Which router is right for you?

There are many 4G routers on the market, offering a wide variety of features. You need to make sure that the router provides functionality and flexibility for your solution needed. Here are the main things to consider when you a compare 4G routers for your business.

Cellular Technology

Most routers today support a version of the 4G standards called Category 4 LTE.  Some manufacturers are rolling out support for Category 6 LTE, which uses two chunks of spectrum rather than one, to double the theoretical maximum download speeds from 150 Mbps to 300 Mbps.  Cat 6 LTE is still being rolled out by the mobile carriers, so it isn’t available everywhere.   However, it’s worth considering routers that support it, in order to future-proof your investment.   There are a number of interchangeable terms:  look for Cat 6 LTE, LTE-Advanced (aka LTE-A) and 4G+.

Bonding

A router that can bond (ie combine) the traffic streams from multiple SIMs into one, will allow you to have a faster, more reliable connection to your company network.  This is essential if you’re planning to connect a multi-user site to your company network using 4G WAN, and especially if you need a very reliable connection for sensitive applications (see Managed Hubs). The rationale for bonding is primarily to provide a reliable and stable connection, with performance as a by-product.

Other WAN interfaces

Some routers will allow you to connect an additional WAN circuit that can be used alongside the cellular connections.  The rationale would be to allow the use, where available, of a connection that is faster, cheaper or has more capacity than the cellular connections. The additional connection might be a DSL, EFM or satellite circuit, or perhaps the ability to connect into a WiFi hotspot.  It might be implemented as an Ethernet port, or perhaps a dedicated DSL port.

WiFi

Some 4G routers provide WiFi, access for users, reducing the need for additional equipment in small installations.  Some will provide isolated guest access. Some will provide private corporate access as well a public guest access via a captive portal to enable you to force guests to provide details about themselves.

WiFi controller

Some routers can act as the WiFi controller for a number of WiFi access points, simplifying WiFi deployment and extending the coverage in larger installations.

Managed routers

Whatever your needs for a router, it’s also worth considering how you will deploy, configure and run the device.  There are a number of activities that will need to be undertaken, such as:

• Sizing the device
• Selecting SIMs and Carriers
• Choosing the site for the device (for optimum cellular coverage)
• Choosing appropriate aerials (eg Mag Mount for use outside Portakabins, directional antennae for remote sites)
• Tuning the connection to work with latency-sensitive applications
• Monitoring the connection in-life for performance
• Monitoring for availability
• Break-fix maintenance
• Usage reporting

These activities require that you deploy a number of different roles and skill-sets at different times. You may achieve a faster, more reliable and cheaper result by using a managed service to do this for you.   This is especially so if you envisage the installation being temporary, since a managed service can avoid the need to purchase equipment outright and remove the equipment when you have finished with it.