3. ROUTER DESCRIPTION
3. Router Description
Cellular router SmartStart SL301 is designed for wireless communication in the mobile
networks that make use of traditional cellular technologies. The primary purpose of this router
is its use in the newest Category 1 (Cat.1) services on the cellular LTE network of the Verizon
carrier.
3.1
LTE Category 1 (Cat.1)
Given the uncertain future of 2G technologies (they are gradually sunsetting), it needs to
find a suitable (natural) replacement. LTE Category 1 (Cat.1) in general is the only real alter-
native to 2G. It is specifically designed to bring 4G LTE capabilities to the Internet of Things
(IoT) and machine-to-machine (M2M) applications. Like all LTE services, Cat.1 provides a low-
latency broadband connection but capped at 10 Mbps download (and 5 Mbps upload). It is an
ideal solution for smart meters for utilities, telematics for vehicle tracking and fleet manage-
ment and security use cases, such as in alarm systems.
3.2
Basic HW Information
As a standard, the SmartStart router is equipped with one Ethernet 10/100, one serial
interface RS232, one binary input and one output. SL301 also contains one reader for 3 V
and 1.8 V SIM cards, which is placed on the rear panel of the device. The router can be
equipped with a WiFi module, but this must be part of the initial configuration – it cannot be
added to the router at some point in the future. The router is supplied in a plastic casing.
3.3
Configuration and Diagnostics
For configuration of the cellular router is available web interface protected by password.
Web interface provides (after logging in) detailed statistics about the router activities, signal
strength, detailed system log etc. This device supports the creation of VPN tunnels using tech-
nologies IPSec, OpenVPN and L2TP for secure communications. There are also supported
functions such as IPv6 (the latest revision of the Internet Protocol), DHCP, NAT, NAT-T, Dyn-
DNS, NTP, VRRP, control by SMS, backup primary connection and many other functions.
Other diagnostic functions ensuring continuous communication include automatic inspec-
tion of PPP connection offering an automatic restart feature in case of connection is lost, or
hardware watchdog which monitors the status of the router. Using a special window (start up
script window) you may insert Linux scripts for various actions. For some applications is the
key possibility to create several different configurations for one router which can be switched
as needed (e.g. using SMS or status of the binary input). Cellular routers may automatically up-
date configuration and firmware from server. This allows mass reconfiguration of many routers
in one time.
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