In deploying LoRaWAN networks, many users notice an interesting phenomenon: most outdoor LoRaWAN gateways do not come equipped with indicator lights, while indoor gateways often do. What are the technical and design considerations behind this? This article will provide a detailed explanation.
1. The usage environment of outdoor gateways is more complex
Outdoor LoRaWAN gateways are typically deployed in environments such as outdoors, industrial sites, construction sites, and power facilities, where they face multiple challenges including high temperatures, low temperatures, humidity, rain, dust, and ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, the design of outdoor gateways must prioritize protection level and sealing performance.
Although indicator lights provide intuitive status feedback during debugging and maintenance, their presence means that holes must be made in the gateway casing, which brings two main issues:
- Increased difficulty in waterproof sealing: The area around the hole can easily become a point of water ingress, especially during heavy rain or in high-humidity environments, where moisture may penetrate the interior and affect circuit stability and service life [1].
- Susceptibility to aging from UV exposure: The transparent parts of the indicator lights can yellow and crack after long-term exposure to ultraviolet light, affecting both aesthetics and functionality.
As a result, many manufacturers choose to omit the indicator lights in order to simplify the design and improve device reliability.
2. IP67 protection level imposes high structural design requirements
IP67 is a common protection level for industrial-grade equipment, meaning the device is completely dust-tight and can remain submerged in water up to 1 meter deep for 30 minutes without damage. Achieving this standard requires a highly sealed enclosure, and all interfaces, buttons, and indicator lights must be specially treated.
To implement indicator lights that meet IP67 standards, manufacturers usually need to:
- Use waterproof LED lights
- Design waterproof gaskets on the enclosure
- Apply waterproof glue or encapsulation techniques
These measures significantly increase manufacturing costs and process complexity, and some manufacturers choose not to install indicator lights in order to control costs or accelerate product time-to-market [1].
3. Remote monitoring replaces local indicator lights
With the development of IoT technology, more and more gateways support remote management, status reporting, and log recording. Maintenance personnel can use a network server (NS) platform to monitor the gateway’s real-time status, including signal strength, connection status, and the number of connected devices.
This makes local physical indicator lights less critical, especially in large-scale deployments where remote monitoring is more efficient and practical.
4. Manthink GDO51 Series: Breaking the norm by combining functionality with protection
While most outdoor gateways choose not to include indicator lights, Manthink’s GDO51 series outdoor LoRaWAN gateways have successfully implemented indicator lights under an IP67 protection rating, along with support for an external SIM card slot, which is rare in the industry.
Highlights of the GDO51 series:
- IP67 protection rating: Truly suitable for harsh outdoor environments, dust-tight and waterproof, ensuring long-term stable operation [1].
- Supports indicator lights: Even if remote monitoring fails, the local indicator lights allow quick judgment of the gateway’s status.
- External SIM card slot: Facilitates replacement and maintenance of communication modules, adapting to different carrier networks.
- High-performance LoRa communication module: Supports multi-channel concurrency, wide coverage, and is suitable for smart cities, smart parks, and industrial IoT applications.
- Compatible with mainstream NS platforms: Including Manthink’s self-developed ThinkLink LoRaWAN NS platform, which supports free access for up to 1000 devices.
5. How does Manthink achieve this?
Manthink has been deeply involved in LoRaWAN technology for many years and possesses complete hardware design and waterproof process capabilities. The GDO51 series gateways use an integrated waterproof enclosure + waterproof LED + sealed structural design, ensuring IP67 protection while maintaining ease of maintenance.
Additionally, Manthink provides the free ThinkLink LoRaWAN NS platform, which supports rapid deployment, device management, and data visualization, significantly lowering the barrier for small and medium-sized projects to adopt LoRaWAN.
6. Conclusion
Most outdoor LoRaWAN gateways do not have indicator lights due to considerations such as protection level, cost control, and the trend toward remote monitoring. However, Manthink has successfully implemented a combination of IP67 protection, indicator lights, and external SIM card support in its GDO51 series gateways through technological innovation and process optimization, offering users a more comprehensive and practical solution.
If you’re looking for an outdoor LoRaWAN gateway that is both durable and easy to maintain, consider trying Manthink’s GDO51 series. Paired with the free ThinkLink NS platform, it makes IoT deployment easier and more efficient.
🔗 Official website: https://www.manthink.cn
🔗 ThinkLink LoRaWAN NS platform: https://thinklink.manthink.cn
📧 Contact email: info@manthink.cn
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