RAK7392 Turns a Raspberry Pi CM5 Into an Edge Router

A Compute Module Carrier Built Around Networking

RAKwireless has launched the WisGate Connect Router RAK7392, an industrial edge router that takes a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 or CM5 and wraps it in the kind of I/O a networking appliance actually needs. It sells for $535.

• Four Ethernet ports: three Gigabit plus one 2.5GbE
• Roughly 1.8 to 2.0Gbps measured on the 2.5GbE port, and over 4Gbps combined across all four
• Mini PCIe slot with USB and SPI routing, aimed primarily at LoRa radio modules
• WisBlock connectors for optional sensor and I/O modules

The throughput figures are the part that matters. A Compute Module carrier with four Ethernet jacks is not unusual, but getting more than 4Gbps aggregate out of a Pi-class platform means the board is not simply hanging every port off a single congested USB bus. For anyone who has tried to build a router on a Raspberry Pi with USB dongles, that difference is the whole story.

What Is This Actually For?

RAKwireless lists the target workloads plainly: edge computing, VPN termination, Modbus-to-MQTT conversion, and LoRaWAN packet forwarding. Those are industrial IoT jobs where a site needs one box that can talk to field devices on one side and a corporate network or cloud endpoint on the other.

The mini PCIe slot carries both USB and SPI, which is the giveaway that LoRa concentrator cards are the expected occupant. SPI is how most LoRaWAN gateway modules connect, and having it routed to the slot rather than only USB means the board can host a proper concentrator instead of a compromise. The WisBlock connectors then add sensors and extra I/O without a custom carrier board.

Is $535 Reasonable for a Pi-Based Router?

For a hobbyist home network, no — a $20 SBC router like the NanoPi R28S will do the job for a fraction of the cost. The RAK7392 is priced and built for a different buyer: a systems integrator putting a box on a factory wall who needs industrial-grade construction, documented expansion, and a platform their team already knows how to program.

That last point is the real pitch. Standardizing on the Raspberry Pi Compute Module means the software stack, the Linux distribution, and the developer knowledge all carry over from the fleet of Pi devices a company may already run. Compare it with purpose-built carriers like the EXAVIZ Cruiser with nine PoE ports or the compact Zotac CM5-PICO, and the RAK7392 lands in the middle: fewer ports than the Cruiser, far more industrial I/O than the PICO.

Supporting Both CM4 and CM5

Accepting either Compute Module generation is a practical decision given supply conditions. Compute Module pricing has moved considerably this year alongside memory costs, and a carrier that works with whichever module is available and affordable is easier to build a product line around than one locked to a single generation.

RAKwireless has been shipping WisGate hardware on Compute Modules since 2022, and the RAK7392 is a refresh rather than a first attempt — the earlier RAK7391 established the format. More Compute Module hardware shows up regularly in our mini computers coverage.

Sources: CNX Software — August 10, 2026; Hackster.io — August 2026.