In our experience, there are several reoccurring reasons why Internet of Things projects fail. Some of the problems are on an institutional level; for instance, lack of administrative priority from the top, or a failure to define goals. No technology can solve those sorts of problems. For obstacles like inconsistent connectivity or high bandwidth expenses, though, there is a solution.
Connectivity is a major hurdle for most IoT projects. An IoT solution requires certain essential network elements: sufficient data throughput, low-cost bandwidth, reliable connections, ability to scale connections to multiple devices, and coverage in remote areas. One of the primary benefits of IoT is the ability to connect remote systems and devices for reporting, monitoring, and control from a centralized location. The more remote an asset is from the central office, the more appealing IoT capabilities become. At the same time, remote areas tend to have few, if any, dedicated connection options. These issues are exactly why Peplink devices are ideal for IoT applications.
The connections required for many machine-to-machine IoT solutions are significantly different from the connections we’re generally used to. While a remote control module in the field may need to be able to reliably receive instructions during a major weather event, it’s never going to need to download 4K video from Netflix. At the other end of the IoT connection, though, the central office or headquarters may need a substantial data pipe in order to handle information coming in from hundreds or thousands of remote sensors. IoT requires the integration of multiple different connection strategies into the same network.
Hardware for Every Application
A Peplink network can be established easily, and with a range of different components that incorporate those different connection strategies into the same network. Those connections can all be controlled from a single interface, allowing all devices on the network to be managed remotely from anywhere in the world. To understand how, we need to look at both Peplink hardware and Peplink technology.
Peplink has enterprise-level hardware that can handle up to 20,000 users or connections. One Peplink Balance 2500 can manage traffic ranging from that of a central office to that of an entire campus, and there are models with similar capabilities for offices as small as two to sixty users.
Pepwave routers, on the other hand, are unique in that they can simultaneously incorporate satellite, wired, and cellular connections, or even multiples of any connection in the same device. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes. For example, a Pepwave MAX BR1 Mini, at just 1 x 4 x 4 inches, can establish a remote Wi-Fi network from inside a backpack. It can be operated with very little current from any 10-30 volt power source connected to terminal block inputs, it can receive Internet connection from a wired or cellular source, and it has two SIM card slots for different carriers when in remote locations.
The Same Software for Every Device
Thanks to Peplink’s SpeedFusion technology, the IoT devices on a network see these various connections as a single wide data pipe. SpeedFusion manages data flow, keeping it moving securely and quickly through the fastest available connection. First, SpeedFusion divides each transmission into 256-bit AES encrypted packets. The remote router looks at the available channels and send the packets through the fastest, or least expensive, or most reliable connection, as determined by the system administrator. SpeedFusion follows each packet through each channel, and if at any time a channel loses integrity, slows down, or suffers packet loss, SpeedFusion moves the data to another path in microseconds. At the other end of the transmission, a second Peplink device unencrypts and reassembles the data. For complete security, each of these SpeedFusion connections is its own VPN.
SpeedFusion connections can also be used in cloud environments. For transmission to and from the cloud, a Peplink FusionHub virtual device replaces a Peplink hardware router at one end of the SpeedFusion pipe, creating the same secure, fast, reliable connection with a single physical device. FusionHub is compatible with major cloud platforms including Amazon, VMWare, VirtualBox, Hyper-V, and XenServer. SpeedFusion Cloud, launched in 2020, makes single-device SpeedFusion even more accessible with a global network of ready-to-connect nodes.
One Management Interface
All of this technology boils down to one major point for IoT deployments: it means that a company can link a variety of IoT devices in a range of locations and they will communicate with each other as if they are wired together in the same facility. An engineer in Omaha can monitor production equipment in Mexico City, a warehouse in Kentucky, and a freighter full of parts moving across the Pacific as if they are in the next room.
To keep things simple, every Peplink device on the network, including FusionHub virtual devices, is managed through the same interface. Peplink’s InControl 2 is a comprehensive management tool that allows administrators to see and adjust every aspect of the network. Administrators can access InControl 2 from any current web browser, or via the InControl 2 mobile app for iOS or Android. InControl 2 can identify each device on a map, monitor throughput at any point in the network, update settings and firmware, change configurations, and control bandwidth from one interface, anywhere an internet connection is available.
Lower Bandwidth Expenses
All of the security and reliability of SpeedFusion connections is also cost effective. And in addition to the competitive pricing of Peplink hardware, Peplink technology can significantly reduce bandwidth expense.
At one time, a comparable connection required expensive MPLS T1 lines at each location. Peplink combines other, less expensive data options into a more reliable pipe. Built into the Peplink InControl 2 software is a range of strategies that administrators can quickly employ to manage costs while maintaining speed and security. For example, a remote location may use the lowest cost cable connection, with a secondary cellular connection if the network slows down, and an option to failover to satellite as a last resort. All of the switching and cost management is invisible to the IoT devices, which will see only a fast, unbreakable connection at all times.
Anyone planning an Internet of Things project can overcome two common obstacles with one simple choice. Peplink will provide reliable, secure, fast connections for any IoT plan, and do so without putting undue pressure on a project budget. Regardless of the work you need to do, or the type of devices you need to connect, starting with a Peplink network will take connectivity problems off the table.
Frontier Computer Corp. is the largest distributor of Peplink connectivity products in North America.
