What is the best way to select an industrial router? Are you looking for an industrial router and deciding which one to use? Would you like to choose the correct industrial router for your extreme working environment as a network engineer or plant operator? There are many types of industrial routers, and each one has different features. Selecting the right one for your application will depend on what you intend to use it for.
In this article, I will present three factors to consider when purchasing your next industrial router. Let us examine how these factors impact operation and some examples of common applications. More information about these applications can be found here.
1. Industrial router products that can be used in harsh environments.
The advent of IoT applications has made it easier to communicate and study remote areas using robots and sensors. The presence of human beings in such areas is considered hazardous. Having the right equipment that can tolerate extreme climatic conditions, high temperatures, and pressure, and can install applications and network devices in a safe manner.
Online monitoring and remote control of agricultural wastewater.
Water waste tends to pollute the environment. Fortunately, IoT applications enable us to control and monitor this toxic environment manually. It is possible to analyze the composition of various substances in wastewater and generate timely alarms in response.
Smart Wind Power
Electricity generated by wind turbines is very inexpensive. However, they are located in remote areas away from the mainland. Thus, manual monitoring is not only dangerous but also expensive. The industrial router can withstand strong winds and provide reliable data for IoT applications.
2. Metal housing, rugged and durable, good for industrial users
For industrial applications, rigidity and durability are essential. Installation and upgrading of entire equipment and networks are costly. Making the right choice can save money and time, and increase productivity. During plant operations, industrial routers are subject to wear, rust, and damage.
The optical data transmission system
Clean energy is a concern for everyone. It plays a critical role in the manufacturing of solar cells, which are currently in high demand. To increase the efficiency of the solar cells, it is important to place them in an open area that receives ample sunlight. To withstand temperatures of 55°C, the equipment connected to monitor the input and output of these solar cells and other sensors must be robust and durable.
For intelligent server room monitoring system.
IT rooms are generally referred to as 24/7 server rooms or data centers. In order to ensure smooth connectivity, the unit must continue to operate continuously. An organization cannot afford to experience more router failures because it would disrupt the entire network.
3. Network connectivity and security.
As important as secure connectivity and communication are for every industrial router application, network scalability and cloud management are also essential. If you are looking for an industrial router, be sure to conduct research on the router in question.
In order for secure, reliable communication and remote management, large networks-based applications, such as VPNs, static and dynamic IP routing, NAT, and port forwarding, are required.
Is it possible to extend your network to other networks? What if you need to provide device access to the outside world network? Is it possible to use static IP addresses if you have to add and remove network devices every day? It doesn’t make sense to change routers often. Therefore, take the time to understand your needs, both now and in the future.
Another factor cannot be ignored by cloud-based solutions. Industrial companies can monitor processes from a distance. For example, perhaps you want to update your social status every day. If anything goes wrong with any of the sensors, you may want to remain vigilant.
Smart City
According to this general example, network devices must work 99% of the time. We need to expand our connections every day to accommodate new devices. Therefore, the router’s networking capability cannot be ignored for meeting current and future requirements.
Smart cities can also be used for self-service devices, such as vending machines, payment machines, ticket printers, etc.
In this article, we examine three factors. We will also examine some examples to illustrate the use of industrial routers in these scenarios. In IoT applications, this is often the case, but sometimes it is not necessary to use an industrial router or component. Keep these considerations in mind the next time you select a router.
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