpose-built software like OpenWrt, pfSense, and OPNsense.
via CNX Software
Looks good, except for “no wireless card”. This is the 21st Century for cripes sake. No wifi is a dealbreaker.
What do you mean? The bigger version has WiFi6 integrated. But who would even want to use that „two short antennas“ WiFi anyway? External APs for the win.
Hi Brad,thank for your post.We are the Gowin Solution team who create the R86S series home router.We will keep innovation of other networking items.