The number of industrial 5G routers continues to grow (Source: Robustel / Perle / Peplink / Hongdian / Advantech / E-Lins)
Every month the three major cell phone providers put up new 5G masts, and every week the German Federal Network Agency approves additional campus networks. The new radio access technology is slowly gaining ground, and so more and more equipment providers are venturing into the market. New 5G routers for industrial users have now been announced – and some of them are already available.
Around 150 masts of Telefónica Deutschland were equipped with 5G technology at the end of 2020, and the target for this year is to cover 30 percent of the population. Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone already have several thousand antenna systems that transmit with 5G. The two major telcos want to provide around half of Germany’s population with high-speed data transmission within this year. The Federal Network Agency recently reported 103 approved campus networks. This means more and more company locations can use 5G via public or private networks. In addition to network coverage, one of the most important requirements is a router that establishes the connection between the wireless network and the company network. Here we present the latest developments to you.
Robustel R5020 5G
Robustel R5020 5G
According to the manufacturer, the Robustel R5020 5G is already available. With four cellular antennas and two WLAN antennas, its appearance clearly sets it apart from traditional 2G,3G and 4G routers. Robustel specifies IP30 as the protection class, mounting on the DIN rail or on the wall is possible, in each case with the help of an optional holder.
But the router is also prepared for use in vehicles. To this end, the R5020 5G comes with integrated positioning via GNSS, vehicle ignition sensing and the necessary robustness, which is confirmed by e-Mark certification. Other features include fully programmable OS and Robustel’s own RCMS cloud management platform.
Perle IRG7000 5G LTE
Perle IRG7000 5G LTE
Perle’s IRG7000 5G LTE is a gateway-capable 5G router for buildings and vehicles. Dual-SIM with multihoming as well as failover and integrated security features such as remote authentication (RADIUS, TACACS+, LDAP), intrusion prevention and software image CRC control, which prevents compromise of the software by malware during the update process, are intended to ensure reliable connections.
GPS and GNSS (Galileo, Glonass, and Beidou) are integrated for mobile location. Connection to cell towers can be established and maintained even at higher speeds. According to Perle, data communication works at speeds up to 100 m/s (equivalent to 360 km/h or 224 mph). The manufacturer also emphasizes the low-power concept, which supports a supply via battery and solar applications. In idle mode the consumption is less than 1 W, in standby mode it is only 53 mW.
Pepwave BR1 Pro 5G
Pepwave BR1 Pro 5G
The BR1 Pro 5G is a high-speed flounder: only 2.3 cm high, delivers a download data throughput per 5G of up to 4Gbps and 700 Mbps in upload. The industrial router is also equipped with WiFi-6 and offers a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port for WAN connection. So it can also serve as a fast access point.
According to the manufacturer, the device is particularly suitable for difficult areas of application with strong temperature or weather fluctuations. The permissible temperature range extends from -40 to + 65 ° C, the humidity may be between 10 and 85% (non-condensing). An E-Mark approval has been applied for, it should enable the use in vehicles of fire brigade, police and rescue units.
Hongdian Z1 and X2
Hongdian Z1
The Chinese manufacturer Hongian offers two router models. One is the X2, which has been on the market for some time and also belongs to the “5G-ready” category, which means it is particularly suitable for upgrades. The Z1 is a completely new development – also on the outside. The manufacturer specifies protection class IP65 and points out that the device is dust-, water- and oil-proof, also hardened against electromagnetic interference.
With Qualcomm’s IPQ4029 SoC, 8 GB RAM and integrated programming languages (C, Python), the device is particularly suitable for data processing and analysis directly in the corporate network, supporting both edge computing and cloud computing, according to Hongdian.
Advantech ICR-4453
Advantech ICR-4453
Advantech has developed a 5G router that offers five-gigabit Ethernet ports. Optional four of them can be equipped with PoE. Two SIM cards can be inserted and there is also an eSIM on board. Depending on the version, the router also supports dual-band WLAN. Advantech positions the router as a powerful edge computing gateway, whose software can be customized by the user as needed. Pre-built apps, Linux scripts or custom developments based on the Advantech SDK can extend the router’s functionality. The device is expected to be available on the market by the end of March 2021.
There are more Advantech models with different functional ranges on the market. In addition to other variants of the 4000 series, the ICR-3212B model, which is specially designed for narrow-band data transmission in the IoT, was also to be found. This model supports both LTE-M and Narrowband IoT (NB IoT) over 5G.
E-Lins H900 Dual SIM Gigabit 5G Router
E-Lins H900
E-Lins sees the H900 router as suitable for M2M and IoT applications, such as in vending machines or surveillance, as well as for use in vehicles. The router is already available and supports three different positioning systems with GPS, GNSS and Beidou. The WAN and two of the four Ethernet ports are Gigabit-capable, the other two ports are limited to Fast Ethernet. Besides serial interfaces and four digital I/Os, one USB 2 and one USB 3 port are also on board. Two SIM card slots are on the back, dual-band WLAN is optionally available.
For all presented models applies:
Unless otherwise noted, the devices are usually only announced, but test samples can partly already be requested. In view of the dynamics of the market, we must point out that up-to-date information on availability, delivery times and prices should be obtained directly from the manufacturer or the usual sources of supply.
Download (exclusively for our newsletter subscribers): We have compiled further details on the 5G routers for industrial use presented here in a clear 5G router data sheet, for a direct comparison of the respective product specifications. Directly to the download.
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