This monstrous Raspberry Pi 5 project turns the SBC into a Wi-Fi router with Pi-hole

Credit: Glittering_Pound1931 Published Nov 13, 2026, 3:45 AM EST Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. Sign in to your XDA account Summary Pi-Dock-Wifi: Frankenstein-style Pi 5 router with dual Wi‑Fi, Pi‑hole, web UI and diagnostics. Hardware: Pi 5 8GB, PCIe switch HAT, two MT7915E cards, USB NVMe, hub HAT, P01 power, 3D mounts. Fully DIY - PCIe-switched Wi‑Fi, ready-made Pi‑hole, docs and GitHub included. "Why not?" build. It's not often that I cover a Raspberry Pi project on XDA that looks like something straight out of Frankenstein's lab, but when it does happen, I'm always happy. Take, for instance, this Raspberry Pi 5 homemade router. It has two Wi-Fi cards in it, comes with Pi-hole, and looks like it runs off sparks of electricity emitted from a Van de Graaff generator. The Pi-Dock-Wifi doesn't ask "Why?" it asks "Why not?" Some things just have to be made, for science Over on the Raspberry Pi subreddit, user Glittering_Pound1931 showed off their newest invention, the Pi-Dock-Wifi. The objective was to build a router where you have control over everything, with Pi-hole and ttyd set up and ready to go from the start. The creator even added diagnostic tools like health checkups and logging in case something goes wrong. So, let's address the elephant in the room; what exactly are we looking at in the photo above? Glittering_Pound1931 breaks down the hardware bill of materials like this: - Raspberry Pi 5 with 8 GB RAM. - A 52Pi B14 PCIe switch HAT and two Waveshare MiniPCIe adapters. - Two MediaTek MT7915E Wi-Fi cards.Glittering_Pound1931 - USB NVMe storage because pcie 32bit dma to make wifi cards work, - An USB hub HAT - 52Pi P01 power board - Custom 3D-printed mounting plates and antenna supports. The PCIe cards share the Pi’s single PCIe uplink through the switch. The best part is that, if you feel so inclined to make your own at home, you can check out both the GitHub and the readme for this amazing project.