The Ultimate Guide to Industrial Cellular Routers: A Comprehensive Buyer’s Guide
By Julie McDanielVice President Marketing
August 6, 2024
Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) landscape are actively reshaping network architectures in industrial sectors by enabling the transformation of isolated data into actionable big data. It’s this transformation of siloed data that is facilitating a significant amount of waste reduction, enhanced systems’ control and, more generally, improved operational efficiency.
IoT technologies are used to connect a range of industrial infrastructures and applications such as smart metering, video assets, and remote sensing, among others. For many companies, it’s Wireless WAN (WWAN) and industrial cellular routers that serve as the backbone of these transformative technologies — offering robust connectivity, ensuring that various devices and networks can communicate seamlessly.
Yet, when purchasing an industrial cellular router, what should companies consider? Read on as we go over the key considerations to make and how cellular router capabilities can be applied across different industries.
Key Considerations for Choosing the Right Industrial Cellular Router
Unlike consumer-grade products intended for home networks, industrial routers are designed for durability, environmental resilience, and longevity. They are often cased in rugged housings to withstand hard industrial environments characterized by extreme temperatures, dust, vibrations, and moisture. Yet not all industrial routers are created equal; consider the following factors before opting for one cellular router over another.
- Reliability and redundancy: Key reliability-related features to consider include embedded failover mechanisms, which enable automatic switching to a backup connection in the event of network interference. Similarly, redundant SIM slots allow the router to utilize multiple cellular networks for additional reliability.
- Network compatibility: Ensure the cellular router supports modern standards, such as 5G, for enhanced data speed and efficiency — necessary for real-time industrial applications. Additionally, check for compatibility with various frequency bands to guarantee seamless operation in your specific region. Lastly, consider routers that support the advanced routing functionality required in your enterprise network. By ensuring your router supports an extensive list of routing and switching protocols — like IPv6, RIP, OSPF, BGP, VRRP, and LLDP — you will not encounter problems when deploying in any hierarchical or large mesh network structure. IPv6 is increasingly important in facilitating the growth of interconnected IoT devices in the industrial sector.
- Security features: Key security features should include advanced authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) protocols, such as RADIUS and TACACS+, that control secure network access. Out-of-band (OOB) access is also necessary in managing critical IT assets, particularly during network outages. VPN support and integrated firewall capabilities are also necessary to protect against cyber threats and reduce their associated reputational and financial consequences.
- Industrial environmental considerations: Prioritize models with a broad operational temperature and humidity range, suitable for extreme industrial conditions. Specifically, opt for routers with high IP ratings — such as IP54 — for robust protection against water, dust, and general corrosion.
How Cellular Routers Are Used in Different Industrial Sectors
Industrial cellular routers offer a diverse range of IIoT applications that can enhance operational efficiency, safety, and data management across industries. Below, we consider specific examples in various sectors.
Manufacturing
In the manufacturing sector, companies are increasingly recognizing the value of extensive data generated by programmable logic controllers (PLCs), motors, drives, sensors, conveyors, and other similar equipment. This recognition is rooted in the understanding that effectively leveraging the data can lead to considerable cost savings. The IIoT — as facilitated by LTE and 5G cellular routers — is foundational in this context for a unified connected network.
Notably: Among manufacturers, there’s a growing shift from traditional industrial Ethernet to private cellular networks. Private LTE and 5G networks are increasingly favored for LAN connectivity, particularly in environments where high-speed bandwidth, flexibility, and scalability are operationally centric.
Oil
Oil fields, equipped with various IoT technologies, often require numerous strategically placed well heads for effective extraction. il companies are leveraging IIoT connectivity — by connecting individual well heads with sensors and remote monitoring systems — to gain real-time insight and accessibility. Industrial cellular routers facilitate the transmission of data collected by sensors to central monitoring systems, offering real-time insights into pressure, flow rates, and other vital operational metrics.
Similarly, the role of IIoT cellular routers to monitor tank batteries enhances and optimizes operations. After extraction, oil is stored in tank batteries within oil fields. While legacy systems relied on manual checks and routine visits for tank level measurement, oil companies — via IoT sensors — can now continuously monitor levels, quality, and other key parameters.
Energy
In the energy sector, cellular routers are fundamental in advancing IIoT applications — particularly in predictive maintenance and remote monitoring. They enable precise data transmission from equipment sensors, allowing for a shift to condition-based maintenance. This works to minimize unplanned downtime by identifying potential issues before they escalate. Similarly, IIoT cellular routers help to facilitate the remote monitoring of dispersed energy assets, providing stable data connectivity in remote locations.
Cellular routers also facilitate advanced distributed control, key for balancing and managing decentralized energy grids. The high bandwidth and low latency of advanced cellular networks, like 5G, are crucial for responsive grid management and renewable energy integration. And importantly, cellular routers help to ensure secure data transmission and, in turn, protect energy infrastructure against cyber attacks. They support robust encryption, network segmentation, and failover mechanisms, safeguarding critical control systems amid an increasingly interconnected digital ecosystem.
Questions To Answer Before Picking a Router for Your Use Case
Before selecting one IoT cellular router over another, both IT and operations teams need to ensure the chosen solution meets their specific needs. As a starting point, consider the following questions:
- Are you using (or planning to use) any devices that require connectivity through serial ports or analog pins?
- Does the router support the security protocols required by your enterprise network?
- Does the router have to withstand specific temperature, humidity, or shock conditions?
- Is the space to mount the router limited or does it require DIN rail mounts?
- Do you have IT personnel on-site, or do you need a product that can be configured and managed remotely?
- Does the router manufacturer provide a product with high MTBF rates, a comprehensive warranty, and easy access to feature upgrades and support?
- Does the router have native support for OCI Containers, such as Docker, to enable you to optimize edge computing processing capabilities by deploying lightweight applications with low latency and real-time responsiveness?
To gain a more in-depth understanding of how to choose the right industrial router for your needs, speak to Perle’s team of trusted advisors. We offer versatile IIoT cellular routers designed for a broad range of industrial applications. Our routers are robust, secure, and suitable for challenging environments — offering both compact design and remote management capabilities.
