Network Computing Editorial Review of the IRG7440 5G Router
An independent product review testing the capabilities of our enterprise-class edge 5G Router. Originally posted by Network Computing here.
Perle Systems has the perfect solution for businesses seeking high-speed, secure, always-on internet connectivity. Certified for international operations, the palm-sized IRG7440 5G Router & Gateway delivers primary or backup 5G NR or CAT20 LTE services with integral GPS capabilities to reliably connect remote infrastructures plus assets and critical industrial applications.
The IRG7440 impressed us immensely as it offers a remarkable range of features and functionality. Installation is swift too, as we used its local web console’s wizard to provide a meaningful device name and secure administrative access. For our lab tests, we installed a data SIM assigned with a static WAN address and didn’t need to create a cellular profile as the router automatically identified it and set up an internet connection for all our devices attached to its Ethernet switch.
Deployment choices are manifold as along with a 5G SIM slot, the router presents a four-port Gigabit Ethernet switch. We used it as a primary 5G router for our tests, but it can easily provide cellular failover where it monitors the health of the wired connections and automatically swaps over to the SIM if they go down to provide 99.99% uptime.
Access security is excellent, and we used the integral firewall to create zone-based policies. 2FA can also be enabled on selected user accounts and AAA (authentication, authorization, accounting) services applied using Radius, TACACS+ or LDAP.
There’s more as it has the functionality of an IOLAN Secure Device Server built-in for provisioning remote OOB access to core network devices. In fact, this router is so versatile we think the use cases for it are limited only by your imagination.
The IRG7400 provides a full set of enterprise routing capabilities including support for IPv4/IPv6, RIP, OSPFv3, BGP and VRRPv3 protocols. IP pass-through may be used when the router is deployed in gateway or bridge modes and it can route between its cellular, Ethernet, USB and serial interfaces.
Its ruggedized chassis allows it to go where other routers fear to tread as it’s certified to operate in temperatures ranging from -40 to +70 degrees C, is shock and vibration resistant to the MIL-STD-810G specification and its IP54 rating protects against dust and water. These attributes make it perfect for challenging environments such as first responder and emergency vehicles, transit systems and pop-up shops.
The router is well-suited to environments with limited power such as those using batteries or solar panels as it consumes less than 1W in idle mode. When required or triggered by a low voltage condition, it can drop down to a standby mode where it sips a mere 52mW.
Its serial interfaces can be used to establish Serial to IP communications to devices with COM ports and it can provide 5G connectivity for IoT/M2M applications. With GPS and GNSS included as standard, you can easily create a VAN (Vehicle Area Network).
Organisations with geographically distributed fleets of Perle LTE routers can manage them all using the PerleView cloud service. From a single web portal, devices can be grouped by type or location and receive scheduled firmware updates, their local consoles can be remotely accessed, and threshold criteria applied for timely warnings of problems or hardware issues.
Independent network testing lab specializing in delivering sophisticated testing, evaluation, and reporting services to today’s global IT markets. With over 35 years' experience in key sectors of the IT networking industry, we bring an unrivalled depth of knowledge and expertise enabling us to provide state-of-the-art product evaluation and validation services.
