Hardware

Review: Cradlepoint IBR900-600M Connects Federal Workers from Anywhere

This reliable mobile router will get workers in distant locations on the internet in no time.

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John Breeden II is an award-winning reviewer and public speaker with 20 years of experience covering technology.

Federal workers responding to major emergencies may find themselves in locations where reliable internet has been knocked out, but those who work in outlying or rural areas may also have trouble connecting.

The Cradlepoint IBR900-600M wireless router can use a cellular signal to connect those workers and their devices to the internet, to online services or to their office networks. As long as there is cellular service in an area, the IBR900 can keep devices connected.

This Ruggedized Router Can Withstand the Elements

The wireless router is small and weighs less than 1 pound, yet it is ruggedized against all the typical hazards many remote devices face. That includes shock, which is basically being dropped or otherwise impacted by something; and vibration, which is important in vehicles, especially on unpaved roads.

The router is also protected against extremes in temperatures. It can function without fail at anywhere between minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit all the way up to 158 degrees F.

Device setup was extremely easy. The router can be connected to a standard electrical outlet or the power supply in a vehicle. On the cellular side, it can use any LTE-based network signal.

It also has four antennas that allow it to provide reliable 802.11ac wireless connectivity for about 100 feet or so around the device, using the new wave 2 technology to manage bandwidth for multiple users or applications.

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How This Router Helps Provide More Than Enough Bandwidth

From a user perspective, once it’s configured, using the Cradlepoint router is little different from connecting with any other router or access point, even if it is being used from within a vehicle. And thanks to the wave 2 technology, it can also easily be managed and used as a hub for multiple Internet of Things or other devices.

For example, it can be set up in a remote outpost or building without wired internet access, ensuring that all IoT devices, such as sensors or security cameras stationed there, can constantly report their findings.

With a maximum throughput of 600 megabits per second, the router has more than enough bandwidth to serve an army of IoT devices and still provide connectivity for the occasional human visitor.

The Cradlepoint IBR900-600M wireless router is a great choice for connecting remote government assets to the internet, as well as providing internet access for workers in their cars or work trucks. It’s easy to set up and maintain, and it provides fast and reliable connectivity from almost anywhere.

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SPECIFICATIONS

PRODUCT TYPE: Wireless cellular router
CONNECTIVITY: Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac wave 2 wireless connectivity
MAX CELLULAR TRANSFER RATE: 600Mbps
SECURITY: WPA2 Enterprise encryption
DIMENSIONS: 4.5x4.6x1.2 inches
WEIGHT: 14 ounces

Environmental Challenges Don’t Stop This Router

Mobile and remotely installed devices are often exposed to debilitating forces such as extremes in temperature, high humidity levels, continuous vibration or the occasional shock brought on by being dropped or otherwise exposed to sudden impacts.

To compensate, manufacturers can ruggedize their gear, designing it specifically for survival in conditions that would hurt or even destroy nonrugged devices.

The Cradlepoint IBR900-600M wireless router is designed for use inside remote buildings at locations that may not have a controlled climate. It’s also a good choice for deployment in cars or work trucks, which have comfortable interior conditions only when the motor is running.

In addition to temperature extremes, technologies within vehicles face constant vibration and the occasional hard shock when the truck hits a pothole or is traveling on unpaved roads. The IBR900 was made to resist and survive all of those hazards.

To test this out, I first exposed the IBR900 to extreme temperatures. It can survive while operating in temperatures up to 158 degrees Fahrenheit and as low as minus 22 F. A parked vehicle might reach those extremes, but probably not one that is being driven.

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As such, my test stayed away from the most extreme ends of that scale. It involved having the wireless router operate for several hours, first at 120 degrees F and then for several more hours at 30 degrees F. This was done while the router was active, with performance constantly monitored during the test.

At no point did the performance of the router falter. The wireless signal waned and waxed a little bit over time but experienced no negative impact due to the extreme temperatures at either end of the scale.

Also, as part of the router’s environmental ruggedness, it can operate in an environment of between 5 and 95 percent noncondensing humidity. So, while it cannot be submerged in water, it should operate in areas that are extremely humid or overly dry without a problem. If installed in a greenhouse, the IBR900 would still perform fine.

For vibration, I attached the router to a shaking test table in my lab, which provides much more constant vibration than the router would be exposed to in a vehicle under almost any condition. Like the temperature test, the vibrations did not negatively affect performance, even after several hours of constant shaking.

Cradlepoint has ruggedized its IBR900-600M wireless router against all of the most likely forces that a remote or mobile connectivity device would realistically face. It was able to stand up to those negative elements without any degradation in performance or persistence.

Illustration by John Lanuza